Best kyusu-size for gyokuro and sencha for daily use?

[time]

Hi tea-lovers....

What size of the kyusu do you prefer for brewing your ´daily´ green tea (manily gyokuro and high quality sencha)?

I like small pots, but you cannot have too small pots, right?

[time]

I forgot to say that I mainly enjoy tea by myself daily. So small pots are good, I think, but how small is best for gyokuro and sencha use...

[Chip]

Best size, is there such a thing for sencha? Most kyusu I use are around 230-300 ml, which is good for my normal 5 ounce steeps, but I can brew more or less as the mood leads.

I like to have an assortment of sizes available ...

Gyokuro is a bit different, most Houjin (spelled many ways) are 3-4 ounces, some are smaller and some are bigger, but 3-4 is ideal IMHO. Gyokuro is best enjoyed in small steeps, I usually steep 3 ounces, sometimes 2. Sometimes less.

[AdamMY]

Gyokuro is a bit different, most Houjin (spelled many ways) are 3-4 ounces, some are smaller and some are bigger, but 3-4 is ideal IMHO. Gyokuro is best enjoyed in small steeps, I usually steep 3 ounces, sometimes 2. Sometimes less.

When I am not in the mood for a large amount of tea, I often brew with my Hohin(houjin, hobin) for Sencha. As you said you were considering using this for Premium Sencha it might really work out. Though if you like Fukamushi or Chumushi Sencha, you might need too look around ( I am not sure if any Hohins have a screen as fine as a Sesame screen in a Kyusu).

[Chip]

Gyokuro is a bit different, most Houjin (spelled many ways) are 3-4 ounces, some are smaller and some are bigger, but 3-4 is ideal IMHO. Gyokuro is best enjoyed in small steeps, I usually steep 3 ounces, sometimes 2. Sometimes less.

When I am not in the mood for a large amount of tea, I often brew with my Hohin(houjin, hobin) for Sencha. As you said you were considering using this for Premium Sencha it might really work out. Though if you like Fukamushi or Chumushi Sencha, you might need too look around ( I am not sure if any Hohins have a screen as fine as a Sesame screen in a Kyusu).

I use a few Bizen Houjin for sencha brewing, including fukamushi. I agree that most Houjin will not be too great for fuka, but the Bizen ones seem to have a pretty decent wall type screen.

I also use the Korean travel sets for small steeps of sencha and gyokuro, but not for extreme fuka as they have the rake style "screen."

Bottom line, any kyusu or houjin can be adapted, but will the size work for you? Since this is the OP's primary concern, I would recommend a general formula for determining the ideal size based on personal use. I would multiply the typical size steep that you will use the pot for and multiply it by approx 1.5.

This will allow for slightly larger steeps when wanted, and really I don't fill a kyusu up, makes for clogged screens on successive steeps.

Houjin I have no problem filling to the virtual rim ... unless brewing sencha perhaps as this will get HOT.

[entropyembrace]

http://www.o-cha.com/hounin-teapot.html

O-cha has a hounin with a steet strainer you could use for brewing fuka...

[debunix]

I find that my 5 oz kyusus are just right for my daily sencha, giving me about a pint of tea from the average of 4 infusions that I have time for on an average morning. That's just right for me drinking alone. If I were sharing, I'd want one twice the size.

And that's larger than the 2-3 oz I prefer for my oolongs and puerhs, where I routinely get many more infusions. I also tend to brew my chinese greens in the smaller gaiwans, for more infusions, until the teas become very weak.

[Oni]

These are good for one person around 60 to 80 ml, it is best for gyokuro, these are jitsuzan, these are at Horaido teashop. for sencha it is better something around 120 - 150 ml houhin.

If you use a 250 ml teapot for one person, in 3 infusion you get 3 x 200 ml in total 600 ml of tea, that is too much for 1 person, 300 is acceptable.

[Chip]

... so you see, if you ask 10 TCers this question, you will likely get 10 answers ...

You will have to find your comfort zone which usually happens pretty naturally.

[olivierco]

Most of the time, I brew sencha and gyokuro in a houhin (120ml for most of my houhins).
I have some small kyuusus (160-180ml) which I sometimes use for sencha.

The best choice depends on the quantity of tea you like to have for each infusion.

[entropyembrace]

I use a 360ml kyusu for drinking sencha...I like to have a nice bowl of it! I sure use the leaf fast but with it´s short shelf life and moderate cost I think that is ok. I typically drink 6+ infusions of that size over a day so it´s not like I am wasting the leaves...I get everything out of them!

For Gyokuro because it´s expensive I would rather have something quite a bit smaller though...

[Oni]

For gykuro a small pot rewards you with using less leaf, so you can get more tea sessions from your regular 100 gram gyokuro, generally I would use 4 - 6 grams with a small houhin, so that gets me 20 sessions, but with a larger set, 3 person must use at least 10 grams.

[Tead Off]

For gykuro a small pot rewards you with using less leaf, so you can get more tea sessions from your regular 100 gram gyokuro, generally I would use 4 - 6 grams with a small houhin, so that gets me 20 sessions, but with a larger set, 3 person must use at least 10 grams.

I used to try to make my gyokuro last by using less leaf and water but finally gave in to Ippodo's recommendation of using the same amount of leaf even for a single serving. The taste is just that much more rewarding but harder on the pocket book.