Back to basics - holding a teapot

Handling a teapot with ease

 One of my earlier lessons in tea was a session on holding the teapot. Admittedly, dexterity is lacking at first when handling a hot tea pot. Add to that the price tag attached to this hong ni pot, there was undeniably some pressure building up when I started practising my grip on this pot. Some sweat and struggle are not to be avoided.

The principles of holding a small teapot are rather straightforward: gently pinch the pot handle between the thumb and middle finger while resting the index finger on the edge of the know, making sure not to block air flow at the apex. Then locate the centre of gravity and begin to tilt the spout forward, going with the flow of tea at all times.

Air flows through the centre of the knob

Surely, this all sounds simple enough, but to really accomplish a seemingly small act of handling the teapot with ease, do take some time to practise!

A tip for the ladies: Should the above suggestion be of little help to you, try adding your right ring finger right under the handle for added support and stability. The index finger continues to rest on the knob's edge so that it can slightly tilt the lid open as we approach the end of our pour and the last few concentrated drops of tea can easily flow out with the larger flow of air entering the pot.