Bodum's Naoko

Product Review

(official product description): "Inspired by the Genie lamp, Carsten Jorgenson designed this piece over eight years ago. Today, we finally have the "magic" to produce the Naoko. Made of stainless steel, the Naoko is a 32 oz. tea bowl, with stainless steel infuser. Perfect for brewing your favorite loose leaf tea while matching design with function."

I wanted a good metal tea pot. Originally, I was looking at silver but these are hard to find nowadays. When you do find them, you end up paying $100 for them. I kept looking around, and finally decided that the Naoko by Bodum would be the one for me. It is a quasi-version of a genie's lamp. Its looks are one of its main selling points, but its stainless steel interior can take a beating that few tea pots can, and I appreciate the "relaxed" atmosphere of it.

It is a liter, so (in American terms) it holds four cups well. The shape and style of the strainer work well with black, green and oolong teas. The strainer has a little rubber handle of its own, that makes it easier to lift since you don't have to try and get the strainer to "pop" up. But, even rubber gets pretty hot when exposed to steam for a few minutes, and so I have to use a tool to lift it.

It holds heat real well, and this both a blessing and a curse. It is a blessing in that you don't have to drink tea in a 3 minute window to get it nice and hot. Its a curse in that the water you put in the pot is still is hot enough to hurt you when you are psychologically prepared for cooler tea.

The only real problem I have with it is the handle, which adds to the appearance, but kind of makes it hard to get some shorter kettles to properly work with it. You are going to have trouble pouring that last few drops of water in. The handle makes for ease of carrying the pot and helps to keep your hand away from steam no matter what, so in the end, it is probably a boon rather than a bane, but it can be annoying to strike a kettle against it and splash hot water around.

I've had mine now for over a year, and for the past six months or so it has been my primary tea pot. It is sturdy. The four cups it makes are about the right amount for me. The strainer works well. It washes up well. The handle makes it easy to carry sort of absentmindedly. And the little feet at the bottom keep it from scorching anything with boiling hot temperatures.

Definitely recommended. Rating of Great (my ratings).