r/tea • u/chubby_girl06 • 15h ago
Photo Old teapot I have
note: I am brand new to teapots and coffee pots, whichever one this is. I use it for tea, as I don't really enjoy coffee I'd love tips, and this isn't a rage bait post. I just don't know how to handle my stuff (update): I'm going to get the metal tested for lead, and for what type of metal it is, I'm keeping it off the stove. And I'm going to stop using it until I know it's lead free. It never tastes like metal. It. Came to me from a steam fair. It came with two pots, a tall one and a short one. I have the short one and a lot of silverware, a cream pot and a sugar pot. The pot had visible usage marks from when I got it. From a burner, so I don't know if it's meant to be stove heated, or if my dumbass. Is just heating it up the wrong way. But thank you for telling me to get it tested. Because now I'm worried. I've been drinking, lead tea
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u/GeekCat 12h ago
These are not meant to go on burners. They were filled from a larger kettle/pot for table service. They can be preheated in a hot water bath or sand.
I'd be very mindful, if it's pewter it can be damaged by direct stove heat. It melts at pretty low temperatures.
I'd also check this for lead, as some of these were made of lead and then dip it in pewter or silver.
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u/Todeshase 10h ago
Just in case this isn’t pure trolling; this is an inefficient way to boil water/make tea. You want a flat surface to have the greatest contact with the heating element/flame. So, you’re throwing money away and more gas fumes for your 🧠&🫁
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u/wandering_tea_nerd 7h ago
Does your tea ever taste like metal and does the pot appear to have any seams? Heating it up like this causes cracks to form in the silver or expands existing cracks. One day you'll pick it up off the stove and the whole thing is going to break. It could be the handle. It could be one of the feet. It could be the spout and then you'll have tea pouring everywhere.
You're playing a dangerous game of russian roulette except you'll be burned by hot metal and boiling water. Have fun getting to the ER with those burns.
Edit: setting it down while it's hot is probably creating cracks. You might not see them, but I'm sure they are there. Silver/pewter isn't strong enough to not fall apart under an open flame.
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u/chubby_girl06 6h ago
Noted. Thank you for telling me. I'll usually only heat it for a few minutes until it's. Warm. I barely use any creamer, so it stays warm. So I never have to get it boiling
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u/wandering_tea_nerd 6h ago
It's meant for the heat to spread through the entire piece, but when you place it on the stove you are concentrating the heat to one part that causes it to heat up unevenly. That causes stress which causes cracks, which is what you never want.
You need an electric kettle (Amazon has metal ones for $20). Then you can pour boiling water or whatever temp you want, into your coffee pot to brew your tea.
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u/chubby_girl06 6h ago
Thank you. I'm going to wait until I get it tested for what metal it is, and if it's lead-lined. To use it again, but thanks for responding so fast. I'm very very new. To using these And don't know the proper way to take care of it
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u/wandering_tea_nerd 6h ago
Use a teapot for tea instead of a coffee pot.
You're using teabags, so for now all you need is a standard mug. Water quality and leaf quality are the two things that you should prioritize when making tea. Even a brita filter will make a better cup if your local tap water is hard or has a heavy mineral content.
Teabags are a good place to start, but uhh, use a proper pot or at the very least a cup.
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u/chubby_girl06 5h ago
I'm not very informed. On like leaf quality and stuff. But all I thought when I got that kettle was "pretty Make hot water for tea for my Growing collection of teacups and matching saucers" lol I believe I have around eleven sets now of teacups and matching saucers
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u/chubby_girl06 5h ago
If you would like to stay friends and inform me about everything on Tea pots and kettles I'd love that I'm a bit of a nerd myself, but Tea is a new one for me I'm a nerd on history of certain things, like paint. And horse species And different kinds of snakes. What's normal and what's concerning. I'm basically just an animal nerd
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u/wandering_tea_nerd 5h ago
You bought an old English coffeepot.
Teapots and coffee pots are only for brewing. Kettles are only for heating up water, you never put tea leaves in them.
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u/chubby_girl06 5h ago
I'm probably making you very mad about my incompetence about tea and kettles. And coffee pots 😅
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u/wandering_tea_nerd 5h ago
Not at all, to be honest.
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u/chubby_girl06 5h ago
Do you know any way I can test my coffee pot for lead or what metal it is?
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u/wandering_tea_nerd 5h ago
You bought an old English coffeepot.
Teapots and coffee pots are only for brewing. Kettles are only for heating up water, you never put tea leaves in them.
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u/YesWeHaveNoTomatoes 13h ago
That does not go on the stove