Some people use the words kettle and teapot interchangeably but they are two different items of kitchenware. While teapots and teakettles often look very similar, these objects are designed with different functions in mind. A kettle is normally designed for use on the stove to heat or boil water for tea or other purposes, while a teapot is generally used for steeping the tea.
Kettle:
The word Kettle comes from the Latin catillus, meaning “a deep dish or pan for cooking” and, historically, every household had a kettle, as it was a crucial piece of kitchen ware. Various cultures also derived smaller kettles that were specifically designed for boiling water to be used to prepare tea. A kettle is made from metal or heavy stoneware pottery, since these substances can withstand repeated heating and cooling. The basic design includes a lid that can be lifted to fill the kettle, and a spout for easy pouring, along with a handle so that it can be lifted or moved. A well designed teakettle has a handle that will stay cool while the kettle heats. It is a pot designed to be used over a fire or stove for cooking.
Modern day kettles are designed by electric heating of plug and heat technology. These kettles are much more energy efficient than traditional stovetop kettles, although they may not be as aesthetically pleasing.
Teapot:
Since teapots unlike kettles do not have to withstand intense and repeated heating, they are made from an assortment of materials like porcelain, ceramic, stone, wood, metal, and glass. Hot water is poured from a kettle over tea leaves in a teapot so that tea can be brewed. Many teapots include strainers for the purpose of brewing loose leaf tea. In some cultures, teapots are designed for both stovetop and brewing use; heavy Japanese cast-iron teapots, for example, can be heated on the stove and used to brew and serve tea too.
Photo credits & source: wisegeek.org, teagalaxy.com
