gong fu "pitch". what's the point of this?

[heavydoom]

major drawback, for me, is that your tea gets colder faster rather than pouring straight into the cups. i am talking about using a pitcher.

[olivierco]

Preheating the "pitcher" and the tea cups can help to minimize the temperature fall.

[ABx]

I know he's gone, but for the benefit of lurkers that might be interested in the subject: When doing gongfu, the difference between a good cup and an oversteeped cup can sometimes be just a few seconds of brewing. The last bits can definitely be quite a bit stronger than the first, depending on how slow the pour is, the tea, etc.

I also actually just find it easier when pouring for more than just myself, and it allows you to use the strainer more easily. I had some friends over this last weekend and started by pouring straight into the cups, but had a hard time getting equal amounts in each until I pulled out the pitcher.

Sometimes you also end up brewing more tea than what the cups will hold, so the pitcher can hold the rest until someone is ready for a bit more.