/ck/ - Food & Cooking

So who here /samovar/ today?

>>11420399
Most of the stuff you'd look for is either
>1) personal preference of shape etc.
>2) quality of materials, which can usually be judged by a visual inspection. Ideally in person, but online works as well.

The only thing you can really look for visually. is making sure it isnt built with subpar chinkshit materials, like Tin or Other shit/toxic metals. Aluminum is dependable, non toxic, and won't break the bank. Tin on it's own is worthless. Steel is dependable and cheap, but usually limits the set due to its weight to either being either smaller in size or mostly stationary. I've never seen one made out of iron but personally I'd avoid it if I did because it has all the drawbacks of steel plus the added problem of rust. Brass, Copper, and Porcelain are top tier but good luck spending less than $200

The only other things I could think of making a difference in performance or value would be
>making sure the spigot on the bottom doesn't leak excessively
>making sure any electrical wiring is working properly (for applicable models)
>make sure its well insulated both to hold heat and be safe to carry when full
>making sure there are no chips, cracks, or dents on the body
>make sure the top smaller pot fits snugly into the ring on top of the Samovar (pic related is how it should look. The boiling water below vents and keeps the tea concentrate on top hot)

Aside from the last 2, most of those things cant really be checked until you have it in your possession. How many people selling electric tea kettle of any kind post pics of the internal electronics for buyers to inspect?
>Tl;Dr: Check the material it's made of. Look at it visually. If it looks beat up and broken, it probably is. If it looks like it's in good condition, it *probably * is. And as usual, if it looks too good to be true, it probably is. If someone's selling their Grandmas 1890 vintage handpainted porcelain Samovar for $30, they're either retarded, or they think you are.