Dragon Tea House cups/gaiwans

[shogun89]

Plain white gaiwans are very functional, and 100 ml or so is a size that I find very convenient for my own style. Since I usually drink alone, I like my cup to hold the whole gaiwan contents, thus avoiding the fair cup. The cups you reference look like they hold a good deal less than 100 ml.

Its alright with me that they dont hold 100 ml. because I am getting a pitcher to go worth the set. I also have a set of 150ml. cups right now, so as I drink alone too, I know what you mean.

[Victoria]

I have this one, and I find it is easier to hold because of the lower wider profile.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Zhen-Chang-Shun-Lar ... dZViewItem

Nicer than it looks and it makes a nice cup too.

[wyardley]

OK, I am starting to agree with you guys. I looked around a lttle more and came across these, what are your thoughts?

They look ok in the pictures, and better quality than some... but it's really hard to say without actually looking at it up close / feeling the gaiwan in your hands / seeing how it pours. I bought some cheap gaiwans in China, and while they seemed Ok in the store, they are of very poor quality. Of course, they cost me something like $1 US or less, but still.

A few problems come up with cheap ones....

1) Little imperfections, like black specks
2) Not always as thin, delicate, or the surface isn't as smooth
3) With gaiwans, too heavy, don't pour well, or lid makes an awful scraping sound against the bowl.

If you can't find one in person that you can try out, I would go for one that people have tried and recommended.

Jing (http://www.jingteashop.com/ is much more expensive, but I think you will be happy if you order some porcelain from there (if you can wait til they get back from their trip). They have good taste and nice designs as well, if you're into that sort of thing. I have the Phoenix gaiwan (the one they still have in stock, not the other one they used to have), and it's one of the most comfortable ones I've ever used.

This one:

is pretty striking - I didn't love it at first, but it's growing on me. I wish the matching cups were a slightly rounder shape, though.

Stéphane of http://teamasters.blogspot.com/ has some decent quality plain white porcelain as well.

The Tea Gallery in NY sells plain white gaiwans and tasting cups, and I can say that the gaiwans, at least, are of fairly nice quality and well shaped. Not phenomenal, and definitely a little overpriced, but pretty solid. I use the medium one at work.

http://www.theteagallery.com/category_s/12.htm

My favorite one was I think from Best Tea House (the Canadian branch), but it's like $30 or $40, and they don't have online shopping.

but anyway, it's this one:

The design is a little too stiff, but it's nice and thin, and it is very comfortable to use.

This one is nice also:


Wing Hop Fung in LA has a nice set (gaiwan, 6 medium sized cups, and a cha hai) that's about $55. Way nicer & better quality than most of their teaware. I don't think Bird Pick sells it, though.

I'll put my vote on the other side from Salsero for small tasting cups. I think anything bigger than a couple ounces ends up being too big to taste the tea properly.

I can only drink so much caffeine, so I usually use a 90 ml gaiwan with 2 small tasting cups; usually I dump the contents of the second cup unless it's really expensive tea.

[tsverrir]

I have a couple of those brown clay gaiwans form DTH. I would not recommend them because the glacing does have a different heat expansion than the clay and cracks easily.

Go with porcelain...

[Salsero]

I have had several from YSLLC that are shaped like the all-white one Shogun quotes and have found them simple, comfortable and easy to use -- understand, of course, that I hold the gaiwan + plate top to bottom, rather than gaiwan only lip to lip. The wider styled gaiwans are harder for me to use, though I suppose if I held them the traditional style by the top (rim-to-rim) maybe they would be easier to use. I haven't thought to try so far!

Shogun, if you already have a couple of large cups, by all means go for the small ones. I have at least 40 to 50 small ones and I love them all. Some came with the tall sniffers and their own little tray, others by themselves. Some are painted inside or out and many a plain or nearly plain but different shapes. On those rare occasions when I am able to subject a civilian to my clumsy gong fu, I drag them out and show them off! Maybe I should start using them since Will seems to feel you can taste better with them. If I am ever lucky enough to know as much about tea as he does, I may well be full circle and doing exactly then as he does on all these things!

[orguz]

Plain white gaiwans are very functional, and 100 ml or so is a size that I find very convenient for my own style. Since I usually drink alone, I like my cup to hold the whole gaiwan contents, thus avoiding the fair cup. The cups you reference look like they hold a good deal less than 100 ml.

I agree, recently started to buy cups that hold the whole content of a pot too. Friday my package from DTH arrived with these, though these are smaller in volume than my pots.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Bamboo-Blue-White-H ... dZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com/Helianthus-Blue-Whi ... dZViewItem

They're thin and the shape of the wide rim rests perfectly on the bottom lip.

[Victoria]

Very nice orguz! The way they feel on the lip is very important.
Congrats!

[orguz]

Very nice orguz! The way they feel on the lip is very important.
Congrats!

Lately I'm fond of the tulip shaped cups. My wide rimmed cups, miniature rice bowl shape don't feel as nice when held/grasped between fingers. I want to get more of these tulip ones.

Victoria can you recommend any sites that them, Teacuppa has a 12 cup set, nice ones and the same measurements as mine, but for 170USD.

The white porcelain with blue looks especially nice. Many Japanese Yunomis online how thick/thin are they specifically around the rim.

Thanks

O

[Victoria]

Jing Tea Shop has plain white ones that look nice and Hou De has a plain glass one. What size were you wanting?