The OkO-OkO Gazette
Cast Iron Teapots.
1) Cast iron teapots and kettles.
As a tea store, we had to share with you some of our knowledge and passion about cast iron teapots.
If you think that nowadays you can afford a digital kettle or teapot, which will regulate the temperature of your tea to the nearest degree, you’re partly right, but that’s forgetting the charm of the disadvantages of a cast iron teapot…
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2) What are the disadvantages of the cast iron teapot?
Cast iron teapots, do not have only advantages, and it is important to know the positive points as well as the negative points to be able to approach a field in its entirety.
With a cast iron teapot, you have the weight, the rust problems. And yes, all cast iron teapots will rust during the day if you leave moisture in them.
You must also be careful not to put cold water in an empty teapot that is still hot (thermal shock). In short, all of these drawbacks make the rough cast iron teapot seem like an outdated antique.
But make no mistake, you will get the best tea with a cast iron teapot. Moreover, it remains the most noble and traditional way to prepare your tea.
3) The pleasure of a tea pose.
To prepare a tea, must remain a privileged moment, a pause in the time. There is no more relaxing moment than listening to the crackle of water boiling in a cast iron teapot.
The respect of the gestures, their slowness and the search for perfection are part of this so precious moment of the tea ceremony.
But if there are different tea ceremonies and it is also good to remember that the discovery of tea and the first teapots in foundation were Chinese and not Japanese as many seem to forget.
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4) Why use a cast iron teapot?
It’s one of those little things you can do to enhance your tea experience and enjoyment, like using special glasses for a fine wine.
Ask any tea enthusiast and advocate of the Tetsubin teapot and they will tell you this: A rough cast iron kettle mineralizes and softens the water you boil in it. This results in a noticeably richer and sweeter brew, with less bitterness, more depth and a softer character.
Because some people only listen to music on a vinyl record, the same is true with Tetsubin teapots. They are reserved for connoisseurs, but what are their real advantages?
5) The advantages of the cast iron teapot.
Some of the experiments were done blind, as in the tasting of great wines. The result is clear: there is a difference between water heated in a cast iron teapot and a stainless steel electric kettle.
The opinions are unanimous and confer to the tea prepared with water heated in a cast iron teapot incomparable qualities, as the accuracy in the taste, the roundness of the aromas and a ferrous dynamics.
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6) The health benefits of cast iron teapots.
But beyond the aesthetic aspect and the taste, studies have proven that there was a real enrichment in iron of the water. The benefits are certain and contribute to bring iron to the body. Cast iron teapots are particularly recommended for people with anemia.
Beware, it is necessary to have cast iron of impeccable quality to benefit from these advantages. Our suppliers are selected and meet the sanitary and food standards.
7) Precautions to take with a cast iron teapot.
Although cast iron is solid, it does not like thermal shock. The cast iron is alive, it expands and contracts according to its temperature.
The tradition is to fill the teapot to 3/4, use 2/4 and refill the teapot when there is only 1/4 water left. In this case, all thermal shocks are avoided and you can heat your water again.
On the other hand, if you empty your teapot completely and it is still dilated by the heat, you should never throw cold water into it. You will need to use preheated water to avoid thermal shock that could lead to micro cracks.
It is also recommended to use a cast iron teapot mat(available for purchase HERE) to avoid burning your tea tray or table. Be careful not to put your teapot on a stone or marble table without protection (thermal shock).
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8) How to use a cast iron teapot.
It is essential to know how to use your teapot to get the most out of it. Here are some tips below.
Preparation for first use:
When using for the first time, it is important to remove any manufacturing residues and traces of fat. It will be necessary to rinse with very hot water several times to remove these impurities.
Once it looks clean, wipe it down and fill it with hot water and boil it once. Empty and repeat until the teapot and water is no longer any smell. You can also use the procedure in Chapter 14 (water + rice).
For daily use:
It is important not to fill your teapot completely to allow the water to boil without overflowing. This would leave lime marks on the outside and put water on your stove.
Our teapots can be used as a water kettle or used to brew tea directly inside. In this case, please use a removable stainless steel filter (usually supplied with the teapot).
Never heat a teapot without liquid and in any case, avoid thermal shocks as explained in the previous chapter.
The most common use is to bring the water to a rolling boil and then reduce the heat for one to two minutes while maintaining a gentle boil. This allows the cast iron to store heat well.
Afterwards, you remove the lid with a tea tongs to avoid burning yourself(on sale HERE) and you wait one or two minutes until the temperature stabilizes between 90 and 95° (depending on your tea).
We advise you to always rinse your tea leaves especially for very oxidized teas like Pu-erh. Then, steep or water your leaves depending on how you prepare the tea.
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9) What does the term “Tetsubin Teapot” mean?
Originally, Tetsubin refers to a Japanese teapot with a cast iron interior. It has no inner enamel and was intended to be placed directly on the coals of a coal fire.
The exterior of Tetsubins teapots is waterproof while the interior is porous. This allows for temperature exchange and iron enrichment of the water.
Some tea lovers swear by Tetsubins to the point of refusing to boil water in another kettle.
The Tetsubin Kyusu are on the contrary Japanese enamelled teapots. They bring nothing to the taste and cannot undergo strong heat (the enamel ends up bursting) and are reserved for the infusion of tea.
To differentiate these two types of teapots, it is very easy, because you just have to look at the inside: the enamel is shiny, the cast iron is matt black.
10) Enamelled or cast iron teapot, what to choose?
Watch out for enameled teapots that may seem like the solution to rust. While it is true that they are designed to solve the problem of rust, in practice, this is not the case most of the time.
Most often, the enamel does not support the rise in temperature, nor the shocks. The enamel of the teapot will always end up cracking and the cast iron will rust underneath. In this case, you will not be able to clean it because of the enamel and the taste of your water will be altered.
In short, an enamelled teapot for brewing, why not, but certainly not for boiling water or tea.
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11) Where to buy a Tetsubin cast iron teapot?
If you are looking for a Tetsubin cast iron teapot, you are at the right place at OkO-OkO.com
For those who are looking for pure authenticity, remember that to get a teapot made by a “Shokunin” (Japanese craftsmen) you have to register on a waiting list of more or less two years and it will cost several hundred euros…
It is for these reasons that we have decided to select a complete range of cast iron teapots. They are manufactured in a factory, but in accordance with traditional principles. You will find them on sale in our collection specially dedicated to cast iron teapots by clicking HERE.
12) How to wash your cast iron teapot?
Cast iron teapots do not rust easily as long as some rules are followed. The teapot should be rinsed after use with hot water and dried with a dry cloth while still warm.
Even if you are brewing in your teapot, we recommend that you do not use detergent when washing, a rinse with water is sufficient. You can also reheat the water to help dissolve the infusion residue.
If you forgot to rinse your teapot after use, we advise you to boil it again with clear water. Don’t worry if there is a slight discoloration of the cast iron or little scale that forms over time. This is part of normal usage and contributes to the quality of your hot water.
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13) How to store cast iron teapots?
If you don’t use your teapot often, store it upside down on a tea towel with the lid on the corner of the towel next to it.
For longer durations, put a good handful of rice inside with the lid on top.
These are simple operations, but they can help you keep your teapot rust-free.
But if you have rust in your teapot, don’t worry, it’s perfectly normal and cleaning is not that complicated.
14) How to clean rust from a cast iron teapot?
If you happen to find rust in your teapot, a coarse, damp sponge and a little elbow grease will remove most of the rust and other annoying dirt.
You can add a little salt to your sponge to make it more abrasive. Be careful in this case, you will have to remove the salt from your teapot after cleaning because it increases the effects of corrosion.
In case of very pronounced rust, you can complete the restoration process by boiling a pinch of rice in the kettle filled with water for one hour. Then repeated the process with green tea leaves instead.
The rice releases starch that soaks in and neutralizes unwanted flavors and aromas, while the compounds in the green tea help remove the rust layer.
Once the inside looks more or less clean, simply boil it with fresh water until the infusion that comes out is colorless, odorless, round and mineral in the mouth.
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15) How long can I expect to keep my cast iron teapot?
The cast iron teapot is very resistant to time. They are often passed on from generation to generation.
Cast iron teapots are ideal for travel, as they do not suffer from most impacts. If your teapot falls from your height, chances are you won’t get any scratches.
However, certain precautions must be taken regarding thermal shock.
16) Cast iron teapots and induction plates ?
Antique Tetsubin teapots are not recommended for induction cookers. At the time they were designed, the heat sources were natural and gentle. Induction plates are very powerful and can cause micro cracks.
Our cast iron teapots are on the other hand of new generation are designed to resist all types of heat sources, Induction, vitro ceramic, gas, electric resistance, wood fire and other with the exception of microwave ovens.
17) The pleasure of using a Tetsubin cast iron teapot.
If you opt for a cast iron teapot, you will certainly appreciate the fact that it creates a rhythm and takes tea as a moment to relax.
Listening to the gentle sound of a teapot boiling on its hot plate is just as comforting by a crackling fire on a snowy evening.
The warmth that comes from the cast iron is very pleasant and will quickly become familiar to you.
The well shaped spout allows you to precisely water your tea leaves. It is a whole that makes it simply an object that is handled with pleasure.
All teas will be enhanced. Tieguanyin brews with more verve from Tetsubin water. Pu-erh, dark and earthy, is softer and less astringent. Green teas have a thicker, more buttery texture.
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18) To conclude on cast iron teapots.
I hope that we have succeeded in transmitting to you a part of our passion for tea and the beautiful objects that are cast iron teapots.
Do not hesitate to visit our collection entitled “The world of tea”.
You will certainly be surprised by the extent of our range on tea and related accessories. You will find all kinds of kettles, electric teapots, glass teapots, porcelain, ceramic teas and tea of course!
If you have any questions or would like to contribute to this article please feel free to post a comment below.
All opinions are welcome, even the critic!
Thank you again for this moment spent in our company and see you soon for a new article.
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- If you liked this article on cast iron teapots, I invite you to consult one of our following themes on the benefits of lotus. Otherwise, we have other blog posts available by clicking HERE, see you soon.