How to Use a Cast Iron Tea Pot
- 1). Prepare your tetsubin for use. If your tetsubin is the hot water kettle type, heat the water to boiling and then pour it out. Do so several times to remove the coating and any dirt.
If your tetsubin is a teapot, fill with hot water and swirl it about before pouring the water out. Use a cloth to dry it inside and out to remove any dirt, debris or stains. - 2). Heat water. If your tetsubin is a kettle, fill with water and heat over a stove until it boils.
With the tetsubin teapot, heat water until it boils in a separate tea kettle. Then, swish a bit of the boiling water in the tetsubin teapot and discard. - 3). Add tea to the tetsubin teapot. You may put the tea in a tea basket.
- 4). Rinse hot water over the leaves and discard water. Often called a "flash rinse," it removes contaminants and impurities from the tea.
- 5). Pour hot water over tea. Use a thermometer to gauge how hot the water should be. The standard steeping temperatures and times for common teas include 185 degrees Fahrenheit for green tea for three minutes, 190 degrees for five minutes for oolongs, and 212 degrees for five minutes for black teas, assuming one teaspoon of loose tea per 8 ounces of water.
- 6). Remove tea leaves after steeping or decant tea into a serving teapot.
- 7). Remove tea and tea leaves when finished. Rinse well with hot water and pat dry with a towel.
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