Tea has been around for over 5,000 years, so it is no surprise that the method for making tea has improved over the years. Today, you can have a cup of tea in just a matter of minutes, and the best teapot helps you do just that.
Teapots and tea kettles should not be confused. They are not the same thing.
A tea kettle is what you will use to heat the water that you will use to steep the tea. You will then take the heated water and pour it into the teapot to steep the tea. The teapot should keep the water hot as it steeps the tea so that you can pour a hot cup of tea once it has finished steeping.
Tea can be enjoyed in many ways, hot with lemon, milk, or honey, or cold over ice. No matter how you enjoy your tea, you will need a teapot to brew and steep the tea of your choice, and the best teapot will ensure that you brew flavorful tea without fail every time.
If you are just learning how to enjoy tea using a teapot, stick around. Just as we have helped you understand how to use the best percolator for brewing coffee, we are going to help you understand which teapot is best for you when steeping tea.
So, let’s get started with the best teapots first!
Best Overall Teapot
1. Sweese Porcelain Teapot with Stainless Steel Infuser
Our pick for the best overall teapot is the Sweese porcelain teapot with stainless steel infuser. It is affordable, stylish, and extremely functional.
It holds 27 ounces of water and has a stainless steel infuser that will hold the tea of your choice. When you pour the water into the teapot, it will steep the tea that is located in the infuser. The stainless steel strainer has very small holes so you can use any fine, loose leaf tea of your choice without having to worry about leaves in your tea.
The teapot has a large handle and a pour spout. The large handle makes the teapot easy to hold and pour. The teapot is made of porcelain and has a high gloss enamel finish to protect the teapot from scratching or chipping. The high gloss enamel also makes the teapot dishwasher safe when you need to clean it.
Another great feature of this teapot is how the lid stays securely in place because of the lid’s silicone gasket that encircles the lid and keeps it securely in place on the teapot. Because of this, you don’t have to hold the lid of the teapot down as you pour.
The teapot, lid, and stainless steel infuser are all dishwasher safe. As soon as you’re done enjoying your tea, you can place all of the teapot components into the dishwasher for quick and easy cleanup.
Best Budget Teapot
2. DOWAN White Ceramic Teapot
The best budget teapot on our list is this 30-ounce white ceramic porcelain teapot by DOWAN. It’s around $10 and completely functional in steeping tea. The porcelain keeps the water and the tea warm once it is poured into the teapot. It has a wide handle and an elongated spout to easily hold and pour tea from the pot.
The lid of the teapot has a double card tongue design that will keep it in place. To ensure the lid is locked, you will place it onto the teapot and then rotate it 90 degrees. This will keep the lid in place on the teapot as you pour.
The porcelain has an enamel coating that will keep the teapot resistant to scratching, chipping, and flaking. This also makes the teapot dishwasher safe. In addition to being dishwasher safe, the teapot is also microwave, oven, and freezer-safe.
There is no individual or remover strainer included with this teapot, but there is a straining design at the spout's opening inside the pot to keep loose leaf tea from being poured into your cup. Keep in mind that smaller tea leaves will come through these holes, but larger loose leaf tea will be strained.
Best Premium Teapot
3. Le Creuset Stoneware Traditional Teapot
Our pick for the best premium teapot is this top-quality traditional teapot made by Le Creuset.
Le Creuset makes a variety of high-end kitchen products, which is why we have included this teapot by Le Creuset on our list.
First, durable ceramic stoneware is made with a glazed coating that will protect against scratching, chipping, flaking, and staining. This coating makes the teapot dishwasher safe for easy cleanup. It can be placed in a refrigerator, freezer, or microwave without fear that the teapot will become damaged because it is stoneware. It is high-quality and able to withstand almost any element.
Second, it holds a larger capacity than most teapots. It can hold a total of 44 ounces, making it perfect for serving tea to houseguests.
Finally, it has a large, ergonomic handle that is comfortable and easy to hold and pour. The slight gooseneck spout also makes it easy to pour the tea.
There is no infuser included with this teapot, so you will have to use teabags or purchase a separate infuser to place inside the teapot for you to add your favorite loose leaf tea.
4. Tealyra Ceramic Teapot
This ceramic teapot is a great runner-up choice for the best overall teapot. It has a ceramic body with stainless steel lid and a stainless steel extra-fine strainer. Because it is affordable, durable, and functional, it is our pick for a solid runner-up choice for the best overall teapot.
It holds a total of 27 ounces of water, making it perfect for individual uses or small gatherings. It includes a stainless steel strainer with extremely small holes that will allow you to place even the finest tea leaves into the strainer to steep. The strainer is completely removable and not require to use if you wish to remove it. The lid will close whether or not the stainless steel strainer is inside the teapot. The strainer has a small handle at the top that will allow you to easily place the strainer into the teapot or remove it.
The teapot's lid is also stainless steel and attached on a hinge that will easily open and close at your control. The handle of the teapot is solid ceramic and easy to hold. The spout on the opposite side of the handle points out and has a small nozzle to create a narrow stream as the tea is poured.
The entire teapot and the strainer are all dishwasher safe. Simply remove the strainer from the teapot and detach the lid from the teapot before placing them into the dishwasher.
5. Glass Teapot with Infuser
The first glass teapot on our list is this 32-ounce glass teapot with infuser.
Although it is a glass teapot, it is safe to use on a stovetop because it is made of borosilicate glass. Borosilicate glass can withstand sudden temperature changes without cracking or breaking. This is ideal if your pot of tea cools down, and you need to reheat it.
To keep the glass teapot hot once the hot water has been added to it, you can place the included neoprene sleeve around the teapot. This will hold in the heat and keep the tea warmer for longer. Just make sure you remove the neoprene sleeve if you will be placing the teapot on a hot stovetop to reheat.
The included infuser can be removed, so you don’t have to use the infuser if you don’t want to. When the infuser is removed, the lid will still seal for easy pouring. The infuser has extra-small holes that will allow you to use even the most super-fine tea leaves.
The glass teapot has a large handle on one side with a small pour spout on the other. It comes with a bamboo coaster for you to place the hot pot of coffee onto a table for easy serving without damaging the surface.
All of the components of the glass teapot are dishwasher safe. Simply remove the lid and infuser from the teapot and place all of them in the dishwasher.
6. Hiware 45-Ounce Large Glass Teapot with Infuser
The second glass teapot on our list is this large 45-ounce glass teapot with infuser by Hiware. It has a similar design to the glass teapot above, except this one has a higher capacity.
In addition to holding 45 ounces, it also has a removable extra-fine strainer that you can add any loose leaf tea into it to steep. The strainer has a handle for you to easily take the strainer in and out of the glass teapot. You can remove the infuser all together if you don’t want to use it every time. The lid can still be sealed even when the infuser is not inside the pot.
The glass teapot is made of borosilicate glass, which means it can be heated safely on a stovetop. This is ideal for reheating tea on the stovetop that has cooled. There is a large handle on one side of the round teapot with a small pour spout on the other.
All pieces of this glass teapot are dishwasher safe, including the lid and the infuser.
7. FORLIFE Curved Teapot with Infuser
One of the best things about this ceramic teapot is that it comes in every color imaginable. If you have a kitchen color scheme that you want your teapot to match, FORLIFE has you covered with all of their options.
It is a ceramic teapot with a stainless steel removable infuser for you to add your favorite loose leaf tea to steep. It is a smaller teapot, only holding 24 ounces of water. This makes it perfect for you to make tea for yourself or just one other guest.
The ceramic teapot has a large handle on one side with a spout that extends on the other. The teapot's lid is also ceramic and has a rubber gasket ring on the inside of the lid that will seal the lid securely into place on top of the teapot. You never have to worry about the lid falling off of this teapot when you pour.
The teapot, strainer, and lid are all dishwasher safe, making cleanup quick and easy once you are done. If you ever notice the inside of the teapot has become stained from tea, simply take a little baking soda and dissolve in warm water to remove the stains.
8. RSVP Chai 16-Ounce Teapot
When you want to make an individual serving of tea just for you, then this 16-ounce teapot by RSVP is what you need.
First, it holds a small amount of water; only 16 ounces. This is perfect for those times when you don’t need to steep an entire pot of tea. It is stylish, compact, and perfect to have on hand whenever you want to make a small pot of tea.
The teapot is made of sturdy stoneware with a glazed enamel finish to protect against scratches, chips, and flaking. This also makes the teapot dishwasher safe for easy cleaning. In addition to being dishwasher safe, it is also microwave safe. That way, if your tea goes cold before you can enjoy it, you can place the teapot in the microwave to reheat the tea; however, ceramic stoneware is not quick to turn cold once it has been heated, so you shouldn’t have to worry about this.
The teapot has a handle on one side and a pour spout on the other. The lid of the ceramic teapot has a double card tongue that will lock the lid into place when it is placed onto the teapot and spun 90 degrees. This keeps you from worrying about the lid of the teapot falling off as you pour your tea.
What is the Difference between a Teapot and a Tea Kettle?
A tea kettle is used to heat the water to make the tea. It will be made of a stovetop-safe material, like stainless steel or aluminum. Once the water has been heated, it will need to be poured into the teapot to steep the tea you have placed in the teapot.
The teapot will be made of a material that will hold the heat and keep the tea warm. Occasionally, the teapot may be made of a stovetop safe material like borosilicate glass, but this isn’t always the case. Teapots are typically made of a ceramic material, like porcelain or stoneware because they retain heat so well. These materials are not stovetop safe and should not be reheated on a stove.
How to Choose the Best Teapot
Teapots come in all shapes and sizes. The teapot concept is generally the same from teapot to teapot, but that doesn’t mean that all teapots are the same.
To help you know how to choose the best teapot, we have a list of features you need to consider when making your decision.
Size
Are you the only tea drinker in your house? Do you often host get-togethers, book clubs, or girls’ nights? This will help you determine what size teapot you should choose.
If you are the only tea drinker in your house, then you’ll get no benefit from buying a large capacity teapot. You should buy a teapot that is 27 ounces or less. Not only will this save you money, but it will also reduce wastefulness. You won’t have to make large amounts of tea that you will be pouring down the drain when it doesn’t get drank.
If you are hosting friends or family, you want to choose a larger teapot that holds more than 27 ounces of tea. This will ensure that you can serve several people one cup of tea at a time.
Material
This may simply come down to a personal preference that helps you make your decision.
Teapots will either be glass, ceramic, porcelain, or stoneware. The only teapot material that can heat on a stovetop is borosilicate glass. All other materials cannot be heated on a stovetop as they will crack or break.
Many of the ceramic teapots are painted with beautiful colors and designs, which is one of the main features that make them so desirable over glass teapots. However, glass teapots allow you to see the tea as it steeps inside the teapot.
The only advantage of glass over ceramic is that if it is borosilicate glass, it can be heated on a stovetop. However, ceramic teapots, including porcelain and stoneware, retain their heat for longer periods of time, essentially preventing them from ever needing to be reheated on a stovetop.
Infuser
Another consideration you need to make is what kind of infuser comes with the teapot, if any.
The infuser is the basket or container located inside the teapot that will contain the tea as it steeps. Infusers may vary between how big they are and how big the holes of the strainer are. The larger the holes, the more chance you have of tea leaves ending up in your tea, especially if you are using an extra-fine loose leaf tea.
Some teapots may not come with an included infuser, but instead, have a strainer design attached to the spout's opening inside the pot. This allows you to use larger leaf tea in the teapot without worrying that the tea leaves will fit through the strainer holes of the teapot.
If the teapot doesn’t come with a strainer at all, you will either have to use tea bags in your teapot or buy a separate tea strainer or infuser to place in your teapot.
Lid
The last feature you need to consider when choosing the best teapot is the lid. You will want the lid to have a way of staying in place as you pour the tea. This may be through a rubber ring or gasket that is connected to the lid that will steal the lid into place as it is on the teapot, or this may be a lid that has a double card tongue that will need to be rotated to lock the lid into place when you put the lid onto the teapot.
No matter the method, having a lid that will remain securely in place as you pour the tea is always recommended.
A Helpful Tip When Using a Teapot
Before you go, we wanted to make sure we included this helpful tip when using a teapot for the first time.
We recommend preheating your teapot before you pour a kettle of boiling water into a cold teapot. While the extreme temperature change shouldn’t damage the teapot, there is always a chance that this could happen.
When you preheat the teapot, it warms the teapot and better prepares it for the hot water that it is about to come in contact with.
To preheat your teapot, you can follow one of these two methods:
- Run hot tap water in the teapot and fill it up, ensuring that it touches all sides of the teapot. Swirl the water around to make sure the teapot gets fully warmed.
- When the water in the kettle is ready, pour a small amount into the teapot and swirl it around the teapot to heat it.
Preheating the teapot before adding boiling water will ensure it stays protected for both short-term and long-term use.
Conclusion
A teapot is a classic way to ensure that you enjoy perfectly hot and fully steeped tea each time without fail. When they are not in use, the teapot can make a great decoration or adornment to any kitchen, countertop, or hutch.