Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)EDIT(30 day use report): Questionable quality, material safety, and manufacturer. Quick to fall apart. (see "Material Safety and Quality" section).
Summary: Stylish BLACK teapot, interior enameled. flame durability still unknown.
Appearance:
The teapot is actually cast iron black, with a mildly glossy surface. The picture is misleading, as the color in the picture is nearly a light gray.
Enameling
The inside is enameled (as BonJour does with all their cast iron teapots).
Use over fire:
The teapot is not supposed to withstand being heated over an open flame, (because the rates of thermal expansion for glass (enamel) and cast iron are not the same)... However, I went ahead and put it on a cast iron warmer anyways. I cannot say this isn't harming the teapot. However, The interior surface of the enamel has not yet cracked. Although, there are small lines that appear to be stress cracks under the surface of the enamel in areas that my teapot warmer isn't directly warming. I guess we'll see how well it holds up over a few months.
EDIT (30 days of use): Actually, as with most enameled cast iron teapots, user over a tea light candle or two is fine, as long as you're going so extreme as to heat it over a stove. This item shows no signs of wear with respect to heating over (typically 3) tea lights. This is something I have confirmed by speaking with various sales representatives from other companies. However, I do take care to ensure that, while it is over candles, it always has liquid in it (this way, the evaporation of the liquid within will put a limit to the teapot's temperature).
Trivet Dimensions:
The trivet is sturdy, approximately 5.5" square, 0.2" thick, standing about 0.45" off the table top on 3 rubber-covered legs.
New Additions after 30 days of use:
Material Safety and Quality (after 30 days of use)
After about 30 days of use, brewing several pots of tea a day, this teapot fails my expectations.
First, the enamel within the spout chipped, detached, and fell out within the first day of use. This has left my spout to rust a bit... While this isn't the biggest health or flavor-related issue, it does say something about the quality of this item.
Secondly, certain areas show low quality and suspicious manufacturing... the rim on which the lid sits is quickly degrading. The paint in the area is quickly chipping, showing rusted areas underneath.
Lastly, It is made in China. I realize much of the hype about low quality Chinese products is all hype, and there are many legitimate high quality manufacturers out there. However, the blatantly low quality of this item, combined with the fact that it was manufactured in the People's Republic of China raises red flags. Bonjour's poor customer service (see next section) and inability to answer for the health safety qualifications of their products (as well as their sly technique of writing "Manufactured in PRC"- which stands for People's Republic of China) makes me very nervous about the material safety of this product.
Call me spoiled or paranoid... But I would like to be picky about what goes into my body.
Bonjour Customer Support:
Pretty bad, in my experience. Unreplied emails and an inability to reach anyone by phone. Primarily tried to ask about the material safety and product quality post-purchase.
Click Here to see more reviews about: BonJour Cast Iron Teapot with Stainless Steel Infuser and Matching Trivet, Tea Box Design
Indulge in the ancient art of tea with this Asian inspired cast iron teapot with a square tea box design.These enamel interior pots come with a removable stainless steel mesh tea infuser, ideal for loose tea.The ironware retains heat well and will keep tea warm for an hour or more.Not for stovetop use. 27-ounce/ 800 ml capacity.
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