Show me your Teapots.

Show me your little teapots, short and stout.
It seems like there are endless varieties of teapots ranging from the tame to the abnormal.

What teapot is your favorite and why?

Timothy, have you been holding out on us? Do you actually *own* that awesome cast iron teapot? I definitely have teapot envy now!

I will take a photo to add later... I have an every day one, and an "invite a crowd" one... and a modern pewter one... (old pewter may contain non-food-safe metals)

Edited to add the picture:


The fancy Chinese one fits in the basket to keep it warm for hours, but it's really too big for just me.

The smaller white pot was rescued by a friend who didn't have space for it. It is a perfect size for 3 friends to share mugs of tea and I use it a lot.

The pewter one is surprisingly delicate, so it only gets brought out on special occasions.

at total count of 9 teapots and 2 gaiwans (chinese steeping bowl/lid combo), i have several favorites. i may space them out here a bit.

this first one is in nearly daily use for black tea. it makes 1 ‘diner mug’ cup. was a gift maybe 10 years ago or so.

i’m not sure where our cast iron one is hiding, after a recent kitchen reorganization.

this one was made by a friend and was a wedding gift nearly 20 years ago, makes 2 ‘diner mug’ cups, and was in daily use for quite some time. still a favorite for larger ‘sharing’ amounts of tea (especially oolongs).

these little guys were a recent anniversary present to ourselves (19yrs). they’re tiny (approx. 2.5 pots to the mug) but exceptionally well made. the one on the left has three little feet. the one on the right, like the other, is plain unglazed clay, but polished in a traditional way with smooth river stones.

i’m told the cast iron has stashed itself in my wife’s office/studio/witch hut, may get a pic yet.

this silly thing, though…it was commissioned for me from an excellent local potter with, unfortunately, not a lot of teapot experience. the lid is too small and too close to the little handle to make using actual loose-leaf tea reasonable, and it pours like a guy who been holding it for awhile - a powerful stream nearly straight ahead instead of down into the cup. better on the shelf, sadly. it’s got four little turtle feet on the bottom. if only its usefulness approached its cuteness level…