You are correct, the red one from ITC is hong ni, and the brown one is zi ni. I have no experience with the duan ni pot from YS, but the basic deal is that it's over fired on purpose to achieve that look. All Yixing clay types have a range of kiln firing temps which will produce pots with a certain level of porosity. Porosity is good, because it allows the clay to "breathe" and interact with the tea at nucleation sites. If a pot is fired too low, there will always be a lingering clay smell and taste, combined with a harshness of the tea on the throat. A pot being over fired isn't nearly as bad, it just means the clay has almost become vitrified (fused into a glss-like substance) and the pot will probably function more like using a gaiwan- it theoretically will not change the flavors or mouthfeel of the tea too much.needaTEAcher wrote:Thanks again! That is super helpful. The Imperial Tea website didn't say the clay types where I could see, but I surmised that they are Zinni (darker one) and Hongni (reddish one). Am I on point there?
I am thinking of the two from Imperial, and then the "Duanni" Dragon Kiln from HS, mostly because I think it is freakin' gorgeous. Anymore feedback on that particular piece?
I'm pretty excited to enter into my official "beginner" phase with these pots.
Like Luke Skywalker learning about the Force, you are taking your first step into a larger world. Depending on how passionate you become, Yixing pots can pull you pretty far down the rabbit hole. There is no way to avoid buying "tuition pots" at first. These are pots that end up being either plain old crappy, or ones we quickly outgrow and have no more use for. The best advice I was given when I was starting out, was to 1) try to get my hands on, use, and inspect as many pots as possible from stores and friends, and 2) save my money, and buy good pots from the reputable dealers. If you don't have access to stores or knowledgeable friends, you are more limited to suggestion #2. That's not to say you can't learn a lot from a low end pot, but you may outgrow it pretty quickly. It may be a stepping stone you need to take in order to move forward in your experience level.
Ultimately, it's all up to you, and it's your taste buds and wallet that will decide which pots are right for you. I wish you luck! Out of curiosity, what kinds of tea do you drink, and from which vendors?