teaware in dallas

[msurads06]

I am fairly new to tea and have already made a few of the beginner mistakes (too big of a pot, those stupis tea balls they sell in the grocery store that just make a mess). Now i am looking for a smaller pot.

I got a 24 oz teapot on clearance at pier1 for $10. i love the pot, it came with nice 6 oz teacups that i like much more than the mugs i had been using (they were worth the $10 spent) but the tea is cold by the time i finish the pot. i also have a 16 0z teapot purchased for $2 on clearance, but it is dificult to clean because of the TINY lid opening and it dripps badly (use this for rooibos which i brew with a paper filter to keep from making a mess) and i have to hold it over the sink to pour but hey for $2 not bad.

Right now i am using a finum filter and making it one cup at a time that way but it is a pain to clean and inconvenient at work. i am looking for an inexpensive either 8-10 oz MAX teapot with built in filter (like on japanese pot) and/or a gaiwan. i have checked out many of the sites recomended on other topics and have found a few that i could order, but i hate to waste $20 on a gaiwan i may decide i hate, i also prefer to actually handle items like this before i buy them, make sure i like how they feel (does this make sense?). there is a town about 45 minutes away with an asian market i plan to try tomorrow when i go grocery shoping, but if that fails i plan to drive to dallas (2 1/2 hrs) on tuesday for The Great Teapot Hunt. I have a list of several asian markets but i was wondering if anyone on the board may live in/arround dallas (or in north texas) and be able to recomend somewhere to shorten my search.

thank you for your help

[teashionista]

I was very happy with my 16-oz Beehouse brand teapot when I first started exploring different loose leaf teas a few years ago. The quality is good, the basket is small-ish, but adequate, and it's dishwasher safe. In fact, the teapot is still alive and well - and sometimes I use it to brew flavored or herbal teas. Most Asian markets carry it, and you can see different models here: http://www.beehouseteapot.com/

Welcome to the world of tea adventures!

[teashionista]

Looks like the smallest Beehouse is 11 oz (which is a tad bigger than what you're looking for), but it's still worth a shot.
Also, most Asian markets carry inexpensive kyusus (Japanese teapots with built-in filters and a side handle). If you find one you like, make sure you get a glazed one - this way you'll be able to brew different teas in it, and it won't pick up any flavors.

[msurads06]

Im really looking for something with out a steeping basket due to ease of cleaning issues, but i had looked at possibly getting a beehouse type pot. Im not sure how i feel about kyusu style pots, I dont care for the looks, but i am hoping i can find one that i can hold and get a feel for, maybe it will change my mind. I like the sesame (sp?) style filter or the yixing style compated to infuser baskets, they seem like they would be easier to clean. I also really want to try a gaiwan, just concerned they may be too small for my current method of tea drinking, (and i will probably break several right off the bat) but would be useful for trying new teas, which i am doing ALOT of right now. I mainly drink white in the morning with a black/fruit tea at lunch and a rooibos/herbal tea in the evenings. If all else fails i may order an "easy" gaiwan from yunan sourcing, to start with at work/for travel.

[debunix]

I can use a gaiwan with any tea; but it drains a little slowly with the finely cut japanese teas. The nice thing about gaiwans is that the basic cheap ones work just as well as the fancier ones, and they're cheap enough to buy several to find the one you like best.

I bought a basic kyusu recently from denstea with a nice built-in ceramic strainer that drains quicker and makes cleanup a cinch. It's too large for the teas where I brew a half dozen or more infusions, but is good for nearly everything else. But it's a lot more expensive than the gaiwans.

http://www.denstea.com/index.php?main_p ... th=275_433

[Chip]

I can use a gaiwan with any tea; but it drains a little slowly with the finely cut japanese teas. The nice thing about gaiwans is that the basic cheap ones work just as well as the fancier ones, and they're cheap enough to buy several to find the one you like best.

I bought a basic kyusu recently from denstea with a nice built-in ceramic strainer that drains quicker and makes cleanup a cinch. It's too large for the teas where I brew a half dozen or more infusions, but is good for nearly everything else. But it's a lot more expensive than the gaiwans.

http://www.denstea.com/index.php?main_p ... th=275_433

Yeah, I have this Kyusu as well! Love the white which is a bit rare for Kyusu. This is a great piece and I tend to pick it for the best Sencha.

Den's also offers some of the cheapest Kyusu as well.

[LauraW]

I was very happy with my 16-oz Beehouse brand teapot when I first started exploring different loose leaf teas a few years ago. The quality is good, the basket is small-ish, but adequate, and it's dishwasher safe. In fact, the teapot is still alive and well - and sometimes I use it to brew flavored or herbal teas. Most Asian markets carry it, and you can see different models here: http://www.beehouseteapot.com/

Welcome to the world of tea adventures!

I don't own one of the Beehouse pots personally, but everyone I know who has one raves about it. I've seen them used for various kinds of tea in tea-shops/cafes, and they seem to work really well. And the 11oz would be a great size!

[Chip]

I was very happy with my 16-oz Beehouse brand teapot when I first started exploring different loose leaf teas a few years ago. The quality is good, the basket is small-ish, but adequate, and it's dishwasher safe. In fact, the teapot is still alive and well - and sometimes I use it to brew flavored or herbal teas. Most Asian markets carry it, and you can see different models here: http://www.beehouseteapot.com/

Welcome to the world of tea adventures!

I don't own one of the Beehouse pots personally, but everyone I know who has one raves about it. I've seen them used for various kinds of tea in tea-shops/cafes, and they seem to work really well. And the 11oz would be a great size!

Beehouse are ok, but the infuser is not big enough relative to the size of the pot, thus the leaves are either not exposed to enough water, or are not allowed to open fully.

One could use the Beehouse sans infuser, instead use the infuser as a strainer instead, which is what I do with the one I have.

[teashionista]

I like the sesame (sp?) style filter or the yixing style compated to infuser baskets, they seem like they would be easier to clean. I also really want to try a gaiwan, just concerned they may be too small for my current method of tea drinking, (and i will probably break several right off the bat) but would be useful for trying new teas, which i am doing ALOT of right now. I mainly drink white in the morning with a black/fruit tea at lunch and a rooibos/herbal tea in the evenings. If all else fails i may order an "easy" gaiwan from yunan sourcing, to start with at work/for travel.

Yixing clay tends to absorb the flavor of the tea (hence it's recommended to have a dedicated yixing pot for each type of tea) - and given that you're trying out different types, it may not be the best solution at this point. Gaiwans are great, and can be had for $5-$10. The only issue you might have is with rooibos: you'd need a strainer for the small particles.

Another option is a small glass teapot. Some of them come with an infuser basket, and some come with a straining contraption that fits into the spout (I much prefer the latter). Again, most Asian markets should carry them. Also, I've seen a Rishi gift set with a glass teapot at a local Whole Foods.

[debunix]

I've bought several glass teapots with glass infuser inserts, where the glass insert has etched slits in it to strain the tea. They're difficult to use for short infusions, because they drain slowly, and clog quickly with bits of leaf fines, and are almost impossible to clean thoroughly. I have quit using them.

Metal mesh strainer inserts don't give the leaves enough room to expand, and also get can be difficult to clean, especially with teas full of fines, like chamomile.

My preferred combinations are a variety small pots (yixings, the kyusu, glass) all with integral strainers in the spout, or gaiwans. The spout holes (or the gap between lid and bowl of the gaiwan) are big enough to let some bits slip through, and a funnel-style strainer over the cup catches the small fines well and is pretty easy to clean.

But except for the kyusu, they're quite small and cheap and I've not seen any quite like them online.

[msurads06]

Just to clarify, i am not currently planning to purchase a yixing teapot (would love to have one in the future), just used that as an example for what i think i like from pictures i have seen, i have way too much tea tasting to do to figure out what i like (both interms of tea and pot design) to spend that kind of money right now. I would rather spend my money on tea (a new shipment arrives tomorrow yay!!). I have seen simmilar strainers in english style teapots as well.

I actually have a "strainer" at home. Walmart sells a $1.50 "large tea ball" that i bought in ignorance, i split it in half when i realized it was junk. voila two tea strainers that sit perfectly in my pier one cups! they are also a little easier to clean than the finum, thought they dont filter as well, there are a few finer bits left in the cup, but for $.75 each, im not complaining. for my rooibos i use paper filters. they seem to work best (better even than the finum, without cleaning problems) and in the case of rooibos/ herbal teas they dont seem to change the flavor as dramatically as they do with "real" tea. I dont use the paper filters for my real tea if i can help it.

A few bits of tea leaf are acceptible, i am just tired of using 3x as much water trying to get the stupid pot/filter clean as it took to actually make the tea. Also not very convenient for work. So far for work i use the paper filters which is ok on week nights, when i only drink rooibos/herbal, but when i work weekends i have to be in at 7am and dont leave till midnight so i need caffeine. yesterday was the first day i tried paper filters with my white tea and it was terrible!!! so i have spent the last two days looking at all the postings of peoples teaware trying to get an idea of what i might like/not like to save time when i am shopping this week.

One question about the kyusus. how difficult are they to clean? do tea bits get caught between the strainer and spout? how is this dealt with?

[debunix]

I posted some pics of my teapots and strainer in the Teaware topic

http://www.teachat.com/viewtopic.php?f= ... 39#p143739

With all of these, I rinse the teapot and empty some of the water out the spout; then run a bit of water down the spout into the body of the pot to rinse out any bits of tea out of the strainer that might be caught in there.

Compared to the wire mesh and engraved/etched glass slit type strainers, I have very little trouble keeping these clean. Ok, except for the tannin build up in the glass ones....but some occasional bleach helps with that.

[msurads06]

Ok, so after driving all over dallas/ft worth on tuesday i managed to find two gaiwan i ended up buying. Many of the markets i stopped at either had no tea pots or they were as big or bigger than what i already have, only two even carried gaiwan and one only sold them as part of a larger set. so i guess i will just make due with the gaiwan for now. I have been using them for two days and havent found them as difficult as i thought they would be, no burns, no breaking, only a few small spills (so far). i have even had pretty good luck brewing rooibos in them. the smaller one is more delicate white porcelain with dragons. the larger one which sees more action right now is UGLY!!! So now i am looking for a inexpensive prettier one and i will take the ugly one to work, i just have a problem spending more on a little teacup than i did on my larger tea set.