"Frank & Renee" > wrote in message news:<qtomd.10579$tI3.10136@trndny01>...
> 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.


I use Bodum pretty much exclusively right now. I love them because
they're so convenient but I do have to try to wrap them up in a towel
or something to keep them warm while they're brewing. I don't have a
cozy...yet. I haven't had any problem with them breaking. I'm sure
they would if I knocked them against something hard enough, but no
problems yet.
>
> 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.

While searching the web I noticed that there are a lot of sites that
are out of certain teapots made in Malaysia that are having delivery
problems or the factory is having production glitches or something,
they all say that the teapots will be in in mid-november. I can't
remember the precise teapot (it was two different kinds I seem to
remember.). The Caledonia pottery one is the one Brown Betty I've seen
everywhere (local supermarket/specialty store and Costplus World
Market to name the two most recent places). I wondered if it was good
or not. When I looked on the bottom of the ones I've seen here they
all have a red clay showing through (where the pot meets the shelf in
the kiln) not white, but looking online I did see either an old Arthur
Wood or a Chatsford Brown Betty that was advertised as having a base
of white clay.

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.


Renee, does the Swissgold infuser fit in the Caladonia Brown betty, do
you know? That would be ideal because I am trying to get away from
nylon mesh filters, they don't clean for me as well though they are
good for very fine teas and rooibos.


>
> 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.


Yeah I would want it for black teas too. I make them in my Bodum now
which is just fine but there's something so...traditional...about a
Brown Betty. Good old standby and all that, lol. Thanks very much for
your input!


Melinda