Yixing teapots without filter inside.

[William]

I plan to buy a Yixing teapot without a filter inside. What I was wondering is, how you TC members, use a teapot without a filter? You choose to use the teapot with only large-leaf tea (I wonder how, since it is the teapot that chooses its own tea?), or just insert a metal filter inside the teapot?

[wyardley]

With some teas, you can place the tea carefully in the pot (look, for examples, of descriptions online of building up layers of tieguanyin for gongfucha). Pouring carefully will also help.

But also, you can use a toothpick or something (or blow in the spout, if you're drinking by yourself) to clear out the spout if it gets clogged.

But yes, it can cause some problems with types of tea that have a lot of broken leaf, though in many cases, the small bits will just come out, rather than clogging the spout.

I've got a lot of one hole pots, though, and generally speaking, it's not that big of a problem.

[yalokinh]

also depends on the size of the pot. I have a 30ml single hole yixing, tea usually never gets in the hole, and if in the event that it does, just push it back in with a toothpick

[Tead Off]

I plan to buy a Yixing teapot without a filter inside. What I was wondering is, how you TC members, use a teapot without a filter? You choose to use the teapot with only large-leaf tea (I wonder how, since it is the teapot that chooses its own tea?), or just insert a metal filter inside the teapot?

Use an external strainer if you don't want lots of tea particles in your cup.

[theredbaron]

I only use pots with single hole spouts.
I find that they pour better and quicker, if a leaf gets stuck just push it out with the pick. Rarely, when a lot of dust is in a tea, during the first few brews some dust may get into the cup. I don't mind that - it usually sinks to the bottom of the cup.

[wert]

The filter doesn't matter much, unless if the type of tea you drink has smaller, looser leaves.

I have a couple of pots with those golf ball filters which have small leaves or shoots stuck into them. But all in all, it is no biggee either way. Maybe the type of filter has an effect on the speed of the pour but I figure the difference would be minor.