Why Tea Cozies?
I wrote about my reasoning last week. You can find it here.
Do People Still Use Tea Cozies?
Yes. Tea cozies are a more niche object now. Once, cozies were a point of pride and fashion. They fell out of style as fewer people had time for or knew about the ritual of afternoon tea. Instead of a tea cozy, thermoses are often used to keep beverages warm. Thermoses have various advantages. They are good for travelling with, easy to clean, and are difficult to break. When a thermos is full and sealed the temperature can be maintained for hours on end. They are good for people on the go, but what about the people who are trying to slow down?
How I Use Teapots
Recently, carving out time for afternoon tea has become more popular. Whether hosting friends or spending time with a good book, a couple hours dedicated to tea is a rejuvenating experience. I prefer to sit and study while slowly drinking a pot of tea. The quiet aroma wafting from a hot teacup creates a bubble of time that is solely dedicated to my task. I use it for study, sewing, hosting a friend, reading fiction, designing, or painting.
The consumption of hot leaf juice is a way to mark the time that I dedicate myself to a task. It can take hours for me to drink an entire teapot of tea. During that time I get to observe my beautiful teapot. Each time I use it I note the proportions, shape, decorative flouts, and brushwork. There are so many details on my Ghzel teapot that I always learn a little bit more about design when I use it. The teapot has matching Ghzel teacups with saucers, but sometimes I like to use another teacup from my bone china collection.
A teapot and cozy set in a friend’s collection was inherited from his Nanna. We call it a set, but I don’t know if it was made as one. The teapot has a low foot, is rather wide, round. Its rim is set into the teapot, so when the lid is in place there is a smooth line from it onto the body of the pot. The handle is sturdy and the spout is a classic shape. The spout rim is a little thick, and it has a single dribble when poured. The whole pot is covered in a simple brown glaze, a little on the cool side. The exciting part of this otherwise modest teapot is the one inch tall band of inlaid mother of pearl. The cream iridescent band adds a level of elegance to this practical teapot.
The accompanying cozy is a dome shaped quilt-like creature. The cloth is a mix of creamy and rosy hues, stitched down with rows of straight stitches that create a diagonal pattern. The rim of the cozy is a stuffed band of solid dusty rose cotton, grounding the colourful affair to the table it rests on.
Whether someone loves tea, historical cultures, pottery, or textiles, tea cozies offer a way to enjoy and treasure a small sample of beautiful art.
What are the Different Types of Tea Cozies?
I found three traditional shapes in Western cultures. Firstly, the dome. It is a simple cover that surrounds the entire pot, pressing against the surface that the teapot rests on. This creates an insulated pocket of air that is warmed by the teapot. This pocket is disturbed every time that the dome is removed to pour tea, but is less likely to become dirty from spilled tea. This is a type of cozy that easily works with any type of teapot, provided that it is big enough. I am certain that the dome teacozy can be used inconjunction with the following two types for additional insulation. Whether it is necessary is up to the user.
The next type of tea cozy is called a muff. It’s construction is similar to a pouch that you put the teapot in. The foot sits in the bottom of the pouch while there are two slits on opposite sides to accommodate the spout and handle. Like a pouch, there is a tie in the cozy near the rim of the tea pot. The tie can be a drawstring, or a pair of strings. This synches the tea cozy closed at the top of the pot, and creates a small pocket of air held close to the teapot. This allows the teapot to be moved about without disturbing the hot air pocket too much, but also leaves the spout and handle exposed to colder air cooling down the teapot. The advantage of using a muff is that the lid is easily accessed for making fresh tea.
The last type is the bachelor. It is a cozy that slides down over the top of the teapot, leaving the spout and handle exposed through two slits that are closed on the bottom. There is a ring of material under those slits that hugs to the belly/butt of the teapot, leaving the foot exposed. Heat also escapes via the spout and handle. It often has a pompom on the top. This is likely to make it easier to remove the cozy, and for aesthetic reasons. They are often knitted, the stretchy cloth easily accommodating and clinging to the teapot’s shape. This makes them easier for ‘bachelors’ to use. Imagine putting a toque on a teapot that has holes for the spout and handle. That’s what a bachelor tea cozy looks like.
I’m sure that there are ways to heat and maintain the temperature of tea in other parts of the world. There is a green tea leaf preparation where after the leaves are removed the the tea is kept hot, about 80*C, for a time before drinking it.
What are Tea Cozies Made of?
Considering that our ancestors are clever and resourceful folk, their tea cozies were made of anything that would insulate the teapot. Materials could be wool, linen, cotton, reeds, wood, etc. Wool is supremely insulating, and excellent for cold climates. Linen and cotton are able to wick away steam, and easily washed with other kitchen laundry.
These materials can be used in a variety of ways. The cozies can be sewn, quilted, knitted, felted. Cloth can be dyed with any technique. Then they can be embellished with slow stitching, embroidery, fabric paints, dyes, beadwork, tatting, and knit embellishments. Cozies made of reeds and wood might be more restricted to weaving or wood joining.
A tea cozy must be thick enough to properly insulate the teapot, and close enough to the teapot to not waste energy heating air. If it is sewn, then the material must have a fashion fabric, filling, and lining. Knitted cozies must ensure that they are either a thick gauge of yarn, densely knit stitches (no lace stitches), or consider making a plain (or fancy and thus reversible) second layer.
Tea cozies are hats for your teapot, which is aptly observed in this amusing quote from Billy Connolly: “Never trust a man who, when left alone with a tea cosy, doesn’t try it on.” I would try on a tea cozy if left alone with it, too.
There are an plethora of tea cozies available. The variations are innumerable. The options abundant. If you could have a tea cozy for your precious teapot what would it look like? What would it be made of?
Further reading:
Legend of tea cozies https://pieceworkmagazine.com/the-legend-of-tea-cozies/
Dominion Tea https://blog.dominiontea.com/2017/04/29/history-tea-cozy/
Tea Vault Tales https://myteavault.com/the-history-and-truth-of-the-tea-cozy/
Are tea cosies gone forever? https://www.countrylife.co.uk/interiors/curious-questions-tea-cosy-gone-forever-189934
Examples of muff type cozies https://www.english-teapots.com/england/muff_tea_cozy.htm
Caoife Garvey’s felted teapot teacozy