After months of research and one failed attempt I finally found my ideal tea set, Teavana's Elephant Cast Iron Teapot and Hobnail tea cups. "The Elephant is a symbol of the strength of the mind in Buddhism
teachings, as well as astuteness, strength and stature, wisdom,
patience, courage and luck."
My review: * * * * * (5/5 stars). The elephants remind my husband and I of Tanzania, the country where we met. The detailing of the family of elephants and mix of red/black color is very well done. The pot is heavy as cast iron is supposed to be, plus I wanted something that would lasts years without breaking. The pot keeps tea hot for at least 1 hour. The steel mesh does not go all the way to the bottom of the pot so if I need to make less than 30-40 oz I use disposable tea filters. The hobnail design on the tea cups makes them much easier to hold/grip than the others I tried out.
Teapot Product description : Enameled on the inside for years of use, preventing rust and oxidization, and is equipped with a stainless steel mesh infuser for use with loose-leaf tea, the ideal way to brew. 40oz (1.2L) capacity. Made in Japan
Tea cup product description: These cast iron cups feature a traditional Japanese hobnail design, which symbolizes strength, and is painted on the outside and enameled on the inside with a 3-ounce capacity. Made in Japan.
What I've learned from this whole saga is to be extremely wary of
products containing lead - I tried to go the exotic traveler's route at
first. I purchased a tea set in a local market in Akka, Israel for about
$30. One seller warned me that the cheaper products contain lead. We
ignored him, assuming he was trying to get us to buy his more expensive
ceramics. However when we returned to NYC the lead test was positive (we used 3M-LeadCheck Swabs). Guess we'll be using the beautiful ceramics as decoration only :(
Teavana has multiple locations (http://www.teavana.com/retail), but I visited their store on Lexington and East 87th.
1291 Lexington Ave.
New York, 10028
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| Teavana Elephant Cast Iron Tea Set |
My review: * * * * * (5/5 stars). The elephants remind my husband and I of Tanzania, the country where we met. The detailing of the family of elephants and mix of red/black color is very well done. The pot is heavy as cast iron is supposed to be, plus I wanted something that would lasts years without breaking. The pot keeps tea hot for at least 1 hour. The steel mesh does not go all the way to the bottom of the pot so if I need to make less than 30-40 oz I use disposable tea filters. The hobnail design on the tea cups makes them much easier to hold/grip than the others I tried out.
Teapot Product description : Enameled on the inside for years of use, preventing rust and oxidization, and is equipped with a stainless steel mesh infuser for use with loose-leaf tea, the ideal way to brew. 40oz (1.2L) capacity. Made in Japan
Tea cup product description: These cast iron cups feature a traditional Japanese hobnail design, which symbolizes strength, and is painted on the outside and enameled on the inside with a 3-ounce capacity. Made in Japan.
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| Beautiful but full of lead |
Teavana has multiple locations (http://www.teavana.com/retail), but I visited their store on Lexington and East 87th.
1291 Lexington Ave.
New York, 10028
