This kettle boils well on an infrared stove or an electric hotplate. The heat comes from below with no open flame, so the handle stays comfortable to hold. Induction cooktops will not heat it, as they only work with iron or steel.
Gas StoveBoils
This kettle can be boiled on gas. Keep the flame under the base of the kettle, since a flame that rides up the sides above the water line could crack it. On a wide burner the handle can get too hot to hold, so lift it with a cloth or hot pad.
Charcoal BrazierBoils
This kettle can be boiled over charcoal, and the handle stays comfortable to hold. Use a brazier large enough to bring a full kettle to the boil. Smaller braziers are made for keeping a kettle warm.
An alcohol brazier keeps the water hot once it has boiled. It is not made for boiling from cold, which would be far too slow on alcohol. Bring the water to the boil on another heat source first.
These wonderful kettles were created by one of Taiwan’s most important potters, tea lover and dear friend, Deng Ding Sou. He has been crafting teaware for decades, and is famous for using minerals and ores in his pots. One of the reasons we love his work has to do with the fact that he himself loves tea and all his innovations are based on experience drinking tea and finding solutions to his own love of tea preparation. In particular, he has focused on spouts and their influence on tea preparation. He says it took him seventeen years to make a spout he himself thought poured well. The spouts on these kettles are amongst the best we have ever tried—the pour is super smooth, fluent and graceful. Master Deng created the original piece, the mold and then engineered the results until they were to his standards. All of this work he donated to us, so we can just order the kettles at cost of materials.
These small kettles could be used for bowl tea but are really designed for gongfu tea. The smaller size means the water stays fresher and the incredible pour is perfect for brewing tea gongfu. At this price, it would be difficult to find a better kettle for gongfu tea. And the spout is amongst the best there is at any price!
