What is the best type of teapot to steep in?

I use a French Press (no pressing on the leaves). Works well and you can see the colour of the tea.

I’m looking to find a 4 to 6 cup teapot with strainer that I can use with both loose tea and teabags. My requirement is that it holds the temperature well. I’ve looked at Bodum and their glass ones are fragile and quite expensive. I saw one by Cuisinox that was a 51 oz. stainless steel teapot with strainer.

What type of pot is going to hold the temperature best, stainless steel, glass, porcelain or ceramic? And do tea cozies really work?

I have a forlife pot that is great at keeping tea warm, but I also love the beehouse stuff too!

I would say it comes down to this:

Large amount: Get a decent porcelain teapot. I have the personaliTEA from adagio, and it’s decent for the price. Go for porcelain at this price point because with larger brews you will either be brewing flavored teas, or something of a moderate price point.

Medium Amount: This is open to whatever, but I would probably say go find a porcelain kyusu. Den’s sells one for $20, and they are pretty durable. The 8-10oz range is harder to find in conventional teapots, and the filter in this particular kyusu is nice for if you start getting into sencha.

Small Amount: Get a porcelain gaiwan. As you drink more tea, you will find quite a few premium choices that have a matching price tag, or have subtleties that won’t be picked up in western style brewing. 90-120ml is a good size for 1 person. Also note, you will almost always be doing multiple infusions in a gaiwan. As far as tea tasting goes, this is a staple. You want to see how the tea changes flavors and textures, and also want to reduce that price/cup ratio ;D As with good porcelain, thin walls are a plus.

The best type of tea pot really depends on your own preferences.

Here are some reasons why I love the teapots that I do own:
1. Cast-iron teapot: It’s a simple cast-iron ~ maybe about 28oz, but is perfect for long nights studying because it keeps my tea very warm for a very long time. I also love that I can reheat it by simply putting it back on the stove. This one is great if you like milk tea because milk tea is so tasty when you have reallyreally hot black tea with a bit of cold milk. I believe it was purchased from World Market, an amazing store with all sorts of cute steals.

2. Glass teapot: This one is 14oz, which is the perfect size for me when I want tea for one. Of course it can’t compete with the cast-iron in keeping the tea warm, but it still beats a regular ceramic mug any day. I also use this one for flowering teas of course.

3. IngenuiTEA: My first teapot was the IngenuiTEA from Adagio Teas. I got this my first year of college when I first got into tea. This is the perfect teapot for your dorm room or work environment. I loved having this teapot in the dorms because it was durable and microwavable. Likewise, this was my favorite teapot to use at my lab until we finally invested in a electric water kettle. The downside to this teapot is that you can’t remove the leaves from the water so oversteeping was an issue until I got a cotton filter to use with the pot. That way I could remove the teas once it was done steeping.

I’m new here but I’ll add my two bits. If you’re looking for a good cuppa porcelain is fine. Especially if you add milk. If you are going into finer tea the gaiwan really is the way to go. It suits almost every tea although it takes a little practice. That doesn’t mean that you have to gong fu every cup of tea that you make. There are larger ones that make a great brew for one person.

Having the right teapot for your tea is important. If you brew tea just for yourself, having a smaller teapot is better, since tea does not sit in hot water while you are enjoying a cup. We offer a 16oz ceramic teapot with a removable infuser for everyday use that is dishwasher-safe. Comes in four colors as well: http://www.egotea.com/teaware/ .

I’ve heard a round porcelain teapot is the best way to brew teas because it retains heat and the round shape lets the tea leaves circulate and tumble and fully unfurl. This is with out any type of strainer just loose in the pot. But of course this is too troublesome for everyday quick brewing so having a filter basket of some sort is preferred. I recommend the ForLife NewLeaf glass teapot. It is nice and round and comes with a larger stainless steel filter basket. http://www.forlifedesign.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=12_2&products_id=55 the new Claro looks cool too though I haven’t tried it. Oh, and it’s easy to clean.