Hi Melinda,

I have been considering the same two teapots. I went through a phase of
tetsubin cast iron pots and Jenaer and Bodum glass pots. Now I'm looking
for something more practical for everyday use.

Brown Betty is both a style and a "brand." The true Brown Betty is made by
Caledonia Pottery in England. They're widely available online and I've been
trying to decide where to buy one. I've seen the Peter Sadler "Brown Betty"
style pots but the modern ones are now made in Malaysia. The English
Chatsford pot that's available through Special Teas.com,
http://www.specialteas.com, is also made in Malaysia for the Churchill
Ceramics Company of England. Special Teas carries replacement filters as
well. I've also seen this type of pot marketed as "The Finum" but the
price is higher than those at Special Teas. The nylon filter basket doesn't
appeal to me because I just bought a Swiss Gold teapot infuser.

I have decided to buy the Brown Betty since I have a white porcelain glazed
English style 2-3 cup pot. I'm pretty sure it's made in China or
Malaysia--it's a drippy pot and I have to replace it. The heat retention is
ok. The Brown Betty is supposed to keep the tea warm longer and has a
dripless spout. A Brown Betty seasons like a cast iron pot does and
supposedly improves the flavor of the tea. I drink mostly black teas so I
think this is the best choice for me. (I plan to use a glazed ceramic pot
for herbal or flavored teas.) If you want to use the same pot for single
estate, herbal and flavored teas, you might consider the Chatsford style and
some OxyClean to get the flavors and stains out of the filter basket each
week.

All the best,


Renee






"Melinda" > wrote in message
om...
> Hi everybody,
>
> At some point I am probably going to buy some sort of "traditional"
> British teapot. Would those of you who own both a Chatsford and/or a
> Brown Betty, or who have pondered the differences between the brew
> made by each and have an opinion about it, please post and tell me
> what you think of each one and how each one performs for you. I'm not
> so much interested in the look of either, but more importantly what
> the tea tastes like and secondarily how convenient it is to brew in. I
> know that the two are made from different materials (I gather)...terra
> cotta for the BB vs. "china" (exclusively porcelaine?) for the
> Chatsford. Also, is the BB not being made in England anymore or am I
> getting it mixed up with the Chatsford that moved it's production
> to..Malaysia I think...
>
>
> Many thanks in advance
>
> Melinda