Beginner's Teapot for Shou and/or Aged Sheng Pu'er

[caitirilt]

Hello,

I've discovered that I really enjoy shou and aged sheng pu'er, which I've been brewing in a porcelain gaiwan, and I'd like to buy a clay teapot to enhance the experience - but (like most beginners) I'm overwhelmed by the different variables and questions of vendor reliability. I'm considering the options below and would greatly appreciate any feedback on them, and/or recommendations for other teapots in the $100-$150 range. Of course, if it's not worth spending that much money on my first teapot, I'd be happy to learn about more economic options, too. Thank you!


Tea Masters (135 ml / 9-hole filter / dicaoqing clay / $120)
http://www.lifeinteacup.com/teapots (Yixing Teapot Di Cao Qing Xi Shi, $120. product#xppot2)

Crimson Lotus (90 ml / no filter / jianshui clay / $110)
http://crimsonlotustea.com/collections/ ... e-shipping

Tea Masters (135 ml / 9-hole filter / duanni clay / $120)
http://www.tea-masters.com/en/yixing-te ... eapot.html

Chinese Teawares (100ml / no filter / zisha clay / $110)
https://www.etsy.com/listing/198930925/ ... s_search_9

[.m.]

I wouldnt go for the last one. It seems too expensive. You can get a modern teapot for almost half the price. Some people have here on the forum been buying from this vendor http://www.ebay.com/sch/lukevecent/m.ht ... pg=&_from=
he has some xi-shi (i understand thats the shape you want) in the range around $50-70.
For a beginning, the size might be more important than the clay. For sheng i'd go smaller, under 100ml, for shou maybe between 100 and 150.

[.m.]

Chawangshop is a good source for teapots and tea. But at this moment they dont have many teapots left.
http://www.chawangshop.com/index.php/te ... ?limit=all

[caitirilt]

I wouldnt go for the last one. It seems too expensive. You can get a modern teapot for almost half the price. Some people have here on the forum been buying from this vendor http://www.ebay.com/sch/lukevecent/m.ht ... pg=&_from=
he has some xi-shi (i understand thats the shape you want) in the range around $50-70.
For a beginning, the size might be more important than the clay. For sheng i'd go smaller, under 100ml, for shou maybe between 100 and 150.

Thanks! I did wonder about that price, once I started finding some of the other pots on the list. I will take a look at the ebay shop. Why is a smaller size better for sheng?

[jayinhk]

I wouldn't go any smaller for sheng myself--I use a 170ml hongni for young sheng and I brew traditional storage sheng in 80s zisha (I use the same 170-180 ml pots for traditional storage sheng and shu. I use a thicker, lower fired one for really humid stored shu). Dry storage sheng and shu gets brewed in hongni and higher-fired zisha, respectively. I also have some 500ml 70s zisha pots I use for shu.

[kuánglóng]

Why is a smaller size better for sheng?

Many shengs pack quite a punch, it all depends on your individual tolerances/needs/preferences. I usually brew up about 5 grams in 60-80ml*, rarely more than 10g = two sheng sessions per day if I'm drinking alone. That plus some Himalyan teas in between is what my body is OK with generally and so my largest solo sheng pot holds about 80ml - I'm using gaiwans most of the time though.
(* Instead of using a lower leaf/water ratio I'm drinking water on the side; helps to keep the stomach happy and the senses calibrated.)

[kuánglóng]

Chawangshop is a good source for teapots and tea.

No doubt. Got some mighty fine teas and teaware from Honza some weeks ago.
Maybe not exactly what you're looking for but he sells some great little bone porcelain pots for next to nothing:
http://www.chawangshop.com/index.php/te ... -tian.html
http://www.chawangshop.com/index.php/te ... ot-56.html

[jayinhk]

I have one of those porcelain pots--after some discussion on Reddit a few weeks ago I realized they have an incredibly slow pour (over 20 seconds) and are very heavy and unbalanced!

[kuánglóng]

I have one of those porcelain pots--after some discussion on Reddit a few weeks ago I realized they have an incredibly slow pour (over 20 seconds) and are very heavy and unbalanced!

Can't complain about my copy (120ml) - it definitely pours fast enough for what I'm using it for, no need to get out the Dremel. With 121g it's about as 'heavy' as my average clay pot of that size and on top of that the weight (and material) translates directly into the thermal capacity which is one of the most relevant features of any brewing vessel and has been discussed to death on this forum.
Bottom line: I find this pot pretty useful for my needs. YMMV.

[Tead Off]

I wouldnt go for the last one. It seems too expensive. You can get a modern teapot for almost half the price. Some people have here on the forum been buying from this vendor http://www.ebay.com/sch/lukevecent/m.ht ... pg=&_from=
he has some xi-shi (i understand thats the shape you want) in the range around $50-70.
For a beginning, the size might be more important than the clay. For sheng i'd go smaller, under 100ml, for shou maybe between 100 and 150.

Thanks! I did wonder about that price, once I started finding some of the other pots on the list. I will take a look at the ebay shop. Why is a smaller size better for sheng?

I think if you are brewing for yourself, smaller can be more economical and also allows you to really get into the taste of tea. With larger pots, (over 150ml), the tendency is to dilute the tea, wind up with a large cup of tea. Some tea drinkers just want more tea to drink. It's a different style of drinking and the results are different. With smaller pots, you become more intimate with the profile of the tea and can adjust your brewing parameters very carefully.

Personally, I never brew sheng in more than 90-100ml pots, and I almost never use more than 4g per 90-100ml, more like 3.5g. If I use smaller, like 60ml, I go down to 3g. With a good tea, this is plenty to taste and play with. All this is for brewing alone or with 1 other drinker. For more than 2 persons, I will go bigger, probably to 150ml and still use 4g of tea. Longer brewing time, though.

Also, water will be the greatest difference beside tea quality. Teapot is important, but water makes or breaks a tea. Even good teas are diminished with bad water. Experiment a lot.

[caitirilt]

Thank you for the replies so far. It sounds like I should either be focus on a less expensive pot of modern clay, or keep looking around for an older pot - in both cases aiming for something around 90-120ml, and of zisha (or maybe hongni?) clay. If anyone has come across a specific pot in those parameters, please let me know! I do like the look of the xishi shape, which limits my search somewhat, though I'm open to considering other options. And of course I welcome other thoughts about clay, size, and shape for pu'er.

[jayinhk]

Thank you for the replies so far. It sounds like I should either be focus on a less expensive pot of modern clay, or keep looking around for an older pot - in both cases aiming for something around 90-120ml, and of zisha (or maybe hongni?) clay. If anyone has come across a specific pot in those parameters, please let me know! I do like the look of the xishi shape, which limits my search somewhat, though I'm open to considering other options. And of course I welcome other thoughts about clay, size, and shape for pu'er.

Get a modern xishi. Red or brown won't matter as much with a new pot, I don't think. I haven't tried new zini/pin zini, but I bet it's pretty high fired as even my 90s stuff is pretty high fired.

I typically use 8-10g in my 170-180ml pots. I typically end up drinking from the same leaves for two days! A smaller pot would mean I could use less leaf and work my way through the leaves quicker, but I haven't found a low-fired pin zini pot in a smaller size that I'd like as much for traditional storage (yet)!

EDIT: brewing a shu and sheng mix (HK traditional storage) in a 180ml F1 pot tonight. I realize I use less leaf at times and brew a little longer. This works well with most pu erh, as long as you don't let it go too long--especially with young sheng.

[caitirilt]

Get a modern xishi. Red or brown won't matter as much with a new pot, I don't think. I haven't tried new zini/pin zini, but I bet it's pretty high fired as even my 90s stuff is pretty high fired.

Thanks! I haven't found a 100ml, modern xishi from the buyers recommended so far, but I will keep searching. And/or hope that they list some new objects soon.