Duan ni high fired?

[futurebird]

I've had bad experiences buying lighter colored clays. They seem to be much riskier to buy from a not-well-known source since they are often under-fired.

Can anyone vouch for the quality of any yellow or white yixing pots? I don't mid paying a little more, but so far I only have two in my collection with good clay-- I've had to get rid of three.

[amaranto]

I bought a well-crafted duanni high-fired pot from Sample Tea. As with a lot of their pots, it is a Factory 5. It adds a bright note to the tea I brew in it that I really enjoy. It also likes different kinds of tea—from Anxi oolongs to sheng puehr.

[tingjunkie]

Sounds like you're paying a LOT of tuition there futurebird. Just how many "good" duan ni pots is one supposed to have after less than 3 months of collecting?

[futurebird]

These are my ebay pots and other pots from cheap sources they never cost more than $20 and I can sell them for at least $10 without much trouble.

I could likely get a bit more butt I'm adverse to lying.

I've only bought two pots from non-ebay vendors that were highly recommended here. (not duan ni just purple) they were the most expensive I've bought at $40 and $120 each. The $40 one is a dud, that I will sell for $10 maybe still thinking it over.

One of my ebay pots was $11 *shipped* and it's much better than the $40 pot.

At this point buying cheap ebay pots seem *less* risky to me than paying for quality.

I've been looking at some duan ni pots at some of the "recommended" shops-- but before I buy something that's $100 or so I want to know what the chances are that it will smell like clay, and just not brew.

It could be the case that to get a decent duan ni pot one must pay more in which case I'll wait until I know more.

[tingjunkie]

At this point buying cheap ebay pots seem *less* risky to me than paying for quality.

I've been looking at some duan ni pots at some of the "recommended" shops-- but before I buy something that's $100 or so I want to know what the chances are that it will smell like clay, and just not brew.

Any of the reputable online vendors will have a decent return policy. Getting to try a pot, and sending it back for a full refund if it doesn't perform, seems far less risky to me than fishing eBay for $20 pots.

[bagua7]

Can anyone vouch for the quality of any yellow or white yixing pots?

I have pots made using this clay from he following vendors:

1. Jing Tea Shop. Top stuff.
2. Wisdom China (eBay). Their old and yellow types are great.
3. Shouzen zisha (no longer selling online). Excellent quality as well.

[ethan]

futurebird et. al., A ? arises: How long does it take to know that a teapot is a "dud"? I am using one for puerh that does not do much but somehow I cannot decide. How many times do people use a pot before they are confident about what it can do?
I also tried buying a fair amount of cheap yixing pots. I found one that brings out all the nuances of my favorite tea for which it is dedicated. I decided two were duds & sold them at a small loss (to people who don't drink tea to use for decor). & then there is the one that I feel will season, but I don't know after about 30 uses (> 100 infusions).

[tingjunkie]

futurebird et. al., A ? arises: How long does it take to know that a teapot is a "dud"?

That's up to the user of course. There are some sure fire ways to tell if a pot is underfired or contains bad chemicals: 1) the pot has an unnatural or funky smell after hot water is poured through (real pots should basically smell like nothing more than hot rocks/sand), and 2) when sipping plain boiled water that has sat in the pot for a couple minutes, you will get a rough scratchy sensation in the throat.

As long as a pot passes these two tests, you should be able to find some tea pairing for it, even if it's for cooked puerh. There are umpteen threads here on tea/pot pairing, so I won't rehash it, but if a pot takes away a ton of the tea's flavor and aroma, and if it doesn't make the tea deeper to your senses, then it's a bad pairing. Some pots are just plain "erasers" and will take flavor and aroma away from any tea.

[ethan]

thank you, tingjun....
The pot in ? passes the tests. It is not dangerous etc. It certainly has not paired well w/ puerh. It may be an "eraser". I'll experiment some more trying to find a suitable pairing.
You made it clear to me: a good pairing of tea & pot makes the tea deeper to one's senses, & a bad pot "erases" flavor, taking pleasure away.

[tingjunkie]

No prob. Another "trick" that I have discovered is to smell the underside of the pot lid inbetween infusions of a tea. If the aroma is strong, clear and sweet, it's usually a good pairing. If the aroma is weak, unfocussed or boring, it may be a bad pairing. Not an end all be all, but a good technique to use in combination with other tests. Good luck!

[futurebird]

That's a really good tip!

[futurebird]

Anyone own this pot:

http://www.sampletea.com/product/1990s- ... o-mei-zhen

I have a pot by the same guy, but in another clay and it's perfect. But, I'm nervous about getting light-colored clay.

[brandon]

Don't get it.

[amaranto]

futurebird, I have that pot and love it. It has a very good fit and finish and does good things for the tea I've brewed in it. It's the same pot I was describing above. I liked the craftsmanship so much that I ordered two more pots by him in different clays.

brandon, did you buy that pot and not like it?

[futurebird]

Don't get it.

What was wrong with it? Thanks for the tips, both of you...