Ode to the Kyusu

[debunix]

Gorgeous piece. And yes, it is very hard to do justice to that complex glaze with photos alone.

[Drax]

Wow... wonderful!

[ShawnP]

Wife surprised me with my first Kyusu for Christmas. Can't wait to order some Sencha now.







Shawn

[William]

Wife surprised me with my first Kyusu for Christmas. Can't wait to order some Sencha now.







Shawn

Nice! You will have beautiful sessions with this kyusu!

[Chip]

Congratulations on your first Kyusu! Hope you are able to enjoy it for years to come. Be a little extra careful during use until you get over the learning curve.

There is a topic on the different ways to hold a kyusu while pouring ...

[ShawnP]

Congratulations on your first Kyusu! Hope you are able to enjoy it for years to come. Be a little extra careful during use until you get over the learning curve.

There is a topic on the different ways to hold a kyusu while pouring ...

Thanks Chip, i will read up on it.

Shawn

[Chip]

It has been a long time since I posted photos ... life has been full of speed bumps. Since posting here last, the Kyusu fam has grown quite a bit.

Here is a humble, inexpensive, tough, smaller Tokoname Kyusu by Koshin with mogake technique. It is a great little pot though it dribbles a tiny bit.





This is one of his last ball filter Kyusu as Koshin switched to sasame since they are apparently cheaper to produce. I really like this screen as it allows a small amount of tiny particles to pass through to the cup while still being an excellent pourer.



For the price, it is hard to beat a Koshin!

[debunix]

I was just enjoying some high mountain oolong in my Koshin this morning--yours is a lovely sibling indeed!

[Chip]

I was just enjoying some high mountain oolong in my Koshin this morning--yours is a lovely sibling indeed!

I almost purchased one like yours at the time you did ... maybe I still will, cute little fella.

[Chip]

Can a Kyusu enthusiast ever feel right w/o a Hokujo Tokoname Kyusu? I don't think so. I had wanted one for years, knew I "needed" one, but kept putting it off til recently ... possibly because despite being very nice, they are always readily available.

A few months back, it was time, Artistic Nippon stocked some of these smaller ones in this interesting burnt orange hue. This one is about 240 ml.

Having used this one extensively, I find it is very user friendly and a cinch to clean due to the wide opening. It also pours perfectly though not as fast as the Koshin. And no dribbles here as it has a special thingy (technically speaking) at the tip of the spout.

This one and the above posted Hoshin share similarities on several fronts, but this is much lighter and more delicate.



I am looking for a nice Hokujo now with Mogake ... the challenge being most are too big.

[Stentor]

special thingy (technically speaking) at the tip of the spout

Yes, according to my research, that is indeed the correct technical term.

Again, love that Hokujo.

[Chip]

special thingy (technically speaking) at the tip of the spout

Yes, according to my research, that is indeed the correct technical term.

Again, love that Hokujo.

Thank you again, Stentor ... and for confirming the terminology. It is simply a slight protrusion that is very effective at totally eliminating the dribble. Some artisans use this and some do not ... which is interesting in and of itself.

[Chip]

Here is another newbie ... this one does not have the anti dribble thingy ... amazingly the Japanese artisan is an engineer, so you would think it would have all the horns and whistles to make it function optimally.

It is a "Hojo Magic Kyusu" ... I use this nick because Hojo has in the past used the term magic to describe clay effect on tea brewing, so it is a term of endearment, if you will. And this clay does have a "magical effect on tea brewing!!!

The dribble simply adds quaintness to the kyusu ... and it does show tea staining resulting from the dribbles as well as around the rim of the lid opening and on the lid edge ...

There is a rudimentary feel and look to this Kyusu and clay that is very appealing. I saw it and wanted it immediately. I did not even blink, I ordered it instantly which is unusual for me ... but in this type of offering, you almost have to grab right away or miss out ... and then hope you made the right decision the next morning.

200ml Kobiwako kyusu by Junzo Maekawa.



This one has a ball filter, though it was offered with a sesame or a wall screen as well. I quite like this ball screen as it allows just enough particles to flow through, enhancing the flavor. Here it is, easily handling fukamushi ...

[Chip]

I have noticed that Hojo is a controversial character in the realm of clay and teapots ... although I lack evidence to back this up, I have been very pleased with this clay's apparent effect on tea brewing.

For your reading pleasure from the Hojo site.

Kobiwako Clay Teapot

We found this clay near the borders of Iga and Shigaraki where it used to be at the bottom of the Biwa Lake way back 4-6 million years ago. The clay from these areas is rich in alkaline mineral such as calcium and potassium that contributes a lot to the body of a tea. In addition, Kobiwako clay is very rich in iron content and the particle size of iron exists in Kobiwako clay is very small thanks to natural decomposition. We tested a number of clays from Kobiwako area and finally we found this clay after spending more than two years of effort.

The Kobiwako clay improves the after taste as well as body. Based on our experiments, this clay is suitable for all types of tea.

[bliss]

I'd say my Kobiwako kyusu has a pretty clean pour without any dribbling. If I'm too quick it comes out of the lid of course, but that doesn't really count.

Things that really stood out to me when I got it and used it compared to previous kyusus:

• Simplicity and extremely understated (almost made me worried until I brewed up with it)
• Depressed lid-knob makes for nice ergonomic handling when placing the finger on it, besides general sexiness
• Slightly less than 90 degrees between spout and handle makes for a wonderful introvert pour-experience (!)
• No rim around the inside edge means that leaves are flushed out easily without getting caught when rinsing (sweet mother do I dislike trying to get leaves out from under a rim. I associate it with cutting my fingers on sharp tin-can rims. No likie )

Regarding the clay I've spent too little time with one single sencha to say how the clay affects the brew. I've enjoyed all the sessions with it though. Maybe I should set up an A/B-test with my non-flat porcelain shiboridashi?

My old kyusu is serving as a lovely Hojicha-device nowadays