Pros and cons of cast iron tea kettles
A cast iron tea kettle is tough and durable with excellent heat transfer. However it is liable to rust if it isn’t cared for properly, so a brand new iron kettle should be seasoned (see below).
Cast iron tea kettles to buy
1. Cajun Cookware Cast Iron Tea Kettle
This 1-Quart iron tea kettle is robust and heavy-duty. It comes pre-seasoned.
2. Vogelzang Tea Kettle
A larger kettle with a 3-Quart capacity. Designed as a means of humidifying the air of a room; not suitable for heating water for drinking purposes.
Cast iron kettle care
Seasoning a cast iron tea kettle
A new cast iron tea kettle needs to be seasoned (or cured) before use in order to prevent the formation of rust on the inside.
The kettle should be washed in hot soapy water and then allowed to dry. A thin layer of vegetable oil should be applied to both the inside and outside of the kettle using a paper towel to coat the inside of the spout. It should then be placed in an oven at 175 degrees Celsius for about an hour.
The cast iron tea kettle can be removed from the oven when it has had time to cool and any excess oil removed with a paper towel.
To prevent rust formation it should always be emptied and kept dry after use.
Removing rust from a cast iron tea kettle
To remove rust from the outside of a cast iron kettle scrub with a wire brush. Stains can be removed with dishwashing soap rubbed over the surface with the inside of a piece of potato or by soaking in vinegar for a few hours if more persistant. The kettle should then be washed with warm soapy water and dried with a cloth.
A mixture of a little vegetable oil and kosher salt can be used to clean the inside of the kettle, wiping with a damp dishcloth. The cloth should be rinsed and the process repeated until the rust has disappeared.
The cast iron tea kettle should then be seasoned and kept dry when it isn’t in use to prevent any further rust formation.