A lot of people have grown not knowing the difference between a tea kettle and a teapot. It comes as no surprise though, since they both look similar in various terms including the presence of a spout and a lid. They also incorporate tea and hot water along the way. But beyond that, a lot of people already get confused with their difference. To help you clear out things, we will thoroughly discuss below the primary difference between a tea kettle and a teapot.
The main difference between a tea kettle and a teapot is that a tea kettle is made to boil water for tea while the teapot is used for steeping the tea. You would only place water inside the tea kettle. On the other hand, you need to place water and the tea leaves inside of the teapot.
Beyond the feature that we have just mentioned above, there are also other features to take note of in terms of their differences. Getting to understand these concepts will allow you to gauge what to use when you need them. Before going further, let us first identify what a teapot and a tea kettle are.
What is a teapot?
A teapot has been designed to brew tea by steeping loose tea leaves or a teabag. You would have to place the loose tea leaves or the tea bags inside the teapot and then pour hot water over the tea for brewing.
Teapots usually have an opening and a lid found on top of them. This is where you will add the hot water and the tea leaves. Other teapots also consist of an inbuilt strainer and a hold in the lid for air access, helping the point from dripping or splashing the tea.
What is a tea kettle?
The tea kettle, on the other hand, is a vessel that is built to withstand a direct heat source in order to heat or boil water. Traditionally, a tea kettle consists of a lid that would open and close, allowing you to add water. It also consists of a spout that you use to pour the water out. Modern tea kettles are already electric in nature, with additional features such as quick-heating metal designs that are efficient for boiling water.
It is worth noting that the sprouts of tea kettles are drip-free, preventing any unwanted spills. In addition to this, they also come with removable lids, making cleaning more convenient to do.
The Differences in terms of Materials
Teapots are usually made of fragile materials. The fragility of the materials that make up teapots is important to their functionality. So when you are looking for teapots, you will usually find that they are made from ceramic, porcelain, and various clays. If you will observe these materials, they should not be placed on top of a stove or else they will break. With regard to this, we suggest that you never put the teapots on stoves.
Tea kettles, on the other hand, are usually made from stronger materials such as steel, iron, stoneware, or even heavy glass. This way, they are able to withstand the heat from the stove. In addition to this, the said materials are able to conduct heat in a way that can boil the water easily.
The Differences in terms of Use
One of the main differences between a teapot and a tea kettle is their usage. Like what we have mentioned earlier, there is an obvious difference between the two when talking about how we would use them. You only use the tea kettle when you want to boil water. The only thing that you would place inside the kettle is water. Adding tea or other contents will most certainly ruin your kettle. It will also be difficult to clean one you did that.
On the other hand, you use the teapot to brew or steep in tea from teabags or loose tea leaves. Since you do not place it on top of the stove, what you need to add to the teapot is hot water and your tea.
To make things easier, you use the tea kettle for boiling water only. Once it has boiled, transfer the hot water from the tea kettle to the teapot. After this, place the tea leaves for brewing. Then, you are good to go.
The Differences in terms of Taste
We also have to consider the taste of the tea. Using teapot will bring about more consistency in terms of flavor because you are already using a vessel. Moreover, you can also gain more control in the flavors, giving you a better taste. The tea is given appropriate time to infuse with the water when placed in a teapot. You can even get a better-tasting tea when you use loose tea leaves. If you will leave the teapot for a while, you will expect a better-tasting cup of tea.
When you use the tea kettle in making tea, you would risk burning your tea in the process. Why? It is because the tea will most likely burn and would cake on the walls of the tea kettle. Because of this, the taste of the tea will be affected. This holds true, especially since if the tea residue will stay on the kettle. The next time you will be using the kettle, it might already bring about a different taste, something you will not be fond of.
The Differences in terms of Convenience
In terms of convenience, there is also an obvious difference between the two. However, the difference would be true only in certain situations. For instance, the most obvious reason why a teapot could be more convenient than a tea kettle is that it is more suited for larger groups. Since in a teapot, you already brew on a large vessel, you can make tea for a great number of people at one sitting.
On the other hand, a tea kettle can be more convenient in situations when you are only going to create a cup for yourself. You can just pour a small amount of hot water from your kettle to your cup and steep in the tea bag for brewing. You also avoid the risk of wasting a lot of tea.
The Differences in terms of Appearance
Finally, we have to look into the difference between the two in terms of appearance. The tea kettle is usually bigger in size than that of the teapot. It features a simple design without many designs, although some tea kettles do not even have any design at all. The reason is that they are not really made to be served. Instead, it is built to be a durable component of your kitchens.
The teapot, on the other hand, is designed to have a pretty appearance. Aesthetics is the name of the game for teapots. This is because teapots are typically served so they need to be physically appealing.
One of the noticeable differences between the tea kettle and the teapot in terms of appearance is the presence of a strainer. Usually, teapots have attached strainers that would filter the leaves from flowing out to your cup. Tea kettles do not have this feature since you basically do not put tea leaves inside the kettle.
Wrapping Up
Whether you are looking for a tea kettle or a teapot, or maybe even both, you have to know the main differences between the two. This way, you will not get lost in what to buy or what to use in the future. We hope that we have cleared out your confusion on the difference between a tea kettle and a teapot. Moving forward, we are sure that you will be having great tea using these two essential tools.
