Gaiwan questions

[Shelob]

peeps here make too much out of teawares man......keep it simple. don't lose sleep over whether you have enough non yi xing this or that, it takes all the fun away from enjoying tea. distracting.

get 1 gaiwan.

I agree w/ heavydoom...I am new to this great forum, I just love TeaChat/TeaDay and I only have 1 gaiwan and 1 newly acquired Kyusu? sp?
Anyway, I feel right now I personally only need one of each, and truly I would only need 1 cup too, after all how many cups can one drink at one time

Needs and wants are entirely 2 diff things, and surely everyone wants..I WANT SAL'S DRAGON. However, make do w/ one that you need for the type tea you are drinking and then gradually investigate other teaware...IMHO.

[Salsero]

I WANT SAL'S DRAGON

I actually have 2 dragons, a cow, a lamb, a couple of fou-like dogs, a cat, and a turtle. I will send you one of the litter of the first two to mate.

[Shelob]

I WANT SAL'S DRAGON

I actually have 2 dragons, a cow, a lamb, a couple of fou-like dogs, a cat, and a turtle. I will send you one of the litter of the first two to mate.

Sal, could make for a great Sci-fi Creature... I accept

[wyardley]

I own like a bazillion gaiwans, but I agree that 1, light to medium thickness *ceramic* (non-stoneware, whether glazed or not) gaiwan should be just fine to start with.

I do use yixing pots sometimes, but when I'm not, I don't really worry too much about the relative thickness / heat retention of the gaiwan. Find one good gaiwan that's comfortable and fits well in your hand, and stick to that for a while.

[Geekgirl]

I WANT SAL'S DRAGON

I actually have 2 dragons, a cow, a lamb, a couple of fou-like dogs, a cat, and a turtle. I will send you one of the litter of the first two to mate.

ROTFL!!! I'd pay for one of those offspring. I'm a bit jealous of the menagerie, but the last thing I need around here is more tiny mythological creatures.

[Salsero]

ROTFL!!! I'd pay for one of those offspring. I'm a bit jealous of the menagerie, but the last thing I need around here is more tiny mythological creatures.

I don't know how big the litters are, but you're next in line after Shelob. Mythological critters seem to thrive in your custody.

[heavydoom]

i have a yi xing foot with a small spider on it and inside the foot itself, there is a small rock.

[Vulture]

peeps here make too much out of teawares man......keep it simple. don't lose sleep over whether you have enough non yi xing this or that, it takes all the fun away from enjoying tea. distracting.

get 1 gaiwan

+1

For now just get one gaiwan, probably not a glass/thin one. That is what I did and I haven't found a need to get more pots yet...

I have a small Cthulu and a baby raccoon that my roommate freaks about when it sneaks into our apartment. It be interesting to see their offspring....

[tjkoko_off]

In the near future I'll order a gaiwan and some good tea - with brewing instructions - from Jing Tea Shop.

There's some talk about YiXing clay absorbing certain components of the tea brew itself. Therefore, since most gaiwans are porcelaine lined, shouldn't YiXing tea be served therefore in unlined cups? Lined cups? I suppose then I'll need to find out for myself the optimum combination for brewing and imbibimg.

[Vulture]

In the near future I'll order a gaiwan and some good tea - with brewing instructions - from Jing Tea Shop.

Brewing instructions for blacks and oolongs: Toss some tea leaves into gaiwan, boil water and pour some into the gaiwan. Count to 20 and then put into a cup. Done!

Greens and whites need a certain temperature water and timing but other than that its simple enough. It is not rocket science, even if I mess something up I enjoy the unique flavor (unless its horrifically bad).

Some teas taste better using a Yixing Clay Pot but that is a whole other subject. Yixing pots save flavors of the teas brewed in them. The people who use them, use them for one Type or even region of tea. That adds up to a few pots so stick with the one gaiwan for now.

[Chip]

In the near future I'll order a gaiwan and some good tea - with brewing instructions - from Jing Tea Shop.

There's some talk about YiXing clay absorbing certain components of the tea brew itself. Therefore, since most gaiwans are porcelaine lined, shouldn't YiXing tea be served therefore in unlined cups? Lined cups? I suppose then I'll need to find out for myself the optimum combination for brewing and imbibimg.

I see the advantage of unlined Yixing pots, but I do not for Yixing cups, once the tea is in the cup, change does not seem advantagous.

In the near future I'll order a gaiwan and some good tea - with brewing instructions - from Jing Tea Shop.

Brewing instructions for blacks and oolongs: Toss some tea leaves into gaiwan, boil water and pour some into the gaiwan. Count to 20 and then put into a cup. Done!

Greens and whites need a certain temperature water and timing but other than that its simple enough. It is not rocket science, even if I mess something up I enjoy the unique flavor (unless its horrifically bad).

And yet many people dedicate their very lives to further understanding tea, in all aspects, but this includes brewing.

How far or how dedicated one wants to be is a personal choice. For soome, tea is a simple pleasure and process. That is great. But for others it is so much more, and that is inspiring.

Just sayin'

BTW, since I am not dedicated to brewing in Yixing especially since I drink mostly greens, I like to have a selection of gaiwan to choose from.

[Janine]

In the near future I'll order a gaiwan and some good tea - with brewing instructions - from Jing Tea Shop.

There's some talk about YiXing clay absorbing certain components of the tea brew itself. Therefore, since most gaiwans are porcelaine lined, shouldn't YiXing tea be served therefore in unlined cups? Lined cups? I suppose then I'll need to find out for myself the optimum combination for brewing and imbibimg.

I mostly use a gaiwan at home. Sometimes I use a glass pot - a fairly good size - from Bodum that is actually in the shape of a gaiwan if I want to watch the leaves swirl and get a good idea of what some teas are doing.

I really should get a good yixing pot and start already after all these years. (I have a couple which I think are not so good.)

Regarding the cups: it's a good idea to use white porcelain cups. I recommend what I suppose we could call standard white porcelain tasting cups (which you can find from many vendors). This way you observe the tea better. The pure white glaze gives you a good background from which to view the color of the brew; it's easy to notice differences this way. The thin cups give you a good idea of the temperature. I happen to love celadon as well.

[tjkoko_off]

FYI I already own porcelain lined 1 oz YiXing cups gotten from Sensational Teas of Oregon and those cups should suffice. Also from ST I own a couple of 3 oz unlined cups perhaps for that unlined YiXing experience as well!

[Janine]

You, know, after having surfed many many threads here, the information is daunting and overwhelming. So I'm gonna' order a simple, hand painted gaiwan or two from Jing Tea Shop.

This, IMO, is an excellent idea koko.

Simple pleasures teach much complexity, Koko say.

True.

Then I may get a YiXing down the road. You know, keeping it simple.

A good plan, in my opinion.

Regarding brewing in a gawian: traditionally one sips from the gaiwan. However, a lot of us out here in the West (and perhaps around the world AFAIK) brew in the gaiwan and then pour into a pitcher or cup. To sip from a gaiwan, you hold it with the four fingers of the left hand underneath the saucer, thumb on top of the cup (assuming you're right-handed), and you hold the lid with your right, slide it back a crack and sip from the opening. You may use the lid to push back the tea to the opposite side of the gaiwan first.

To pour - you open the lid slightly to block the leaves. I usually hold the gaiwan in one hand, thumb over the top of the lid to keep it in place. But you wil just have to practice and see what works for you! There are loads of people here to give you advice for procedures once you get that gaiwan! Enjoy and have fun! There are also videos to watch on YouTube.

From one Cal grad to another

[tjkoko_off]

BA French 1976 UCB!