A Cast Iron Tea Pot is the Best Vessel to Serve Tea with

AThe cast iron tea pot is often generically referred to as ‘tetsubin,’ the traditional Japanese iron tea pot. The original usage of such thick cooking vessels was not simply for boiling leaves. The first people to use cast iron tea pots must have been the local herbal doctors. The need for a vessel capable of a good amount of heat was because very often, the roots, the bard and the stems of plants were necessary components of the medicinal brew. That is the reason why cast iron tea pots are thought to have first been used for medical preparations in Asia. It may have primarily been a kettle used for medicinal teas which enjoyed wide application in curing various types of ailments in Asia. We have to remember that medicinal tea was not always just concocted from leaves. Sometimes, the bark, the stems and the roots of plants would be included in the mixture. Obviously these would require a much longer cooking time in a vessel similar to the kind that was used for softening animal meat and root crops.

Cast iron tea pots are ideal for boiling tea evenly and with high heat

Many ingredients used for herbal teas were the harder portions of the plants, such as the bark, the stems and the roots. Cast iron pots made possible boiling those tough elements of the brew in a quicker time. The durability of iron allows it to retain a lot of heat, more heat than other metals can withstand without becoming molten hot. In addition, the even distribution of the heat is made possible because of the peculiar atomic structure of iron. Because of this, the brew is more finely made. Once cooked, the tea stays hot longer in cast iron tea pots. It can withstand intense heat and therefore can reach temperatures that are not possible with other types of common metal vessels. Once the brew is done, iron keeps it hot for a longer time. The peculiar physical structure of iron makes for even distribution of heat. This ensures that no portion of the ingredients is either over-cooked or under-cooked and that the whole brew is boiled as it should be.

Cast iron tea pots also release the mineral iron into the tea

Besides its excellent heating capabilities, cast iron tea pots give out the mineral iron into the liquid, in this way enhancing the healthiness of the tea. Red blood cells need iron to stay healthy. This is actually part of the continuing popularity of cast iron tea pots today. They are particularly beneficial to anemic people. Remember that iron is essential for healthy red blood cells. This must be one of the principal reasons why even today, people prefer to use cast iron vessels for their brews.

Cast iron tea pots retain the flavor of the tea on its inner walls

Old and frequently used cast iron pots retain the oily residue from all the brews that have been boiled in it. These oils can enhance the flavor of the tea. This may or may not be an advantage.

However, be sure not to boil non-compatible blends of tea in the same cast iron tea pot. Instead of make your tea taste better, the residue may only spoil its taste for you. Of course the question of whether tea blends is complementary or not depends on the particular person’s individual taste On the other hand, using one pot for different tea mixtures with conflicting flavors may make the taste of the tea disagreeable, depending on the sensitiveness of the person’s taste buds and nose.

Cleaning cast iron tea pots

Cast iron tea pots that are used for different types of tea should be washed with a dish washing solution. Be careful to rinse it thoroughly to avoid your tea tasting like the cleaning agent you used. On the other hand, if you drink one kind of tea all the time, you should not bother washing the pot with a cleaning liquid as that will remove the taste-enhancing oils. Just rinse the pot with boiling water to make sure the microbes are killed and then thoroughly dry the inside before keeping it.

The best cast iron tea pots are covered with porcelain

A porcelain coat prevents the cast iron tea pot from rusting, beautifies the outside of the pot and allows it to keep the tea hot for an even longer time.

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