What’s a kitchen without a tea kettle; that most traditional of appliances that has been loyally brewing our tea for generations? While the tea kettle has evolved over the years – its shape and color reflecting the ever-changing style of the times – its purpose has stayed true; to brew us that beverage around which gatherings are made, families are united, and life is celebrated.
The electric tea kettle traditionally makes its home on the kitchen countertop ready to be plugged in and turned on to brew our tea. The convenience of course is that a watchful eye on the stove becomes unnecessary. However, tea traditionalists are often quite adamant about the benefits of the stove top counterpart.
The stove top tea kettle – with its traditional lines and nostalgic spout – boils the water using the heat source on a stove. Customarily, the completion of this job is signaled by the whistle of the tea spout – a sound that can bring us back to childhood in an instant.
Today, there are a variety of tea kettles on the market of all shapes, sizes, colors, and abilities. Some can heat your water in an instant; others can bring your water to the perfect temperature in which to steep tea – and keep it there; still others will boil your water and hold your tea all in the same container.
There is no right or wrong way when it comes to the purchase of a tea kettle. Tea is a very personal beverage; the tradition of tea signifies vastly different things to different cultures. So it stands to reason that our methods for brewing the tea vary just as much from individual to individual.
Find the tea kettle that speaks to who you are. If you live in an older home where antiques abound, then perhaps an antique stove top tea kettle would fit perfectly with your d