10 Best Teapots 2024 in the United States

A teapot is distinct from a tea kettle. A tea kettle, either electric or the old-fashioned metal type that works on a gas or electric stove, is for boiling water for tea. A teapot is solely for serving hot tea: you insert tea bags or tea leaves, and pour in boiling water, and let the tea steep in the boiling water. They can add a stylish and elegant touch when serving. They can also be rather functional, featuring a tea cozy to keep the tea warm, or an infuser to separate out the tea leaves from the tea essence. This is especially useful if you want to prepare herbal teas, which come loose, rather than in tea bags. You can get teapots in a variety of materials: ceramic, glass, or even plastic or metal.

We've put together this guide to help you select the best teapot that answers to your needs. It'll help you:

• Choose the right type of teapot,

• See useful tips about that type of teapot,    

• Read reviews of different brands of teapot, and what customers are saying,

• Select the right brand of teapot, and

• Compare prices and find the best deals.

• Glass--Since you pour boiling hot water into the teapot, a teapot must be made from hardened glass. This is glass that has undergone stresses and pressure during preparation, so that it will not expand too much and crack when heated. For example, Hario makes teapots from heatproof glass that expands only one-third as much as regular glass.

• Stoneware--uses a finer clay than regular earthenware, and is fired at a higher temperature than earthenware--up to 1300 degrees. It is then fired again at 1180 degrees to apply glaze . Stoneware is non-porous, whether glazed or not, and thus will not soak up liquids. It can't be scratched with a knife, and is chip-resistant. It can also be washed in a dishwasher. One example of stoneware is the RSVP White 6-cup Stoneware Chai Teapot.

• Porcelain--is kaolin earth heated to between 1200-1400 degrees. It is non-porous, and microwave- and dishwasher-friendly. It is more delicate than stoneware, however, and susceptible to chipping. An example of a porcelain teapot is the exquisite Morning Meadow Porcelain Butterfly & Dragonfly Teapot.

• Plastic and Metal--Some teapots are made from plastic, but special plastic that is safe for the high temperature of boiling water. The Adagio Teas 16 oz. ingenuiTEA Bottom-Dispensing Teapot is made from food-grade plastic. The plastic will not affect the taste of the tea, nor will it be affected by the hot water. Metal is also occasionally used, but it will typically be coated with porcelain, so that it retains the heat better.

Based on all the consumers' reviews we've scanned, these are the top things they mentioned about their new stuff:

• Easy cleanup: With an infuser or filter, the cleanup is especially simple. The Adagio Teas 16 oz. ingenuiTEA Bottom-Dispensing Teapot is specially designed so that placing the teapot on top of a glass will allow the tea to drain into the glass. The tea leaves remain behind with the filter. You need to do no more than just rinse out the teapot. There might be some staining from the tea, but that also washes out easily.

• Microwave safe: If your tea does get cold, a lot of teapots are microwave-safe, which can warm up the tea in a minute.

• Curve neck keeps tea from dripping: The FORLIFE Curve 24-Ounce Teapot with Infuser has a curved neck. This is designed to allow you to pour from the teapot without the tea dripping from the top.

• Capacity: One important specification of a teapot is how much it can contain. The HIC cobalt-colored teapot has a very large capacity of 75 ounces (2.2 liters). The bobuCuisine Glass Teapot is more manageable, holding only 4 - 5 cups (32 - 40 ounces). The Adagio Teas 16 oz. ingenuiTEA Bottom-Dispensing Teapot holds only two cups--but that’s just perfect when traveling or in the office, when you only need to drink one or two cups.

• Tea cozy: Some brands of teapots  come with a tea cozy--a cloth insulator that wraps around the teapot, to keep it from cooling off too soon. The bobuCuisine Stunning Glass Teapot Globe comes with a tea cozy, which can keep tea warm for an additional two hours.

• Infuser: This is a type of strainer in which you can put a tea bag or loose tea leaves. They sit in the boiling water in the teapot and steep. Take note that in some models of teapots, it suspends the tea leaves or tea bags on a level where you have to almost fill the teapot in order to immerse the infuser in the hot water. It’s important that the infuser is from a material that doesn’t rust. They can be from a plastic or stainless steel mesh.

Adagio Teas--was founded in Elmwood Park, New Jersey in 1999. They offer a wide variety of teas--green, white and black, as well as herbal and iced tea. They also sell tea-making accessories: tea-ware, teacups, teapots and kettles, mugs and infusers.

Hario--was founded in 1921 in Tokyo, as makers of heatproof glass. They originally made the glass for science and medical use, but later they expanded to producing coffee and tea equipment, as well as microwave-safe equipment, kitchenware, and more.

For Life--was founded in 1994 by Masa Fujii. They operate from Compton, California. They strive to make long-lasting and aesthetically-pleasing products. They make teapots, tea presses, cups, jugs and mugs, infusers and other tea gadgets.

Bobu Cuisine--has offices in Vancouver, British Columbia, and St. Petersburg, Florida. They were founded in 2012, starting by making ice molds, but they now make glass pitchers and jars, teapots, peeler sets, ice cream scoops, and teas.