Friday TeaDay 2/12/10 TeaPot analysis continues?

[Chip]

Greetings Tea aficionados! Welcome to another TeaDay. Please come in and share what is in your cup throughout the day.

Yesterday we discussed tea brewing vessels that we frequently use, at least once a week. You can still vote and discuss yesterday's topic.

Today's TeaPoll and dicussion topic. We are going to continue with the topic already started. So, if you did not already, answer yesterday's topic and/or vote ... then continue with today's.

OK, bear with me, I am going somewhere with this series of topics. How many different individual tea brewing vessels would you use in the course of an entire month? Please share some details. Oh, and for the Matcha heads, include Chawan-s!

I am looking forward to sharing this TeaDay with everyone!

[Trey Winston]

Just one. Still keeping the teaware interest at arm's length.

Inter-species warfare is the order of the day in Palazzo Trey. The carpenter ants have to go. Seems I'll have to turn to chemical warfare. Happily, the Geneva convention is only applicable in wars between humans, so I'm on firm ground legally. Well, at least until I break out the DDT, which I'm hoping I won't have to (also, I don't have any. Don't tell the ants).

It turns out that White Peony is just the thing when you're in the trenches. Who'da thunk it.

[Selaphiel]

4-5. Probably 4 on average.

My precious Tokoname Kyusu
Two different Yixing pots
My glass 250ml pot for smoked tea
My Chawan (This I do not use every month since I do not have Matcha every month)

Having my daily dose of Wen Shan Bao Zhong oolong now. Soon out of that tea now, but that is ok considering that I have a package incoming from o-cha

[Proinsias]

hmmm, around 8 I think.

2 gaiwan, 1 kyusu, 1 chawan and maybe 4 yixing.

[Jasmin]

About 9. That includes a small teapot I only use for the kids and 2 cups that I sometimes brew the tea in directly.
Right now just drinking some herbal tea.

[LauraW]

I went with 8 again. The same 8 from yesterday. To recap:
1 mug at work (steeping in the mug)
Home: 2 teapots (1 stainless steel, 1 porcelain)
1 gaiwan
1 IngenuiTEA
3 mugs used with a stainless steel infuser

This setup pretty much covers everything as far as brewing vessels. I have a couple other teapots, but I can't remember the last time I used them. Ok, I can for one, but its only use lately has been to hold water for my gaiwan, so it doesn't really count (it's a little smaller than the others, so if it's gaiwan-for-one, I don't need quite as much water as making tea for 2-3 people).

Caramel Delight again this morning - had to take my work-tin back home to be refilled yesterday. Best reuse of sample tins I've found yet, since I don't want to bring the entire 4oz container to work - then I won't have any at home!

[Seeker]

Very, very hard to answer this one.
I put 10, but a total guess.
Sometimes, I use the same chawan over a course of days.
Other times I change daily.
Haven't gotten to tea yet - matcha soon.

[olivierco]

Four houhins. One gaiwan. Three kyuusu. Six chawan.
So 14 at least. It could be up to 20 some months.

Kanro gyokuro this evening.

[Janine]

I can't count. Many gaiwans (I collect designs I love)... many different teapots... I have no idea honestly. Lately I'm brewing in a large glass pot (oh throw stones if you will) and occasionally a gaiwan which I pick according to what I feel would be best. Sometimes I use a very thick glass pot which is shaped like a kyusu, doesn't hold much but I like it sometimes for puerh or a strong black tea. I know, not too helpful.

Today no tea yet!!!

[Chip]

In a month typically, 7 different kyusu-s, around 8 chawan-s, a gaiwan or two, glass gong fu pot ... I guess 17 or 18 in a typical month.

Began the TD with some Yutaka Midori from O-Cha. SweeTea predictably wanted a fair share while Lil Bit, Gandalf, Pyrit, Lili crowded the TeaTable this morning. And currently Den's Shin-ryoku asamushi.

[brian]

Den's Shin-ryoku here this morning as well. A bit over 6 grams (finishing up one of my samples) in a 9 oz. kyusu, first 3 infusions were similar in character, the 4th was an entirely different animal -- the grassy and vegetal flavors were subdued, and there was a lot more sweet flavor. Pretty nice actually. I infused a 5th time (boiling water, about 3 minutes), but didn't get much from it except "weak tea" flavor, and it ended up getting cold rather than consumed.

Newbie question, is that pretty typical sencha behavior? A couple of infusions of pretty classic sencha flavor, then a sweet one before it goes?

[Chip]

Den's Shin-ryoku here this morning as well. A bit over 6 grams (finishing up one of my samples) in a 9 oz. kyusu, first 3 infusions were similar in character, the 4th was an entirely different animal -- the grassy and vegetal flavors were subdued, and there was a lot more sweet flavor. Pretty nice actually. I infused a 5th time (boiling water, about 3 minutes), but didn't get much from it except "weak tea" flavor, and it ended up getting cold rather than consumed.

Newbie question, is that pretty typical sencha behavior? A couple of infusions of pretty classic sencha steps, then a sweet one before it goes?

Yes! It is fairly common with a good sencha to have 2-3 more classic sencha flavored taste steeps, then much more sudude "tea water" from the later steeps that can be quite sweet!

I will usually go for 5-6 steeps with a good sencha as I quite enjoy the evolution in tastes! And I drink the lasts steeps very casually. The later steeps can be brewed with hotter and hotter water, the last one can be brewed with boiling water.

[TubbyCow]

Depends on how many yixings I use, but quite a few. Sometimes I feel the desire to simplify and get rid of a few of my less used teapots, but I like having the options. Gaiwan, a couple yixings, my 2-cup teapot, my 1-cup teapot, and when I make iced tea for the husband, my 6-cupper.

American Tea Room's Yame Gyokuro in my cup today. Not even remotely anywhere close to being within my tea budget, but it sure is dern tasty.

[artmom]

Three teapots; one bone china English, two French (from around the 1930s), one is a little metal red one that I love looking at and the other is a pottery one with an unusual chrome "cozy" that is built onto the teapot. I'll try to take a photo if anyone is interested.

Cups w/strainer or infuser; ingenuiTea.

So I answered 5.

This morning I had Red Peach (oolong). Love just the hint of smokiness in it.

[cls46]

I pretty much use the same three things over and over again. Valentines today