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Best Teapots

Updated December 2023
Bottom line
Pros
Cons
Best of the Best
Kitchen Kite Tea Kettle Infuser Stovetop Gift Set
Kitchen Kite
Tea Kettle Infuser Stovetop Gift Set
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Excellent Gift Set
Bottom Line

A gift set with a stovetop-safe clear glass teapot, an infuser, and cups—makes a wonderful present.

Pros

Made of borosilicate glass that’s temperature-safe to over 1,000 degrees F; safe for most stovetops. Mesh tea infuser fits inside the teapot for loose-leaf teas. Metal lid includes vents to allow steam to escape. Also includes double-walled cups and tea samples.

Cons

Cups are quite small. Some significant issues with the spout detaching.

Best Bang for the Buck
Hario ChaCha Kyusu Maru Teapot
Hario
ChaCha Kyusu Maru Teapot
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Simple Yet Solid
Bottom Line

This heatproof glass is as gorgeous as it is effective.

Pros

It comes with a stainless steel mesh sleeve that sits inside the teapot so you can make your own handcrafted teas rather than relying on pouches and bags. It comes in three sizes: 300, 450, and 700 milliliters.

Cons

It’s fragile; make sure not to drop it while cleaning.

Teabloom All-in-One Glass Teapot and Tea Kettle
Teabloom
All-in-One Glass Teapot and Tea Kettle
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Customer Favorite
Bottom Line

The 40-ounce capacity of this stovetop-safe teapot makes enough for up to 8 individual cups of tea.

Pros

Generous 40-ounce or 1.2-liter capacity. Clear borosilicate glass is stovetop-safe for boiling and steeping. Large-sized steel tea infuser boasts fine holes to minimize particles from loose-leaf tea. Large curved handle. Microwave-safe (with metal infuser removed).

Cons

The metal lid can unbalance the pot while it’s open and empty for filling.

Primula Japanese Tetsubin Stainless Steel Infuser for Loose Leaf Tea
Primula
Japanese Tetsubin Stainless Steel Infuser for Loose Leaf Tea
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Traditional Elegance
Bottom Line

Combines the traditional legacy of Japanese tea making with a convenient built-in filter.

Pros

Traditional Tetsubin design made of cast iron with beautiful enameled interior and exterior. Keeps tea warm for a long time. Infuser helps brew loose-leaf tea cleanly. The long handle is convenient and can be moved out of the way.

Cons

This model is not recommended for stovetop or charcoal use like true Tetsubin.

GROSCHE Aberdeen Loose Leaf Tea Maker
GROSCHE
Aberdeen Loose Leaf Tea Maker
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Clever Design
Bottom Line

Change the way you pour tea with a bottom-dispensing clear teapot with an infuser.

Pros

This bottom-dispensing teapot dispenses tea when set on a teacup or mug. Good for infusing water with larger ingredients like fruit segments or cinnamon sticks. Shatter-resistant design made of BPA-free Tritan plastic. Wide top for filling and cleaning.

Cons

Won’t hold or dispense liquid if the bottom gasket fails.

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BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We only make money if you purchase a product through our links, and all opinions about the products are our own. About BestReviews  
BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We buy all products with our own funds, and we never accept free products from manufacturers.About BestReviews 
HOW WE TESTED

We recommend these products based on an intensive research process that's designed to cut through the noise and find the top products in this space. Guided by experts, we spend hours looking into the factors that matter, to bring you these selections.

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Consumers
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Buying guide for Best teapots

Coffee is what you drink when you want a buzz, but tea is a far more relaxing beverage to be sipped slowly and savored. Anyone who drinks tea regularly should have their own teapot. While some teapots are handy when making tea for a group and look elegant when entertaining, you can also find smaller teapots that make just one or two cups at once.

There is a lot to consider when choosing a teapot. The material of choice is a big factor, with metal, glass, and ceramic options available. You need to decide whether you want a model with an integrated infuser or strainer for loose tea, or whether you'll use an external strainer. It's also important to choose a model that pours well from the spout and has a well-fitting lid.

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It takes around one teaspoon of loose leaf tea to make a single cup, but you may find yourself adjusting the tea-to-water ratio over time as you discover how you like your tea.

Key considerations

Material

There's no single best material for a teapot — each has its pros and cons. The most common teapot materials are ceramic, glass, and metal.

  • Ceramic teapots are an excellent option if you want a classic-looking teapot, though not every ceramic option looks traditional. Those made from chunky ceramic retain heat best. There can be some issues with staining with any ceramic teapot, and they are likely to break if dropped on a hard floor.

  • Glass teapots have a contemporary appearance and are great for brewing blooming teas. It's easier to see when your tea has brewed to your desired strength so you can avoid weak or stewed tea. On the other hand, glass teapots are fragile and aren't the best at retaining heat.

  • Metal teapots are usually made from cast iron or stainless steel, the former of which will have a ceramic interior to avoid rusting. They tend to retain heat exceptionally and are very sturdy. The downside of metal teapots is that they can be dangerously hot to the touch on the outside and are more prone to stewing tea.

Capacity

Teapot capacity is usually given either in ounces or milliliters, though some models tell you how many cups they hold. You can find compact teapots that hold as little as 12 ounces, as well as giant 50-ounce teapots. The average teapot holds somewhere between 23 and 34 ounces. When figuring out what teapot capacity you require, bear in mind that the average mug holds between 8 and 12 ounces, whereas the average teacup is smaller, with a capacity of around 5 to 6 ounces.

Infuser or strainer

The majority of modern teapots have an infuser basket that sits inside the lid. This is a great setup, since you can remove it easily when your tea has reached the desired strength to avoid stewing, and it's easy to empty and clean. You can also find models with a strainer in the base of the spout, catching leaves before they enter your cup. These strainers are more difficult to clean, however, and they can clog, slowing down or stopping your pouring.

Alternatively, some teapots don't have any kind of infuser or strainer. When using these pots with loose tea, you'll need to place an external tea strainer over your cup or mug when you pour.

Features

Lid

Choose a teapot with a tight-fitting lid since it's annoying to have to hold the lid in place when you pour tea to keep it from falling off the pot.

Spout

A good spout should be level with the rim of the teapot for easier pouring. Oval spouts tend to pour more consistently than round spouts.

Handle

The handle may either be on the opposite side from the spout or may arc over the top of the lid. The former tends to make pouring easier.

Design

You can find teapots in all kinds of colors, shapes, and patterns, from bare cast iron Japanese-style teapots to vintage-looking floral prints to ceramic teapots in bold primary colors. Whatever style you prefer, you can probably find a teapot to match.

Teapot prices

If you're on a budget, you can find some small, basic teapots for as little as $10 to $15.

Mid-range teapots cost around $15 to $30. Some options with larger capacities and more decorative models fall into this range.

High-end teapots can be priced anywhere from $30 to over $100 for designer teapots made by famous potters or homeware brands.

Tips

  • Choose a teapot that's easy to clean. Some teapots can be awkward to get completely clean, especially those with small openings or with strainers in the spout. If your teapot is dishwasher safe, this is the easiest way to get it sparkling clean every time.

  • Learn the correct water temperature for your tea. Black tea should be made with boiling water, for example, whereas green and white teas are best steeped in water between 170 and 185 degrees Fahrenheit. A quality tea blend will tell you the correct temperature to brew it at.

  • Steep your own herbal teas. You can make tea with any edible plant matter — though not everything will give you delicious results. You can make your own herbal tea in a teapot, either following a recipe or experimenting. For example, fresh rosemary makes an excellent tea.
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Grated fresh ginger makes a delicious addition to some tea varieties. Simply add it into the infuser basket, if your teapot has one, or strain it out before drinking.

FAQ

Q. Should I use loose-leaf teas or tea bags in my teapot?

A. You can use either tea bags or loose tea in a teapot, though it's much more common to make bagged tea straight in the mug and loose-leaf tea in a pot. If you're new to the world of tea, it's worth knowing that loose tea is the equivalent of freshly ground coffee whereas bagged tea is the cousin of the freeze-dried instant stuff.

Q. How long should tea be brewed?

A. Different varieties of tea have different brewing times. For instance, tea bags generally don't need to brew for more than a minute or two, since the finely ground tea inside infuses more quickly than large leaves. For loose tea, green tea should steep for two to three minutes, black tea for three to four minutes, and white tea for four to five minutes.

Q. What tea varieties should I try?

A. With a whole world of tea out there, it's tough to know what you should try. If you're looking for a classic English tea experience, choose an English breakfast tea or other similar black tea blend and drink it with milk and sugar, if desired. Earl Grey is another classic English tea, which is generally drunk black with a squeeze of lemon. However, there's much more to tea than black tea. Green tea and white tea give you far more subtle flavors and can be combined with fruits or jasmine to complement them. Then there are fruit infusions and herbal teas for times when you want to forgo caffeine. If you're not sure what appeals to you, trial and error is the best way forward.