Music City Tea?

[MercifulFate]

Hello, this is my first post, but I have read this site for tips many times. I am looking for a cheap yixing teapot, and found many in my price range on Music City Tea, but do not know their reputation and there isn't much of a description on the teapots themselves.
Can anyone provide their input?
Thank you in advance.

[bonescwa]

Never heard of it

[impromptuandy]

Folks in this thread had some positive things to say about the place:


No one talked about the Yixing in particular -- you could PM spacelooper maybe. I'm from Memphis and meant to go last time I was in Nashville, but didn't have time. The pots that're around $20 seem too good to be true obviously, but who knows.

[tingjunkie]

Hello, this is my first post, but I have read this site for tips many times. I am looking for a cheap yixing teapot, and found many in my price range on Music City Tea, but do not know their reputation and there isn't much of a description on the teapots themselves.
Can anyone provide their input?
Thank you in advance.

Welcome to the forum. Their pots look horrible to me.

When looking for Yixing (especially "cheap" Yixing), pay no attention whatsoever to the description anyway, aside from finding out what size the pot is. I've yet to see the cheap Yixing vendor who doesn't lie through their teeth about the provenance and quality of their pots.

In the same price range, check out this shop on Etsy (but again, forget the descriptions).

[MercifulFate]

Thank you all for your replies

Dear Impromptuandy, what/who is spacelooper?

Dear Tingjunkie, I like the 24 dollar teapot from that website. How do you know which to pick if you can't base anything off of description? I have seen your posts on other topics on this website and have to say I'm glad to have your opinion this quick that 24 dollar teapot from etsy looks very nice, but I'm not quite sure how good a 6.4oz one is good for a first yixing

I just thought the 20 dollar yixing was a good deal because it used to be 50

Also, I do know etsy is kind of like buying from a random person like eBay, or am I wrong?

Thanks again all

[tingjunkie]

How do you know which to pick if you can't base anything off of description? ...but I'm not quite sure how good a 6.4oz one is good for a first yixing

I just thought the 20 dollar yixing was a good deal because it used to be 50

If you are looking for a well written story, Teavanna might be a good bet. If you are looking to find decent Yixing, skip the stories the vendors try to sell you.

To find decent pots these days, you need experience, or lots of money and a list of "approved" vendors. As for 6.4 oz, I agree, it's too big for my tastes. The only semi-decent-looking, small, and "cheap" pot I've come across lately is this one. Or, maybe this one if you intend to pair it with cooked puerh. We Yixing lovers are all having to readjust our definitions of "cheap," "inexpensive," and "affordable" on a yearly basis it seems. My advice if you are just starting out would be to buy a nice thin 100ml porcelain gaiwan, or a small porcelain gongfu pot, and save up for something nicer in the $100+ range. The days of stumbling in to small $30 pots with nice clay seem to be over.

[MercifulFate]

I guess I might have to wait. That 3oz teapot is very beautiful however and I may consider buying it in the future but I do very much like a 4oz size. I have a guiwan I use all of the time that is 4oz and sometimes I feel it's too small and can't imagine smaller.
I will keep both teapots in mind (the 3 oz and 6.4 oz) however and debate whether I should buy them. I just love the idea of using a personal teapot every day

[ethan]

You might be over-thinking this. If you look at recent thread about whether teaware is very important, there was consensus that it is low on the list, on what is necessary to get delicious beverage. Functionality counts-- ease & pleasure in using. I have a $20 contemporary "yixing" teapot that does not erase flavor nor create flavor. It takes one teaspoon of my favorite tea & 6.5 oz. of 186 F water to get the amount of tea I want easily. I also like the way it looks. If you see a teapot for $20 w/ looks that please you, is the size you want, ....

[Poseidon]

You might be over-thinking this. If you look at recent thread about whether teaware is very important, there was consensus that it is low on the list, on what is necessary to get delicious beverage. Functionality counts-- ease & pleasure in using. I have a $20 contemporary "yixing" teapot that does not erase flavor nor create flavor. It takes one teaspoon of my favorite tea & 6.5 oz. of 186 F water to get the amount of tea I want easily. I also like the way it looks. If you see a teapot for $20 w/ looks that please you, is the size you want, ....

I agree. I too have >$15 pots that I enjoy. Although there is something to be said about using a true yixing clay pot. Sometimes you gotta start at the bottom to get to the top(pot).

[bonescwa]

There was the 7 or 8 buck shui ping from eBay that I got out of curiosity. Probably the same quality as these 25$ ones. It's not a bad pot actually, at that price point I'd be happy if it doesn't produce any bad tastes or smells.

[impromptuandy]

Dear Impromptuandy, what/who is spacelooper?

Sorry -- the person who created the thread I linked to.

[MercifulFate]

Thanks all for the replies. I think I will just wait. I'll save up or keep looking and maybe stay away from yixing. Thanks guys

[teaformeplease]

I bought a travel gaiwan set from them on Amazon and have been very happy with it (other than my very clumsy ways having destroyed several of the cups). I'm not sure of the quality of the yixing but I can tell you that the owner was a pleasure to deal with.