My teapot spout dribbles down the side

In short

A pouring fault with three common causes, one of which is a genuine design defect and two of which are not. Working out which you have takes one pour of plain water.

Likely causes, in order

Most likely first. Answer the question under each one before moving on — several of these look alike in the cup and are told apart only by what was done to the leaf.

1. 1. Pouring too slowly

   Technique

   Check: Pour a little water quickly and decisively. Does it leave cleanly at speed and dribble only when you go gently?

   Fix: Then the pot is fine and the technique is the variable. A confident tip gives the stream enough momentum to separate from the spout lip.

2. 2. The spout lip is rounded rather than cut sharp underneath

   EquipmentInferred by TeaHQ, not established

   Check: Is the underside of the spout tip a smooth curve rather than a clean edge?

   Fix: This is a real design defect and it cannot be fixed by technique alone. A smear of cooking oil along the underside of the spout is the traditional workaround; it lasts a few pours.

3. 3. Overfilled, so the pot pours from too shallow an angle

   Technique

   Check: Is the pot filled above the base of the spout?

   Fix: Fill to just below where the spout meets the body. A pot filled higher starts pouring before it has tipped enough to make a stream.

4. 4. The lid air hole is blocked

   Equipment

   Check: Is there a small hole in the lid, and is it clear?

   Fix: A blocked hole makes the pour surge and stall, which reads as dribbling. Clear it with a pin — leaf dust blocks it routinely.

Brewing methods this applies to

• Western brewing (teapot or mug) — A small amount of leaf in a large volume of water, steeped once for a few minutes and then strained off. The approach most English-speaking drinkers already know, and the one most teas sold in the West are made for.

Related problems

Sharing a cause category, a tea type or a brewing method with this one.

• My teapot came out of the dishwasher damaged or tasting wrong — A pot or cup returns from a dishwasher cycle dulled, with faded decoration, a fine web of surface cracks, or a persistent taste that was not there before.
• There are black spots inside my teapot or infuser — Dark speckling inside a spout, under a lid seal, in the mesh of an infuser or around the gasket of a travel bottle.
• My tea goes cold before I finish it — The cup is lukewarm within a few minutes, and in a gongfu session the later infusions arrive noticeably cooler than the early ones.
• Leaves stick to the cup, the pot and my teeth — Fine leaf clings to the inside of the vessel, comes through into the cup, and ends up in the last mouthful.
• My gaiwan is too hot to hold — The rim and lid become uncomfortable within seconds, the pour is rushed, and tea ends up on the tray.

Sources