Saturday TeaDay 8/08/09 Early Teaware bad choices?

[Chip]

Greetings one and all. Welcome to TeaDay. Please do stop in and share what is in your cup today.

Yesterday we discussed, "When you BEGAN drinking TEA seriously, did you make bad TEA purchases that you regretted?" You can still vote and discuss yesterday's topic.

Today's TeaPoll and discussion topic. When you BEGAN drinking tea seriously, did you make bad TEAWARE purchases that you regretted? Please share with us.

I am looking forward to sharing this TeaDay with everyone. Bottoms up.

[Salsero]

Maybe not bad purchases exactly, but I have some nice big pots that I never use ... oh, and a tea cozy! Jeez, what am I ever going to do with a tea cozy?

[olivierco]

No bad choices but I gave friends some teaware I didn't use anymore.

Ippodo shincha this morning.

[Maitre_Tea]

When I first got into drinking tea I was studying abroad in China, and although I was in the motherland of tea, I wasn't really learning too much about brewing technique or what have you. All I knew was that Yixing was the way to go, and that I needed some. I wasn't aware of TeaChat at the time, and I didn't know about the sizes I should you get, what clays are suitable with what tea, etc.

All I knew was that one teapot = one tea (which isn't true, IMO), and there are 10 famous Chinese teas, so I got 6 teapots, 4 dedicated to the non-green famous teas, and two more to others I can't remember. They were big, almost 250 ml in my opinion, so pretty useless for my needs now. They were a pretty nice deal though, about $45 for the entire lot.

I shipped them all back to the states, and I haven't unwrapped them from the triple-layer of bubble wrap, because I finally learned that smaller = better, and as a student, I would be moving soon so I decided to wait until I move out.

I'm curious to look at them when that happens, because I'm sure I can see how crappy they are, or they'll surprise me with nice quality clay, but even then they're still useless with their large size. For the time being, they're going to be put into a display case, as a display-only pot. They're really gorgeously decorated.

Not to drag on, but I have a smaller Zisha Yixing that I bought last year, which I was going to dedicate to DC. Found out that DC needed something smaller, so it's just collecting dust. I hope it goes well with Sheng Pu when I go down that route.

[Victoria]

No, no bad teaware choices. But too much of it to be sure. I wish I had been more discriminating rather than buying so much, concentrated on better quality pieces. Again I chalk it up to the learning curve.

[olivierco]

Houjicha with my lunch. Brewed in the first kyuusu I bought, a 240ml (8 oz) white porcelain one.

[Drax]

I've bought a few items that I don't use, or wasn't quite aware of the real quality until I got it in person. I've got one yixing pot that's more like terra cotta, and I've got a couple gaiwans that are both larger than I need, and not-so-great quality. But that's about it, which has been nice. I've got a few other teapots that are mid-quality, that I might consider upgrading now, but they've got such nice patinas going!

I had a wonderful night's sleep... 10 hours! ahhhh. This morning, TKY all the way!

[gingkoseto]

In my very early tea life, all purchases were made in physically existing stores and they were all fine. Besides, in old days in people's mind (probably both buyers and sellers), there was no such a thing as adding unpleasant chemicals pigments to tea wares, and fake products were much fewer - unlike today's market!

I am never a big tea ware buyer and so far only buy necessary and affordable stuff. But I did goof for a couple of times and ended up with bad teapots - one I put it on shelf as decoration, and another one I leave it in basement and hope nobody sees it The big yixing fans I know all say, you have to pay tuition to be a wise buyer (especially true in yixing market)

Maybe we can have a thread on tea accessories board for "bad tea ware"?

My tea day starts with great ambition and I am thinking how many new tea packs I am going to open today

[Chip]

1999. Bad teaware, maybe, bad choices definitely.

I actually have some pretty good quality stuff from back then including Iwachu Tetsubins, a Jaenier glass killer kool teapot to name a few, BUT everything was sooo big and has sat idle for 10 years. If they were not such cool pieces, I would have given them away.

But I also bought some crap in my desire to support local business. Include in this list gimungus, heavy mugs that even then after a couple uses, I realized this is not the way to go for tea unless I was trying to gain upper body mass as I drank my tea.

Began the TD with Yutaka Midori from O-Chaaaaa. SweeTea slurped up some while Fuji- San ran around with endless energy and no tea.

[Teasing]

I bought pots that were too big because I thought they were pretty. Oh well!

[Carl]

No bad teaware yet...that may change with more time, but so far everything has proven to work as described or better.

I have been surprised by some purchases - nuances that have delighted me that didn't show up in the photos.The way the design of a piece (a chawan) guided one to have a good tea experience, and just felt 'right', providing extra substance beyond appearance.

Tea this morning, my first pu-erh: Lao Mansa Sheng Pu-Erh from Norbu Tea. A very good introduction (I think). Especially enjoyed the mouth feel and the lingering sweet after taste. So far - infusion six and no obvious lessening of flavor!

[brlarson]

Bad teaware choices were definitely part of my TeaJourney.

My first teaware purchase was one that I stopped using and I will probably give it away. It's a glass teapot with a plunger -- it seemed like such a good idea at the time. Well, my days of crushing good oolong are over.

I also have a so-called Yixing gaiwan which I like but I haven't used for a long time. I wasn't a bad teaware purchase, but it's a little too big and I have much better brewing tools now. I might give it away too.

BTW, Hibiki-an has a limited offering of tencha. I ordered some and thought I should mention it to my fellow Tea Cats. This will be my first tencha.

I'm starting the day with dancong! a fragrant sample of Jing Zhu from Hou de.

[geeber1]

Maybe not bad purchases exactly, but I have some nice big pots that I never use ... oh, and a tea cozy! Jeez, what am I ever going to do with a tea cozy?

"Never trust a man who, when left alone in a room with a tea cozy, doesn't try it on." ~Billy Connolly

Having a limited budget has made me very careful about my teaware purchases but I still have a few boo-boos.

No tea in my cup yet, but that will soon be changed!

[Victoria]

Started the day with Japanese Black Koucha from Yuuki-cha, then since my headache was unceasing brewed up some FF Sungma from Camellia Sinensis.

Not sure the lack of tea, or my neighbor's ceaseless tile cutting is causing this headache, but I am suspecting the latter.

[hop_goblin]

I have had crappy purchases but never a bad experience. There is nothing wrong with obtaining knowledge.