Today’s Teapots – Cast Iron Teapots
admin | July 8, 2011Cast iron teapots are probably the most popular cookware with which to brew tea leaves basically because of the material they are made of-cast iron-and the delicately aesthetic shape of the teapot itself. Cast iron is manufactured by taking iron compounds, which only can be found in its pure form in meteorites, and melting it in a blast furnace which produces pig iron.
Once it is produced, this pig iron is then mixed with other metals which are used for cast iron. Beyond teapots, bridges and gates are also made of cast iron. Frying pans and of course teapots are popular for its use. .
Once the cast iron is poured into the tea pot mold, it has to cool but this cooling process has to be controlled so that it doesn’t happen too quickly or too slowly. This promotes the proper solidification which is necessary in order to separate the high grade cast iron teapots from the lower quality tea pots.
A cast iron pot is identifiable by the grain of its surface. Small bubbleish specks on the surface indicate that the teapot was not properly or thoroughly cooled. A teapot designer who creates a good teapot has undergone years and years of training, not something they’ve managed to get a degree for in just a month or two. If there are minute, bubble-like specks visible on the outside of the tea pot, then you know it was not evenly cooled. Craftsmen who create these beautiful cast iron teapots have been trained by other experts for years; this is not an art you can learn in several weeks or even months.
In addition, cast iron teapots are popular due to the stainless steel basket inside each pot, which holds the leaves together when they are put in boiling water. Once tea is finished, you can take the basket out and then just pour the tea very easily. When the tea is ready, you just lift out the basket and pour the tea, with no mess to clean up.
The artistry required to make cast iron pots is immense, and makes for high demand for cast iron pots. To make the pot, a craftsman must carefully sand each edge of the teapot with a tool. Then, enamel is added to the inside of the teapot which is of high quality and does not wash off. The enamel dries, and then paint is applied to the outside of the pot. Experienced craftsmen carefully sand the edges of the tea pot with a special appliance meant for just this process. Then a shield of thin enamel is applied to the inner surface of the tea pot, which will last as long as the tea pot itself lasts. When this enamel is dry and solidly in place, a coat of paint is applied to the external surface of the tea pot which can be any color.
There is a lot of fun to owning these teapots, like the great things they can be used for beyond just tea making. These pots are both functional and attractive, and can be used to bring your kitchen or any other room to life. Teapots like this have a unique and rustic appearance, and make good wedding gifts. Cast iron pots are often created in Japan, and each has a unique and beautiful quality that is often unmatchable. Not only is it a functional kitchen utensil, a teapot can contribute to your home as a piece of arresting décor outside of the kitchen, complementing any room with a rustic or antique ambience. It would also make an outstanding gift, especially as a house-warming or wedding offering. Most cast iron teapots that are actually made in Japan will each have its own brand of individual elegance and symbolic decorations painted on the pot.
The Japanese say that plum blossoms symbolize strength and determination – and beauty as well. Coins are a symbol of prosperity and fortune. In addition, the various colors of a teapot are a symbol in themselves of specific aspects of life, like imperial red, bamboo green, and blue through spiritual immortality. Colors are also symbolic of concepts such as happiness and vitality, as indicated by the color of imperial red; bamboo green denotes peace and synchronization; and blue is the color of spiritual immortality.





