Chocolate melts. A scientific phenomenon that led to the British-coined phrase “as useless as a chocolate teapot”. Did the Brits get it right? Or, can you brew a nice cuppa in a chocolate teapot?

To find out you need 1.5kg of chocolate. Dark chocolate is preferable since it contains less cocoa butter, which melts at body temperature (and makes chocolate taste so good), and 70 per cent or more cocoa solids which don’t. Milk chocolate has at least 25 per cent cocoa solids (EU standard), while white chocolate has no cocoa solids and a lot more fat. Dark chocolate takes longer to melt and gives your teapot a fighting chance.

Melt the chocolate in a glass bowl set over a pan of hot water. Pour some into the middle of the other bowl to make a base. Let it set. Place a smaller bowl in the middle to form an inner mould then pour chocolate in between the two bowls. Let it set. Bowls might need heating with boiling water to separate them. The teapot walls need to be at least 20mm thick.

Make the teapot’s spout with two cylinders of greaseproof paper with chocolate in between. Let it set. Make a hole where the spout will be attached to and weld the spout to the teapot body by melting the chocolate slightly. Make a lid and handle for appearances’ sake.

Place one or two of your favourite tea bags in the pot, pour hot water, brew for two minutes and pour into your nicest mug. Add milk, or lemon and sugar or leave unadulterated as preferred. Tea might taste slightly chocolatey.

Experiment first performed by the Naked Scientists: www.thenakedscientists.com