What is this pot best for?

[t4texas]

Thanks, finddream2020 and xuancheng. That helps a lot.

[xuancheng]

Thanks, finddream2020 and xuancheng. That helps a lot.

For people who don't know, just go to google.com, type "Convert x USD to RMB" (Or any other currency code.) Very useful for buying tea at international sites

[Tead Off]

To the mod: Agree about the personalization. Didn't like the condescension, though.

This is an easy experiment to do and I urge others to do side by side tests so they have a reference point for their own tea enjoyment and amusement.

I am not sure what you mean by your first comment. If you would like me to show you condescending and patronizing, I can surely accomodate. My comment was quite measured and purposed.

Regarding your experiment, I would be more interested in a more common green tea that than "Burmese green." Kind of obscure, imho.

Plus I would be interested in how tea actually brews in different pots versus pouring brewed tea into the different pots, after all, who does this?

The condescension was not about your note. Sorry, if you misunderstood. If you go back you will figure it out.

It's not the tea that is important in this case. You can do the experiment with any tea. I just happened to use this one as it is a pretty tasty green.

You might be missing the point here. The experiment shows how different clay affects the tea water simply by contact. It is very difficult to brew tea the same exact way in 3 different pots because of all the variables. This simplifies and equalizes the experiment. Of course, if you use the actual pots, the effect intensifies. Water put into a tetsubin immediately changes. It is the same principle here. Try it with any tea you choose and you should see a difference between your different pots. Please let us know what you find out.

[babalian]

I think it is more of personal preference....
In my case, I like my Taiwan High Mountain Oolong and Long Jin to be in either porcelain or ZhuNi pot. When i brew those tea in a QinShuiNi or ZiNi pot they just arnt as smooth in the mouth as brewing in porcelain or ZhuNi.
That‘s just my personal opinion no need to open too much fire on me

[Chip]

To the mod: Agree about the personalization. Didn't like the condescension, though.

The condescension was not about your note. Sorry, if you misunderstood. If you go back you will figure it out.

OK, I read the one line, "to the Mod" and felt the entire response was therefore directed towards me. Let's just forget it and move forward.

It's not the tea that is important in this case. You can do the experiment with any tea. I just happened to use this one as it is a pretty tasty green.

You might be missing the point here. The experiment shows how different clay affects the tea water simply by contact. It is very difficult to brew tea the same exact way in 3 different pots because of all the variables. This simplifies and equalizes the experiment. Of course, if you use the actual pots, the effect intensifies. Water put into a tetsubin immediately changes. It is the same principle here. Try it with any tea you choose and you should see a difference between your different pots. Please let us know what you find out.

We will just have to agree to disagree on this. I feel a directly applicable set of parameters including a tea we can all relate to and a brew method that we use would have greater bearing, but you listed the parameters, so that is fine. Just not the way I would have done it.

[entropyembrace]

When you get the teapot look inside at the bottom of the teapot. If it has little scratch marks, it was most likely hand-made (though unlikely at this price range) or made using molds. If it has concentric circles, it was likely wheel-thrown (and therefore probably not made at Yixing, or with Yixing clay). I don't know what slip-cast pots look like, since I'm not sure I've ever seen one. Teapots I've seen that were claimed to be handmade frequently had smooth bottoms, with a more obvious joint where the bottom met the body.

I've done a little bit of pottery using several different techniques and my Aunt has done a lot of slipcasting...

Slip is made from dried unfired clay that is ground into a fine powder and mixed with water to produce a liquid clay. In slipcasting the slip is poured into plaster moulds and left to partially dry before it's removed and carefully trimmed. For teapots I doubt the whole pot can be cast at once but they'd do the body, spout, lid and handle and then attach them before they dry fully. After it's dried it would then be fired like any other greenware (that's clay which hasn't been fired yet but is dry) Because it's made from a liquid inside a mould a slipcast teapot should look very smooth even on the inside unless they decided to sell a pot with defects from not filling the mould evenly...those look like bubbles or drips of liquid that were frozen in place. That usually cracks open the piece when it's fired so you wont see it often.

[TokyoB]

Finally to be certain I only got good Yixing Clay, I purchase teapots made by mid level yixing crafters and those cost HKD1,200 - HKD1,300 from truly reputable sources.

What sources do you buy from? Local HK vendors? or elsewhere?
Thanks.

[swozt]

Hi TokyoB,

I currently work in Macau, so I am fortunate to buy from a local teahouse who has direct contacts with the Yixing Artist in Mainland China.

They dont bring in many teapots because the teapots are handmade. So maybe each quarter they get about 7 - 10 pieces which they ordered from the artist. The owners themselves collect teapots from the artists and even bring customers to visit the artists.

Corroborative information of the artists can also be found on the internet.

When i went to over to HK, the teapots made by the same artists are selling for a lot more. But of course that is because their rental is also much higher in HK than in Macau.

I hope this information helps.

[zicheng]

When you get the teapot look inside at the bottom of the teapot. If it has little scratch marks, it was most likely hand-made (though unlikely at this price range) or made using molds. If it has concentric circles, it was likely wheel-thrown (and therefore probably not made at Yixing, or with Yixing clay). I don't know what slip-cast pots look like, since I'm not sure I've ever seen one. Teapots I've seen that were claimed to be handmade frequently had smooth bottoms, with a more obvious joint where the bottom met the body.

I've done a little bit of pottery using several different techniques and my Aunt has done a lot of slipcasting...

Slip is made from dried unfired clay that is ground into a fine powder and mixed with water to produce a liquid clay. In slipcasting the slip is poured into plaster moulds and left to partially dry before it's removed and carefully trimmed. For teapots I doubt the whole pot can be cast at once but they'd do the body, spout, lid and handle and then attach them before they dry fully. After it's dried it would then be fired like any other greenware (that's clay which hasn't been fired yet but is dry) Because it's made from a liquid inside a mould a slipcast teapot should look very smooth even on the inside unless they decided to sell a pot with defects from not filling the mould evenly...those look like bubbles or drips of liquid that were frozen in place. That usually cracks open the piece when it's fired so you wont see it often.

I have seen Yixing teapots with very smooth inside which were noticeably different than the ones with scratch marks or the smooth hand-made ones; and they tended to be inexpensive too. I also noticed when I was in Yixing a lot of the stores had molds of teapot parts lying around the store.

[Tead Off]

We will just have to agree to disagree on this. I feel a directly applicable set of parameters including a tea we can all relate to and a brew method that we use would have greater bearing, but you listed the parameters, so that is fine. Just not the way I would have done it.

Chip, the reason I conduct the experiment in the way I listed is to insure that the tea is brewed the same way for each pot, not 10 seconds differently. The point I am trying to get across is that all clay is not equal. Different clay will give different results. Some clays will affect water, some will not. This is a taste test. The results will not be the same for everyone because we taste things differently. But, this is an experiment that will work every time for those who take the time to do it. It is a simple investigation into the nature of clay and taste and the ultimate enjoyment of the tea for each user. It's fun!