Teapots with Infusers

Choosing a teapot with an infuser

An infuser teapot does one thing a plain pot cannot: it lets you lift the leaves out when the brew is ready. Without that, the tea keeps steeping and the second cup is always harsher than the first. Everything below is about getting that one job right.

Glass or ceramic?

Borosilicate glass is the more forgiving choice. It holds no flavour between brews, so a smoky black tea on Monday won’t haunt a delicate green on Tuesday, and you can judge strength by colour instead of guessing. It also takes boiling water without crazing.

Ceramic holds heat noticeably longer, which matters if you brew a full pot and drink it across half an hour. It is opaque, so you brew by timer rather than by eye. Our ceramic sets arrive with three matching cups, which makes them the easier thing to give as a gift.

What size do you actually need?

• 350–400ml — one generous mug, or two small cups. Right for a solo morning brew.
• 500–550ml — two mugs. The most useful size for most households.
• 750–950ml — three or four cups, for sharing or a long working afternoon.
• 1000ml — a table pot. Worth it only if you regularly pour for other people.

Err smaller than you think. A half-empty large pot goes cold faster than a full small one.

The basket matters more than the pot

Loose leaf needs room to move, which is the whole reason to leave teabags behind. A shallow basket that sits in the neck of the pot keeps the leaves crowded above the waterline, and the brew comes out weak and uneven. Look for a basket that reaches well down into the body of the pot so the leaves stay submerged and can circulate.

Looking after it

Hand wash everything here. Dishwasher detergent is abrasive enough to cloud borosilicate over time and will dull a glaze. Rinse the basket straight after use rather than letting leaves dry onto the mesh — dried leaf is far harder to shift.

Still deciding?

If this is your first pot, a 500ml borosilicate glass teapot with a deep basket handles almost anything you will want to brew. Pair it with a loose leaf blend, add a strainer for brewing straight into the cup, or look at infuser bottles if you mostly drink at a desk.