How to take care of Tokoname Teapot

I have two teapots which I inherited from my grandfather.  A high quality teapot can last for decades if you take care of it, so please read this article before 1st use.

Do NOT use any soap or detergent to wash the teapots and wash with water or warm water by hand (never in the dish washer).

Teapots made of ceramics and Tokoname teapots:  The surface is a bit rough compared to a teapot made of porcelain.  That is because there are many small holes and they can absorb smells and some tiny substances might attach on the surface.

Therefore, it is better to sterilize it by boiling it in a pan before 1st use.

1. Put your teapot in a pan which is big enough for water to cover it
2. Fill the pan with water
3. Turn on the fire (smallest) and leave it until it boils around 15 minutes then turn it off.
4. Take out the teapot carefully from the pan when the water cools down
5. Dry it naturally for overnight – teapot should face upside down

It is better to wash your teapot immediately after you use it so that it will not be stained as much.

The steps below are how I normally wash the teapots but I take off the tea leaves with a teaspoon before because we eat them.

If you haven’t read, check out:

• Don’t throw away brewed green tea leaves
• How to utilise used loose tea leaves

 How to wash:

1. Use running warm water and wash out so that the tea leaves will get out from the teapot.
2. Use your fingers to scrub the outside and inside the teapot – Avoid using a sponge because if you use a sponge, the fibers of sponge might get attach to the teapot
3. Pour some more water, turn it around then discard
4. Put running water into the spout as well and discard
5. Shake the teapot to remove excess water from teapot
6. Wipe it with a tea towel by tapping it not dragging it – this is because small pieces of fabric might attach on the surface
7. Put your teapot upside down and dry it naturally
8. Store it when it is completely dry

I wrote many steps but this can be done in less than 1 minute.

You can do deep cleansing by using baking soda.

It’s a sign when you notice that the taste of your usual tea has changed, or you see some stain in the teapot.

Important: Heating from small heat to the boiling point gradually is fine but do not put a teapot into a boiling water.

How to do:

1. Prepare a pan which a tea pot can fit and big enough for water to cover the teapot
2. Place your teapot upside down in the pan carefully
3. Fill water in the pan – for my teapot on the photo, I used 1 liter of water
4. Turn on the fire (smallest)
5. Add baking soda (2 Tbsp of baking soda per 1 liter of water) when you see it starts getting boiling
6. Leave it for around 10 minutes with small fire
7. Turn off the fire and leave it for around 30 minutes
8. (Optional) you can use a tooth brush to scrub the integrated strainer and inside the teapot
9. (Optional) you can use a cotton bud or a small paint brush to scrub inside the spout – Shop Teapot spout cleaner from here
10. Rinse it with running water
11. Wipe it with a tea towel by tapping it – if you have whole day to dry it on a nice day, you can skip this step
12. Place upside down and dry it naturally

It might sound a bit of a hassle to have a teapot but it makes the experience of drinking tea much more special.

Source

I also checked with the producer of teapots.