Stainless steel teapot & silicone oven mitts

Choosing a stainless steel teapot

A stainless steel teapot is hard to break, so it suits busy kitchens and everyday use. Look for an infuser basket if you brew loose tea, a handle that stays cool and a spout that pours cleanly. Nick Munro's Large Queens Teapot has all three. It is made from polished 18/10 stainless steel, holds 1 litre, or 4 to 5 cups, and has an infuser basket, an insulated handle and a non-drip spout. The teapot was designed in Great Britain, and we reviewed Nick Munro's materials before listing it.

Using and cleaning your teapot

Warm the pot with a splash of hot water first, then add the tea to the infuser basket and fill with water. Lift the basket out once the tea is strong enough, so it does not stew. To clean a stainless steel teapot inside, rinse it after every use, and now and then soak it in warm water with a spoonful of bicarbonate of soda to lift tea stains. Avoid wire wool, which scratches the polished finish. Dry it with a soft cloth to keep it shiny.

Silicone oven mitts and oven gloves

Green Island's mini oven mitts are made of food grade silicone and handle heat up to 230°C. Silicone does not soak up grease like fabric oven gloves, so you can rinse the mitts under the tap or put them in the dishwasher. The textured surface grips hot dishes, and each mitt has a loop for hanging. These mitts cover your fingers rather than your whole hand, so use them for trays, plates and pans straight off the hob, and take care when reaching into a hot oven.

Spare parts and gifting

Nick Munro also sells a replacement black resin handle for its Bistro Pot and Fatso Pot, so a loose handle does not mean a new pan. Fixing what you already own is one of the simplest ways to waste less. The Queens teapot makes a handsome Christmas present for a tea lover, with a pair of mitts tucked in for the kitchen. Tea has teas to brew in it, Dinnerware has tableware, Kitchen Accessories has more kitchen tools, and Eco swaps for home: The ones that actually move the needle has more ideas.