Staub La Theiere Round Teapot

Comment: A little Bummed out; it is rusting inside (pieces have come off) and around handles and under lid around chrome piece... Anyone had a successful return??? I have the black tea pot...

Comment:
No doubt staub makes a beautiful pot. The problem is poor design. Why? The metal-chrome-plated handles are attached to the pot in a way in which the handles form a loop around a peg on the pot. As part of the pot, this peg is ceramic coated cast-iron. As the metal handle opens and closes, the chrome metal rotates on the ceramic painted pot. You don't need to be an engineer to figure-out that chrome-metal rotating on ceramic paint is clearly an area of high-wear which will rust-out in the long run. Mine started to wear with only 3 openings of the handle. Hope they fix this design. This pot gets five stars for aesthetics, one star for functional durability for the reasons just noted.

Comment: This is a beautifully designed tea kettle. Not only can you steep tea in this pot, you can heat your water (or milk, etc.) in it. The design is fantastic and if you care for it properly, like all other cast iron (i.e. wash and dry it as soon as you are done with it) it should last a life time. With all cast iron it really is important to not leave water in it or it may rust.

This is our first piece of Staub. I am generally a big fan of All-Clad and Le Creuset, but when I saw this pot a few years ago, I fell in love with it. We've get the blue one and it really compliments our other kitchen equipment and dishes (Polish pottery with lots of blue).

As for those reviewers that said you can't boil in this "teapot", here is a FAQ replay from the Staub USA website:

"What temperature should I use to boil water in my Staub teapot?
Because of the heat retaining properties of cast iron, it is not necessary to put your teapot on high to boil your water. Using a medium heat will bring your water to boil and avoid thermal shock."

Comment: Here is my experience with Staub "Customer Service" and getting them to honor their warranty. Our teapot started rusting at the edge of the lid within two months of purchase.

I contacted Staub over a month ago and still have not received my replacement teapot. I will not bore you with the numerous interactions between Staub and me but here are some of the excuses I have heard.

1. We are taking year-end inventory and you will need to wait.
2. We are short-handed and got behind because of the Y/E inventory.
3. Staub fired the person that was supposed to handle returns. At least I have an explanation as to why he never returned my phone calls.
4. Today, I received an "admonishment" from Staub that has not even seen the defective teapot.
We only accept returns on teapots once. With your teapot comes a small pamphlet with care and use instructions. If these had been followed, your teapot would not have rusted. Please make sure you follow these instructions, and also remember that this is not a 'TEA KETTLE', but a TEAPOT.

Have you heard enough?

Comment: Very nice, sturdy teapot. The cast iron construction maintains heat well, keeping your tea warm for an extended period. Also, it can be heated over a flame, unlike most Japanese style cast iron tetsubin pots, which can not be placed over a flame. I also like the simple, vintage design. The only reason I gave a four was that the teapot I received from Amazon seemed to be a second choice, with sloppy painting and a non-matte finish. However, these defects do not effect its functionality in any way.