Polly Put the Kettle On

This article was first published in the July-August 2020 issue of The Tea Life Style Newsletter.

A Teapot is NOT a Tea Kettle

It probably should not surprise me that a lot of people don’t quite understand the difference between a teapot and a tea kettle, but judging by the online reviews I’ve read, a lot of folks have learned the hard way that there is a difference.  A tea kettle is usually made of metal and is used for heating the water to make tea (or hot cocoa, or instant oatmeal, etc.).  A teapot is the vessel that is used to infuse the tea, and may be made of metal, glass or ceramic.  In a pinch, a tea kettle can be used to infuse the tea, but most teapots should never be used on the stove top.

I never gave much thought to the design of a tea kettle until I got married.  Turns out that is just one of the odd things that my husband is rather fussy about.  A tea kettle must be able to be filled or emptied one-handed.  The other hand needs to be free to operate the faucet after all.   I am amazed that so many tea kettles on the market aren’t made that way. 

A good tea kettle must also whistle to let me know that the water is hot, otherwise I’ll forget and let it boil dry.  I might have ruined a tea kettle or two that way over the years. 

The last requirement is that in my kitchen, the tea kettle must be red, but that’s just me.

I was content for a lot of years to just stick with a traditional tea kettle, because they are readily available and work perfectly well for black tea, which is the only kind I thought I liked.  It’s pretty handy to use the leftover hot water to scald the dishrag at the kitchen sink too.

By the time my children came along, I had discovered the joys of the Sunbeam Hot Shot electric water boiler (which it appears is no longer being manufactured).  I wore 2 of those things out between my daily cup of tea and my children’s fondness for instant oatmeal.  They are pretty handy for travel and RV camping too.

About 5 years ago, while I was learning to appreciate all of the other types of tea (although black tea is still my favorite), I was introduced to the most wonderful invention:  The variable-temperature electric kettle.  They come in many different sizes, colors and price points, so if you’re in the market, just check the reviews online and get the best one available that fits your budget.  For me, I like the one-handed operation that I’ve become used to over the years, and I like being able to see the water level from the outside of the kettle.  I’m also pretty fond of the “keep hot” feature, due to my afore-mentioned tendency to wander off and forget what I was doing. 

Variable Temperature Electric Kettle

I don’t know about you, but I’m not very chipper first thing in the morning.  Having good tools to make my tea without any dropping, spilling or loud noises helps me start my day off on the right foot.