The Leaf-Holder Teapot: Lift the Leaves Out and the Steeping Stops

"This invention is an improvement in the class of tea-pots which are provided with a removable perforated or wire-gauze holder or receptacle for tea-leaves." "The improvement relates to the construction of parts, whereby the tea holder or receptacle is attached to the bottom of the pot; and, also, to the combination, with said holder or receptacle, of the device employed for removing the tea-leaves subsequent to the steeping operation". "When it is desired to remove the spent tea leaves from the holder B it is only necessary to withdraw the device D D2 D3 from the latter." "When placed in the pot, as shown, the lid or cover of the pot A forms also the cover of the holder B." "I do not claim, broadly, a tea-holder having a detachable connection with the bottom of a tea-pot"; his claim is the screw fixing and the lifting false bottom.

Weigh out three equal portions of black tea. Steep each in the same amount of water just off the boil, taking the leaves out after 2, 4 and 8 minutes. Pour each into a clear glass and hold it against white paper to compare the colour, then taste them in order, noting flavour and bitterness. Leave a fourth pot on its leaves for 20 minutes and taste that too. Compare your ranking with the notebook's trend.

**Ebenezer Oliver** of New York filed US 187,893 on 19 January 1877; it is dated 27 February 1877. **Honest limits.** Real extraction is not two clean first-order steps; the time constants depend on the tea, the leaf size and the temperature, and the values in the notebook are examples. Your tasting and colour ranking are the measurement.