Hot-water jugs were essential for making and serving tea. For much of the 18th century tea was relatively expensive. The thrifty hostess refreshed the existing brew with hot water rather than making a fresh one. By the latter part of the 18th century, people often bought tea services piecemeal.

People liked faceted or fluted vessels, such as this hot-water pot, because of their classical style. However, Sheffield plate vessels in this Neo-classical style had disadvantages. The plate was a fusion of copper and silver. The ridges which you can see here were particularly prone to wear, when the silver surface rubbed off and exposed the copper core. The growing number of Neo-classical designs for Sheffield plate led to the decline of the style. The platers had difficulties transferring silversmithing techniques such as casting and engraving to Sheffield plate. Techniques such as chasing and machine stamping became more common. They replaced engraving directly onto the surface of a plated vessel, which ran the risk of exposing the underlying copper.

Thomas Boulsover, a Sheffield cutler, invented Sheffield plate in about 1742. The new material revolutionised the plating industry. It provided an inexpensive, versatile and durable plating technique that could imitate solid silver.