Very nice useful product at a good price, but there are some things to note.
This is an excellent teapot at a good price. It is completely cast iron except for a small part of the knob on the lid which is plastic to avoid burns. It is important to follow the directions to treat the pot before its 1st use in order to avoid any rust. The process is very simple and does not take much time, in spite of my detailed comments which follow. Anyone who has complained about rusting clearly did not follow those instructions. The ones in the product description here are a little bit cryptic due to poor translation, but the printed ones that come with the product are better (although not perfect). In any case with the application of common sense they can be deciphered. (My opinion: Instead of pouring out the tea used to treat the inside of the pot, save it in a container or jar and soak a soft cloth in it, which you can use to clean the outside of the pot after which you should dry the pot on the stove.) The pot is not lined with enamel or anything, so the iron molecules can leach into the tea providing a health benefit, which I believe is the best reason to use an iron teapot.The bottom surface of the pot is small, but fits on any of the burners on my gas stove top. For the few teas which ought to be brewed with water at boiling temperature I boil the water in the pot and then add the tea to the strainer, turning the flame to the lowest setting to keep the pot warm during steeping. For most teas I heat water to the appropriate temperature in a Keurig machine, then pour it into the pot and insert the strainer with the tea in it. Prior to that I pre-heat the pot on the stove in order to prevent the water from cooling while steeping. Then I move it to an electric mug/teapot warmer so that it will not cool significantly before I finish drinking the tea. If you plan to drink it quickly or are making tea for more than one person this last step is not necessary. For me it is better to leave the tea in the pot after it is steeped instead of pouring it into a mug or cup placed on the warmer, so that I get as much benefit from the iron as possible. I then pour an ounce or 2 at a time into a small cup for sipping. I even poor Matcha into the teapot after mixing with appropriate temperature water (obviously no strainer), to keep it from cooling and get the added benefit from the iron.It is important to follow the simple instructions for drying the teapot after use to avoid rust, even though you have followed the instructions to treat the pot before the 1st use. Something not mentioned in the printed instructions, but I believe may be in the description online here, is that you should dry the lid separately and leave it aside while the pot is drying on the stove, to avoid condensation remaining in the pot. Wait until the pot is completely dry and then allowed to completely cool before putting the lid back on the pot for storage until your next use.I think if you follow all the instructions and in my opinion my comments you will find using this pot is enjoyable and adds to health benefits.
✔ Verified Purchase
K
Knits in Tardis
June 03, 2019
Hack to get on handle + NO dishwasher!
So I'm loving this teapot butI'm no expert on what constitutes a "proper" Japanese teapot. This one is made in China, looks attractive, seems to be made from good materials and to have structural integrity. As a note, my version is the 27 oz and does have a plastic or resin lid knob on the lid, presumably so that it doesn't get too hot to hold. (Iron really conducts that heat!) The knob has visible seam if you look closely, but I wouldn't say it's easily noticeable. And no, the inside does not appear to be coated. More on that down a bit.DO NOT PUT THIS TEAPOT IN THE DISHWASHER. I really can't stress that enough. Same as anything that is cast iron, this will be damaging at worst and strip the nice patina / stick resistance that you get with use. ....while I'm at it, don't put anything wood or wood-handled in the dishwasher. And please, not good cutting knives, the sort that can be sharpened and honed, if you care about these at at. There are lists out there: google it.What you are going to want to do is brew and throw out a few pots of the least favorite tea in your cupboard to acquire some coating that will stop the iron from leaching heavily into your tea, which will be readily apparent and visibly alarming from the blackness of it. If you have hard water, all the better - the pot will get that protective layer that much faster. You won't need to wash it out with soap - ever - and really won't want to as this isn't a ceramic pot and yes, the flavor of soap may linger, plus you'll lose that nice protective coating. No scrubbies or other abrasives like Comet or Barkeep's Friend whatever-its-called. Just rinse it out with a soft cloth or sponge after use, and know that if you leave the tea in the pot all night, you are going to get a nice black eau-de-iron tint to your brew from iron embedded bits of that calcium-in-the-water from your more-or-less hard water, so you know, finish off that tea in a reasonable time or pour it into a heat-proof thermos if you are seriously going to dawdle.Does all this sound like a bit much? Maybe, but I love the aesthetics of an iron pot and the extra shot of iron for my health when I brew tea. Bottom line, the black flakes thing that has some buyers freaking out is aesthetic, it's probably not going to hurt you unless you are already way over the limit on your iron consumption.My Amazon Warehouse Deals unit came with a slightly banged up handle - some previous user tried (unsuccessfully) to insert it in the proper holes in the pot. What we did to get it in was grab the little jack from my car - really, no kidding! - to expand the ends just enough to insert them. Go slow, be gentle, and proceed at your own risk I suppose. Maybe there's better info with the paperwork, but for me the (previously returned) item didn't come with any instructions.It looks lovely and keeps tea hot for a good amount of time, although the advantage there over ceramic isn't quite as big as I'd hoped. I'd say this is amazing for a devotee of cast iron or lovely and practical asian implements. I consider it a future family heirloom I can use and well worth my five stars! - but if the care cast iron requires in order to last basically forever - which it can - sounds like a pain to you, go for a stainless or porcelain pot and take an iron pill, if you need it.
✔ Verified Purchase
Shy a year later, no rust, perfect lil teapot for one or two
I purchased this teapot in May of 2024, just shy of a year, and I highly recommend it. Zero rust, used daily and it is perfect for one or two people.I ordered this teapot to help naturally raise my iron levels as I am always chronically anemic, due to medically reasons, and did so with encouragement from my endocrinologist. I’m on iron tablets but these barely keep me in range. Since starting to use this teapot daily, along with my iron skillet, my iron levels are finally in range and holding steady.For care, I NEVER clean with water which the instructions make clear. Using only Tea naturally deters the formation of rust. My routine is simple. Fill the insert basket with tea, add water 2/3 of the way, then heat on medium for 8 minutes. I steep as desired. Afterwards, I wipe out the pot, including the spout and lid and then put it on the stove, on low, for 5 minutes to finish drying it out. No rust, hidden or easily seen.I enjoy my daily tea time to relax and destress and have thoroughly enjoyed using the pot for the past year and I see many years of usage ahead. Highly recommended.
✔ Verified Purchase
