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How to choose utensils for tea?

Tea as a drink has been known to people since the 17th century AD. The unusual taste of brewed tea was originally attributed to its medicinal properties, for this reason tea began its journey as a medicine, sold exclusively for medicinal purposes in pharmacies, and was very expensive. Doctors recommended drinking tea as a remedy for many diseases, but they especially emphasized the importance of tea as a tonic and strengthening agent for the body.

Since tea was considered a very expensive medicinal drink, there were special requirements for its storage and preparation. Particular attention was paid to the containers in which tea was to be stored, and the containers in which tea was to be brewed.

It was observed that earthenware and glassware, including porcelain, were very suitable for both storing tea leaves and for preparing (brewing) tea. Tea has become a traditionally healthy drink, and its preparation has become reminiscent of a ritual. The first tea sets were made from Chinese porcelain and were highly prized as kitchen utensils for preparing tea. But they were too expensive both to produce and to transport. Despite the fact that porcelain teapots were preferred in their use for brewing tea, clay teapots (made of ceramic clay) began to be sold along with porcelain.

In the 19th century, porcelain and ceramic tea sets began to move from luxury items to everyday use for the tea brewing process. By this time, tea preparation had become more technologically advanced and varied - spices (cloves, cinnamon, vanilla) began to be added to tea infusions. Since tea drinking was still considered a ritual, the making of teapots was treated in the same way as the making of ritual objects and objects of art.

At the initial stages of making teaware, it was decorated with paintings or frescoes, and the more developed the production of earthenware and porcelain became, the more interesting the decorations for teapots were chosen. It has become fashionable to use teapots and teaware with shiny enamel. At first it was ceramic glaze, and then teapots began to be coated with metal enamel (copper, silver and gold). Metal silver and gold teapots began to be produced for wealthy people. And large-scale production of teapots was established when they began to use copper and zinc for casting teapots. Copper teapots could be plated with silver and give them the appearance of expensive dishes.

But at all times in the manufacture of teaware, the same principle was used - the principle of its chemical inertness in relation to the drink. Spoiling the range of beneficial substances found in a tea drink was not recommended then and is not recommended now. For this reason, the tradition of drinking tea from porcelain, earthenware, clay and glass tea sets has been preserved to this day, and to brew tea it is necessary to use porcelain, earthenware, clay, glass and metal teapots (copper, silver, galvanized, as well as stainless steel teapots). Despite the fact that the tea drink is no longer classified as a medicine, its beneficial properties are still valued and require preservation.