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Experience fascinating international culture with an authentic samovar imported from RussiaA samovar is a household appliance with a long and rich history. In Russia, like many Asian countries, tea drinking is common but also an activity that can take on an almost ceremonial feel. The simple explanation of a samovar is that it's a large container made to heat the water for making tea.
A long standing Russian tradition was for a family to sit down at the end of a long, hard work week and drink tea together while they shared news and conversation. Blinis and other Russian treats were made to eat while sipping tea together for hours. I'm guessing that before the evening finished the adult men had passed the Russian vodka bottle around, too, but that's another story. Samovars provide all day tea drinking convenience without wasting preparation timeHere's the way I understood the actual method of using the samovar to make tea for the day: The samovar is the method of heating a large quantity of water and then keeping it hot so that grabbing a glass of tea is a quick break from the work day.In the morning, while everyone is preparing to work, someone makes a pot of very concentrated tea. This is brewed with tea leaves and water, but in a very lopsided tea / water ratio that can be diluted with hot water to make a glass of tea. At the same time, the samovar is filled with fresh water and the heat source (fire, hot coals, or electricity) is applied so the water heats and stays hot.
When someone wanted a glass of tea, they used the type of tea glass we Americans think of as an iced tea glass, but they put it in a holder
to protect their hands from the heat. Tea glass holders are another authentic piece you need for the full experience of drinking Russian
tea.
Since Russians usually gather for one large meal a day, the standing tea service is one way to stop and take a break, adding caffiene and
sugar to your system at the same time, so you can go back to work quickly without an entire tea brewing ceremony.
Electric samovars need very little adjustment to work with different voltageWhen you look at the various samovars available, you'll see this in the description: Voltage:220 volts,1.25 KVt (no voltage converter necessary; simple plug adaptor would do). This has raised some questions, even in our most popular source of information:From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: Imported Russian electric samovars can be used in North America, but need a connector adaptor and priming with hot water to offset the longer boiling time (the U.S. and Canadian 120 volt mains supply about half that of the Russian Federation, giving a quarter the power from the heating element). We went straight to a Russian exporter, who explains why the simple adapter plug is sufficient for most uses:
Authentic coal burning samovars are valuable antiques worth collectingIf you're a serious collecter, consider purchasing one of the authentic coal burner models. A coal burner samovar should only increase in value as a piece of international, functional household equipment that is also very decorative in looks. You can find some coal burning models here along with thousands of other products here in our Russian Legacy catalog. If you want to look at samovars only, click hereIf you're looking for a vintage samovar that could be functional in your home, too, then maybe the combination of coal / electric is the better choice. You have to browse the collection of samovars here and see which one appeals to you as well. The specific pieces are sometimes one-of-a-kind, as they are found and exported from the Russian Federation. If you see one that calls to you, then grab it before it's gone. |
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