The Great Aspects of Cast Iron Teapots
As a functional kitchen item and beautiful accessory to enhance your home décor, the cast iron teapot is a much desired item by tea enthusiasts and cast iron teapot collectors. Because it is made from cast iron, a type of metal which efficiently preserves and absorbs heat, it also brews great tasting tea because of cast iron’s ability to soak up all tea flavors that have previously been brewed in the pot and enrich other teas which are subsequently brewed in the teapot .
Any liquids which are heated in cast iron teapot types are often kept hot for hours on end, thanks to the ability of cast iron to keep heat. Cast iron was probably invented in 14th century China and was used at first for small statues and possibly cannon balls. It is believed that cast iron was probably invented in 14th century China and was initially used to construct small statues and weapons such as cannon balls.
The Japanese began to drink tea for ceremonies and later events, which they used cast iron teapots - known as tetsubin - for. This type of practice was good as it allowed them to brew amazing tea through the use of cast iron and it kept in the heat and flavor well.
Later on, cast iron was implemented in the use of steam engine construction in the industrial revolution in England in the 19th century. This made a lot for increased transportation, as well as increased capitalism and made the cast iron teapot a thing of wealth and status. It changed the cast iron teapot forever among wealthy people. This was also when the cast iron teapot became considered a sign of wealth and status among the upper crust.
Later on people who owned these cast iron teapots would then pass them on to their daughters for marriage gifts and family heirlooms. The custom of passing on teapots like this continued for years and many generations continued it. You may now see antique cast iron teapots online, through auction sites, and priced anywhere from $100 to $600. You can find these antique cast iron teapots for sale today online or in antique stores with prices varying from $100 up to $600, depending on the age and condition of the teapot.
To protect a cast iron teapot from damage, there are several precautions you should take when cleaning and storing it. Always wait until the pot in no longer warm to the touch before wiping and rinsing the pot.
Don’t use dish soap for cast iron cleaning since it could deteriorate the metal and even make the tea or boiled water taste icky and bitter. It is important to keep a trivet or protective device underneath the pot to keep it from getting scorch marks anywhere. You should also note that a cast iron teapot may develop rust residue. It won’t harm you even if you ingest it but you should note that it may accumulate. If you are going to place the teapot on any kind of surface, remember to put a trivet underneath of it in order to prevent scorch marks. Sometimes, but not often, a cast iron teapot will develop a very slight rust residue. This will not harm you, however, if you ingest some of it.
Even if you get rust accumulations, it is no big deal for a pot since you can use a small brush to get rid of these. There are some chemicals known as tannic acid which allow you to blend this with the rust and makes a protective covering over each pot. This turns the rust traces to be small and even unnoticeable in some cases. In fact certain tea experts prefer tea served from light rust film coated pots. If you want, you can get normal modern teapots of cast iron which have enamel interiors, preventing rust buildup. In addition, there is a chemical in tea leaves called tannic acid which blends with rust and creates a thin protective film over the cast iron which will virtually eliminate any subsequent appearances of rust. There are actually tea aficionados who say they like the way tea tastes when served from a lightly rusted pot. Today, however, you can purchase modern cast iron teapots which are created with an enamel interior to prevent any possible build-up of rust.