[identity profile] stillcarl.livejournal.com 2009-01-15 11:18 am (UTC)(link)
You made me look up Samovar. We just have the Thermette...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermette

Samovars are much more stylish, even when not train-like! But then we've always gone in for function over style, Maoris excepted.

[identity profile] wahonowinn.livejournal.com 2009-01-16 07:21 pm (UTC)(link)
the stylishess was inherited from the Chinese (whose invention it was), I suppose.

in the Wikipedia article on samovar they missed a very important moment: after the water has started to boil and you put out the fire, you put the pot over the chimney to keep it warm:

Image

it is a very important part of the ritual ;)