Which Tea Kettle - Stove Top Or Electric?

People have been drinking tea for more than 5000 years, and they show no sign of stopping anytime soon. In fact, it seems as if all varieties of tea get a host of new fans with each new generation of young people who come of age.

It's fun to watch a new tea drinker. They are so sincere! Eager to learn everything they can about teas and the best way to prepare them, they read and study, then come home with an armload of supplies and different kinds of tea. Sometimes, they purchase not only a tea kettle meant to be used on the stove top, but an electric teapot as well so that they can be sure of a way to brew tea where ever there happens to be an electrical outlet.

They will tell everyone who will listen to them about the importance of the proper temperature for brewing tea in order to keep it from tasting bitter. They get excited when they try a new variety of tea, and their excitement can be infectious!

Young people like things that are new, fresh, and different, and there are times that older adults should also take the time to enjoy a tea kettle that is a little bit out of the ordinary. Tea kettles of today do look a lot different from those of many years ago. In fact, tea kettles have changed to reflect the times and the people who are enjoying the tea.

At one time, tea kettles in China were simple open containers. During the Ming Dynasty, lids for these containers were devised and used so that the tea leaves could steep more fully and the tea could stay hotter while it steeped.

It wasn't until the Dutch people exported tea by having it with them when they headed to the West that it was decided that something like today's teapot was needed in order to make tea the proper way. Tea pots were created and became quite popular, which caused tea lovers to voice a need for different types of tea kettles to go with the array of pots available.

Around the 18th century, all sorts of designs, shapes, and sizes came on the scene, made of different materials than ever before. You could find tea kettles made out of bone china, porcelain, stoneware, and various metals. As time went on, tea kettles seemed to match whatever art was popular at the time.

Nowadays, tea kettles come in just about any size you can think of as well as almost any design you can come up with... and a few that might surprise you! You can find tea kettles that are shaped like a cat, an apple, a cow, a strawberry, or even a heart. But amid all of these colorful and fun shaped tea kettles, the tea purist only has eyes for one type of tea kettle, and wouldn't dream of using one made of any other material.

That material is none other than stainless steel. Its devotees say that this type of tea kettle look good longer than any other kind. But it's not all about looks. Stainless steel, unlike the copper in some tea kettles, will not make the water have a different taste, which would in turn affect the flavor of the tea. And to a tea lover, the flavor is everything!

Once you have tried an electric tea kettle, it might be hard for you to go back to the stove top kind of kettle. Oh, you will still want a stove top kettle, especially if you are used to using one. If you have a lovely and decorative one, you might want to save it and use it when guests come over.

And, even if you fall in love with an electric tea kettle, a stove top kettle is wonderful to have on hand, especially if your electricity goes off unexpectedly and you are just dying for a cup of tea!

Another good thing about an electric tea kettle is that it will boil the water for your tea much faster than a regular stove top kettle will. An informal test proved this to be a fact, and not just hearsay. The same amount of water was placed in an electric tea kettle and a stove top tea kettle, and both were turned on/placed on the flame at the exact same time.

The electric kettle boiled the water in 4 minutes, while the stove top tea kettle took nearly 11 minutes. Most electric tea kettles have an automatic shutoff in case you are forgetful, so you don't have to worry about leaving it on and having it boil dry.

If you love tea, there is a place in your kitchen for both the electric tea kettle and the stove top tea kettle.

Jon Stout is Chairman of the Golden Moon Tea Company. For more information about tea, tea kettles and green tea go to the Golden Moon Tea website.