Side by Side Comparison of: Hario vs Chefs Star®

I can't say enough good things about this teapot. Someone bought this for me as a gift, and as soon as I received it and used it a few times, I went to Amazon and bought two to keep as gifts. I love that you can use it with both bagged and looseleaf tea. It's a plus that you can put it in the microwave because the entire teapot is made of glass. I wouldn't microwave the strainer, however. It's great that you can create two cups worth with a single serving of tea leaves or a teabag. The handle is large and makes it easy to hold the teapot. And it looks beautiful - very dainty.

Once in a while, you find something that takes function to an art. This is one of those things. Perfect size for two large mugs of tea, easy to see if the tea has steeped well, and very easy to clean. The basket holds the loose leaf tea and is easy to just spray out. No need for a tea ball, and the mesh is very fine so not much leaf or crumbs in my drink. Also beautiful to look at. I have already given away one of my old fashioned ceramic teapots, and am waffling on getting rid of the other two, this is so much more efficient and pleasant to use. Will probably keep one for the very rare occasion I need to make a larger pot of tea.

I used to make large pots of tea because I didn't know any better. Since learning that good loose tea can be re-steeped several times I've been searching for the best teapot. For whatever reason this little gem never crossed my path. I've tried a number of different pots, including some pricey ones, and I've never been completely satisfied.I found out that Hario makes teapots when I was considering trying one of their coffee servers for brewing tea. Needless to say I ordered it right away and haven't looked back.It's absolutely the perfect size. It makes one normal mug of tea or two smallish cups at a time. Steep it 2-4 times and you've got a whole pot worth using a fraction of the leaves.The mesh filter is extremely fine, but I generally don't use it because the spout is very well designed. The leaves mostly stay down in the main body and don't flow out with the tea when you pour it. Unlike some pots, the lid doesn't require the basket to fit properly which is great. It pours very cleanly without dripping, which a surprising number of teapots don't get quite right.The one thing that could be a little better is the thickness of the glass. As some other reviewers have noted it's pretty thin. I'd happily pay more for a version with thicker glass, but with a little care it's not really a problem, especially considering how cheap it is.Overall a great value on the best everyday small teapot I've found.

That's right, this teapot improves your brain function. Because you have to concentrate so much, so you don't break it! It's a glass tea pot, so one miss handling will have you ordering another one. I've use this teapot everyday for the past 2 weeks and I absolutely admire it!Anyone can love it, but how many admire it. It's perfectly engineered for my needs.Well it has a relatively small profile, when using 1 tbl of loose green tea, it yields exactly 3 cups of tea. So for me, it's exactly the right amount to make my daily fresh ginger and green tea drink. Which, if I say so myself, is delicious.Freshly grated ginger, green tea, lemon juice and honey. The big mesh bowl allows both the green tea leaves and then the grated ginger to effiently release their befenifical nutrients. The glass top fits perfectly over the rim of the meshed bowl, that not a speck of ginger or green tea leaf pours into my mug. All the components are easily cleaned. So that suits my inner Monkness. This is a teapot, not a tea kettle, so don't try to use it on a stovetop. If you stay in the moment and handle the teapot with extreme care, you won't regret this purchase. It makes a perfect (3) cup of tea.

I usually don't leave reviews for products. Almost never. Actually this might be my first. This should tell you something - to ignore my spelling mistakes and other signs of general illiteracy.But this teapot is fantastic. Some demographic info: I'm a 21 year old man, freshly adult, and recently turned tea snob. So naturally I need a teapot to accompany, nay supplement my loose leaf, nose upturned, calling-tea-color-liqueur lifestyle. Previously I had been brewing my tea in a thermos with a little mesh insert, a practice that if employed by anyone else I would surely mock brazenly.First impressions - I had read almost all of the reviews and some of them had mentioned that this teapot is rather small. When I opened it, I thought to myself "this teapot is rather small". But once I stilled my beating heart and actually made some tea I realized that it's pretty much the perfect size. Filling it close to the top, with a comfortable margin, I get enough tea for two very full mugs, and in my frugally heated apartment the pot keeps the tea piping hot for the second mugful.The basket is nice and large. I've heard others say that this is necessary for the leaves to swim, luxuriate, mingle, copulate, bask in their collective consciousness. Shoot me if I ever anthropomorphise tea leaves like that. But it is nice to have a big basket so that the water actual reaches the center leaves. To that end, it would've been nice if they included a diving board so that the leaves could indulge their inner child (or bud, if you will), but now I'm splitting hairs.It's made of glass, so it's breakable. I haven't broken mine yet, but I reserve the right to in the future, hopefully during the height of an argument. I think it'll shatter very well, but that's just speculation at this point.Only complaint (very minor) is that the handle is kind of hard to grip when the pot is full of hot tea. My hand has a tendency to slip down and touch the hot pot. But I just changed the way I held it, and that's been working well. I'm actually glad, I was getting a little set in my ways.Bottom line - buy it. It's not a samovar, but for one or two people (I can dream, can't I?) it's perfect. Very aesthetically pleasing, functional, the mesh is plenty fine, even rooibos can't sneak through, and I've had almost no stems get stuck. It's top rated for a reason.

perfect! this is my first glass teapot...or just teapot, ever! I'm so glad i got this. i like its pleasant round, squat shape. it's cute and delicate and i will take care of it. i already made peppermint tea with honey. Makes tea drinking special :) definitely recommend!

excellent teapot with small good quality infuser,i like the size of this teapot and the excellent idea of it,s infuser.i recommend when compared to others teapot.

This little brew pot (you don't put it on the stove, you only pour in boiling water) is the second one of these I've had. The first gave me great service for the past 6 or 7 years, but recently I disassembled it completely for a thorough cleaning, and accidentally dropped the small nut that holds the infuser to the shaft down the sink drain! I've loved this pot so much, I had to order another! Normally you don't need to disassemble to clean, and I probably will not do that again! Oh, well...I've saved the pieces in case anything else should break or get lost, but I doubt that will happen.

This is a great Tea Infuser. The infuser sealed the tea tight, so that bits of the loose tea did not leak out.The infuser has handle on top so that it can be fully immersed into the water, or pulled up out of the way when desired tea strength is reached.

I bought this little tea maker as a present for my boyfriend. He loved the style of it and the fact that the glass comes a part from the metal if needed- though not easy at times because the heat of the water makes it expand. Now, we just leave it all in tact for washing as well. The metal middle which holds the leaves is a smooth metal. It twists off easy and I LOVE the functionality of it- being able to raise the leaves when they have steeped is such a great thing! Overall I kind of just wish it was a bit bigger- maybe hold a couple more cups because we sure drink a lot of tea! Other than that- I love it.

Ignore the reviews about it being misleading about the size. This is exactly what they advertise and seems to be a nice little tea pot. The basket seemed a little tight and hard to get off but as it is used more I will probably appreciate this since it will loosen up some. Could it have been made out of some higher quality parts? Yes, but you are only paying $20 (at the time of this review) so you can't expect very high end materials. With that said, I don't see this falling apart any time soon unless it is abused or misused. I look forward to making many pots of tea with it and it draws attention with the way it looks.

Just bought a new one to replace my old one. I've had one for several years now and using it frequently. It's small enough for a couple of cups for one person. It's perfect sized to sit on my night stand and have a couple of cups of hot tea when sick. You can put lose leaf tea in the steeper or it pull up and folds neatly out of the way and a tea bag can go in. I like that the handle is plastic and less likely to break. The glass is like that of a coffee pot and break resistant, but not husband proof as we recently found out ;). Also you do have to pour the water in already hot as you can not heat this on the stove.

This is such a good product. Gives you about3 standard mug size coffee cups or two good sizemugs. Had a friend over and we had leftovertea. Only reason I do't give 5 stars is because itdoes leave a small amount of tea leaves thatsink to the bottom but I don't see this as a dealbreaker. It's such an insignificant amount it reallydoes not matter. Hope this helps.

Nice teapot for watching loose tea leaves steep with or without the infuser. Many tea aficionados enjoy seeing the dance of the leaves and/or watching the color develop to the preferred strength. The infuser is the largest I have seen, especially for such a small pot. The glass is crystal clear and delicate.....very thin which means I don't use it for my every day tea ( that's the reason 4 stars not 5 ). I use my sturdy little Forlife teapot for daily tea; However, I do not regret buying it because it's simple, functional and pretty.

I really like the Hario Chacha Kyusu Maru Tea Pot, 700ml. I was a little hesitant to purchase this item because it looks like fragile glass and several other reviewers stated that it was fragile. Since I received it, I have used it daily for two months and haven't managed to break it yet. It is the perfect size for my needs as the sole tea drinker in my home. I get two tea cups of tea from each full pot and have yet to have a disappointing brew. If you are looking for a teapot to serve several people, this is not for you. One point that I would like to make is that this is DEFINITELY a two handed pour teapot. There is no way to pour using one hand without the strong possibility that the lid will slide off in mid-pour. Other that this flaw, I love this little teapot.

This is a great medium-sized teapot for brewing loose tea. I use gunpowder green tea, which I think has almost no bitter taste at all, and the leaves have plenty of room to spread out and steep in this pot. The fine mesh is small enough to keep most of the loose tea leaves out of your cup except for the smallest tea particles, and the size surprisingly fills a teacup four or five times if you fill it all the way up.The one drawback is it gets pretty heavy when filled with hot water, and the thin glass handle is a little difficult to hold onto while keeping the pot steady and level. The result is my hand sometimes slides down the handle and one of my fingers will graze the outside of the glass, which is REALLY hot. Besides a slightly burnt knuckle every once in a while, I do love this teapot.It's taken a bump or two against some metal cooking utensils and a hard stone counter top and not shattered, so I'm hoping it will stay intact for many many years.

Excellent teapot! Love the simple design and the lightweight glass. Have managed not to drop it or hit it yet, so I can't speak to the fragility issue some people have had.The one flaw for me was the strainer basket design. Overall the strainer functions perfectly well as an infuser and leaves only very fine tea particles in your cup.The problem is that the mesh is connected to the steel rim of the strainer in such a way that it tends to hold onto leftover tea particles. This may or may not be a problem for people using washing machines, but I wash everything the old fashioned way, by hand, and it can definitely be a pain to get every last piece of leaf and stem out of there by simply running it under the tap.

Lovely teapot.Easy to clean, except for the spout part, but doable.Wish it didn't stain so much, but any teapot would.Glass is always pleasant to look at (if you keep it clean)Can pour with just one hand, placing thumb on the lid.I don't really like the spout look, but wow it is practical as it doesn't spill and pours well.Also ordered a smaller 300ml for one person use as this one at time I find a bit too large, since I like to drink a lot of tea but brew small amounts of fresh tea each time.Like Hario brand so far and use three different teapots so far, one at work.

good

I had received one from my sister four years ago and adored, unfortunately VERY saddened it cracked when adding boiling water.AS all tea addicts know, the water must be a rapid boil.WAS thrilled to see them return, and bought two, one for a friend!

I love this little tea pot. It does a great job at holding a little over two standard coffee much sizes. It looks really elegant on the counter. It steeps well and cleans easily.

It's a very good product all in all, but it doesn't filter perfectly. As long as you don't mind a little bit of sediment, this is a solid product.

This functions as expected, however I have two minor complaints. 1) the infuser basket was very difficult to remove so I could put tea in it. The instructions do not clearly show how to open it. I could not tell if it was a pop off or a screw off. I finally got it open (it was way too tight). Then, after using it a few times it is sometimes difficult to keep closed so it does not come open. Overall, however, great concept and I am glad I bought it. In fact, after my co-workers saw it, they ordered four of them. (can I get commission? :-)) Buy it, you may have better luck than I did.

I use this everyday. Just the right size for my wife (1 cup) and I (2 cups). The pouring could be a little better and when pouring, the handle sometimes falls, letting the basket drop back into the tea. It should lock a bit more securely. Still, this is the pot I choose to use everyday, when it's just us two.

This tea pot seems to work fine. I've been using it for quite a while now. However, the company advertised it as being made in Japan. The pot itself may be made in Japan, but the strainer it came with was made in China, so I will have to deduct 2 stars for the false advertising. If anyone knows of a lead-free teapot with no plastic that touches the hot water which is made in a country that produces products with a better reputation for quality and safety than China, please let me know! I still haven't found it.

The pros are: it is great for making about 2 cups of tea, so it's nice for sharing tea; see-through, so it is good for watching leaves unfurl and expand. Also, I am able to infuse tiny, Japanese tea leaves without getting so many leaves in the liquid; and the infuser is easy to clean. Cons: the tea doesn't stay very warm because of the thin glass and the exposed space at the pour spout; I have to be extremely careful when washing the pot and lid because they are so delicate and thin.

I don't trust this tea pot. The glass is SO thin, I'm afraid to touch it. A pro is the fact it's clear, so I can see when the water is starting to boil. But if I look away & it starts boiling too much, it shoots out of the spout. When pouring my tea, it's awkward to hold it with a pot holder on the thin handle. And I'm always afraid the glass top is going to come flying off & break. I like a big cup of tea, & this pot accommodates that need. But if you're at all clumsy, this is definitely not the tea pot for you!

I just got mine yesterday, but it came without a lid! I've seen that many others have reported the same thing. Before ordering, I would ask the seller to double check before shipping.I have to disagree with other reviewers who write that the teapot cannot accommodate 2 people. The unit holds about 2 3/4 cups of water. The cup I use isn't a mug, but it isn't a tiny tea cup either. I would advise new users to warm up their cups first so that the tea will stay hot.I hope this helps someone. I started making loose peppermint tea and absolutely love it. It's my nightcap :)

I already broke this glass pot. I've had great experiences with Hario products in the past. The glass was more delicate than I would've liked. I'll buy a different tea pot next time.

This is a beautiful tea pot and one of the larger ones I could find on Amazon. With that said, given the size of the strainer, there isn't a lot of room for actual tea. Another thing to be careful of is that the glass feels so frail and thin rather than well supported. I really feel like it is not durable enough to withstand much so extra care is necessary. Beautiful, but not functional.

aesthetically very nice. Functionally a little limited. I use it primarily for brewing green tea. If i were to add milk to my english breakfast tea it gets a little messy trying to take the lid off and add the milk. Really just a minor irritant.

This is a very cute little pot that made a nice gift for one of our college aged kids. He really liked it and it is nice for a single person or two, if each is only having one cup. The apparatus moves up when you lift the black top and it locks into place for draining. Nice novelty but not practical, if being used every day.

Okay, not great

I was disappointed with the design of this item. I had a difficult time keeping the top on the infuser part and the tea emptied out into the water. Is there a trick to it? I do like the way it looks on my counter and will continue playing with it until I figure a way to make this work correctly. ;-)

This pot is the perfect size to make one or two cups of tea, however I find the canister very fiddly and difficult to fit into place and remove.Not the best design and a little sorry I purchased.

I drink a lot of tea. And the size of this fella is much too small. Makes a little more than one cup. I was fooled by the picture.....Shame on me...But it is so cute!

This tea pot looks very nice, and it works great - if you happen to be serving tea for exactly 3 people! It works ok for 2, but you can't use it alone! The strainer doesn't reach far enough down unless there's a lot of water in it - if you put in 8 or even 10 oz of water, the tea barely gets wet. And it can work for 4-5 people only if you're planning to do smaller portions and multiple steepings (which is definitely an option). I guess they want me to buy several in different sizes, which is irritating, since the big one *should* work well for smaller amounts, except for very poor design on their part.

The screen is a misery to clean out. Leaf material is caught under the basket rim.

Way too fragile. I've had this about 6 months, was very, very careful with it and it cracked this morning.

The company logo and other things that should be stamped on the bottom of the pot are instead stamped on the side of the pot. Also, the strainer/infuser doesn't reach down far enough to brew a half pot of tea. What I received has a different strainer/infuser than the one shown in the photograph.Otherwise, fine. It goes in the dishwasher and it's a good size for cutting back on caffeine.

I ordered this and I didn't get the lid, everything was in great condition but the lid was missing.

I loved this teapot when I first received it. Cute, can watch tea steep, etc. It took two weeks for a crack on the spout to appear, made me think I swallowed glass at some point. Then I tried to steep tea last night there was a huge piece missing from the spout. I don't know the return policy, pretty sure I don't qualify. It was a let down.

Very small

So cheaply made but you get what you pay for... I returned it immediately.

I like the design a lot but mine had a very tight lid on the infuser. Eventually I got it to open but all that stress caused the handle to break free from the diffuser lid. I assume that the tightness was a manufacturing defect and so am exchanging it for another.

Bought this tea pot for my wife as a gift along with an assortment of loose leaf teas. We've found two big annoyances with this. One, it's quite difficult, at least on the one we received, to open the infuser basket without removing it from the lid. So there's a bit of disassembling and reassembling every use. Two, and most annoying, is that the holes in the basket are too coarse and too many bits of leaf pass through into the tea and then we end up straining the tea a second time. In the end my wife is much happier with the stainless mesh infuser ball she already had. I'd like to return it but unfortunately we discarded all the packaging, which appears to be required for Amazon returns.

Missing parts. Not used. I was so looking forward to this!

I got this and was happy until less than a month the glass cracked and I can't use it. I did not put it in dishwasher, on stove or microwave. Not happy with this purchase at all and went with another brand.

Arrived without the lid.

A day into using the Tea Pot, the nose broke off. Very crappy quality of glass. Had to throw out the item, totally not worth the money.

When I received the package, the box seemed to have been opened once, and when I checked, there was no top lid inside. The pot itself looked very nice, so I hated that I had to return it.

Missing lid, otherwise it would have been a great product.

Thought it would be perfect for brewing two cups of tea, which it does. However the infuser lets some of the leaves escape. Also the black knob at the top will not stay on. File 13.

Design flaw. Extremely hard to get the stainless steel strainer open wet or dry. Already falling apart after first use.

the cover is inside the jar .....and there has not been any response to my feedback

Did not meet my expectations

Not happy with this purchase. Can't get the basket to stay on properly; drops into the pot everytime I try to use it. Silver area on top lid is actually a type of coated plastic. Looked cute, but I am really disappointed. Gave it one star because it does make for an interesting looking shelf ornament, I guess.

The tea filter is useless! It's a pretty but a useless tea brewing pot! Loose tea gets through the"infuser".