Diff cup size & thickness - Diff experience

[auhckw]

I have this thick glass cup which fills up about 200ml of tea. Normally I used this when I am alone. So per infusion, I just need to fill this cup once and drink all the way.

Recently I bought some standard small thin glass teacups. I noticed that if I drink from these cups, I feel that the taste seems to be better.

Now the question is, do you feel that cup sizes and thickness makes a different in the tea experience? As in when our lips touches the cups, it will affect the taste?

[rabbit]

Of course it does, that is why wine glasses come in different sizes and shapes as well. The different cups and teapots all create different flavors and smells in the tea experience, you just need to mix and match (using a few basic principles) and find which methods you like the most for each type of tea... and always keep experimenting.

[Victoria]

Most definitely! As Rabbit points out above this a big part of wine appreciation. I am learning as I go along also what cups are best with what teas. I have learned the basic shape that is best with the majority of what I drink, so that is a factor when I buy.

[Alex]

Yeah i think sub 80ml thin cups have that real spring board flavour thing going on. Plus you probably take in more air maybe? the feel on the lip is more alerting when its thin and crisp over a fat round cup lip.

Big cups can also make you feel a little over faced plus you dont get that bottom of the cup aroma as much.

I'm probably taking out my arse a little so feel free to tell me to shut up.

For swaging tea down I use a 120ml for tasting it properly and chilling at my tea table I use 60ml. The 60 ml are so much nicer.

[britt]

Different cup sizes, shapes, materials, weight, and thickness do all seem to affect the taste. Yesterday I received a very small gaiwan travel set along with a very good tea sampler. I was initially rather annoyed at how small the cups were; 1/2 ounce each (15 ml). These are really miniature cups and require carefull aiming even when using a pitcher. However, they are also very light, thin porcelain. I decided to use the set as it was intended, and although initially impatient with having to fill a 1/2 ounce cup 5 or 6 times from one brew, I soon became convinced that there may be something to using a small, high-quality gaiwan and miniature cups. I was pretty surprised at how quickly I adapted and to just how enjoyable the whole process was. Of course, something must also be said for the quality of the teas in the sampler.

[tingjunkie]

I soon became convinced that there may be something to using a small, high-quality gaiwan and miniature cups.

Yep. Agreed. My general rules are; thick, shallow, and wide for puerh, small and eggshell thin for oolong. Porcelain or glazed ceramic. Antique when possible.

[the_economist]

Yep. Agreed. My general rules are; thick, shallow, and wide for puerh, small and eggshell thin for oolong. Porcelain or glazed ceramic. Antique when possible.

i am liking this pair of rules!

[debunix]

A big problem with bigger cups is that unless the tea is relatively cool brewed, you have to wait a while for it to cool enough to drink, an this extended wait can affect the flavor, independent of additional changes in flavor during the longer time between brewing and finishing drinking that volume of tea at whatever temp--unless you are thirsty enough to gulp it, the flavor will change even you start sipping right after the infusion.

Sometimes that's good, sometimes not so good.