Saturday TeaDay 8/08/09 Early Teaware bad choices?

[kymidwife]

I bought a couple of "bad" fake yixing from eBay... that I never ever use. Ughh. At least they were cheap. I much prefer the cheap mistakes.

I've been drinking the Organic Kagoshima Oolong from Yuuki-Cha all day today. I really like this stuff! Usually I go for lighter oolongs but I've been really enjoying this one. It's alittle roasty but not overpowering, a bit of cocoa notes, very smooth, just yummy. I have some of the Organic Kagoshima Koucha Black from Yuuki-Cha as well, and am enjoying it immensely. Who said Japan was just for greens?

Sarah

[Cinnamon Kitty]

Maybe not bad purchases exactly, but I have some nice big pots that I never use ... oh, and a tea cozy! Jeez, what am I ever going to do with a tea cozy?

I hear that they make excellent hats.

I bought a glass gaiwan. It was too thin and I spent more times burning my fingers on it than anything else. I also brought a glass tea pot, used it for a few months, broke the lid when it got too hot, and eventually just threw out the lidless pot because it was never going to be used ever again. I still have the glass gaiwan without the saucer though; it just don't get used too much any more. I actually like my Personalitea teapot since it makes the right amount when I want to make a pot of tea to share with people.

Tea is iced Darjeeling in a mug at the moment. I've been drinking whatever cold tea that I have in the fridge all day, including cold brewed sencha, mugicha, and the Darjeeling mixed with a bit of orange blossom oolong.

[Proinsias]

I branched out from the generic teabag, milk and sugar crowd dominant in the UK about 10 or 15 yrs ago. Many of the infuser mugs, teapots and other bits and bobs I used maybe 5 or more years ago I wouldn't go near now but I enjoyed them at the time.

3 bowls of matcha today which isn't too common for me. It's nice to be able to enjoy a good tea session in 10 mins instead of 2 hours. Unfortunately the new kitten thinks the whisk is the bestest toy in the world, I will not leave it in the room unattended again.

[Victoria]

I've been drinking the Organic Kagoshima Oolong from Yuuki-Cha all day today. I really like this stuff! Usually I go for lighter oolongs but I've been really enjoying this one. It's alittle roasty but not overpowering, a bit of cocoa notes, very smooth, just yummy. I have some of the Organic Kagoshima Koucha Black from Yuuki-Cha as well, and am enjoying it immensely. Who said Japan was just for greens?
Sarah

I'm really enjoying the Koucha Black, and now of course you have me wanting to try the Oolong. Looks like I'll be re-ordering soon.

[DoctorD]

Nope. Teaware has evolved with tea tastes, and various pots and such have been left behind along the way, but they all served their purpose adequately at the time.

Some nice Phoenix Mountain oolong (Zhongshan Baiye) this afternoon, to enjoy the rain with, and Den's Kunpu Shincha tonight. I'm feeling no pain.

[Chip]

... almost forgot. In desperation for tea brewing vessels, I snatched up just about every size of Bodum coffee presses, learning early to improvise. 10 years later, they are still very much a part of my teaware arsonal, but use them mostly for large iced tea batches ... and I never plunged btw!

Moved onto Gyokuro Sui Mei from Den's w/ DW. Brewed in the most recent teaware aquisition, a highly specialized Hagi Houjin/Gyokuro Set by Deishi. Took me 10 years to make this progress. And thanks to TeaChat, etc, it took others less than a year.

Finally, finishing the TD with 88 Nights shincha from Sugimoto USA.

[Geekgirl]

I have things that I wouldn't buy again. Some of these are due to low quality, and a few are because they are just not suitable though being of good quality. Several of my purchases probably fell under the "more funds than sense" category, but I feel like I got off easy, and I haven't had a disappointing purchase in a very long time.

[depravitea]

I've gotten some teaware that I've found to be unnecessary (at least for me) soon after purchasing.

There have also some things I've HAD TO HAVE, that I realized I really didn't.
I've heard some people on here refer to that as TUITION.
I like that term.
It makes sense. You learn from every purchase, good or bad, and hopefully don't make too many expensive mistakes along the way.

[sriracha]

Maybe not bad purchases exactly, but I have some nice big pots that I never use ... oh, and a tea cozy! Jeez, what am I ever going to do with a tea cozy?

"Never trust a man who, when left alone in a room with a tea cozy, doesn't try it on." ~Billy Connolly

There are, somewhere, photos of me wearing one, partly in homage to a character from one of the craziest Swedish childrens' books;
http://www.operan.se/upload/Pressbilder ... _LRNG1.jpg
(Title: Loranga, Masarin & Dartanjang, Loranga wearing the cozy on the left) which I absolutely love and can still quote from

My worst teaware purchase might have been my first gaiwan, lovely blue/white plum blossom motif but a nightmare to pour from. It burns my fingers and doesn't get much tea where it belongs, in cups and fair cups. =_=

[silvermage2000]

I have not really had any teaware.