So, I got one of those Japanese iron teapot warmers recently. I’ve had this lovely cast iron teapot, a tetsubin, for ages, but my tea always got cold way too fast. Sitting down for a proper tea session meant constantly getting up to reheat, which kind of ruins the vibe, you know?
Anyway, I finally decided to get a warmer. Found a simple, sturdy-looking cast iron one that seemed to match my pot. When it arrived, it was pretty much what I expected – heavy, solid, with a little grate on top for the teapot and a space underneath for a candle.
Getting Started with It
First thing I did was brew a pot of my favorite green tea. While it was steeping, I grabbed a standard little tealight candle. Seemed like the obvious choice. I popped the tealight into the designated spot in the base of the warmer. Easy enough.
Then, I lit the candle. It flickered nicely inside the iron base. Once the tea was ready, I carefully placed my heavy iron teapot on top of the warmer’s grate. It fit perfectly, felt really stable.
I sat back and watched. The idea is just to keep the tea warm, not boiling, right? The little tealight seemed maybe a bit small for the job, especially under that thick iron pot. I was skeptical.
Did It Actually Work?
Well, surprisingly, it did the job. Not like, super hot, but it definitely kept the tea at a pleasant drinking temperature for much longer than usual. I probably got a good hour of warmth out of it before the tealight started to fade.
- The pot itself got warm, obviously, but not dangerously hot on the handle.
- The warmer base got quite hot underneath, so definitely need to put it on a heatproof surface. Learned that quickly.
- No weird smells or excessive smoke from the tealight, which was good.
I poured a second cup about 45 minutes after the first, and it was still comfortably warm. Not piping hot, but definitely not lukewarm or cold. It made the whole process of enjoying my tea much more relaxed. No more rushing before it cooled down.
Overall, I’m pretty pleased with this little thing. It’s simple, does what it’s supposed to do, and honestly, it just looks nice sitting there with the teapot on top. Adds a nice touch to my tea time. Might try a slightly larger or longer-burning candle next time to see if it extends the warmth even more, but even with a basic tealight, it’s a definite improvement.
