tie guan yin

[Apostle]

it should be brewed with on heaping spoonful for a 120 cc yixing

this is something I want to get some info/opinions on too

If im going to be drinking a lot of TGY, would it be worth it for me to get a yixing for it? I know that Green teas are too subtle for yixing as a general rule, so I wasn't sure if this tea was too since it's pretty green. What do you guys think?

It's a personal choice. I'm happy with my yixing pot for TKY's...but lots of people prefer gawains. During my two trips to China, I visited many tea-houses. In those tea-houses...some of the owners used clay pots, others used gawains. Personally, I like the idea of a pot that takes on the personality of the tea...one pot, one tea.

[ABx]

I would really say that it's best to stick with gaiwans at first. Once you get more into tea, it will just make sense to get yixing pots for certain teas. For starters, you could get a yixing pot right now, use it regularly for a few months, and then decide that teas like TGY just aren't your cup. Gaiwans, on the other hand, will serve you well for as long as you're drinking tea If you don't already have a yixing gaiwan (glazed, at least inside) then you might get one.

Yixing pots are great, but there's no reason to try to jump in. There's a whole lot to learn about yixing pots alone; if you're still getting to know tea, then IMO it's best to focus on the tea. The rest will come in it's own time.

As far as other similar teas, you would probably like just about any of the rolled or less oxidized teas from Taiwan - high mountain (gaoshan) wulong and baozhong. Some of the other rolled wulong from China, like Huang Jin Gui, are good, but it can be difficult to find a good one. You might try some of the light/mid roast ones as well. I'm finding that I like many of them better than the jade ones. Some vendors to check out would be Hou De, zen8tea (eBay), Floating Leaves, Stephane (the Tea Masters blog), Tea from Taiwan, Jing Tea Shop, Seven Cups, Golden Teahouse, and/or Camelia Sinensis Tea House. Hou De and Stephane are my favorites for quality, zen8tea is my favorite for price (the quality is also usually quite good).

[Oni]

See my post, I found out that a gaiwan can never match a yixing cly pot, the tea is far better made gong fu way with handmade zisha.

[ABx]

See my post, I found out that a gaiwan can never match a yixing cly pot, the tea is far better made gong fu way with handmade zisha.

One step at a time.

[Herb_Master]

See my post, I found out that a gaiwan can never match a yixing cly pot, the tea is far better made gong fu way with handmade zisha.

I see a lot of members in the forum extolling the virtues of Gaiwan over Teapot - and like Oni I prefer Teapot over Gaiwan for most of my Oolongs TKY included.

I sampled teas in 6 different tea shops in Kuala Lumpur and that included many Anxi oolongs in the style of greener TKY. Every one of them used small Yixing pots despite the fact that they sold dozens if not hundreds of Gaiwans. Eventually (I kept revisiting the tea shops) I asked in 2 shops why they were not using Gaiwans. The first indicated to an adjacent table where some customers were sampling green teas and said the Gaiwans were for Green tea, oolong was always brewed in a pot. The second the demonstrator owned up to it being his (and the other staff members) personal preference to use Yixing for all Oolongs, but that a Gaiwan would work well for greener oolongs.

[Oni]

A good teapot has the power to persuade, one just needs to try both in gaiwan andgood seasoned yixing and the result is obvious.

[ABx]

And in a few months you guys will find even better methods, and once again forget that you're still newbies yourselves

Going from just discovering greener oolongs to trying to brew them optimally is an unrealistic step, and one that many don't wish to take right away. In the beginning, it's best to just focus on the tea and brew the way that the person is comfortable with. If they get more into teas then they will move on to different brewing methods in their own time. Insisting that your way is the right way is a good way to turn people away from this forum and tea in general.

[Tead Off]

ABx,

I think there are different ways to look at this and yours is just one of them. Personally, the first time I walked into a real teashop in Hong Kong, I was given TKY in a red clay Yixing pot. I was fascinated by the gear and the setup of the shop owner. Exotic, you might say. When I lifted that tiny porcelain teacup to my nose and mouth, I was never the same. That experience set me up to really enjoy tea to its fullest extent. This was in 1990. I still visit that tea shop when I go there. I immediately bought the TKY and that yixing setup with porcelain cups. I still use them today.

During the ensuing years, my curiosity led me to try all kinds of brewing vessels and many now lay unused in the cupboards of my kitchen. But, all the clay tea pots I have bought remain in constant use and still give me the best cups of tea with my preferred teas. Occassionally, I'll use porcelain just for a change of pace or if I'm too lazy.

So, i don't think it's a bad idea or too soon to introduce the idea and the way to get the best out of your teas even if one is a newbie. Budget considerations aside, I never even knew about gong fu tea for most of my life. It was like discovering espresso. Wow, that's coffee

[scruffmcgruff]

TBH, I think too many people are obsessed with the romance of Yixing clay. *Maybe* it brews better tea than a gaiwan, but I'm not convinced that it isn't mostly psychological. To each his own, though, I'm not saying the rest of you are wrong-- I just hate blanket statements like "Yixing teapots are better than gaiwans."

Gaiwans are cheaper, simpler, easier to clean, etc. etc. If you really want a Yixing, go ahead, but I'd recommend that you at least get comfortable with a $5 gaiwan before you decide to try out a $40+ teapot. Yixing is expensive, and if you buy online, you never really know if you're going to like it until you've already bought it. I have had several over the years and only like one or two of them.

[teaskeptic]

TBH, I think too many people are obsessed with the romance of Yixing clay. *Maybe* it brews better tea than a gaiwan, but I'm not convinced that it isn't mostly psychological. To each his own, though, I'm not saying the rest of you are wrong-- I just hate blanket statements like "Yixing teapots are better than gaiwans."

Gaiwans are cheaper, simpler, easier to clean, etc. etc. If you really want a Yixing, go ahead, but I'd recommend that you at least get comfortable with a $5 gaiwan before you decide to try out a $40+ teapot. Yixing is expensive, and if you buy online, you never really know if you're going to like it until you've already bought it. I have had several over the years and only like one or two of them.

+1

[Tead Off]

TBH, I think too many people are obsessed with the romance of Yixing clay. *Maybe* it brews better tea than a gaiwan, but I'm not convinced that it isn't mostly psychological. To each his own, though, I'm not saying the rest of you are wrong-- I just hate blanket statements like "Yixing teapots are better than gaiwans."

Gaiwans are cheaper, simpler, easier to clean, etc. etc. If you really want a Yixing, go ahead, but I'd recommend that you at least get comfortable with a $5 gaiwan before you decide to try out a $40+ teapot. Yixing is expensive, and if you buy online, you never really know if you're going to like it until you've already bought it. I have had several over the years and only like one or two of them.

You know, just maybe, maybe, yixing teapots ARE better than gaiwans. Just maybe. But, at $40, you're never going to know if it's true or not because $40 is not going to buy you a real yixing teapot.

Personally, I don't care what anyone else uses. They could use an old boot if they like it. But, this is a discussion board and people put forth their views. No one is twisting anyone's arms to use this or that. But, at least try a real yixing pot if you can really find one. That is the most difficult part of all of this. Then, we can have a real discussion about the difference.

[PolyhymnianMuse]

TBH, I think too many people are obsessed with the romance of Yixing clay. *Maybe* it brews better tea than a gaiwan, but I'm not convinced that it isn't mostly psychological. To each his own, though, I'm not saying the rest of you are wrong-- I just hate blanket statements like "Yixing teapots are better than gaiwans."

Gaiwans are cheaper, simpler, easier to clean, etc. etc. If you really want a Yixing, go ahead, but I'd recommend that you at least get comfortable with a $5 gaiwan before you decide to try out a $40+ teapot. Yixing is expensive, and if you buy online, you never really know if you're going to like it until you've already bought it. I have had several over the years and only like one or two of them.

You know, just maybe, maybe, yixing teapots ARE better than gaiwans. Just maybe. But, at $40, you're never going to know if it's true or not because $40 is not going to buy you a real yixing teapot.

Personally, I don't care what anyone else uses. They could use an old boot if they like it. But, this is a discussion board and people put forth their views. No one is twisting anyone's arms to use this or that. But, at least try a real yixing pot if you can really find one. That is the most difficult part of all of this. Then, we can have a real discussion about the difference.

I think thats a pretty narrow reasoning. "Real" and "fake" aside, there are teas that just plain suck when I brew them in a yixing but the gaiwan brings out flavors that I don't get with my pots. This also happens vice versa, I've found some teas that I have a gaiwan just can't touch the flavor I get out of yixing. Sometimes I like to mix it up anyway and I usually am surprised and what I get.

The point I'm getting at is that it could come down simply to the shape, thickness, etc. of the vessel regardless what material it is made of. If different clays and mixtures of different clays with added minerals absorb or alter taste and aroma, it really depends on the composition of your teapot and again not all teas are going to benefit from a specific mineral content of a specific pot.

I think yixing pots deff have a place and are useful, but people are way too strict and dare I say snobbish about "real" yixing. If you have money to blow like that on a tried-and-true pot, I just hope that your happy with your purchase.

And I understand that this brings the problem of talking about yixing, as we today no longer are talking about "yixing" pots as in pots of yixing clay from Yixing, China (Unless like I said your going to find one of actual yixing clay) but rather yixing anymore generally just means unglazed clay pots of gongfu-ish brewing.

I always had wondered too, from what i know real yixing clay was used because of its qualities. This is to say that yixing clay has the best qualities in general to brew tea, and I think that also is a pretty narrow judgement. I would wager there are other clays, mixtures of diff mineral contents, etc. that would equal or even surpass the qualities of yixing, in the instance of certain teas.

The idea of Yixing is a very biased one me thinks

[nimpercent]

McGruff is right, Gaiwans are awesome (and awesomely cheaper than Yixings as well). I bought one to learn and eventually move up to a Yixing if I see the need. Gaiwans are easy to use and perfect for gong-fu style.

P.S. If you do buy one, expect to burn yourself a few times before you get the pouring right. Fun times! But it had to be done in the pursuit of flavorful tea!

[Tead Off]

TBH, I think too many people are obsessed with the romance of Yixing clay. *Maybe* it brews better tea than a gaiwan, but I'm not convinced that it isn't mostly psychological. To each his own, though, I'm not saying the rest of you are wrong-- I just hate blanket statements like "Yixing teapots are better than gaiwans."

Gaiwans are cheaper, simpler, easier to clean, etc. etc. If you really want a Yixing, go ahead, but I'd recommend that you at least get comfortable with a $5 gaiwan before you decide to try out a $40+ teapot. Yixing is expensive, and if you buy online, you never really know if you're going to like it until you've already bought it. I have had several over the years and only like one or two of them.

You know, just maybe, maybe, yixing teapots ARE better than gaiwans. Just maybe. But, at $40, you're never going to know if it's true or not because $40 is not going to buy you a real yixing teapot.

Personally, I don't care what anyone else uses. They could use an old boot if they like it. But, this is a discussion board and people put forth their views. No one is twisting anyone's arms to use this or that. But, at least try a real yixing pot if you can really find one. That is the most difficult part of all of this. Then, we can have a real discussion about the difference.

I think thats a pretty narrow reasoning. "Real" and "fake" aside, there are teas that just plain suck when I brew them in a yixing but the gaiwan brings out flavors that I don't get with my pots. This also happens vice versa, I've found some teas that I have a gaiwan just can't touch the flavor I get out of yixing. Sometimes I like to mix it up anyway and I usually am surprised and what I get.

The point I'm getting at is that it could come down simply to the shape, thickness, etc. of the vessel regardless what material it is made of. If different clays and mixtures of different clays with added minerals absorb or alter taste and aroma, it really depends on the composition of your teapot and again not all teas are going to benefit from a specific mineral content of a specific pot.

I think yixing pots deff have a place and are useful, but people are way too strict and dare I say snobbish about "real" yixing. If you have money to blow like that on a tried-and-true pot, I just hope that your happy with your purchase.

And I understand that this brings the problem of talking about yixing, as we today no longer are talking about "yixing" pots as in pots of yixing clay from Yixing, China (Unless like I said your going to find one of actual yixing clay) but rather yixing anymore generally just means unglazed clay pots of gongfu-ish brewing.

I always had wondered too, from what i know real yixing clay was used because of its qualities. This is to say that yixing clay has the best qualities in general to brew tea, and I think that also is a pretty narrow judgement. I would wager there are other clays, mixtures of diff mineral contents, etc. that would equal or even surpass the qualities of yixing, in the instance of certain teas.

The idea of Yixing is a very biased one me thinks

I don't disagree with anything you said. It's a complex and often subjective subject and I don't want to reduce this to a right and wrong conversation. After all, the enjoyment of the tea is what is most important.

[tenuki]

tea, hot water. this isn't that hard. who cares what other people think is the right way, you are the one who has to drink it.