Kitchen

[cuddlesmama]

I am going to try loose tea's this year as I heard they taste much better an I am a tea drinker. I haven't even started looking for a tea  pot yet as I thought I would  post  here first as you ladies are so knowledgeable. Any recommendations would be helpful. Thanks

[lork]

I bring my water to boil in one of those 7 cup Kun Rikon multi pots (Wolfgang Puck has even nicer SS version - I've given about 8 as gifts), add the loose tea, cover, and turn off the heat.  After about 3-5 minutes I strain the tea into a ceramic tea pot that has been pre -heated with very hot tap water.  I like that I only have to mess with straining the tea leaves once and the warmed tea pot keeps the hot steeped tea quite nice for a while.  If there's any left, I use the cooled tea over ice during the day.  Often I repeat this process several times a day.  My personal favorite is Lipton's black loose leaf tea.  I have several ceramic tea pots (Temptations has some nice ones) and there are many versions in the stores.

[NickNack]

I have several that I like.  One is the Chantal tea for 4 teapot with stainless steel infuser.  They sell this on Amazon and other places, too.  I also have a cast iron teapot that I bought from Teavana.  I think you would like either one of these.  The Chantal teapot is smaller and really very nice.  I also have a Teavana Perfecta Maker.    It's really easy to use, too.

[ChynnaBlue]

When you say teapot, what do you mean? I ask because it can mean a few different things to different people. Do you need something to steep and serve, just something to steep, or just something to serve?

If you want one that steeps the tea and serves, I really like Bodum Assam tea pot. It's like a French coffee press for tea. After steeping, you press the leaves into a section without infusion holes, which stops the tea from getting bitter from the tannins.

Personally, I most often make one cup at a time and rarely need an actual teapot, I just need an infuser. I've tried a lot of them and my favorites are the ones that steep the tea and then go over the cup and drain and strain the tea directly into the cup/mug. The Teavana Perfectea Maker is perfect for this and is easy to clean.

If you just need something to serve, I'd recommend the Perfectea Maker for steeping and then just choosing a decorative teapot for serving.

[Laura14]

I got a cheap version of a teapot very similar to ChynnaBlue's first pic there from Teavana back in the day.  Worked well.   If you have one near you, you might want to check them out.  

[rrpell]

Hello @cuddlesmama

I saw your post and thought I would share some of my favorite ways to handle "loose tea".   I have many teapots but when it comes down to making an individual cup of tea, I always reach for one of these.  I also prefer a bone china mug. 

[cuddlesmama]

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@ChynnaBlue wrote:

When you say teapot, what do you mean? I ask because it can mean a few different things to different people. Do you need something to steep and serve, just something to steep, or just something to serve?

If you want one that steeps the tea and serves, I really like Bodum Assam tea pot. It's like a French coffee press for tea. After steeping, you press the leaves into a section without infusion holes, which stops the tea from getting bitter from the tannins.

Personally, I most often make one cup at a time and rarely need an actual teapot, I just need an infuser. I've tried a lot of them and my favorites are the ones that steep the tea and then go over the cup and drain and strain the tea directly into the cup/mug. The Teavana Perfectea Maker is perfect for this and is easy to clean.

If you just need something to serve, I'd recommend the Perfectea Maker for steeping and then just choosing a decorative teapot for serving.

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Thank you for posting this. This is the one I was interested in but doidn't know what it is called. Thank you!!

[KaySD]

I just love all the suggestions made in this thread. But me, I just toss the tea leaves in any teapot I have and pour in the boiling water. 

[Tigriss]

@KaySD That is basicaly what my post was,but it got poofed. I didn't put a retail link in it, just a picture. I use a tea strainer I hold over the cup when I pour to catch the loose leaves. I have a temp specific electric kettle that lets me get the right temp for the specific tea. Each tea type needs a different brew temp, none of which are boiling. If you don't have a temp specific electric kettle, just bring the water to a nice steam. That is generally a good temp for most teas. Black teas, I believe, need the highest temps of around 208-212 degrees, but the rest are lower temps. Loose tea in a tea pot is how they used to read your tea leaves in your cup when you were finished with it.