Teapots

A teapot is one of those purchases that looks simple until you actually stand in front of the choices: glass or ceramic, small or large, one cup or four. What suits you depends less on style and more on how many cups you actually pour, how you like to watch (or not watch) your leaves, and whether the pot needs to double as a kettle. This page walks through the main kinds on offer so you can match the pot to your everyday habit rather than to a picture.

Glass teapots

Glass teapots let you watch the leaves unfurl, which matters if you drink whole-leaf greens, oolongs or flowering teas where the look of the infusion is half the pleasure. Borosilicate glass is sturdy enough for daily handling, and a steel infuser keeps the leaves contained so you can lift them out once the brew is right. These come in a real range of sizes, from a single generous cup up to enough for a small gathering.

Everyday ceramic teapots

Ceramic is the steady, familiar choice for a personal pot that lives on the counter and gets used most days. These smaller ceramic teapots hold around two cups, which suits one person having a proper pot to themselves or two people sharing without any left to go cold. A large infuser basket gives the leaves room to open up properly, and the plain glazed colours make it easy to pick one that fits the kitchen rather than dominates it.

Luxury glass teapots

For gifting, or for anyone who wants a teapot that looks as good on the table as it works at the counter, a more decorative glass pot brings the same clear-view brewing but with a step up in presentation. It suits someone who already loves loose leaf tea and would enjoy pouring from something a little more special than a daily-use pot.

Cast iron teapots

A glazed cast iron teapot is built to do more than steep: with enamel inside and out, it can go on a heating surface to boil the water and then hold the same water for steeping, so there's no kettle-to-teapot transfer. It suits anyone who wants one vessel for the whole process, and its smaller capacity fits a single serving rather than a full pot for sharing.

How to choose

• How many cups you actually make. A pot holding around 12 to 24oz suits one or two people; a 37 to 42oz pot suits three or four cups without a refill.
• Glass or ceramic. Glass shows you the leaves and the colour of the brew; ceramic holds heat well and keeps the focus on the tea itself rather than the show.
• Loose leaf needs an infuser. Every teapot here includes one, either a steel mesh infuser or a large infuser basket, so check the basket size suits the leaf you drink, since large-leaf teas need room to open.
• One vessel or two. Most teapots are for steeping only, so you'll still boil water separately. A cast iron pot is the exception, since it's built to heat the water itself.

Questions people ask

What size teapot do I need for two people?

Around 24oz is the common size for two cups from one pot. If you tend to drink more than two cups in a sitting, look at the larger 37 to 42oz glass pots instead.

Can I use loose leaf tea in any of these?

Yes. Every teapot listed here comes with either a steel infuser or a large infuser basket built in, so none of them need a separate infuser bought to go with it.

Is glass or ceramic better for keeping tea hot?

Ceramic generally holds warmth a little longer once the tea is poured, while glass lets you see when the brew is ready and how the leaves are steeping. Neither is right or wrong, it depends whether you value the view or the warmth more on a given afternoon.

Can a teapot go straight on the stove to boil water?

Only the cast iron teapot here is described as doubling as a kettle, since its enamel coating is built for a heating surface. The glass and ceramic pots are for steeping only, so follow the care instructions that come with each one.