Commercial Teapots

Look at where the spout starts and where it ends. A spout that leaves the body high and finishes with a sharp lip breaks the stream cleanly; one that tapers to a rounded end lets the last of the pour run back down the outside.

Pour speed matters too. A spout that is too narrow has to be tipped steeply, which is when the lid slides.

Stainless survives a commercial environment far better: it does not chip, it holds heat longer and it can be dropped. It also looks utilitarian, which is why it stays in function catering and staff rooms.

Porcelain is the choice for table service where the pot is part of the presentation. Expect to replace it more often, mostly at the spout and the lid.

Hinged, for anything carried by staff. A loose lid on a tipped pot is the most common breakage in the category and it happens at the table, which makes it worse than a breakage in the wash-up.

If you buy loose-lid pots, buy spare lids at the same time. They are rarely available later and a pot without a lid is unusable.

Size it to the cup. A one-cup pot for single orders and a larger one for two sharing covers nearly all table service; buying only large pots means every single order arrives half full and cold by the second cup.

Stated capacity usually assumes filled to the brim, which no one does. Take the figure from the product page specifications and allow headroom.

For loose leaf, yes, and a removable basket is better than a fixed strainer at the spout. A basket lets you lift the leaf out at the right moment; a spout strainer keeps the tea brewing until the pot is empty.

Check whether the pot is sold with a basket or whether you need to buy one that fits. See commercial tea accessories.

Spout and lid seat first, because that is where tannin and leaf build up and where the smell comes from. A pot that looks clean inside and pours brown water has a blocked spout.

Most go through a commercial dishwasher with a brush through the spout beforehand. The mops and brushes range has bottle brushes that fit.

Insulated and stainless pots hold usefully for a while; porcelain does not, and a pot held on a hot surface will stew the tea rather than keep it fresh. Stewed tea is a worse outcome than a slightly cooler cup.

Brew to order and keep the water hot instead. A hot water urn that stays at temperature does more for tea service than any amount of pot insulation.

Teapots, tea pots, tea servers, tea serving pots and tea urns all appear, and a tea server is often a lidded jug with no infuser rather than a brewing pot.

Check whether the item brews or only serves. The jugs and commercial tea equipment ranges cover the serve-only end.