TeaChat

If I'm not trying to set the world on fire, or have the perfect tea experience (for that I need the help of experts anyways) -- if I just want to drink a whole buch of medium quality cooked pu-erh at home to help me stay awake while doing math and grading papers what sort of pot am I looking for?

I'm liking this pot because the lid looks like it fits properly.:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/200867678476?ss ... 1423.l2648

but I also hope to see some good pots when I go to the teahouse this weekend.

I like the way that clay makes tea taste. I have a "yixing lined" thermos and it's served me well (it will also be the solution to the hot water de-lima in another thread)

What do you use everyday? Might it be better not to use clay? Yet it seems given that I'm a creature of habit (I tend to drink the same tea fo a long time) having "dedicated pots" isn't such a hassle...

I've been quite happy with the Xi Shi teapot from Teavivre. The lid fits extremely well and it pours well. I don't use it for pu-erh but I sure it would work well. It's smaller than the one you are looking at too, which is one of the reasons I got it. I drink tea alone or with my wife so a smaller pot works better for me. Sounds like you might be drinking alone if you are grading papers.

On a side note, there is a band here in Athens GA called the Futurebirds.

I would go with something simpler in design, and with a different type of clay, maybe zini.

The Teavivre pot is pretty much what you describe, wyardley. Classic design in purple clay. It's a little more expensive than the ebay pot but you'll qualify for free shipping.

That one could work, though I wish the lid were more flush. They demonstrate that it is airtight, so in theory it wouldn't matter. I wonder how much ore I'd nee to pay to find one with a flush edge.

By the way thanks for the advice!

Yeah, mine is airtight, I can stop the flow by closing the hole on the lid with my finger. Also you can fill it with water and close the spout, turn it upside down and the lid will stay on. I did this over a towel just in case. I wouldn't get too hung up on the aesthetics of the lid. Functionally I don't think it matters.

I bought my first "yixing" from a different ebay seller and was not entirely satisfied. I searched and found the Teavivre pot which is much more functional, even though the ebay pot is "nicer" looking.

Anyway, good luck!

futurebird wrote:I'm liking this pot because the lid looks like it fits properly

That pot is OK. The larger size suits cooked puerh as you can leave tea there after finishing brewing session and also to allow maximum expansion of the leaves due to the high level of compression applied to puerh cakes.

Airtight lid is pretty low on my list of important qualities for a pot. I've got plenty of good pots that don't have that quality.

wyardley wrote:Airtight lid is pretty low on my list of important qualities for a pot. I've got plenty of good pots that don't have that quality.

Yep, agreed. What size pot are you looking for, and what price range? The good news is that a pot for cooked puerh is the easiest type of pot to find!

I love my lower fired, thick zini for cooked pu. IMO it is the most essential pot in my collection! I have a slightly higher fired one I'm using for liu an today and it worked beautifully, now that it's been seasoned through use.

An airtight lid is of no concern to me--it's nice to have, but to me, the most important things by far are 1. good quality clay and 2. a good pour.

BTW, I see you're from the South Bronx. I remember being 17 and out on Prospect Ave scared witless; my first ever trip up there (there were many more). I sure miss the BX!

EDIT: This is more my style, but I can't tell you how good the clay is. Without this board and the great MarshalN's advice, lord knows what I'd be drinking out of!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/China-yixing-zi ... 2ec4a589c9