A teapot from Chushinkobo that suits a Japanese-style table. Not too large, and reassuringly unbreakable

A purchase review in which our staff—who check and know ZUTTO's products better than anyone—passionately introduce items they've bought themselves.

This time's item: Teapot, Round, S (Iron) / Chushinkobo

The Chushinkobo teapot is something I find myself relying on in the cold season, when a hot drink brings a welcome moment of rest. Its gently rounded shape and compact size are just right, and here I'd like to share why it has become so useful in my everyday life.

A teapot that won't break, an iron kettle you can use with ease

The reason I, Staff U, bought this teapot was that I was looking for a kyusu (Japanese teapot) with a built-in tea strainer. I love tea and drink it almost every day, but I had been using a porcelain kyusu with a separate strainer. Since I used it so often, I was hoping to find something a bit more convenient. Tea bags that you can just drop into a mug are nice too, but I wanted to enjoy the aroma of tea brewed from loose leaves, so I began searching for a new kyusu. That search led me to the Chushinkobo teapot.

The Chushinkobo teapot struck me with its distinctive shape—it looks like a Japanese-style iron kettle, yet also resembles a Western teapot for tea.

It comes from Yamagata Prefecture, a region known alongside Iwate's Nambu tekki (Nambu ironware) for its traditional Yamagata imono (cast ironware). The design reworks a chagama—the kettle used in tea ceremony—to suit modern life. While it retains time-honored elements of a traditional iron kettle, such as its coarse, sand-like textured surface and iron handle, it doesn't feel old-fashioned at all; instead it carries an air that resonates with Western-style teapots as well.

Cast iron is very sturdy, giving it a reassuring resistance to breaking compared with ceramics. Since it's made of iron, the Chushinkobo teapot is a bit on the heavy side, but that weight makes it all the more stable once set down.

Another benefit of cast iron is its excellent heat retention. Once warmed, the whole piece stays hot for a long time, and in the case of a teapot, that means the tea inside stays warm too. It's not a vacuum-insulated container, so of course it can't match that level of heat retention, but it still holds warmth longer than ceramic ware.

Another major point about the Chushinkobo teapot is that the inside is coated with enamel. With an ordinary iron kettle, there's always a worry that leaving moisture inside will quickly lead to rust, but with a smooth enamel interior, that concern disappears. That makes this teapot a great choice for anyone who wants to try using an iron kettle but isn't confident about keeping up with regular maintenance. It's less prone to breaking than a ceramic kyusu, and easier to use casually than a plain iron kettle.

For tea bags, for hot water, and for ochazuke too

During the chillier months, we tend to drink less at a time compared with summer, when thirst comes on more easily. In my two-person household, I'm the only one who drinks hot tea, so I pour just enough hot water to make the amount I'll finish myself. When I fill the teapot to about eight-tenths full, it makes just under two mugs' worth of tea—a perfect amount for a break or a meal. Since it isn't too large, it doesn't take up much storage space either, and I think it would suit someone living alone just as well.

When making tea, there's a stainless steel strainer built into the inside, so all you need to do is add your favorite tea leaves and pour in hot water. That might make it sound like it can only brew loose-leaf tea, but you can just as easily set a tea bag into the strainer and pour hot water over it the same way. The inside enamel surface has a black coating, so you don't need to worry about tea stains showing. Personally, I really enjoy watching the tea leaves unfurl and bloom into vivid color as the hot water is poured in.

I also think this teapot works well for anyone who has a habit of drinking sayu (plain hot water). Water fresh off the boil is too hot to drink right away, but if you pour it into the teapot, it cools to just the right temperature and, at the same time, doesn't lose its warmth too quickly.

The teapot is about this compact in size. Iron kettles tend to be heavy, but at this size, it's easy to carry around. I can place a single serving of food and the teapot on a tray together and carry them at the same time, so this is my usual style at mealtimes. I don't just use the teapot for brewing tea—I sometimes use it to hold plain hot water for making ochazuke (rice with tea poured over it) as well.

The look of a traditional Japanese iron kettle suits Japanese food especially well. Taking a little more time than usual to carefully brew tea in this pot, and unwinding with it while enjoying a meal, brings a sense of small luxury even to an otherwise unremarkable day.

Questions you might have about this iron teapot

・How do you care for it? Does it really not rust?

After use, I wash it with dish soap. The inside has a smooth enamel surface, so a soft sponge easily removes any dirt. The exterior's sand-textured surface is made of iron, so if left wet, it can rust. Once washed, I first wipe the outside thoroughly dry with a cloth, then let the inside air dry naturally. With this method, no rust has appeared so far.

Q. Does it get hot when you pour in hot water?

When you pour in hot water, the bottom in particular becomes very hot, so we recommend using a trivet rather than placing it directly on the table. That said, the iron handle doesn't get hot, so you can pour without needing pot holders.

Q. Can the iron handle be laid down?

The iron handle can be tilted down slightly on either side (it can't be laid down completely). It's convenient to tilt the handle to one side when pouring hot water or when cleaning.

▽ Click here for the Teapot, Round Cylinder, S (Iron)