Teapot- what am I doing wrong?

[MrsRobbieHart]

I always make my tea in a mug. I had occasion recently to take a flask with me for a few days and make tea in the car. Same tea bags as always, same milk. I put boiling water in the flask and made the tea in the cup like I would at home. The tea was delicious and catapulted me right back to my youth and the tea my mum made in her stainless steel tea pot. So I’ve gone today and bought myself a stainless steel tea pot. Brewed it on the hob. But it doesn’t taste like it did from the flask or from my childhood. what have I done wrong?

I used to work in the shop I bought the teapot from and we sold quite a lot of them! Maybe it’s a behaviour unique to my small town. Wouldn’t surprise me

Boil kettle.
Warm pot by swilling a small amount of boiled water around the pot and discard.
Add either 1 teaspoon of loose tea or one teabag per person plus one for the pot.
Pour boiled water into pot and replace lid.
Put tea cosy on and place on a mat.

Where did you grow up that this was the way tea was made?

Northern Ireland.

That’s really weird!

You boil the kettle (even a hob kettle)

Wam the teapot and then put the bags in and the hot water. Wait and pour into a cup already with milk and sugar in.

@MrsRobbieHart

Nope. We boiled the kettle from the socket in the wall.

So if the water was already boiled then why did you then boil it again on the hob?

I don’t know it’s just what everyone did. Stuck it on the hob to brew it.

As a lifelong tea drinker, that thing is weird as fuck.

You have a kettle on the hob (or on the electric base of course). Then you pour that into your teapot (usually ceramic, maybe steel or glass).

Boiling your teabags up on the hob is.... not appropriate for human drinks.

Are you sure they weren't just keeping it warm on the hob? Like they bought teacosys so they didn't have to keep the oven on.

@ReuT3

Are you sure they weren't just keeping it warm on the hob? Like they bought teacosys so they didn't have to keep the oven on.

I don’t think so. It was definitely put on to brew.

This thread is getting overly complicated 🤔

What do you mean brewed it on the hob?
You boil the kettle (either electric or on the hob) then pour the boiling water onto the teabags in the teapot. Leave it to brew on the side for a few minutes.
Are you sure your mother didn't use loose tea rather than bags? That can make a difference. Do you remember a tea strainer hanging around?

I wonder if they booked the water then stuck the teabags in???

Definitely no brewing on the hob up North Yorkshire and Northumberland back in the 70s

We had a stainless steel teapot when I was a child and it used to always be put on the hob while the tea was brewing, but the hob wasn't lit - that was just where we always put the teapot. I've no idea why we did this but is it possible this is what happened in your house as well op?

I love tea and I have had some of the best cups of tea ever when in Ireland. Maybe it's because it was brewed on the hob!

I was contemplating the strangeness of making tea on the hob and remembered that growing up an enamel teapot sat on the edge of the Rayburn (not on the hotplate) and just got periodically topped up all day. It was always excellent tea.

I’m I right in thinking there is a Northern Ireland section on MN?
You said you grew up there, other posters with the same background might be more help.

Mum always used tea bags. It’s possible mums hob wasn’t on but maybe the pot was just sitting there to brew but my MIL definitely brews with the hob on. I know because I bought her a new stainless steel teapot that had a rubber handle cover. And it melted on the hob.

hmmm... if you must do it on hob, need to heat the water slowly.
You'll end up with stewed tea taste if it's over-heated.
Do NOT boil while on the hob, at most get to a simmer
And then drink while very freshly made

The closest I get to OP's method is microwaving the water hot (in USA, my dad has no kettle). Works ok as long as you don't boil the water with bag in there.

Maybe I had the heat too high and it’s just meant to be low. I’m going to have to ask my mum how to make tea aren’t I? she knows I’m a terrible cook but this is taking the biscuit!

I knew this would be Northern Ireland. ☘️

Right @LizzieMacQueen tell me what you know? Is this an NI thing? And do I need to stop or continue with the hob?

@HarrisMcCoo

This thread is getting overly complicated 🤔

I agree. I realised when an American tried to use a kettle that there are lots of different methods to tea making as well as preferences of colour, milk, water, tea ratio. OP I watched a video the other month that said there were different kinds or metal teapot. Tin ones being cheapest but I've forgotten the other metal ones. I think they mentioned silver but not sure. If you can find it. It was an old tea demo with a gentleman narrator.

In India we boil water in a stove top kettle or saucepan until it’s bubbling, then add tea leaves (always leaves, never bags) and give it a very quick stir (tea is never steeped) until black. Then we remove from the heat and strain out the tea leaves immediately as we pour into a teapot or straight into cups. Old timers add brown sugar, full cream milk and a cardamom pod at the stirring stage.

I think your method is actually cooking the tea leaves, making your tea bitter.

I think you need a very basic stainless steel pot OP. They make the best tea and build a patina as previous poster said.

Rep. Ireland here.