Preferred size for a Kyusu

[Cha Nacho]

I'm thinking of purchasing my first kyusu for japanese/korean greens after a long run with Chinese green tea. I've noticed most Kyusus seem to hold between 8 to 10 oz in volume, with a few much smaller around 4-5 oz. Just wondering if people have a preference in size and why? Thanks for any insight!

[Chip]

If I only had one, 270 ml would be it. Very versatile size. Generally, I like to fill a kyusu around 3/4 full or less. Most than that, after the pour there is a lot of leaf on the lid which has to be washed down during refilling. Most steeps are 200 ml for me.

So figure your optimum steep size and do the math. They tend to come in 210, 240, 270, 300, etc.

[debunix]

I just bought my first kyusu this week (a 6 oz 'premium sencha teapot' from denstea.

I got the smallest I could easily find, as I have done with pots and gaiwans for my other teas, because at home I am generally brewing for one person, like teas that withstand multiple infusions, and would rather drink smaller portions of several teas than a large volume of one tea. So the quart teapot has been donated to goodwill, the pint pot gets pulled out for herbal teas where I often brew larger volumes, and my most used teapots are a group of 60 mL/2 oz yixing pots and a some 80mL gaiwans, and I'd love to find a set of even smaller gaiwans for comparative tastings of several teas.

For the japanese teas, where fewer infusions are my norm, the 6 oz seems a very reasonable compromise.

[Chip]

It really comes down to how much you will brew in it. I have bigger and smaller, 270 seems like a good size to have, can't go wrong with it.

I just bought my first kyusu this week (a 6 oz 'premium sencha teapot' from denstea.

The white one with Den's logo on it? Have that one, very nice and is used for mostly premium sencha.

[Cha Nacho]

Hmm, interesting info. Thank you Chip and Debunix, I think my with what you have both said in mind my poll is a bit on the vague side... Nevertheless getting your opinions is the useful part. I like that idea of steeping 200mls in a 270ml pot, I hadn't considered filling it partially, but it makes sense for convenience. The next question is finding the right accompanying chawan/yunomi. What is most ideal for sencha?

[Maitre_Tea]

filling it in partially can be tricky, especially since leaves can stick on the sides after you pour the tea out, but I guess you could hit the sides with water on the second pour to get the leaves down.

[Proinsias]

I don't imagine you can go far wrong with 270ml but much like debunix, I like small stuff. I love my 60ml gaiwan, my ~120ml yixing pots and my 120ml kyusu.

I find it's good for two sometimes. If a friends comes around we can have two steeps of Japanese green each then try another tea.

[Chip]

filling it in partially can be tricky, especially since leaves can stick on the sides after you pour the tea out, but I guess you could hit the sides with water on the second pour to get the leaves down.

... careful pouring ... and Swirl after refilling ... Fill too full, you have leaf everywhere including much of the lid. Plus as you pour, it can also seep through the juncture of the pot and lid.

It comes down to preferences I guess.

[debunix]

.

I just bought my first kyusu this week (a 6 oz 'premium sencha teapot' from denstea.

The white one with Den's logo on it? Have that one, very nice and is used for mostly premium sencha.

Exactly the one. My inexpensive chinese glass teapots of similar size have integral strainers that are easily and quickly clogged by the fine leaves of the japanese teas, and pours are so slow that it does alter brewing times. This one is splendid for exactly that very finely chopped tea leaf.

And I do rinse the lid as I pour in more water for the 2nd or 3rd infusions, because some leaf almost always ends up there.

[cupioneer]

If you're only getting one, you might as well make it big. It's far more versatile. Going smaller only restricts you, and if you ever serve tea for others, you're going to wish you had a bigger one.

What I usually do is cool my water in the same cup I drink out of, so I can effectively measure the amount. If you have various sizes of cups, it works great!

[Tead Off]

Hmm, interesting info. Thank you Chip and Debunix, I think my with what you have both said in mind my poll is a bit on the vague side... Nevertheless getting your opinions is the useful part. I like that idea of steeping 200mls in a 270ml pot, I hadn't considered filling it partially, but it makes sense for convenience. The next question is finding the right accompanying chawan/yunomi. What is most ideal for sencha?

I think your question can only be answered by you and what your drinking style is or will be. If you are drinking alone or with another, a smaller pot allows you an intimacy of frequent tastings in smaller cups. If you typically drink with others, family style, then a larger pot will probably be more practical.

Good tea is also expensive. If you are drinking alone and want large cups of premium tea, the tea will be used quite fast, especially if you are using approximately 1g per 30ml ratio of tea to water.

I have smaller kyusu, 50-140ml. I also have a large 240ml or so. I use the smaller ones constantly. Better brews, IMO, as the concentration of both flavor and aroma seem more powerful and satisfying to me.

Up to you...........

[Dresden]

My kyusu is 320ml. I got the larger one because it's the only one I'm getting for a while. I figure it's better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it. I like the large size so that I can brew up a batch for tasting when I'm introducing people to quality tea.

[olivierco]

I have been brewing my Japanese greens in houhins (3 to 4 oz) for some months now but I tend to drink small cups of tea.
As other wrote, it will depend on the amount of tea you like to drink.

[Cha Nacho]

Hi everyone, thanks for your input. The kyusu will primarily be for my own consumption. I think something that I can get about 200 mls out of would be fine. I'm used to using a gaiwan thats about 100 mls. But with Japanese tea I like the idea of having a slightly bigger cup which will give me three nice infusions, and each one lasts a bit longer.

[Chip]

Hi everyone, thanks for your input. The kyusu will primarily be for my own consumption. I think something that I can get about 200 mls out of would be fine. I'm used to using a gaiwan thats about 100 mls. But with Japanese tea I like the idea of having a slightly bigger cup which will give me three nice infusions, and each one lasts a bit longer.

If you want to get 200 ml steeps, then as I mentioned above, I would recommend 240, 270, 300 ml. 270 is ideal for 200 ml steeps imho and by my experience.