The Best Teapots: Porcelain, Cast Iron, and Glass
Eight pots we would actually brew in, from a $15 glass Primula to a Nambu tetsubin made in Japan.
Tea Rooms.org Editors · September 1, 2026 · Prices checked September 1, 2026
As an Amazon Associate, tearooms.org earns from qualifying purchases. Links marked ↗ go to Amazon; prices shown are as of the date noted and may change.
The pot matters less than the water temperature and more than most people think. Porcelain holds heat and stays neutral; glass shows you the liquor and tells you when to pour; cast iron holds heat longest and looks the part on a table. Every pot here has a removable infuser or strainer, because loose leaf is where tea gets good.
We grouped them by material. Prices are from the Amazon Product Advertising API on the date below.
01 · Everyday porcelain
Sweese 27 oz Porcelain Teapot with Infuser
Sweese
A 27-ounce high-gloss porcelain pot with a removable stainless infuser — enough for two mugs or three teacups, which is the size most households actually need. The lid has a silicone gasket so it stays put when you pour, the spout does not drip, and it goes in the dishwasher and microwave. It is the teapot we would hand a beginner.
$29.99 at time of writing
02 · One to two cups, café-grade
FORLIFE Stump Teapot, 18 oz, White
FORLIFE
The Stump is the pot you see behind the counter at serious tea shops: a squat 18-ounce ceramic body, a stainless lid that locks, and an extra-fine stainless infuser sized so the leaves can open. It is dishwasher safe and built for daily service. FORLIFE's own instructions say to let boiling water settle for 15 to 20 seconds before pouring — good advice for any ceramic pot.
$49.99 at time of writing
03 · The English classic
London Pottery Farmhouse 2-Cup Teapot, Rockingham Brown
London Pottery
London Pottery makes the definitive British teapot, and the Farmhouse in Rockingham brown is the traditional glaze. This is the 600 ml two-cup size with a removable mesh infuser and a long, upright spout designed not to drip. If you want the pot from a Cotswolds tea room on your own table, this is it.
$37.99 at time of writing
04 · Best glass teapot
Hario ChaCha Kyusu "Maru" Glass Teapot, 700 ml
Hario
Hario's heatproof glass, made in Japan, with a large strainer that lets leaves expand fully — you watch the color develop and pour when it is right. The Maru is minimalist enough to disappear on a counter, dishwasher safe, and priced like an impulse buy. The 700 ml size serves two or three; smaller versions exist for solo drinkers.
$20.05 at time of writing
05 · Stopping the steep
Bodum Assam 34 oz Glass Tea Press
Bodum
The Assam solves the over-steeping problem: when the tea is where you want it, you press the plunger, the leaves are sealed off, and brewing stops — Bodum's patented system — so the last cup is not bitter. Borosilicate glass, stainless filter and plunger, 34 ounces. It is the right pot for anyone who brews a full pot and drinks it slowly.
$24.99 at time of writing
06 · Cast iron on a budget
TOPTIER Cast Iron Teapot with Infuser, 32 oz, Leaf
TOPTIER
A Japanese-style cast iron pot with an enameled interior, an 18/10 stainless infuser, and a fold-down handle, in a light green leaf relief. Full capacity is 32 ounces; TOPTIER recommends no more than 25 ounces if you heat it on a stovetop. Cast iron holds heat longer than any other material here, which is the whole reason to own one at a long table.
$29.97 at time of writing
07 · The real tetsubin
Iwachu Nambu Ironware Teapot, Arare, 0.65 L
Iwachu
Iwachu is the Nambu ironware foundry in Morioka, and this is the genuine article: cast iron made in Japan in the traditional arare (hailstone) pattern, enameled inside and under the lid, with a tea strainer included. At 0.65 liters it is a two-person pot. Nothing else on this list will still be in the family in fifty years; this will.
$135.22 at time of writing
08 · Budget pick
Primula Half Moon Glass Teapot, 40 oz
Primula
Forty ounces of borosilicate glass with a fine-mesh stainless filter, a drip-free spout, and a non-slip silicone base, for the price of a couple of lattes. The filter lifts out for blooming teas, and the whole pot is dishwasher safe. It is the pot to buy for the office or a guest room.
$14.99 at time of writing
Whichever pot you choose, warm it with hot water before the first pour. It is the single habit that most improves a cup of tea and it costs nothing.
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