- Brown Betty tea pot
- Made in England
- Round shape produces exquisite tea infusion
- Hand made
- Makes a perfect cup of tea
Product Description
These are the authentic English Brown Betty tea pots found in kitchens throughout England. The familiar round shape infuses the tea properly producing an excellent flavor.
Made from real English red clay, baked to a rich brown color and finished with a transparent glaze, these teapots are the original Brown Betty’s hand made in England using methods dating back to the 1700s.
I purchased 8 of these teapots in 4-, 6-, and 8-cup sizes for home use and as gifts for friends. I assumed that, since they are labeled as ‘Made in England’, they would reflect the high quality one expects of ceramics made in the British Isles. However, these are the cheapest, flimsiest teapots money can buy. They were largely unavailable for a month or two in 2007 as the manufacturer made more. Apparently, the company was bought out and taken over by a new owner, who then started manufacturing these cheap excuses for a teapot. When these new teapots were released in early 2007, I noticed they were much lighter and flimsier than those made by the previous company owners. So I put each new teapot on a postal scale and weighed the new ones against earlier versions I already owned. Sure enough, the postal scale indicated that all of the new teapots are appreciably lighter as a result of being made with considerably less clay. I wrote a letter of complaint to the manufacturer and have never received a reply. Long story short – I have already had one teapot develop cracks throughout the inside of the pot, meaning the tea seeps into the clay and can develop mould, and I had the handle break off the other pot. I just started my third of these teapots today – the 8-cup version. I heated the pot with hot tap water to warm the pot, after which I filled it with water from the kettle. Then I stood back and listened to all of these popping/cracking sounds as the glaze began to crack throughout. Sadly, this company appears to be the last manufacturer of British made teapots, but the quality is non-existent. They’re quite cute, granted, just don’t expect it to last for any length of time. I’m on my third teapot now in the span of one year. Please don’t blame any of the typically wonderful, helpful suppliers of these teapots. I have found sellers to be very good about standing behind their products – unfortunately, both sellers and buyers are being cheated by these poorly made, cheap quality knock-offs of the original brown betty teapots. Instead, direct all of your complaints to the manufacturer, Cauldon Ceramics. In the meantime, please don’t waste your money like I have.
Rating: 1 / 5
Glaze became crazed the first time we used it, teapot is light for its size (1lb 4oz), spout chipped, and then lid broke when lightly dropped on counter. A poor product we’ve since replaced with a 40-year-old Brown Betty that is in much better shape, heavy for its size (2lb 7oz), with thicker glaze and a sturdier spout and lid.
Rating: 1 / 5
I asked for one of these for a wedding present and I was thrilled to receive it.
However, this is definitely NOT the Brown Betty teapot of old. It crackled (or “crazed” as I believe it is called) withing the first couple of months. Then, 1 year later, a hole appeared above the spout and it dribbled from the word go (an absolute no-no for a Brown Betty). I don’t know who makes these now, however, it can’t be the same people who made the one my mother had for my entire childhood without so much as a chip or paint crackle. Very disappointed.
Rating: 2 / 5
I am a big tea lover and bought this teapot so I could finally start using the antique teacups I’ve bought over the years. This is perfect. It’s small enough to store without taking a lot of space, I don’t need to put it on the stove and wait for it to heat up. I just put it in the microwave for a few minutes and it’s fast and easy and doesn’t get overly hot like a stove-top would. It’s adorable and I think it’s a good quality. I know it’s not stainless steel, but as long as you don’t just bang it around in your cupboards I don’t know how much sturdier or well-made you’d need it to be. I think it’s absolutely perfect and adorable and I’d definitely buy these for my friends!
Rating: 5 / 5
My husband is from England and absolutely loved his Brown Betty….makes the perfect cup of tea. Should have bought the 8-cup though…we drink a lot of tea and it holds it warm for a long time.
Rating: 5 / 5