NEWS AND EVENTS

Silver serves a drip-free cup of tea

Silver – serving a drip-free teapot solution since the 17th century

Scientists, and tea-drinkers, can be put out of their misery: the issue of the dripping teapot was solved many centuries ago – in the 1600s in fact - by British silversmiths. Metal is far thinner than ceramic, and it is the thinness of the spout of a silver teapot which prevents its dripping. Silver is also an excellent conductor of heat, so tea stays hotter longer, and the need to ‘warm the pot’ is redundant. One is very unlikely to crack the tip of the spout during washing up – a frequent irritation to owners of ceramic teapots, which must then be replaced. Thus, a silver teapot not only offers the best possible cup of tea, but also value for money over a lifetime of service – and very likely your children’s and grandchildren’s lifetimes too.

In the last few years, establishments such as The Wolsley restaurant, and Claridges hotel, have returned to using silver-plated tea- and coffee pots (which they source from The London Silver Vaults, the worlds largest retailer of antique and modern English silver), as they realise the overall qualities of silver provide a better ‘tea experience’ than a ceramic pot.

The average price of a modern silver-plated teapot is £150; that of a sterling silver pot around £300-400. So whilst the initial outlay may seem steep (excuse the pun), the pot will in most cases outlive the purchaser, and provide endless rounds of perfect, drip-free cups of tea. At any one time, you can probably find several hundred silver and silver-plated teapots, from all periods, at The London Silver Vaults.

Steven Linden, Chairman of The London Silver Vaults Association, explains: “Imagine how many ceramic teapots the average household gets through in a lifetime, not to mention dealing with the tea-stained tablecloth. A silver teapot lasts far longer than a lifetime, and always provides the perfect drip-free pouring action. I would happily challenge anyone to achieve a perfectly-poured, non-drip cup of tea as many times in a row as you would from a silver or silver-plated teapot, whatever the design. Silversmiths can achieve a perfect pouring spout, and have been doing so since the 1600s.”

The London Silver Vaults, established in 1953, houses more than 30 specialist silver shops, and offers the worlds largest collection of antique English silver for sale in the world, as well as a vast range of modern and contemporary designs. Located at the corner of Chancery Lane and Southampton Buildings, London WC2A 1QS, the Vaults are open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5.30pm and on Saturday from 9am to 1pm.