Bredemeijer Xilin Cast Iron Tea Set Review and Giveaway

I have always been just a little bit obsessed with Japanese culture and cuisine. I’ve owned many a ceramic sake and traditional Japanese tea set only for each one to become chipped or damaged – either through general wear and tear or from a small child playing one heck of an expensive tea party.

The Bredemeijer Xilin Cast Iron Tea Set combines the elegance and beauty of traditional Japanese tea ware with a highly functional and innovative design creating a showstopping centre-piece for any table.

So, when Haus invited me to review a cast iron tea set from the Bredemeijer Asia Xilin range I quite literally jumped for joy – I mean how could I resist?! For those of you whom aren’t aware, Haus are the UK marketing and distribution representatives for leading cookware brands such as Wüsthof, Scanpan, and of course Bredemeijer. The Bredemeijer Xiling Cast Iron Range boasts a bold and elegant Japanese style teapot with a red studded structure, a set of cast iron mugs, and a fab teapot coaster to prevent your surfaces from becoming damaged.  The full set would retail at around £65.00 which, if you ask me, is an absolute bargain. (If you’re the cheeky so and so that has simply arrived here for the competition then just scroll down to the bottom of this post!)

Who Are Bredemeijer?

Bredemeijer is part of the Bredemeijer Group – a Dutch company that holds 3 other sister companies; Leopold, Vienna, and Zilverstad. The group originated from the company Bredemeijer who manufacture deluxe tea and coffee products that are not only stylish but of an exceptional quality.

Founded by Mr G. Bredemeijer in 1914, Bredemeijer was sadly sold by his widow shortly after his death to another family within the metal industry in 1934, subsequently the company was taken over again in 1994.

Today, the high quality design of Bredemeijer attracts tea connoisseurs worldwide, from double-walled, stainless-steel teapots to cast iron teapots such as those within the Xilin range which are complete with enamelled linings and drip-free spouts, Bredemeijer’s vast range ensures that there is something there for everyone.

How Did The Bredemeijer Xilin Cast Iron Tea Set Perform?

The Bredemeijer Xilin Cast Iron Teapot in action!

The Bredemeijer® Xilin Cast Iron 1.25l Teapot in Red, RRP £39.95

The Bredemeijer Xilin Cast Iron Teapot takes its design inspiration from the elegance of traditional Japanese cast iron teapots which tend to take on very elaborate and intricate designs but also serve a rather functional purpose by keeping their contents hot for an incredibly long time. Traditional Japanese cast iron teapots (also known as ‘kyūsu’) took their origins from their larger predecessor – an un-enamelled cast iron kettle, complete with handle and spout, known as ‘tetsubin’ . Its main purpose was to boil large quantities of water over a coal fire which could then be utilised to make hot drinks and brew tea.  This naturally led to a smaller, enamelled version being created specifically for tea brewing purposes.

Before I start talking about its functionality, I’d like to take a moment to bask in the glory of this incredibly elegant teapot. The Xilin Cast Iron Teapot has a traditional studded structure which is believed to be originally inspired by hailstones (although I don’t know how much truth there really is in this). The black, industrial cast iron has been burnished with a beautifully vibrant and elegant layer of red lacquer, enhancing the gorgeous studded cast iron structure but also creating an almost scratch proof finish, whilst the interior of the teapot itself has been glazed with a sultry deep navy blue enamel,  protecting the cast iron from rusting without removing even a speck of elegance.

The Bredemeijer Xilin Cast Iron Teapot includes an innovative stainless steel interior filter.

The functionality of this teapot is incredible, although pre-warming is recommended by Bredemeijer it truly isn’t necessary. I found that as soon as the teapot had been filled with hot water the exterior became boiling hot to the touch and stayed warm for around an hour. The tea could quite literally stay piping hot for hours if you pre-warmed this teapot which makes it a nifty piece of winter kit. The handle and the grip however do not get hot, if anything just a little lukewarm so don’t worry there’s no risk of burning your fingers into oblivion. The structure of the spout allows for a drip free pour which frankly is usually the one thing that puts me off teapots in general. A removable stainless steel tea infuser is also included making tea brewing incredibly quick and painless.

Cleaning the teapot was also super easy – just brew your tea, empty, rinse with hot water and leave to air dry! The outer of the teapot can be gently buffed with a smooth cloth but so far I haven’t needed to do this. I don’t have any worries about the paint work chipping, it seems like a really sturdy pain job and my kids have yet to break it!

In summary, this teapot is literally the most beautiful thing ever – you’ll want to leave it out and show it off at any given opportunity. As I said before the pre-warming isn’t necessary and using a tea cosy isn’t something that you’d ever have to worry about with one of these. Plus who would want to cover up this beauty?! I guess the only bad thing I can say about this teapot is that it is incredibly heavy and so you’ll want to work on that wrist strength or support the teapot with a towel in your other hand to prevent getting burned. Personally I didn’t find it much of an issue for myself but I know other people might consider this a negative.

This beautiful studded cast iron teapot from Bredemeijer is available in green, blue, and red. The teapot is also available in 0.8l direct from Bredemeijer. The set can be completed with matching tea cups and a stand which brings me on to my next product…

The beautifully burnished Xilin Cast Iron Mug from Bredemeijer.

Bredemeijer® Xilin Cast Iron Mugs, RRP £14.95

These beautiful cast iron mugs have a similar feel to them as the Xilin Teapot yet they take a slightly more intricate and subtle stance with the studding pattern. The interior is again enamelled with that beautifully glossy, navy blue enamel. Alike the teapot these super cute little mugs keep your tea nice and warm but the only downside is that they keep them almost TOO warm. After pouring myself a much needed mug of butterfly pea tea, I picked it up without hesitation and much to my surprise almost burned my fingers off! You have to leave the cup for quite a while before you can drink your tea or alternatively you can hold your mug with a cloth to save your fingers. I preferred doing the latter as I felt that leaving the tea to cool resulted in a slightly less than optimum temperature.

It seems almost like a crime not to have a set of matching mugs and for the price a full set wouldn’t set you back much at all. Both the functionality and design are impeccable but as aforementioned a handle may well have been a brilliant addition, even though not traditional.

Again these Bredemeijer beauties are available in green, blue, and red. 

The Bredemeijer Xilin Cast Iron Teapot Coaster

Bredemeijer® Xilin Cast Iron Teapot Coaster, RRP £6.95

Okay, now what’s the point in buying the teapot and the mugs without having something flash to display them on? The Xilin Cast Iron Teapot Coaster again has that high-quality cast iron, studded structure, burnished with matching fiery red lacquer, and it has a rather functional set of non-slip rubber feet that actually do their job properly. This means that you can enjoy your tea without damaging your surfaces but you can also marvel at the beauty of this set in full.

For £6.95 I don’t think it’s worth missing out on. I literally have no negative comments for this product whatsoever. Nada… zilch… zero.

The Bredemeijer Xilin Cast Iron Teapot Coaster is available direct from Haus in blue, green, and red.

The Verdict

In summary, I love how the Bredemeijer Xilin range draws together elegance and traditional Japanese design for a truly beautiful and luxurious tea set with an imperial feel. Its design is simple and not flashy – just how I like it, and the paintwork is utterly breathtaking. This set is so simple to clean, to use, and to show off! I couldn’t recommend it anymore than I have already and with Christmas coming up this would make the most perfect gift for any tea enthusiast and is just so lovely to snuggle up with in this awfully bitter weather.

Having a teapot that keeps my tea hot and comes complete with a removable tea filter really won it for me as I am always chasing a toddler around and by the time I get back to my cups of tea and coffee they are always cold. The capacity of 1.25 litres also makes it great for a large family household. The cast iron also makes it pretty much bombproof so if you have young kids and are put off buying anything particularly ornate this is definitely the tea set for you!

The Bredemeijer Xilin Cast Iron Tea Set combines the elegance and beauty of traditional Japanese tea ware with a highly functional and innovative design creating a showstopping centre-piece for any table. Once again I’d just like to thank Haus for being so generous and sending me this set out to review – it’s been a blast!

The Giveaway

Up For Grabs

One lucky winner will win the following:

• 1 x Bredemeijer® Xilin Cast Iron 1.25l Teapot in Red, RRP £39.95
• 2 x Bredemeijer® Xilin Cast Iron Mugs RRP £14.95
• 1 x Bredemeijer® Xilin Cast Iron Teapot Coaster, RRP £6.95

The Features

The Bredemeijer Xilin Tea Set combines elegance and Japanese design for a most luxurious tea drinking experience.  This set boasts the following qualities:

• High-quality cast iron with a studded structure.
• An imperial looking burnished red lacquer finish.
• A teapot handle and grip that becomes lukewarm at most.
• Non-drip teapot spout.
• Beautifully enamelled interior in both the teapot and mugs.
• Stainless steel tea filter for easy cleaning and use.
• A high-quality cast iron teapot stand with non-slip rubber feet.

How to Enter:

1. To enter into the competition just simply sign-up to the Greens of the Stone Age Newsletter by filling in this form – this will give you 5 entries into the competition! Already signed up? No problem just follow step no. 2.
2. Next using the Rafflecopter giveaway widget below, select ‘Sign-up to my Newsletter’ and fill in your first name and e-mail address for verification purposes. If you don’t complete these two steps your entry will be disqualified!

For Additional Entry Points

To up your odds of winning:

• Leave a comment using the comments box below telling me what tea you’ll be making if you win! You may only do this once.
• Follow Greens of the Stone Age on Twitter, and any of the companies involved in the giveaway, using the option on the Rafflecopter giveaway box below. You may only follow each company once.
• Visit (and follow if you’d like to) Haus on Facebook. You may only follow once but may visit once daily.
• Tweet about the competition using the ‘Tweet about the giveaway’ box below. You can do this once daily!

*Competition open to UK entrants only. Sorry!
** Competition opens 12:00 4th November 2016 to 23:59 18th November 2016. (All times GMT.)

The Lucky Winner

• The lucky winner will be picked at random.
• The more entries into the competition, the higher the chance is that you will win!
• The lucky winner will be e-mailed within 48 hours of being picked to obtain their details and forward on to the Haus team, who will then arrange a suitable time to mail out your prize!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks for entering and good luck!