Monday TeaDay 6/22/09 Teacup size, shape and flex?

[coloradopu]

Nice day here in the rockies cotton ball clouds very well spaced in the sky. chi tea with soy in a 24 oz mug right now but will switch to some pu roasted just before brewing.
as fare as the pole i do not know what to answer i seem to change with every kiln load. so i guess all of the above dictated by the tea and if i am drinking alone. i have so many shapes and sizes that it might just hinge on a mood thing too just as the type of tea. my fave cup at the moment is one with a large amount of black sand from prospecting. its a once fire glazed with green copper glaze sort of lightly and fired to vitrification. it is occupying me at the moment with some red garnet and something else i have not figured out yet. might be some rose quartz that has melted. the black sand when fired was sort of gray and has now oxidized to black which i think might be changing the tea for the better.

8 oz

very heavy cup due to the sand

its sort of a bumpy ride taking a sip but with use it will smooth of that i have no dought. but Alas will i change cups before it has the chance ?????..........

[Dronak]

I'm flexible on the size and shape. At home and work, I normally drink out of a mug that's probably in the area of 10-12 ounces (I haven't measured). If I wanted things to be a bit nicer or more formal, I'd probably use a smaller cup in the 4-6 ounce range. Shape doesn't matter too much to me.

[Cinnamon Kitty]

My cup shapes and sizes differ depending on my mood and the type of tea that I am drinking. I have two smaller, roughly 5 ounce cups that I use for oolongs and greens, a larger 9 ounce cup for whatever I want to brew in it, and a 12 ounce blue mug for anything else. I find myself alternating between the 9 ounce and the 5 ounce cups for the most part. As for shapes, as long as it fits nicely in my hands and feels good, then it works. The cups that I have are all unique and interesting, which is something that I really enjoy.

Currently in my cup (A tall, generic glass maybe holding 16 ounces) is an iced tea blend of a second flush Darjeeling mixed with my Signature Blend, Butterfly Kisses.

[Dreamer]

fun topic!

I had to vote <15 ounces.
My mug at work is 12 ounces. My tea buddy has one just like it (I gave it to her). It holds exactly half of the pot she makes for us.
I like to drink blacks from a mug or bigger cup with a handle (need the handle with the hot blacks).
I like to drink greens from something less than about 4 ounces (no handle).
I like to drink houjicha from some bigger (about 8 oz cups) hand made cups No handle).
I like to drink oolong from my small (<2 ounce) aroma cup sets.
I like to drink matcha from a matcha bowl, of course!

The only shape I really don't like for any teacup/teabowl is a too open, too flat shape...the tea cools too fast and I'm too much of a klutz for these shapes.

Happy day,
Dreamer

[Chip]

Much earlier, Fukamushi Supreme from O-Cha, brewed strong. Seems to be the theme of the day.

Next up was a Darjeeling FF from the "A" team again, and shared with my wife. Really enjoying these FF Darjeelings. I would not have bought any, so the gift was greatly appreciated.

[Intuit]

Lovely 'hand' to that cup. More on black sand:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_sand

Organic Chung Se oolong in my cup. An exceptional bargain.

[kymidwife]

I am an equal-opportunity cup lover... very non-rigid. I know this must come as a shock to those of you who know my style.

Currently I am loving rustic yunomi, Hagi and others... particularly with a gentle hourglass shape that fits the hand nicely. I like a bigger size most of the time for blacks, darjeelings, sencha, etc... 10-12 oz. size to match the capacity of my kyusus. If I am trying some nicer oolongs and such, trying to brew something semi-gongfu, or for gyokuro, and then I have some nice tapered 3-4 oz cups.

Been on the go all day with trips to the doc and such for Dad... things are going ok, and the doc sounds a bit more optimistic than before that we might get some of his central vision restored. We are still hoping!

In my cup this morning and again tonight, I am having 2009 Dong Ding Ming Xiang from TeafromTaiwan... much more roasty than any Dong Ding I've had in the past. It still has the green taste, but definitely more oxidized than others I've had. Earlier I also had some of the green Darjeeling, Rohini Emerald... which I must say I really like so very much. So far, I like it better than my limited exposure to Chinese greens, but it's making me realize I should rethink Chinese greens and give them another try. My palate is ever-changing.

Sarah

[Geekgirl]

I'm pretty flexible with shape, though I tend to use open cups more often than taller ones. My favorites tend to be wide and shallow. Preferring that shape limits size to 6oz and under usually, otherwise I'd need to use two hands.

This morning was a good tea morning. Matcha, as always, in one of my vintage kyoyaki bowls, and followed it up with some very good chai. Yummy!

[depravitea]

I have some Borage looking very similar, instead of adding the flowers (and leaf)to Pimms or Other coolers have you thought of any Teas that might complement them?

I'm not sure, I guess Borage has a light cucumber -like taste, so it's probably easily overwhelmed. I was going to make a borage tisane for starters, I haven't thoght about adding it to any booze. As far as teas go, I don't know, a light green maybe?

[orguz]

Recently I am using the smallest cups I have which I bought 14 years ago, back then I thought why I ever bought these, they suited a kindergarten toy set more.

I found out why Chaozhou Gong Fu brewing uses these small 20ml size cups, it holds enough for 1 sip or 1 gulp, this being the optimum amount not more nor less to get that "Aftertaste" of TGY (hi fired) to linger in the throat, too much liquid and it 'washes' down too fast, not enough the tea won't cause that required affect. The bigger cups that I own are used a lot less