If you insist on Western style brewing…

[Bok]

…then this is the ultimate teapot: http://www.mono.de/media/catalog/produc ... 444_22.jpg

It is called Mono, a German design, that believe it or not is already 30 years old!

I do not believe, or practise much, in the benefits of Western brewing over gongfu-style-ish preparation. But if you’d force me to, I would recommend this pot warmly. It might not have that English pot look, but it certainly brews a whole lot better! The very large basket allows for full expansion of the leaves, it is so large it almost touches the surface. Easy access and removal. Stainless and glass, dishwash machine-proof. Very convenient for the lazy brewer.

I got one as a gift a long time ago, and now use it in the office to brew for more people. Used to love it before I discovered how to prepare the gongfu way.

Downsides: Well as most Western preparation, even the better leaves are “spent” quicker. At least half of what you would get with gongfu. But – for daily drinking of not so fuzzy teas and to provide for your co-workers it is – in my opinion – unbeatable. Haven’t seen any western pot that works nearly as well, and there are a lot of fancy designs out there in Europe. All shit if you know how to prepare your tea

Price is not the cheapest, but it lasts forever (unless you break the glass of course, but it can be bought separately).

For example, the Bodum versions do all have some hickups, or use plastic parts, which tend influence the tea unfavorably (who would have guessed ). As they are quite common and popular in Europe, I’ve come across a lot of models. The Mono is all pure steel and glass, as neutral and efficient as it gets.

Thought this review might be of interest for some…

[victoria3]

Yes, this is a beautiful design. I do have all glass/fine lazer cut all stainless filter Bodum YoYo which is 12ounce, it's OK (but I see they no longer make) I posted about it http://steepster.com/teaware/bodum/2967 ... unce-glass. I see Bodum ruined the simple design. When I want to smell aroma coming off glass I still use this set.

I've considered getting the Mono because it is so attractive, but see the smallest is .6 liters. I've also read that tea cools very quickly because of the wide open design and that it is difficult to pour. Is this true? Do you also have the cups that come with it? They look nice as well.

[Bok]

Yes, it's definitely for large tea parties or very thirsty people... that's why I only use it for work and daily drinking teas, not the more interesting ones.

I've never had any issues with pouring. It's heavy though when full, so a delicate person with shaky hands might have issues

Cooling is a concern, so either finish fast, which is easy with a lot of people, or use a stove. They have a matching one. Of course that is not ideal as the tea continues to change due to the heat. But again for medium quality tea that is ok. Black or roasted more oxidised fare better in that pot than a gaoshan
Oolong. I imagine it would work well for green teas, but I rarely drink those.

I don't have the cups too much Bauhaus in one set

[victoria3]

Since you bring up the Bauhaus and design, I also have a very sexy neoprene zippered curvy glass teapot/carafe from Eva Solo. I mostly use it when stacking steeps as a pitcher now, but it works as a teapot for larger groups as well. The nondrip lid works perfectly, so well that I now have a whole line for; olive oil, vinegar, ice tea (steeping tea overnight) and as a water pitcher on table. http://www.evasolo.com/coffee-and-tea/e ... er/567541/

Some teas are not to drink, but to sip slowly and be savored with a few drips dissipitating on tongue, others acting to hydrate and wake up the senses. First thing in the morning I go for the later, and in the afternoon when I have calm repose I can slowly savor higher quality teas.

[jayinhk]

Western-style brewing is still Chinese-style brewing, IMO, and I prefer Chinese teapots for big pot style Most of China (and Southeast Asia) brews in mugs, big pots and even water bottles every day. I also use 450-500ml Yixing pots for pu erh and one of pots seems ideal for high fired oolongs brewed that way.

My most used big pot:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BOT1HtTjMo2 ... fehk&hl=en

[pedant]

i like the two-cup-method: using one as a teapot and decanting into the second one after brewing. doesn't work well if the leaves don't sink though.

nice for travel because you don't need to bring teaware. just need to borrow a couple of mugs or glasses.

[theredbaron]

Dunno if i would call that 'western style brewing' - it's a modern version of it. One of the traditional methods of cultured western style brewing was variations of two pot methods - either one pot for the tea with leaves, and when finished pouring everything into a second pot (and with more than one brew as well. Another version was a second pot with hot water with which then in the cup the stronger brew from the tea pot was diluted.

[Bok]

Western-style brewing is still Chinese-style brewing, IMO, and I prefer Chinese teapots for big pot style Most of China (and Southeast Asia) brews in mugs, big pots and even water bottles every day. I also use 450-500ml Yixing pots for pu erh and one of pots seems ideal for high fired oolongs brewed that way.

Western style brewing in the sense that the tea leaves are removable from the pot with the help of a filter basket, which is how most - if not all Western teapots now work. I am not talking about how our grandmothers and great-grandmothers used to prepare tea.

Which is the issue for me with large Chinese pots. You need either a very large pitcher to decanter the brewed tea in, or as is mostly the case in your typical Chinatown restaurant, deal with an ever more bitter brew.

[jayinhk]

Western-style brewing is still Chinese-style brewing, IMO, and I prefer Chinese teapots for big pot style Most of China (and Southeast Asia) brews in mugs, big pots and even water bottles every day. I also use 450-500ml Yixing pots for pu erh and one of pots seems ideal for high fired oolongs brewed that way.

Western style brewing in the sense that the tea leaves are removable from the pot with the help of a filter basket, which is how most - if not all Western teapots now work. I am not talking about how our grandmothers and great-grandmothers used to prepare tea.

Which is the issue for me with large Chinese pots. You need either a very large pitcher to decanter the brewed tea in, or as is mostly the case in your typical Chinatown restaurant, deal with an ever more bitter brew.

Gotcha--a lot of Chinese use those Kamjove pitchers and mugs and things, where you have a removable basket. There are older Yixings and porcelain pots with baskets too. Friend of mine showed me a 1970s F1 pot with basket earlier today. Pretty sweet! I don't know if the infuser baskets were first made in China or in Europe, but they've been around for a long time. Perhaps the Japanese were the first to put baskets in teapots, actually, as they've been doing that for a long time in Japan, too.

With large pots, the trick is to drink at the right pace and refill at the right pace. Refilling when you get halfway down (like you would do with longjing in a glass) seems to work well. I don't know about TW, but we get two teapots on the table here. One with tea and one with boiling water to dilute the tea down/add more water for further brewing. Worst case scenario, pour some overbrewed tea into your cup, and add hot water to dilute to taste. I have to do that at restaurants all the time since I drink more tea than everyone else when we go out for dim sum/hot pot/whatever.

[wei301]

…then this is the ultimate teapot: http://www.mono.de/media/catalog/produc ... 444_22.jpg

It is called Mono, a German design, that believe it or not is already 30 years old!

I do not believe, or practise much, in the benefits of Western brewing over gongfu-style-ish preparation. But if you’d force me to, I would recommend this pot warmly. It might not have that English pot look, but it certainly brews a whole lot better! The very large basket allows for full expansion of the leaves, it is so large it almost touches the surface. Easy access and removal. Stainless and glass, dishwash machine-proof. Very convenient for the lazy brewer.

I got one as a gift a long time ago, and now use it in the office to brew for more people. Used to love it before I discovered how to prepare the gongfu way.

Downsides: Well as most Western preparation, even the better leaves are “spent” quicker. At least half of what you would get with gongfu. But – for daily drinking of not so fuzzy teas and to provide for your co-workers it is – in my opinion – unbeatable. Haven’t seen any western pot that works nearly as well, and there are a lot of fancy designs out there in Europe. All shit if you know how to prepare your tea

Price is not the cheapest, but it lasts forever (unless you break the glass of course, but it can be bought separately).

For example, the Bodum versions do all have some hickups, or use plastic parts, which tend influence the tea unfavorably (who would have guessed ). As they are quite common and popular in Europe, I’ve come across a lot of models. The Mono is all pure steel and glass, as neutral and efficient as it gets.

Thought this review might be of interest for some…

We were gifted one of this pot few years ago, the glass broke within months. I found the spout too short, difficult to pour... still got other parts at home.