A good teapot is not only a piece of functional tea-ware but also a piece of great artwork. Its value can never be overstated. Here's how to choose a good one.
Step 1
Look for looks. A great teapot is one that you don't want to drink tea without. You should pick a good teapot carefully. You will want to look at your teapot for the next 50 years, so make sure it is timeless and attractive.
Step 2
Get a feel for it. Teapots can be made from clay, porcelain, or cast iron. A good clay teapot needs to be bright and hard. Put the teapot on your palm and tap it with your finger. Feel the sound. With a ltitle practice, you will be able to tell how hard the clay is.
Step 3
Smell it. A brand new clay teapot will come with a clay smell. If you pick a new teapot that smells of charcoal, oil or another smell, chances are that is not a good teapot.
Step 4
Check for tightness. The lid and the pot should be tight. Clay teapots have a vent on the lid. Fill the pot with water and use your index finger to cover and compress the vent as you tilt the teapot. If you see the water coming out from the spout, it is not a good teapot.
Step 5
Observe the flow. Release your finger from the vent as indicated in step 4. A better teapot will have water flow out of the spout smoothly with an opened vent.
Step 6
Fill the teapot 75% full with water. Lift the teapot and try to pour the water out of the teapot. If you feel your hand is out of balance a bit when you try to pour the water out, it is not a good teapot.
Step 7
Decide on what kinds of tea you are going to brew in the pot. The character of tea is an important factor for the type of teapot you are going to choose. Tea with an emphasis on "smell", such as flower-flavored tea, needs to retain heat in the pot in order to bring out the smell. In this case, a high frequency ring from the teapot is better (refer to #2 for tapping sound). Tea that emphasizes taste, such as Oolong tea or Tieh Kuan Yin tea, needs a teapot with a sound of lower frequency.
