Monday TeaDay 1/10/11 2011 brewhaha?

[Chip]

It is TeaDay, please feel free to celebrate by sharing what is in your cup throughout the day.

This weekend past we discussed tea stories ... you can still vote and discuss the weekends topic.

Today's TeaPoll and discussion topic. As 2011 begins, do you have a new type of favorite brewing vessel? Regardless, what is it? Please share.

I am definitely looking forward to sharing this TeaDay with everyone. Bottoms up.

[Chip]

Remember, it is Pu-OTTI Monday!!! I will attempt to post the topic at 3 pm Eastern USA time. Then I will accept PMs reserving your space at 6 pm. Very limited "seating" as is always the case with OTTI's. The topic will be posted here: http://www.teachat.com/viewforum.php?f=66

ALSO:

Announcement!!! TeaDay Contest January 2011!

Who wants to have some fun!?!

Commencing on January 6th, be sure to post often and daily in TeaDay.
Details and prizes to follow in a few!
Contest ends at midnight on January 31st Eastern USA time.

Prizes will be awarded for various categories, so be sure to answer the poll, tell us what you are drinking throughout the day, discuss the topic, and post pictures! You know, "TeaChat!" The more you post ...

[IPT]

Good luck with the Puer OTTI everyone!

My favorite brewing vessel is without a doubt a Zisha teapot. I very rarely use a gaiwan unless I am brewing green, white, or yellow tea for myself and I drink directly from the gaiwan. For my customers I brew green, white, and yellow teas in tall double lined glass cups so they can watch the tea leaves dance. Oh, I almost forgot Chawan. I use a Chawan for my matcha. The SO from Chris (Chicago Potter) is starting to stain and the crackles are showing faintly.

[auhckw]

I have not buy any new teaware yet, so no 'new' favorite. At the moment my favorite still go to my zhuni teapots.

Speaking of teaware, check this out...

More photos: http://theourworld.com/china-inaugurate ... a-culture/

[entropyembrace]

Towards the end of 2010 I picked up a few new pieces of teaware...a gaiwan from Chinese Tea Culture, a little black magda pot from Petr Novak and a purple clay yixing? that my gf gave me for Christmas.

which one is my favourite I´m not really sure...the gaiwan and black magda compete for most of the same teas and I rotate them depending on my mood at the moment. The purple clay pot I decided is a good fit for hong cha and oriental beauty so whenever I brew those it´s the pot I goto now.

For balance and pour my tokoname kyusu that I bought towards the end of summer is my favourite. For good looks it´s a toss-up between the black madga and the purple beauty my gf gave me...but then the gaiwan is just plain fun to use.

soo.....my conclusion is picking favourites is too hard

[Alex]

got some really nice pots in 2010. But I still use my gaiwan the most. I just prefer the flavor profile and I mostly drink green TGY & green taiwan oolongs. All of which I prefer the flavor from the Gaiwan. I have some really superb gaiwans now and that makes a big difference over the cheap ones IMO.

[JBaymore]

Checked nothing new now... and kyusu. Although chawan and whisk frequently figure in....... sencha is pretty much just a constant.

best,

..............john

[artmom]

Same, high tech manual device. My ingenuiTea still is the easiest and fav for me. I'm now using a TAZO double-walled tea glass from Starbucks that DH Ed gave me for my birthday for most of my cuppa's. It suits my arthritic hands well; it warms them and I don't have to fit my fingers in a handle.

I am waiting for a chaiwan I purchased from Scott (IPT)to get here, along with my first ever TeaPet! The chaiwan might be a new brewing fav for me, who knows???

Another day of sipping Tea and watching snow fall is in store; we Southerners are really getting hammered this year. We have more snow and freezing rain in the forecast for the next two days.

[Marco]

About half a year in the teaworld now.
My preferred brewing vessel did not change with the change of the year but did during my tea drinking period.
The Gaiwan is the vessel of my choice. It is plain simple to use and to clean and it is fun. Fits for almost any tea.
For Japanese greens I use a Kyusu.
And something more - my preferred vessels got smaller with time

Back from the holydays at home with my parents. Now I have a last free day today and enjoy drinking tea.
Had this 2001 White Dragon of Jinggu in the morning. Interesting, not bad but ripe - I love raw Pu.
Followed this one by a Formosa Oolong and a nice Matcha. And now I went on to one of the remaining Fukas from the OTTI

ciao
Marco

[debunix]

Haven't changed my most-used brewing vessels this year, except to add the Kyusu for the senchas to the mix. Although I have two sizes of small unglazed clay pots for different types of teas, I still mostly reach for my gaiwans or a small glass pot when brewing, or the kamjove pitcher when I'm at work. The clay pots could lose out if I were to run low on cupboard space.

[TwoPynts]

Still drinking most of my tea from a standard English style pot.

Golden Curls are in it this AM.

[Xell]

Still use simple kyusu without metal mesh. Some pieces of tea always end up in my cup but i totally don't mind this Don't think i'm going to change this anytime soon

[Amaikokonut]

..The subject of this thread makes me giggle for some reason; "brewhaha?"

And that is one...interesting 'teapot', auhckw; thanks for sharing.

My first venture into the world of "proper" teaware (moving past the mesh-infusion-basket-in-a-mug) was Jas-etea's little starter gaiwan set. I think I have a picture somewhere of my first experiments with it..



I have picked up a kyusu and an english-style teapot this year, and while I love each of them for their own purposes, most of my time is still spent with the gaiwan. I just love the process of brewing in it, watching the leaves uncurl more as the session goes on, especially the colorful oolongs and tightly-rolled teas in general. I think that visual aesthetic is almost as pleasing to me as drinking the tea itself.

I suppose someday I'll splurge on one of the nicer gaiwans out there, but this one has been awfully faithful to me so far.

Silver needles in my cup right now, but I predict many more teas will make their way into it today. We have snow, almost unheard of down here in Alabama, and with most of the roads closed and businesses shut down, there is no better day than to curl up with a good book (or forum, as it were) and lots and lots of hot tea. :>

[Proinsias]

Brewhaha? That's the name of a local tea shop, not a very good tea shop though: http://www.brewhahatea.co.uk

Nothing new but I've got two gaiwan that share the top spot and have done for some time.

Some Chinese red this evening

[nickE]

Nope, still gaiwan most of the time.

Home from the UK; having first gongfucha session in about 2 weeks. Nada's 2010 Sun Moon Lake black.