---
title: 'Teaware of Europe and Russia'
url: 'https://howtotea.me/teaware/by-region/europe-and-russia'
markdown: 'https://howtotea.me/teaware/by-region/europe-and-russia.md'
lang: en
date: '2026-11-03'
description: 'Teaware of Europe and Russia: the first European teapots modeled on Yixing ware, Meissen porcelain, the British tea table and the Tula samovar.'
---

# Teaware of Europe and Russia

Europe first bought its teapots from China and Japan, then learned to make its own. Russia contributed the samovar, and Britain a tea table set with a hot-water jug, a caddy and a strainer.

 ![A glass of tea in a holder and a white porcelain teapot](https://howtotea.me/images/c/o/v/e/r/cover-e0c16771.webp) Illustration 

Europe's first teapots were imported. Dutch and English ships brought them in with the tea: [Jingdezhen](https://howtotea.me/teaware/materials/chinese-ceramics/jingdezhen) porcelain and red [Yixing teapots](https://howtotea.me/teaware/brewing-vessels/yixing). Around 1678–1680 potters in Delft [began copying them](https://howtotea.me/teaware/by-region/europe-and-russia/european-teapots), followed by Staffordshire and Saxony. Russians heated their tea water in a [samovar](https://howtotea.me/teaware/by-region/europe-and-russia/samovar); the earliest known record of one dates from 1740.

In this section

- [![](https://howtotea.me/images/c/o/v/e/r/cover-2792841a.webp) The samovar The samovar explained: how charcoal and electric models work, what to burn, where Ural and Tula styles came from, and how to care for or vet an old one. ](https://howtotea.me/teaware/by-region/europe-and-russia/samovar)
- [![](https://howtotea.me/images/c/o/v/e/r/cover-6a840982.webp) European teapots European teapots: Delft copies of Yixing, Meissen red stoneware and porcelain, Wedgwood creamware, Spode bone china and silver. Shapes, materials, care. ](https://howtotea.me/teaware/by-region/europe-and-russia/european-teapots)
- [![](https://howtotea.me/images/c/o/v/e/r/cover-cbca9af6.webp) British tea table The British tea table: the red-clay Brown Betty teapot, hot-water urn, caddy, strainer, slop basin and cosy. What each piece does and how to brew with it. ](https://howtotea.me/teaware/by-region/europe-and-russia/british-tea-table)

---

## Navigation

- Parent: [Teaware by region](https://howtotea.me/teaware/by-region.md)
- Previous: [Teaware of Japan and Korea](https://howtotea.me/teaware/by-region/japan-and-korea.md)
- Children:
  - [The samovar](https://howtotea.me/teaware/by-region/europe-and-russia/samovar.md)
  - [European teapots: from Delft to Meissen](https://howtotea.me/teaware/by-region/europe-and-russia/european-teapots.md)
  - [The British tea table: Brown Betty, urn and strainer](https://howtotea.me/teaware/by-region/europe-and-russia/british-tea-table.md)