Do you filter your teas? What do you use?

[Herb_Master]

I use a metal one regularly but occasionally use my goldfish

[rabbit]

I use a metal one regularly but occasionally use my goldfish

:O Best... filter... ever! Where did you get that?!

[Herb_Master]

:O Best... filter... ever! Where did you get that?!

A Chinese Crockery Shop in Kuala Lumpur 18 months ago,

I had, had, had, had, HAD TO HAVE it

to complement the Goldfish Gaibei set that I bought at Evergreen

so

that I could complete the set



I did not visit the crockery shop this year, and Evergreen have stopped selling these gaibei sets.

[nickE]

I have a really nice porcelain filter from the Tea Gallery that I love. Recently, however, I've been reaching for the cheap-o metal filters or no filter at all.

[Ambrose]

If I do filter I use a glass and mesh filter. I find the metal ones impart a taste and are not as fine. I got this one from DTH a while back and its awesome!

pics are from a thread I posted a while back about filtering sencha

[NOESIS]

Not usually. Extra clutter, and I prefer a more rustic cup. Yixing pot/gaiwan + cha hai + porcelain cup.

[Tead Off]

I use a bamboo filter with a nylon mesh inside. It has a groove cut out on it and 2 prongs so it can sit on the rim of a faircup while you pour the tea from the pot through it. Excellent design. This one's from Taiwan.

[Chip]

Lots of nice filters ... and stuff!

[teaisme]

Ps: churng, the term 'Jap' is considered offensive.

Think the wiki link sums it up...
"In Singapore[9] and Hong Kong,[10] the term is used freely as a contraction of the adjective "Japanese" rather than as a derogatory term."

I grew up in Hong Kong so really wasn't around the derogatory form of the word. I have seen it used negatively here in the states though so will refrain from ever using it again since many members are currently in the US and may view it in a different light.

Sorry about that people my bad

[wyardley]

I usually do not, though recently I am a little less negative about filtering than I have been in the past. When brewing tea that's choppier than usual, for one reason or another, with a pot that doesn't have a built in filter, I do sometimes find it helpful to strain.

Theoretically, I like the gourd type with a nylon / fabric strainer better, but at home, I only have a cheap metal one, so that's what I usually use on the rare occasions I feel the need to filter.

[IPT]

Personally, I never filter my teas. When I was taught to brew Chinese tea, they didn't yet exist, so I just never saw the need to use one. I do, however, use a filter when brewing tea for my customers. I don't mind the little tea bits, but some people do, so I use a filter for them.

[auhckw]

I agree that there was no intent to offend, but a better abbreviation exists.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jap

I actually naively posted this abbreviation when I first joined TC in the IM, it was pointed out to me and I was embarrassed at the time, but clearly did not want to offend in the future.

Oh my... I learn something new today.

[Alex]

Personally, I never filter my teas. When I was taught to brew Chinese tea, they didn't yet exist, so I just never saw the need to use one. I do, however, use a filter when brewing tea for my customers. I don't mind the little tea bits, but some people do, so I use a filter for them.

What I did find after using a filter for a while was doing a side by side the tea tasted for want of a better expression "more alive" when unfiltered.

However that was with a material style filter but I think I'll stick to no filtering....I'm used to it now.

[Tead Off]

I cannot find any appreciable difference between filtering and not filtering regarding taste. I do it because I don't like the little bits floating on my tongue when I'm drinking and the ladies simply hate it. Sort of like smoking Luckies and wanting to spit the little bits of tobacco off my tongue.

[IPT]

Ooh, Lucky Strike coffin nails. I smoked those for 10 years until I quit smoking. Love them!