After acquiring a new purple clay Teapot, should you prepare it for use?
The answer is yes.
No matter the value of the Purple Clay Teapot, before its first use, preparation is necessary. Preparing the teapot helps to remove the earthy and kiln odors and effectively opens up the pores, allowing the teapot to develop a more perfect patina after use.
However, the methods for preparing a teapot that circulate in the community are varied. Some say you should boil it in water, others suggest steaming it over water, and there are even those who recommend boiling it with apples, Tofu, or sugarcane… This can be confusing.
Many teapot enthusiasts ask whether they should boil their Teapots.
Here, we do not recommend boiling your teapot, as it is unnecessary and may even damage the teapot.
Why should you not boil the teapot?
1. Easy to Contaminate with Grease
Even if the pot is frequently cleaned, there will inevitably be grease and impurities left behind. Placing the purple clay teapot in the pot to boil may contaminate it with grease, affecting the formation of the surface luster.
2. Risk of Cracking from Impact
When boiling the teapot, it must be placed at the bottom of the pot, and the part of the teapot in contact with the bottom will naturally be hotter than the rest, leading to uneven temperatures throughout the teapot. If handled improperly, this can cause cracking. Additionally, when the water boils, the lid and body of the teapot will continuously collide in the water, which can also cause damage.
3. Adding Ingredients Can Ruin the Teapot
Some people put tofu in the purple clay teapot and boil it in water for half an hour as a method of preparation, believing that the tofu can remove the teapot's fiery smell and decompose any residual substances, leaving a pleasant aroma.
There are also versions where tofu is replaced with sugarcane, apples, water chestnuts, and other sweet fruits, thinking that the natural sugars will nourish the teapot, benefiting its future patina development.
In reality, these claims are unfounded. After being fired at high temperatures, purple clay teapots do not retain residual substances. While adding ingredients may seem to make the teapot appear smoother, it is actually because the sugars and starches from the food clog the teapot's pores.
In summary, preparing a teapot doesn't have to be complicated, and boiling it in water is not recommended. Adding ingredients to the water is even worse.
How to Prepare a Teapot Correctly?
Before preparing a teapot, consider this question: Why do you need to prepare it in the first place?
The main purpose of preparation is to remove any remaining earthy smells and kiln dust.
The issue of earthy smells varies. For a high-quality purple clay teapot made with pure clay and fired at high temperatures, the earthy smell in the teapot is minimal.
Therefore, after acquiring a new teapot, simply wash it inside and out several times and rinse it with boiling water, which should be enough to eliminate the earthy smell and kiln dust.
Step 1
After receiving the new teapot, clean it thoroughly inside and out with water.
Step 2
Prepare the teapot by pouring boiling water over it, allowing the pores of the purple clay to expand due to the heat. For teapots made of red clay or other types, use warm water, especially during autumn and winter, to avoid thermal shock from sudden temperature changes.
Step 3
After rinsing the teapot with boiling water two to three times and emptying it, you can choose a suitable tea to enjoy. We recommend adhering to the principle of using one type of tea per teapot.
Step 4
For a more meticulous approach, you can steep one or two pots of tea and then discard them before using the teapot regularly.
This method of preparing a teapot is both simple and efficient, effectively removing earthy smells and kiln dust while making the teapot easier to maintain and quicker to develop a patina. Have you learned how to do it, fellow teapot enthusiasts?