Would like to buy a Yixing teapot

[bonescwa]

Though it's not that conventional, I see nothing wrong with using a Yixing for green tea. My only suggestion would be to make sure you have realistic expectations for what a Yixing pot can do. In my experience, the hardest kind of Yixing to find is one that protects and highlights the more delicate flavors and aromas. Using a Yixing is often a trade off on some level. For example: with a roasted oolong, in exchange for mellowing out the slight harsh notes of a recently roasted tea and making the mouthfeel smoother, you will likely have to give up the upper % of the highest flavors and aromas that would come through more when using porcelain. It's a very rare Yixing that can be great at everything.

I think it's also a myth that most Yixing teapots will season so much with use that the tea is improved by a massive amount. Yixing will of course season and improve, especially after the initial 5-10 uses during the break-in period, but the idea that a pot will season to the point of contributing a great deal of flavor is overblown. I hesitate to call it a myth, but it's overhyped.

For me, the benefits of using Yixing over porcelain is the ease of use, appreciation for the craftsmanship, having more control over highlighting certain aspects of a tea, being able to throw more heat at certain teas that benefit from that, and the joy of raising it up and seeing the patina change over time

Thanks a lot for this information. I think I will look into a Yixing after all. What I don't understand with regard to those that say a Yixing is not good for green tea is this: IF a yixing pot is supposed to basically seal itself with the residue of tea after a while, then how is it that it wouldn't be perfect for any tea whatsoever?

It doesn't ever really reach the point of sealing itself so thoroughly that no aroma is lost unless it's very high fired zhuni or something.

[Chris418]

Yes, kyusu for Japanese tea and no rinsing. Brew cooler! Japanese teas are much easier to brew badly IMO, since they are broken up for the most part and infuse much more quickly and completely.

Wow, there is so much to learn. When you say "kyusu", do you mean a clay kyusu or not necessarily?

Kyusu is more of a teapot shape for japanese. Most of the time with a side handle (yokode), but sometimes with back handle (ushirode).

Chris

[tingjunkie]

Thanks a lot for this information. I think I will look into a Yixing after all. What I don't understand with regard to those that say a Yixing is not good for green tea is this: IF a yixing pot is supposed to basically seal itself with the residue of tea after a while, then how is it that it wouldn't be perfect for any tea whatsoever?

It doesn't ever really reach the point of sealing itself so thoroughly that no aroma is lost unless it's very high fired zhuni or something.

Yep. The idea that if you use any Yixing pot for a single tea long enough, it will eventually adapt to that tea through seasoning is another myth. Even if you season it for decades, a medium fired duanni pot will never be a good match for a greener fragrant oolong (in my opinon). Even if that were the case, would you really want to spend that much money on tea, and sit through mediocre tea sessions for years until the pot finally came in to its own? No thanks. Sounds like a horrible waste of tea. If a teapot isn't performing well with a certain tea after 3-4 sessions, I try a different tea. [Actually, it's very rare that I'd even try to see if a teapot will take to a certain tea over the course of a few sessions. I usually just use this method of testing, and get a good pairing from the get go.]

[tingjunkie]

You know I just noticed in your first post that you'd use the pot for Japanese green tea as well? I would not recommend that, based solely on the fact that steamed Japanese greens require a very fine filter built in to the teapot. Even a multi-hole Yixing filter would get clogged quite easily or allow too many leaf bits through. For full-leafed Chinese greens, I think the right Yixing would be fine.

Sorry for not catching that earlier.

[kyarazen]

large amounts of yixing made their way into japan.. with filters attempted to be designed for japanese teas

[hobin]

large amounts of yixing made their way into japan.. with filters attempted to be designed for japanese teas

you mean golf-ball type filters? I know that ushirode shudei pots are often used in sencha-do

[tingjunkie]

large amounts of yixing made their way into japan.. with filters attempted to be designed for japanese teas

"Attempted" is the key word. Never seen one work half as well as a Japanese sesame filter. I have no doubt Yixing pots have been, and still are, used for sencha, but I don't have the patience myself.