Shouzhen Zisha teapots

[bagua7]

Which do you recommend purchasing as a one-off purchase. Good quality that could be dedicated to various varieties of the same tea; i.e. oolongs. Instead of buying cheaper stuff for just one particular subtype; i.e. Li Shan.

Cheers.

[tortoise]

Shouzen doesn't even come up when I search for it. It's an online vendor I assume? Do you have a link?

[bagua7]

Oops! Typo

[tortoise]

I wish I could help you, but I am no yixing vet. I love the yixing gaiwans, though. Super-cool.

[theory]

I can't make specific recommendations, sorry. Its too much an individual decision. I say pick a shape you like, a clay you like, a size you like and go! And then, of course, share pictures.

I did just go visit their website (its your fault!) and am now coveting the zi ni Shui Ping on page 3 of the <200mls. But thats my taste

[tingjunkie]

Which do you recommend purchasing as a one-off purchase. Good quality that could be dedicated to various varieties of the same tea; i.e. oolongs. Instead of buying cheaper stuff for just one particular subtype; i.e. Li Shan.

Are you asking if it's better to buy one good quality pot to use for all oolongs, instead of several cheaper pots to use for each variety of oolong? Or, are you asking for advice on which particular pot to buy from http://www.zishateapot.co.uk/?

Since oolong varieties can be so completely different from each other, I don't think it makes sense to use one Yixing pot for all of them. In fact I think it's a downright bad idea. Young sheng puerh, aged sheng, and cooked shou puerh are also very different from eachother, and I can't imagine using the same pot for any of those three either.

Unfortunately, you can't just pick a pot and predetermine what tea to pair it with without real life testing. If you go by looks alone, sometimes you might think a particular pot would suit jade TGY, only to find out it's much better for high fire TGY, or even Wuyi. I wish Yixing pots were like a blank canvas which could be trained to match a particular tea just by using it for a while, but it's just not so.

If you are serious about investing in a good Yixing pot for your favorite tea variety, I would suggest browsing Jing or China Flair and reading what pots they suggest for that type of tea. Both places usually seem right on with their pairing advice. Also, read up on the Official Yixing thread here to see what patterns you can discover with regards to the tea/pot pairing choices of other members.

Honestly, if you don't like using a gaiwan, the best pot to use for many different teas would be a porcelain one. Dragon Tea House on eBay has some decent looking ones. I know it won't have the mystique and seasoning potential of Yixing, but it would save you getting a pot you'll only outgrow within a year or two and give you a chance to save up for a pot that you'll still be using a decade or two down the road.

[theory]

If you are serious about investing in a good Yixing pot for your favorite tea variety, I would suggest browsing Jing or China Flair and reading what pots they suggest for that type of tea. Both places usually seem right on with their pairing advice. Also, read up on the Official Yixing thread here to see what patterns you can discover with regards to the tea/pot pairing choices of other members.

+1
I really like reading the clay recommendations at jingteashop - it can lead to information overload, but its good fun. It may also prove tingjunkie's point, because looking at even 3 different anxi oolongs can get you several different (and not fully overlapping) clay recommendations.

[bagua7]

I have decided to purchase one more pot after two junk ones I purchased recently: one Taiwanese that had a synthetic smell and a wheel-thrown teapot that ended up cracking after only 2 months use. First one was very cheap and the second one overpriced ($60 US) for what it really was.

Now I am willing to spend up to $200 as long as it is the real deal.

tingjunkie, thanks for the advice. I will peruse your links.

[tingjunkie]

For $200 you should be able to get a sweet pot indeed. (Or even two if you are thrifty.) In that price range, you could also contact the Tea Gallery and see what they have in stock right now. They no longer put pots on their website, but I'm sure they'd be willing to help you out and show you a few options if you contact them.

Out of curiosity, are you looking for a pot to suit a particular type of tea?

[bagua7]

Unfortunately, I live outside US/Canada so no Tea Gallery stuff for me.

I got a just decent pot for TGY and need two more for Taiwanese teas:

1. High Mountain stuff
2. Dong Ding

Could really find recommended pots on the links you mentioned before. What two pots could I purchase adding up to $200?

Cheers.

[tingjunkie]

Taiwanese is a bit easier actually. Please check out Lu Yuh. Almost all of their pots are Taiwanese clay which work quite well for Taiwanese oolongs (go figure, huh?).

I think Dong Ding and Gao Shan are close enough that you could double up and use the same pot for both, though if you are really serious about those teas, then maybe you want one pot for each. Go for something with a rounder shape, as I think those allow the rolled oolongs to open up nicely.

If you aren't into Taiwanese clay, I'd look for something made from good quality modern zhu ni, or even high fired hong ni. I actually own this pot from China Flair, and though I have paired it with jade TGY, I think it would work equally well for Dong Ding or Gao Shan. See my review here.

[bagua7]

Thanks for the tips...one more time.

Again about the Taiwanese crowd...hmm, again different prices, different clays...this is confusing me one more time.

For the oolongs I like, what would you recommend?

About your pot and this other pot:

http://shop.luhyutea.com/Standard-Teapo ... cstrfrnt02

Almost the same...there is a huge difference in price, how come?

[tingjunkie]

Here are a few broad generalizations... Taiwanese pots are (mostly) not made from Yixing clay, but a similar type of clay found in Taiwan. The clay is far more abundant than Yixing (or at least in far less demand) and therefore usually less expensive than Yixing. The methods to make the two pots are very different as well. Yixing are usually hand molded or made completely by hand, whereas Taiwanese pots are wheel thrown. This allows the Taiwanese pots to usually have better lid fit and symmetry when compared to Yixing. From what others have told me, Taiwanese pots will season, but more slowly than Yixing.

In short, just because my pot and the Taiwanese pot you posted look a bit similar, they are completely different. This doesn't mean that a well made Taiwanese pot wouldn't do a killer job making high mountain Taiwanese teas though. In fact, if someone is only looking to spend $30 or so, I always recommend Taiwanese over Yixing, because at that price point, the Taiwanese pot (from a good vendor) will almost always be better made than the Yixing, and have less chance of containing chemically altered clay.

If I was in your situation with your budget, I would probably get the same pot as mine from China Flair, since I can guarantee it's a sweet pot for light rolled oolongs, and made from excellent Yixing clay. With the remainder of the budget, I would get a nice high fired Taiwanese red clay pot from Lu Yuh. Those pots are specifically designed for Gao Shan and should serve you well. They have a lot more stock than what is listed on their website, so I would contact Annie and see what she recommends in your budget. She won't steer you wrong. This way, you can compare and contrast Yixing vs. Taiwanese clay first hand. It would be a good learning experience, and you will wind up with two very nice and usable pots.

[britt]

In fact, if someone is only looking to spend $30 or so, I always recommend Taiwanese over Yixing, because at that price point, the Taiwanese pot (from a good vendor) will almost always be better made than the Yixing, and have less chance of containing chemically altered clay.

Excellent advice!