TeaChat

I just got a 40ml pot. I thought it'd be absurd, but in fact it's very useful!

I can even see 30 ml being of use...

but 20? ha ha ... I don't know that's gotta be too small... right?

I thought 120ml was "small" just two weeks ago.

The smallest I use regularly is 50mL. I do have a 30mL, but that one, while not solely a toy, is for occasional, whimsical sessions with very special teas.

debunix wrote:The smallest I use regularly is 50mL. I do have a 30mL, but that one, while not solely a toy, is for occasional, whimsical sessions with very special teas.

+1

For me, drinking by myself:
50mL gaiwan for oolong & pu
160mL tokoname kyusu for japanese greens
I have no need to go any smaller than that.
When drinking with others I will usually reach for something bigger.

Smaller than 40mL sounds problematic to me simply because it would be so difficult to fit leaves inside, especially yancha.

futurebird wrote:I just got a 40ml pot. I thought it'd be absurd, but in fact it's very useful!

I can even see 30 ml being of use...

but 20? ha ha ... I don't know that's gotta be too small... right?

I thought 120ml was "small" just two weeks ago.

Congratulations young Jedi. You've just taken your first steps in to a smaller world. For me, 40ml is the smallest I use. I've never tried a 30ml or smaller pot, but I think anything less than 40 is starting to reach my limit. Once pots are this small, it's hard to keep the heat up for brewing, especially on longer infusions.

tingjunkie wrote:....anything less than 40 is starting to reach my limit. Once pots are this small, it's hard to keep the heat up for brewing, especially on longer infusions.

True! That 30mL pot needs help to keep the heat up for more than a minute or two.

I'm finding that these small pots infuse much darker ... even when I have a proportional amount of tea. That is 5g in 100ml is much lighter than 2.5g in 50ml.

Maybe tea boats are a good way to keep smaller pots warm.

I find myself filling the pot 2-4 times and pouring it in to a big mug to sip at work. This seems a bit weird, but the tea lasts longer this way.

futurebird wrote: Maybe tea boats are a good way to keep smaller pots warm.

Yes indeed! Of course, wall thickness matters, and some clays just hold heat better than others too.

futurebird wrote: I find myself filling the pot 2-4 times and pouring it in to a big mug to sip at work. This seems a bit weird, but the tea lasts longer this way.

Not to be silly or anything, but doesn't this suggest you need a bigger teapot?

I find 100ml works for me for puerh, with approx 5-6g of tea. Usually takes me 2-3 hours and I'm often reading while drinking so it hasn't got my full attention. If I wanted to drink say 2.5g of super super expensive tea and concentrate on it loads then I might wish for a smaller teapot.

Edit: plus, the tiny ones look cool!

That's my smallest tea pot in regular use:

http://www.teachat.com/viewtopic.php?p=231768

Smallest that I have... 60 ml kyusu.
Smallest that I use... 130 ml houhin.

I am currently looking to pick up a 150-160 ml kyusu though. Once purchased, it will likely become the most used teapot I own.

Smallest I use is a 150ml Kyusu. And its my most used pot.

Regularly ... as in at least several times a week? 60 ml, 2 ounces. I have smaller as well, but the 2 ounces get used much more.

Probably 60-80 ml is the size I use the most for drinking by myself.