It has become apparent to me, in my time working in a tea shop, that not all people are aware of the difference between a tea kettle and a teapot. It is easy enough to confuse them. They both look sort of similar with a spout and a lid, they both have names which include the word tea, and they both contain hot water at some point in the tea making process. Confusing the two, however, can have dire consequences for yourself, your tea, and especially your tea pot.
When making tea using a teapot, you should have both a teapot and a tea kettle. A kettle is what you use to heat the water. You then pour the heated water into the teapot. The leaves should go in the teapot. The teapot is for steeping the tea. The leaves do not go in the tea kettle. The teapot should not go on the stove. To help clarify this process, we’ve created a simple infographic. Feel free to print it out, and hang it in your kitchen, to hopefully prevent damage to your tea, tea kettles, and especially tea pots. (We've heard stories..)
Tea pots are not designed to be put on stoves. They’re pretty, delicate, and sometimes fragile. Putting them on stoves can cause them to warp, darken, or even crack. Tea kettles are not designed to be used for brewing tea. They usually don’t have a strainer of any kind, so your tea would be full of leaves, and your kettle would be rather difficult to properly clean.
Click if you need an easy to use tea kettle
Click if you need a proper teapot to brew your tea in.