Novelty & Animal Teapots

Character and animal teapots

These are proper working teapots that happen to be shaped like something. Each is glazed ceramic, comes with three matching cups, and holds around 500ml — two decent mugs. The travel packs add a padded carry case.

They are not a compromise

A novelty pot is often a worse pot: awkward spout, no infuser, thin walls. These are the same ceramic bodies as the plain sets in the range, with the same basket and the same heat retention. The cat, panda and carrot forms are the glaze and the moulding, not a downgrade in how the thing brews.

Choosing one as a gift

This is the part of the range people buy for other people, so a few practical notes. The travel-pack versions are the safer gift if you do not know how much cupboard space the recipient has — the case protects the cups and makes the whole thing storable. Check the colour against their kitchen rather than their favourite colour; these sit out on a worktop rather than living in a cupboard.

If you are pairing it with tea, something forgiving works best for someone new to loose leaf — a rooibos or a fruit blend rather than a green that punishes water off the boil.

Care

Hand wash, and warm the pot with hot water before brewing rather than filling a cold pot straight from the kettle.

Related

The rest of the ceramic range is under ceramic teapot sets, and everything with a built-in basket is at teapots with infusers. Add a loose leaf blend to make it a complete gift.