looking for a YIXING teapot (another one of those posts)

[Toha]

i looked into several teapots and researched the topic.
i am however a newbie when it comes to this.

so i tell you what i am looking for ideally (ranked by priority) :
-price range ideally between 40-75€, low shipping costs; including shipping 100€ is the most i can spend
-a yixing teapot for 1-2 people (so 100ml, ideally 120, definately not over 150, 180ml)
-the clay should be decent quality and not affecting puerhs and oolongs in a negative way
-ideally with the xishi shape because i do love that round shape
-ideally a darker brown/purple color but redish or sth mixed is okay too

i found two teapots online and would like your opinion

(really like this one, know nothing about the quality however)
https://m.teavivre.com/product/view/xi- ... eapot.html

this one has good reviews amd looks interesting
https://yunnansourcing.com/collections/ ... apot-130ml
or other ys teapots?

[Toha]

i dont mind the half handmade, but i want it to brew good tea for a decade or more.
i dont want the worst quality and dont want a teapot i will throw away in a years time

[Reb]

i looked into several teapots and researched the topic.
i am however a newbie when it comes to this.

so i tell you what i am looking for ideally (ranked by priority) :
-price range ideally between 40-75€, low shipping costs; including shipping 100€ is the most i can spend
-a yixing teapot for 1-2 people (so 100ml, ideally 120, definately not over 150, 180ml)
-the clay should be decent quality and not affecting puerhs and oolongs in a negative way
-ideally with the xishi shape because i do love that round shape
-ideally a darker brown/purple color but redish or sth mixed is okay too

i found two teapots online and would like your opinion

(really like this one, know nothing about the quality however)
https://m.teavivre.com/product/view/xi- ... eapot.html

this one has good reviews amd looks interesting
https://yunnansourcing.com/collections/ ... apot-130ml
or other ys teapots?

Did you buy a teapot yet?

I recently bought that exact pot from Yunnan Sourcing. I was hoping to use it for yancha but it does not want to make good tea with that.

It doesn’t absorb any water to speak of. The outside shows a lot of sand but the inside is just brown and looks like it has brush marks. My partner is a potter and suggests it may be coated inside with terra sigillata, which is made by soaking the same clay in water until the fine particles are suspended in it. The resulting liquid can be painted on a surface and the fine plate like particles lay flat and overlap, effectively sealing the surface. Not exactly what you want in a Yixing pot for puer! The pour is pretty long, about 16 seconds. That would make it not great for oolongs.

It’s my first Yixing so I’m counting this one as a down payment on my “yixing tuition.” It’s not a total waste. I found that I like it for first flush Darjeeling and baked Taiwanese oolongs brewed western style. My pot holds 135ml as advertised, I put 2-3g with boiling water for 3 minutes. These teas taste brighter and I get a lifting sensation on my upper palate that I don’t get brewing in porcelain (I did a side by side comparison). The astringency of the Darjeeling is rounded out just enough. That said, I doubt it’s any special property of the clay, probably more a function of the pot holding on to the heat. I’ll try the pot with other teas and will update with my results.

I unfortunately don’t have a recommendation for you but I myself will stay away from YS for future yixing purchases based on this experience.

[carmeloneo]

i dont mind the half handmade, but i want it to brew good tea for a decade or more.
i dont want the worst quality and dont want a teapot i will throw away in a years time

the first is some better. You're right half handmade is also OK,especial for a beginner. if seller declare his teapots are full handmade below $150 with shipping, be careful.

[CheekyChipmunk]

Did you buy a teapot yet?

I recently bought that exact pot from Yunnan Sourcing. I was hoping to use it for yancha but it does not want to make good tea with that.

It doesn’t absorb any water to speak of. The outside shows a lot of sand but the inside is just brown and looks like it has brush marks. My partner is a potter and suggests it may be coated inside with terra sigillata, which is made by soaking the same clay in water until the fine particles are suspended in it. The resulting liquid can be painted on a surface and the fine plate like particles lay flat and overlap, effectively sealing the surface. Not exactly what you want in a Yixing pot for puer! The pour is pretty long, about 16 seconds. That would make it not great for oolongs.

It’s my first Yixing so I’m counting this one as a down payment on my “yixing tuition.” It’s not a total waste. I found that I like it for first flush Darjeeling and baked Taiwanese oolongs brewed western style. My pot holds 135ml as advertised, I put 2-3g with boiling water for 3 minutes. These teas taste brighter and I get a lifting sensation on my upper palate that I don’t get brewing in porcelain (I did a side by side comparison). The astringency of the Darjeeling is rounded out just enough. That said, I doubt it’s any special property of the clay, probably more a function of the pot holding on to the heat. I’ll try the pot with other teas and will update with my results.

I unfortunately don’t have a recommendation for you but I myself will stay away from YS for future yixing purchases based on this experience.

I’m a little further down Yixing tuition street than you two by the sounds of it but as I learn more I’m learning that actually I don’t know much of anything. Knowing a potter like you do is definitely an advantage over me so again take my two cents as purely my own experiences, take them or leave them!

Being a pu drinker I’m going to go in to bat for YS, Scott is one of the good guys for sure. That being said, I am not by any means discounting your assessment of the pot as you describe it.

The first thing I would say about Yixing (and most things in life) is that you get what you pay for. Especially as a beginner, it is highly unlikely you will find a bargain online and get a good quality pot at a cheaper price than everyone else. If it looks too good to be true....

In regards to the YS pot, I’d say you’d be hard pressed to find a better pot online for 50USD (not that I have looked). That being said, most people here would say (and I would tend to agree) that if you really want to get in the Yixing game, the starting point should be more like 100USD. I have gotten a few pots from YS in this price range and I would have to say compared with pots from other sources, they tend to hold their own if not punch a bit above their weight so to speak.

I’m starting to think the best place for beginners to buy is actually this forum because our community is honest, people tend to sell for the price they purchased if not less, and what they are selling are usually very good value/quality pieces that aren’t used much as we all have differing degrees of YHS (Yixing hoarding syndrome). I am yet to see any unhappy posters who have used the teaswap pages, myself included.

Good luck and share with us which ever direction you end up going!

CC

[Reb]

That’s good to know you’ve been happy with some of YS’s more expensive yixing. I have yet to dive into the puer rabbit hole but if I do....

It was precisely because of Scott’s reputation that I felt confident buying a pot from him. I don’t disagree that I probably wouldn’t find a better one at that price but still disappointed. I’d still probably purchase another kind of clay pot that he sells, maybe even a yixing once I learn a little more.

[Reb]

i looked into several teapots and researched the topic.
i am however a newbie when it comes to this.

so i tell you what i am looking for ideally (ranked by priority) :
-price range ideally between 40-75€, low shipping costs; including shipping 100€ is the most i can spend
-a yixing teapot for 1-2 people (so 100ml, ideally 120, definately not over 150, 180ml)
-the clay should be decent quality and not affecting puerhs and oolongs in a negative way
-ideally with the xishi shape because i do love that round shape
-ideally a darker brown/purple color but redish or sth mixed is okay too

i found two teapots online and would like your opinion

(really like this one, know nothing about the quality however)
https://m.teavivre.com/product/view/xi- ... eapot.html

this one has good reviews amd looks interesting
https://yunnansourcing.com/collections/ ... apot-130ml
or other ys teapots?

Not yixing, it’s made in Taiwan of clay certified to be free of heavy metals: https://www.taiwanteacrafts.com/product ... urple-clay

Well within your budget and shipping is reasonable.