Customer Reviews

Chantal 48-Ounce Tea Steep

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Having never personally owned a teapot before, I am very impressed with this one. I pride myself on owning high-quality kitchen tools, and this is a fine addition to my collection. It is large enough to brew a 2-quart batch of iced tea and durable enough to stand up to some abuse. Perfect for a first foray into the world of tea, or even as a versatile piece to keep around for when you serve dessert or afternoon tea.

What's not noted in the product description are a few great features of this teapot, which, I think, make it well worth the money: 1) it has a LOCKING LID, which makes pouring effortless; 2) it comes with a STEEPER, made of the same coated stoneware as the pot, that locks inside the lid; and 3) it comes with a set of INSTRUCTIONS. Why would you need a set of instructions for a teapot? Well... I really don't know, but I think it says a lot about the care that went into designing this model. Actually, they do give some helpful cleaning tips.

The only negatives are that it leaks a bit out of the spout and down the side if you pour at too steep (no pun intended) an angle, and it takes a few rinsings to get the leaves out whether you use the steeper or not (since both have narrower tops than insides).

All in all, paired with an electric tea kettle, this is a great investment if you enjoy a good cup of tea!

I've been using a Brown Betty faithfully for my tea for years, but when my friend showed me this Chantal TeaSteep, I was intrigued. It is so easy to haul out the wet leaves before my tea gets bitter (I recycle the steeped leaves as mulch on my outdoor plants), I never used to catch it in time to prevent bitterness. My tea tastes great consistently, epecially my favorite loose leaf teas from TeaTimeGarden.com, and not only was it easy to find the perfect color of pot for my kitchen decor on Amazon.com, but I got it for half the price of my friend's (;-) tea-hee!) delivered right to my door. I got some great Chantal cups to coordinate with my pot, in different colors for all my tea-drinking friends to tell their cups apart. I am perfectly pleased with this teapot. That Bodum glass teapot with the infuser looks neat, too, but I prefer to match my kitchen decor, have easier assembly/disassembly, and hide the potentially mineral-stained interior of my pot from prying eyes!

Good workmanship, well-balanced, easy to use in spite of the size, and a very functional ceramic infuser. I am getting another one (just to be safe).

Yes, it is pretty. No, it is not a good teapot. I have made tea for over 40 years, in all sorts of pots, and this is right up there with the worst. It drips A LOT! Perhaps those who think it does not drip were just looking at the spout. And no, it does not drip from the spout. Rather, lots of tea runs down the underside of the spout and ends in a big puddle under the pot. This happens with both fast and slow pouring, with full and near empty pots. This teapot will most likely have to become a pretty red flowerpot. Just too much mopping up.

This teapot is such a joy to look at as well as use! The handle is very user friendly and large enough for a huge hand with room to spare yet not looking out of proportion to the pot's size. The lid's knob is the best I've ever encountered - no more slipping out of your fingers. It is a flat design with slight indents to really get a grip on, and the trademark triangular shape makes a nice art statement to the roundness of the body.

As for the Aubergine color - beautiful! This shade of purple is NOT garish or gaudy, but a rich,darker shade giving it a classy look. Though the picture shows a shiny finish, it is matte but definitely has a wonderful luster and is not dull by any means.

The ceramic tea infuser attaches into the lid by inserting its tabs into the lid and turning it away from them to make it hang gently into the water to be swayed abit with the lid movement. A very ingenious design as was the packaging the pot came in - alot of thought went into that to ensure an unbroken item. First rate production all the way around!

I also purchased this teapot's smaller version for a 'personal' size use and it is just as lovely and sturdily built, but it does not have an infuser - being a 2 cup size it's not needed anyway. These pots are great, you won't regret purchasing any of them, whether just to look at or to have tea with!

If functionality with clean styling is your thing this pot is unbeatable. Heavy ceramic to hold the heat, locking lid and removable infuser. All this and the kind of clean understated styling that is both easy to maintain and looks like it cost much more than it actually did. If you want a tea pot to actually use pick a color and get one of these.

Good - didn't drip at all when pouring tea. Good color - bright and nice, clean modern style.

I have had this teapot for about a year and it continues to be my favorite. I usually use loose tea and the paper tea bags which can be purchased empty, so I don't have any problem with the tea strainer at the neck of the spout. I admit that it does drip a bit, but I use a matching square plate beneath it with a dark colored terry potholder to catch whatever does drip and even with that small inconvenience (what teapot doesn't drip a little?) I just love the shape of the pot, the lid and the handle. I have arthritis so the handle angle is important to me. A teapot full of scalding tea is not what I want to spill and the handle on this pot is at a very convenient angle, making it easy to pour, even when full. Most other pots have big round handles that are just not easy for my wrist to manage.

I also like the lid which has two "ears." When it is on the pot, it won't fall off, even if you put the teapot upside down. To remove the lid, it must be turned to allow one of the ears to slip through a little notch, then the other ear will also come out easily. It seems like a small thing, but I've dumped many lids to their early demise while pouring the last cup. The shape of the handle on the lid is flat and a generous size which is easy for my old hands to grasp - another great feature I prefer over the little "balls" that usually adorn the tops of teapots.

The pot also keeps my tea hot longer. I'm not sure if it's the shape of the pot or the material it is made of, but I never use a cozy on it and the tea is fine to the last cup. If I do let it go too long - like hours I can slip the pot in the microwave and zap the brew to heat it up again. Don't try that with Royal Albert!

It's a chubby little cheerful teapot that just does its job well. I've ordered another to give as a gift. I'm tempted to buy another for myself...just in case.

I bought this teapot from Amazon in 2005 and used it numerous times. The material is great, heat retention is good, it looks very nice, and I had no problems cleaning it (I use a babybottle brush).

The tea infuser is not very effective though. The holes are a bit on the large side, so any broken bits from whole tea leaves can still pass through. And the infuser is too small for my taste to allow proper steeping of all the tea leaves, especially when I'm not planning to fill the pot to the brim (it doesn't extend deep enough). So I don't use it at all (I put the leaves directly into the pot and use a strainer as I pour).

However, my biggest gripe is that the spout does tend to dribble after you pour. So you have drops of tea trickling from the spout to the bottom in between pours, ending up with a wet spot on your table/counter. I have to make sure I either wipe the spout in between pours, or set it on a dishtowel/paper napkin (unless I'm planning to pour tea to multiple cups in one session). I found that pretty annoying.

So in conclusion, for the price I paid for this teapot's supposedly wonderful features, I don't think it was a good buy.

Good product. Didn't drip at all when serving tea. Nice colors