Do you use Gaiwan?

[Bok]

I find the quicker heat loss of the Gaiwan annoying, a tea pot has allows for better control over the brewing. I one fears porosity, there are small porcelain pots as well.

Teapot does not mean automatically mean porous, does it?
Glazed pots should not be porous, wood-fired clay is not porous at all either (if fired for several days), high quality Yixing neither.

Only some artisanal (mostly western) potters use porous clay, tea from those tastes awful…

Not to speak of, that teapots are for me so much more pleasing to the eye than a gaiwan… just a cup with a lid after all

[William]

wood-fired clay is not porous at all either (if fired for several days), high quality Yixing neither.

Really?

[Bok]

At least the way we do it in Taiwan: constant firing at 1200 degrees Celsius (if I remember correctly) for a minimum of three days and up to several weeks. That means some one has to add logs of wood every 10 minutes! That is a very exhausting process, which explains the higher prices for wood fired pottery.

The surface of certain wood fired pieces is very smooth and seems almost glazed!

Another less scientific thing I have heard is that the "fire" of this prolonged process has beneficial influence on the tea. Personally I think that is more wishful, romantic thinking than based on evidence.

I do not know if everyone who is using the term wood fired, actually refers to this sort of process. I'd imagine that if not done in this way the clay retains some porosity.

High fired Yixing is like glass too if I am not miss taken.

[NateHevens]

I purchased the Gaiwan set sold by Tea Drunk in New York. I used it once for Gyokuro, just as an experiment. It worked. Gyokuro tasted good. Wouldn't do it again.

I've got it away right now because I'm waiting to get my hands on a good oolong to use with it.

[ClarG]

Nope.

[Frisbeehead]

I use a gaiwan very often.

[kuánglóng]

I like gaiwans a lot, especially those I picked up during my trips through tea growing regions or at places where they're still an integral aspect of daily life. Most of the time I use them for oolongs for which I don't have a dedicated yixing pot and for tea comparisons.

[MySundayTea]

Hi, I am from Hong Kong. It is the fact that most of the families in China have got a tea set with Gaiwan at home. When I was young, I traveled to China visiting my relatives who brewed tea for us continuously from the very first minute when we arrived as a matter of courtesy. At that time, I didn't really like the oolong and gongfu teas. Now, I also have a tea set at home and I will use gaiwan when we are tasting teas with friends of small group - three or four, or having tea tasting sessions with tea suppliers. I also got a very big size gaiwan which allows me to serve tea for a bigger group, however, it is not really convenient to use it cos it is too big to carry it without any handle!

In China, speical in South area, almost every company office has a set of Gaiwan for tea. and there are many many Tea tool factories for GaiWan. How to say, it is like a rice for people to have a Gaiwan to cup a tea...

I think that also bring the idea that Gaiwan is not an expensive tool for you when cupping tea, while not for tea pot.. Teapot was regarded as artwork

[djtanng]

All I use is a 6 oz gaiwan when brewing tea at home. I use it for all tea types.

I heat my water using a cheap $40 Hamilton Beach tea water heater I got from Wal-Mart, pour it in the gaiwan with the tea, then pour it over a small strainer sitting over top of double-walled glass tea cup. Done.

I love gaiwans. They're so freaking easy to work with. It's a shame you can't find them in regular stores in America. Not even Teavana sells them. Weird...

[ethan]

I bought my first glass gaiwan yesterday. I initiated it w/ Himalayan Orange because the HOR is what I know the best of the tea that I have. The glass definitely has brought out a greater range of aroma & fruit flavors; also, the tea has less body.

I cannot compare materials scientifically: the glass gaiwan is thicker, shorter & wider than my porcelain gaiwan. I do enjoy seeing the leaves & find the shape of this particular glass gaiwan easy to use.

Since I often break teaware, I will buy more of these glass gaiwans.