Tea myths that need to be abolished?

[Midwinter_Sun]

One of my nephews has tried to enjoy life to the fullest & his earliest foray into the world of "good" tea was at Teavana where he was told he needed such & such teaware to go w/ his teas. His wife proudly served me from a cast iron pot in which the tea leaves were remaining throughout our session. I told them one cup of their tea was so delicious that I was satisfied. I did not watch their reaction to a second pour of the tea which has steeped for 20 minutes or so. (It was Lapsang Souchong).
My point is what we already know & has been said, most people want to add water to a cup w/ a teabag or a pot w/ leaves & be done thinking about it.

Ethan, I have several friends that export tea to Russia and they have witnessed first hand how tea culture has blossomed there. If I am not mistaken, it is a huge segment of the Chinese tea export market.

Attitudes to tea can be changed, and I think just sharing our hobby with others can make a huge difference.

So I would not lose hope. That said, what a tragic example You have given of the sales clerks going for the sale and not for a life-long customer...

That said, a good tea cannot be killed even by a long seeping, says I, drinking some nice sencha grandpa style on my couch!

[.m.]

1- That you need a separate teapot for every tea category.
2- That teastains = patina.

[chingwa]

I still separate the green tea I drink from other types of tea I occasionally try (Puher / oolongs)... it just doesn't seem right to put them into the same teapot. I also brew houjicha in a separate pot too... I don't think I'm quite ready to retire this tea myth

[steanze]

+1 if we are talking about clay pots different pots for different types of tea is not a myth IMO doesn't have to be strictly one for each category but if you brew roasted teas in a pot for a year or so and then use it for green gaoshan that's not so great in my experience.

[Midwinter_Sun]

+1 if we are talking about clay pots different pots for different types of tea is not a myth IMO doesn't have to be strictly one for each category but if you brew roasted teas in a pot for a year or so and then use it for green gaoshan that's not so great in my experience.

What do we call the non-initiates? "civillians"?
Most of said civillians throw their teapots into the dishwasher, I have known some go so far as using bleach and vinegar to get rid of tea stains we know as "the wonderful patina of training."

In my humble experience, unglazed pots and iron pots are best for one type of tea. Or is that species?

Glass pots, high-fire stoneware - brew whatever if properly washed, but certainly no taste development in those

[BW85]

+1 if we are talking about clay pots different pots for different types of tea is not a myth IMO doesn't have to be strictly one for each category but if you brew roasted teas in a pot for a year or so and then use it for green gaoshan that's not so great in my experience.

What do we call the non-initiates? "civillians"?
Most of said civillians throw their teapots into the dishwasher, I have known some go so far as using bleach and vinegar to get rid of tea stains we know as "the wonderful patina of training."

In my humble experience, unglazed pots and iron pots are best for one type of tea. Or is that species?

Glass pots, high-fire stoneware - brew whatever if properly washed, but certainly no taste development in those

I have a couple pots that I will use for both oolongs and red teas, another pot that drinks both aged puerh and liu bao, and my most used pot enjoys fresh young sheng to well aged sheng. Seasoning does happen, but I think it gets exaggerated sometimes

And I agree with .m. that tea stains aren't the true, lasting, hard patina that I want on my pots.

[steanze]

I also agree that tea stains and patina are different. I wouldn't put aged sheng and liu bao in the same pot though... I guess though it's also a matter of preferences The effect is subtle but noticeable IMO, but it does take quite a bit of seasoning (several months to over a year) before it is noticeable. Experimenting with different teas in a pot a few times won't really have a noticeable effect.

[.m.]

ok, i didn't say to use the same pot for every tea. obviously some teas works better in some pots than in other. And brewing a delicate green or white in the same pot as shu or a red tea might not be good idea either.
But this idea that you cannot mix teas, that one should have for example a different pot for anxi and a different for wuyi oolongs, or not to mix chinese greens with japanese and koreans, etc., i just dont believe in it. As long as the pot is suitable for the tea, i dont see a problem with making for example a young sheng and wuyi oolong in the same pot.
This is what i mean:

I have a couple pots that I will use for both oolongs and red teas, another pot that drinks both aged puerh and liu bao, and my most used pot enjoys fresh young sheng to well aged sheng. Seasoning does happen, but I think it gets exaggerated sometimes.

On the other hand, there is nothing wrong with having many pots

[pizzapotamus]

That green tea is lower in caffeine than black and that white is virtually caffeine free.

Also the idea that you any tea is "decaf" after a short first infusion.