For tea enthusiasts, finding the right tea pot can elevate the whole experience. The best tea pots are not only great at steeping tea, they're also aesthetically pleasing and capable of brewing the right amount of your favorite variety.
When it comes to tea pots, there are a wide range of materials to choose from, and each offers something different:
- Glass: Glass offers the visual appeal of being able to see the tea brew — nice if using tea blooms — and tends to be dishwasher- and microwave-safe, making it a practical option for the frequent steeper. However, it's poor at retaining heat.
- Ceramic: For the best heat-retention, a ceramic pot is the way to go. For black and pu-erh tea connoisseurs, this is a particularly smart pick since those teas require higher brewing temperatures than other tea varieties.
- Cast Iron: For a particularly durable pick, cast iron promises to stand the test of time. It's also good at retaining heat, though may be prone to rust without proper care. For that reason, the best are coated with enamel to prevent oxidation.
- Stainless Steel: Another durable option that won't rust, many stainless steel models are actual tea kettles, and not tea pots. The difference being that tea kettles will warm the water, but tea pots steep the tea. If looking for a model that both heats and steeps, there's a hybrid pick below.
So, keep in mind that for most of the picks below you may need a separate stovetop or electric kettle to boil water for tea, as ceramic, glass, and cast iron are not stovetop-safe.
It's time to shop for the best tea pot for you. All of the pots below are highly rated on Amazon.
1The Best Cast Iron Tea Pot
This cast iron teapot is capable of making 34 ounces of your favorite loose tea with its included stainless steel infuser. Also able to accommodate tea bags, the floral-patterned exterior makes this perfect to add to your kitchen's decor and the enameled interior makes for easy cleaning. The short-curved spout and folding handle also make pouring a breeze.
Though the manufacturer doesn't recommend using this pick on the stove, some reviewers mention doing so, however, this option definitely isn’t microwave-safe for reheating. The manufacturer doesn’t make clear whether this pick is dishwasher safe, but suggests using toothpaste, soda ash, vinegar, or lemon juice with “a nano sponge” to help clean tea stains.
What reviewers say: "This is a beautiful and sturdy cast iron tea pot. I chose it because of the infuser which sits deep in the body of the pot. I can use it with loose leaf tea and with tea bags. [...] It rinses easily, cleans easily. Because the spout pours from the bottom, you always get well-steeped tea in every cup. The cast iron is thick enough to keep the tea warm for a long time (it was warm 30 mins after I poured my first cup)."
2The Best Ceramic Tea Pot
This matte, white ceramic teapot can brew 27-ounces. The bentwood handle allows for easy pouring, but does need to be removed to make this dishwasher safe. Again, this teapot is not stovetop-safe, but does come with a fine mesh infuser to accommodate loose tea. This tea pot is free of lead and cadmium, FDA-approved, and TÜV-certified.
Available for separate purchase are coordinating teacups to fully complete the Zen tea experience.
What reviewers say: "I bought ZENS teapot & 4 tea cups around 6 months ago and use them daily. They are pretty much prefect - beautiful, tea cups hold 'just the right amount' of tea, easy to clean. Definitely 'would recommend to a friend' type of product (same goes for customer service)."
3The Best Glass Tea Pot With Infuser
Hand-crafted from heat-resistant borosilicate glass, the no-drip spout and ergonomic handle on this teapot ensure an easy pour and makes about 34-ounces. The included loose-tea mesh infuser is made from 18/10 high grade stainless steel food, but the tea pot can also be used without the infuser. This pick is unique since it's oven-, microwave- (without the stainless steel infuser), and even stovetop-safe at a medium level heat. Plus, the clear glass also allows for sunlight-powered, slow, cold-brewed tea.
Dishwasher-safe on the top rack, this pick is a great versatile option.
What reviewers say: "This is the most beautiful teapot I have ever owned. The filter is wonderful; the holes are so fine that even the smallest tea leaves do not get through. I love that the filter basket can be removed when the tea is done steeping [...] The collar, lid and filter basket fit perfectly into the pot, and the filter has a little metal handle that allows it to be inserted and removed with ease. [...] [The pouring spout] has a nice opening - not too narrow, not too wide, and pours a delicate stream with no drips!"
4The Best Stainless Steel Tea Pot/Kettle Combo
For a kettle and teapot in one, this pick is built for tea-lovers. The Breville One-Touch Teamaker is your one-stop shop for tea-brewing. It features a built-in basket with an automatic lower and lifting cycle for optimal brewing. The variable temperature control means brewing your favorite tea varieties at the right temperature and at high volume, with this pitcher’s 51-ounce capacity. There are even preprogrammed settings for Black, Green, White, Oolong, and Herbal teas or for brew strength, including mild, medium, and strong.
This thing is loaded with tech features: the LCD timer allows you to also keep track digitally of how long your tea needs to brew. The auto-start feature means this pick is pre-programmable so set up your tea in advance and it will automatically start brewing at the time you assign — great for tea fresh first thing without you lifting a finger. Plus, the 60-minute keep warm feature will be sure you tea is still hot even if you don’t get to it immediately.
This pick can also double as a more widely-functional kettle too for all your water-boiling needs. The durable Schott glass this kettle is made from resists staining, but to clean, use a vinegar-water solution on the “Hot Water setting” — this pick doesn’t appear to be dishwasher-safe.
What reviewers say: "This appliance tries to take the art out of tea making. I mean that in a good way. You tell it "tea, black, medium", pour in the water and put in the tea leaves, and it does the rest. [...] It heats the water, drops the tea basket into it, leaves it there for the allotted time, pulls it out again, and beeps. [...] You can make a single mug (aka two tea cups) [...] Or you can make a dozen cups; there's a mode that keeps moving the basket up and down in the water to ensure maximum contact."
5The Best One-Cup Tea Pot
For a one-cup teapot, this Tealyra porcelain teapot is a great pick for all kinds of tea and capable of making 18-ounces of tea (enough for one or two people). The built-in fine mesh stainless steel strainer can brew loose-leaf tea and the drip-free spout makes pouring your cup of tea hassle-free. BPA-, plastic- and lead-free, all parts of this teapot are dishwasher-safe. Just note this isn't a stovetop kettle so you’ll need a separate kettle for boiling water.
What reviewers say: "This is as close to perfect as it gets. It’s attractive, sturdy, easy to clean, and the strainer is large and allows good circulation (thus better steeped tea). It doesn’t drip while pouring, and there’s no uncomfortable hot points pressing (or burning) your fingers when you pour. [...] Highly, highly recommend this product!"
6The Best Travel Tea Pot
For a great tea pot you can either bring traveling or to the office, this BPA-free Tritan plastic, bottom-dispensing kettle has a built-in stainless steel mesh filter and can brew 16-ounces of your favorite tea — perfect for your own cup or sharing with a friend. The bottom-dispensing design means no messy pouring, just put the kettle over your cup and the release valve lets gravity fills your cup with perfectly brewed tea. The filter prevents tea-leaf residue from making it into your cup and easy-grip handle helps avoid other potential accidents associated with tea-making. This pick is even dishwasher-safe for easy clean up.
Since this pick is plastic, you'll need a kettle for boiling water.
What reviewers say: "I love this device for loose tea. It allows the water to have full contact with loose tea leaves without restriction. The filter screen is fine enough that no debris gets through. Best of all, when you empty your tea into the cup, there is no spillage like there can be with some teapot spouts. I can't think of any downsides to the operation of this awesome little kitchen gadget!"
Bustle may receive a portion of sales from products purchased from this article, which was created independently of Bustle's editorial and sales departments.
