This simple, beautiful, and functional teapot is part of an entire tableware and bakeware collection designed by Sophie Conran, an English food writer with her own gourmet pie company. Conran infuses her namesake tableware with a flowing organic nature and tactile expression, as evidenced by the ridges and dipped rims that recall handcrafted pottery. Made of porcelain expressly for Portmeirion, the collection comes in glossy white with select pieces available in cool blue celadon and a creamy biscuit color.
Like the matching sugar bowl and creamer, the four-cup teapot is pleasingly rotund and completely lined with subtle ridges. All the style components add up to a harmonious whole: the curved handle that makes a lovely flourish, the confident spout, and the domed lid with its concave knob that makes a thumb-rest when pouring. Incredibly durable and chip-resistant, the porcelain teapot safely warms a pot of tea in a microwave (or conventional oven), cleans up in the dishwasher, and is even safe for the freezer, should the need ever arise. Add the Sophie Conran teacups and saucers, and the tea party can begin for those who appreciate life's simple pleasures. --Ann Bieri
