Should you clean your teapot

[Crackle]

Well should you? OK to clean the outside and rinse the inside but you don't want to get rid of the tanning. Mrs Crackle keeps putting mine in the dishwasher when I'm not looking. I've tried telling her she's ruining the flavour but it falls on deaf ears.

 

[summerdays]

Err - we put ours in too - but then it was new over the summer anyway - after the last one was broken. I've not thought about it developing a flavour!

 

[vernon]

Well should you? OK to clean the outside and rinse the inside but you don't want to get rid of the tanning. Mrs Crackle keeps putting mine in the dishwasher when I'm not looking. I've tried telling her she's ruining the flavour but it falls on deaf ears.

I don't scrub the inside of my mug at school. I was competing with a colleague who retired from the competition when he got a cold sore. I managed to go two terms - about 26 weeks without it losing its tannin coating. It stops my colleagues from nicking it. A couple of pupils took it upon themselves to be really naughty and nicked it and thoroughly cleaned it after two terms. I had to pretend to be cross.

 

[MessenJah]

It depends really. If you use really high quality tea leaves then do you really want old tea residue affecting the flavour of it?




On the other hand, if you're using bog standard tea then it doesn't really matter. Clean or dirty, it's all good.

 

[rich p]

Great thread Crackle - my admiration knows no bounds!

Don't clean the teapot - in fact, don't even have one!

 

[Over The Hill]

What is the stuff? Is it not just limescale dyed brown from the tea?

Ours used to stay brown but since the dishwasher arrived it has been bunged in now and again to come out like new.

 

[Maz]

Do many people have teapots these days? I don't.

 

[brokenbetty]

Isn't there an urban legend about the tannin buildup in the spout stopping a teapot dripping?

My boyfriend invented the name "grafulick" (gra-phoo-lick) for the staining inside a teacup, pot or spoon. It's a good word.

 

[HLaB]

Do many people have teapots these days? I don't.

The majority of people I visit have a pot, I know I do :-)

 

[brokenbetty]

Isn't there an urban legend about the tannin buildup in the spout stopping a teapot dripping?

Found it http://www.transportcafe.co.uk/tea_pots_dripping.html

 

[abbie]

I scrub the outside but only rinse the inside with water. I had a new teapot a couple of weeks ago and with daily use it is already nicely stained inside. Tannin residue is v.important for a tasty cuppa.

 

[Keith Oates]

I clean the inside of my teapot about once a week, it certainly looks better but frankly I don't think it changes the flavour of the tea one way or another!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Cheule]

Well should you? OK to clean the outside and rinse the inside but you don't want to get rid of the tanning. Mrs Crackle keeps putting mine in the dishwasher when I'm not looking. I've tried telling her she's ruining the flavour but it falls on deaf ears.

My other half uses those Steradent tablets. Put the teapot in the empty sink, fill to the top with hot water, bung 5 tablets in, put lid on. 30 mins later, sparkling teapot. Bish bash bosh, done!

 

[newbiebiker]

The majority of people I visit have a pot, I know I do :-)

I do have one but I've never used it and If I do use it I will clean the insides too.

 

[asterix]

If I am making more than 1 cuppa then I don't trouble the teapot; if 2 or more it's handy. Why waste Teabags? (I am a Scot, living in Yorkshire, after all).

Oh, and no, I don't clean the insides - wastes hot water.