Monday TeaDay 1/10/11 2011 brewhaha?

[Nenugal]

I have several favourites...
I use a tall glass for grandfather-style brewing of Chinese green tea, a kyusu for sencha, a gaiwan for TGY, and a Yixing-like Taiwanese clay pot for Wuyi Yancha and Dancong, and they all seem nice and right for the purpose.

[msurads06]

2010 I mostly brewed in gaiwan, towards the end of the year, i acquired several yixing teapots and now prefer using them, though my gaiwan still see use for whites and the rare green while i have a 6 oz glazed teapot for blacks.

Starting out with tgy #2 from OTTI, i am trying to make myself finish off the open stuff before i open new stuff.

[JRS22]

Last year this time I was using a kyusu and a home-made houhin for most of my brewing. Since then I've been buying mostly chinese teas, and after all the posts here singing their praises I've switched to gaiwans for my chinese teas. I've also been moving to smaller vessels - a small Tea Gallery gaiwan for puer, a medium gaiwan for most other teas and a large gaiwan for TPHK.

This morning a first brewing of some Bai Mu Dan from Seven Cups, in my medium gaiwan, of course.

[Cael]

Over Christmas my friend gave me a gong fu pot. It isn't made of yixing like I had hoped it would be, but that is ok. It has temporarily become my favorite brewing vessel. I am very happy with it.

[TubbyCow]

I don't have a new brewing device, but I have a new tea device in general: My Zojirushi hot water heater.

I'm using it now to brew up some of the Kenyan Silverback from GTL that I have left over from this summer's OTTI. Delicious.

[Tadpole]

My trusty porcelain white gaiwan will always be the favorite. A new favorite (second rate favorite) would be a little glass 150ml teapot I found from Yunnan Sourcing. Haven't ventured into yixings yet...after 5 years of whole leaf, gongfu tea snobbery. Kind of space challenged right now (and $ challenged, admittedly), so yixings are like a far off dream for someday. For now, I'll stick to things that can be used for all different kinds of teas.

Today's tea was an 11 year old cooked puehr from Imperial Tea Court in San Francisco. Lost the wrapper, can't remember the original purchasing description. But it tasted smooth and kind of chocolately

[teashel]

Since I'm just getting started here; I checked that my favorite is something I don't actually have yet, LOL. I ordered an infuser/mug set, and it should be here tomorrow or Wednesday. I'm pretty sure that's going to replace my current "method" of pouring water over a teabag!

[Skippyandjif]

It's an infuser wit a cup, same as last year. Although I did find a neato little silver-toned plate to rest the infuser on so it wouldn't drip all over the place and stain stuff. (My mom is overjoyed. )

Mugicha all day today, probably going to have a rooibos-lavender tisane before bed, not that I'll need any help falling asleep (being in the same car with one's younger brother while he's learning how to drive is extremely draining, hahaha).

[edkrueger]

I have a ushirode pot I have been using a lot.

[Chip]

Busy day preparing for Pu-OTTI 9, so first post for yesterday.

The kyusu still is number 1 for me. I love using them. I do not have a new fave kyusu however, maybe 2011 will bring a new fave?

Great TD filled with sencha. Began with Sayama sencha brewed up in the Kikumare kyusu with the broken and repaired handle with the Mrs. Next up, Organic Yama No Ocho in the Mr. Goodwill Kyusu.

SLT currently.

[grammyof6]

My new favorite is which ever one I decide to use each time I make tea. That is part of the fun of having shelves of teapots and I constantly rotate use. But I did get 3 new Alcock, Lindley and Bloore teapots with the downturned spout that I am quite excited about and have used quite a bit.

[brad4419]

Last year I probably voted for a glass teapot, but that has changed. My new favorite brewing device is my little 60ml celadon gaiwan. As much as I love brewing with my yixing teapots I like the tiny size of this gaiwan and also the versitility of using different teas in the same vessel.

[Alex]

Last year I probably voted for a glass teapot, but that has changed. My new favorite brewing device is my little 60ml celadon gaiwan. As much as I love brewing with my yixing teapots I like the tiny size of this gaiwan and also the versitility of using different teas in the same vessel.

Good last point. That's part of the reason I love my gaiwans. I'll settle down for a session with a few different teas and brew them up beautifully all in a single gaiwan.

2011? Moar gaiwans!!!!!!!!!