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In recent decades, options for American tea drinkers have expanded far beyond the ubiquitous yellow box of Lipton’s to a sometimes dizzyingly broad array available in every corner market. Once the tea consumer has left the store intact, a bevy of different blends in tow, she can make her own specialty cup right at home. With the right teapot, that cup can be just as good or better as one served in an epicurean café or teashop. After all, a well-brewed pot can hinge upon the choice of teapot just as much as the selection of tea itself. And with a variety of teapots to choose from—cast iron, porcelain, and even glass—how can you determine which one best suits your taste?

As it turns out, it isn’t all about looks. There is more to selecting a teapot than just making sure it is aesthetically pleasing. Some teapots actually take on the flavor of the tea and therefore should only be used for one type of tea, according to T. Elizabeth Atteberry, an STI Certified Tea Specialist at the Expedition Tea Company. This seems to be especially true of the Yixing teapot, a clay teapot that is unglazed inside and is credited as the first teapot ever created. “In fact,” Atteberry continued, “teapots that have been used for years will begin to possess enough tea oils in the pores of the clay that you will only need to add water and still have the taste of tea.”

This means that tea drinkers who are dedicated to just one flavor might want to take a look at the cast iron or internally glazed ceramic teapot. While they aren’t quite as porous as the Yixing teapot, they will eventually take on the flavor of the tea. The same is true with stainless teapots, though Atteberry warns that they may have a metallic taste at first. However, once the oil builds up, tea drinkers will be left with a nice, seasoned flavor. On the other hand, for those who like to frequently experiment with different flavors of tea, the glass teapot might be the perfect choice. Glass teapots are not at all porous and will not build up any tea oils, Atteberry explained.

Atteberry also suggested taking the infuser style into account, as teas are brewed differently. “White and oolong teas are often brewed multiple times, so the tea drinker is usually looking for a teapot that is either small-one cup servings-or has an infuser that does not touch the water once it has reached its proper brew time, like an infuser teacup or a single size cast iron teapot.” Larger teapots, she said, are more difficult to control in terms of steep times, and tend to create very strong, bitter tea by the second or third cup. “The rule of thumb is for individuals to have individual teapots.”

No matter what teapot you decide best suits your personal needs—a pot for one, two or even a whole family of tea drinkers—a number of tea companies offer a variety of choices online. With the next cup of your favorite tea so close at hand, the hardest part will be settling on only one of these beautiful styles of teapots.

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