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The Staub Teapot
The Staub teapot is more versatile than a kettle to boil water. It’s designed to also be used to brew tea as well. We take a look at Staub’s enameled cast iron teapot to help you decide if this is the stove top kettle for you.
Cast Iron Teapots
Cast iron teapots have been in use for hundreds of years. The Staub tea kettle is a modern interpretation of a traditional Japanese tetsubin. The tetsubin was used to boil water, but not for brewing.
Later people started making iron tea pots in the style of a tetsubin, but with an enameled interior to allow for tea brewing. Many of these are not suitable to use on the stove top, but the Staub is.
Benefits of the Staub Tea Kettle
Heat Retention
A cast iron teapot will keep your beverage hot for a long time. Take your time and enjoy your tea, I’ve had a pot of tea stay hot for about an hour.
You can also use a teapot warmer to keep your tea piping hot for even longer. I like this cast iron one, the smaller base of the Staub tea kettle fits on it nicely.
Enameled Interior
The interior of the Staub tea kettle is enameled as is the exterior. This durable coating is non reactive and won’t effect flavors at all. This makes clean up a breeze as well. You can even use the kettle for other things such as making mulled wine.
For my mulled wine recipe where I use the Staub tea kettle, see the post Hot Drinks to Warm You up.
Tea Infuser Holder
The lid has an integrated tea infuser holder. Removing a tea ball is as easy as lifting the lid. The included steel mesh tea ball is large enough for a good amount of loose tea, while allowing ample space for the tea leaves to move about.
Made as Cookware
Staub is a world renowned cookware maker. The same quality that goes into their cookware also goes into the tea kettle. This is designed to be used on the stove top, as well as to brew tea. It’s compatible with gas, electric, and induction cooktops.
The sleek design goes from stove to table with style and is never out of place.
Durable
Cast iron is built to last. Each piece is heirloom quality. The pieces themselves are heavy duty, and the enamel is thicker than most other enameled cast iron. These are pieces you can pass down through the family.
Drawbacks
The base of the tea kettle is on the small side with a diameter of 3.75 inches.
I need to use a ring reducer on my gas stove to make sure the tea kettle is stable. Not a deal breaker, but something to be aware of. A flat cast iron heat diffuser works also.
The small base may not trigger some induction cooktop elements. The base is not large enough to activate my portable induction cooktop that needs at least a 4 inch pan to work. Check your manual if you use an induction stove.
The Staub does not have a built in strainer. If you prefer to brew loose tea you will need to use a strainer.
The metal handles can get hot on the stove, but putting them in down position prevents them from heating up too much.
Other Uses
You can use this for so much more than boiling water and brewing tea. The generous size holds an entire bottle of wine plus enough citrus peels and spices to make the best mulled wine. Same goes for spiced apple cider.
Hot chocolate is so easy in this pot, the round sides make whisking up rich hot chocolate a breeze. The cast iron will keep it piping hot.
Since this is Staub, and it’s cookware you can also use it as a sauce pot. I’ve made BBQ sauce in it and poured the sauce directly on ribs. See our Oven Roasted Ribs Recipe.
Creme anglaise, chocolate ganache, gravy; really just any sauce can be made in it. The built in pour spout makes serving easy.
In Conclusion
I think the Staub tea kettle is worth the money. It’s a high quality piece of cookware from a top company. With proper care it will last many lifetimes. It has a few drawbacks, but nothing too bad in my opinion.
Is this the best cast iron teapot? I would say that I haven’t found a better or more versatile one. I’ve had mine for over a decade now and am constantly using it. It makes a great housewarming gift too.
Recommended Products
Staub Enameled Cast Iron Tea Kettle
Cast Iron Teapot Warmer
I like the style of this teapot warmer, it works really well with the Staub tea kettle. It uses tea lights as a heat source, and you can use 1-3 depending on how hot you want to keep your tea.
Stovetop Ring Reducer
This cast iron ring reducer is perfect if your stovetop’s openings are too large for the tea kettle’s small footprint.
Tea Strainers
These stainless steel strainers are perfect if you would like to brew loose tea in the Staub teapot. Simply place the strainer on your cup and pour through the fine mesh.
You may also like our recipe for Vertical Roast Chicken which uses the Staub Vertical Chicken Roaster.