Looking for high-quality porcelain Kyusu or Houhin

[fire_snake]

I'd appreciate any ideas and suggestions. Must be high quality, I'm willing to pay a bit more for something good.

It would have to go well with this cup (arita):

http://www.artisticnippon.com/product/a ... unomi.html

and/or this cup (sometsuke):

http://www.artisticnippon.com/product/a ... unomi.html

Not sure if I'll need a Kyusu or Houhin. I plan on brewing high-quality Sencha mainly, and once in a while the odd Gyokuro. Perhaps I'll need one of each.

I wouldn't mind if I could get a set with matching small cups. I might use the small cups on occasion, but I'd still like the pot to go well with the larger Yunomi I posted above.

I would really be happy with a plain white porcelain set. That would probably go well with everything. Neutral material, neutral colour.

Example:

http://www.artisticnippon.com/product/k ... okuro.html

Is this good for Sencha?

Any other ideas? How about Bizen pots and cups? I assume they're not really neutral either.

Cheers,

Christian

[AdamMY]

The houhin set you linked to last is good for high quality sencha and gyokuro, though it would not go incredibly well with the Yunomi, as while I did not do the calculations on their size, I would venture the guess the hohin would only fill them about half way, which may be fine for you I do not know.

[fire_snake]

Thanks, Adam.

It appears to me that a larger Yunomi, even if half full, will amplify the experience, especially the aroma of Sencha. Have you ever experienced this?

By the way:

http://www.artisticnippon.com/product/B ... eapot.html

http://www.artisticnippon.com/product/B ... _cups.html

Beautiful. And it looks to be neutral enough, unless there's something more porous about cealadon glaze.

Christian

[David R.]

You have some beautiful porcelain kyusu here too :

http://www.maikoshop.com/kiyomizu/kyusu01.htm
http://www.maikoshop.com/kiyomizu/kyusu02.htm
http://www.maikoshop.com/kiyomizu/kyusu03.htm

[fire_snake]

You have some beautiful porcelain kyusu here too :

http://www.maikoshop.com/kiyomizu/kyusu01.htm
http://www.maikoshop.com/kiyomizu/kyusu02.htm
http://www.maikoshop.com/kiyomizu/kyusu03.htm

Perfect! Thank you. What a selection.

Christian

[Oni]

http://www.kyoto-wel.com/shop/S81078/ic ... ry_code=15
http://www.maikoshop.com/kiyomizu/teaware01.htm
Try one of these.

[betta]

I've been eyeing this set for some time, but I still couldn't find an excuse why I should buy more pots.
It's a very thin teaset!

[r.fowler]

I've been eyeing this set for some time, but I still couldn't find an excuse why I should buy more pots.
It's a very thin teaset!

I bought the pair of cups without the teapot. They are indeed v good. especially thin.

[Chip]

I've been eyeing this set for some time, but I still couldn't find an excuse why I should buy more pots.
It's a very thin teaset!

I bought the pair of cups without the teapot. They are indeed v good. especially thin.

These are very nice porcelain pieces and not prohibitively expensive ... I would love to see something similar in a nice Momiji motif (Japanese Maple). Although I did buy an older Arita set made by Fugawa (sp) ...

[edkrueger]

Two more:
https://shop.ippodo-tea.co.jp/shop/en/g ... sSeq=10168

https://shop.ippodo-tea.co.jp/shop/en/g ... sSeq=10167

I have used the second at Ippodo –its brew it your self. If I didn't prefer brewing sencha in pottery kyusu and gaiwan, I would get it.

[betta]

I would love to see something similar in a nice Momiji motif (Japanese Maple). Although I did buy an older Arita set made by Fugawa (sp) ...

That would be very nice! Both bamboo and maple motives are very soothing to my opinion.
This thread somehow builts a larger pressure to safety valve on my wallet

[fire_snake]

I'm overwhelmed by the responses. Thank you so much, everyone.

A tough decision, but for now I think porcelain will be the way to go. For now, at least.

Still a bit conflicted re Kyusu vs. Houhin, though. I'm thinking a Houhin would be better because it's suitable for both Sencha and Gyokuro, but the usual disclaimer I come across is that it's only suitable for "high quality" Sencha (and I'm guessing all types of Gyo.) I'm not sure what this means. Say, if I order Sencha from Hibiki-an, wouldn't most of the mid to high grades be of "high quality"? What would the Houhin do with "low quality" Sencha? Even the more affordable Ureshino Sencha from Japantea.org tasted positively delicious (at least I thought so) when I brewed it in a simple mug.

I have also read that a Houhin is nice because it admits a few leaf particles into the cup when decanting, which allegedly enhances the flavour. I can believe this because when I drink Sencha grandpa-style the flavour is quite robust, although one runs the risk of bitterness nearer to the bottom of the cup.

Christian

[olivierco]

I'm thinking a Houhin would be better because it's suitable for both Sencha and Gyokuro, but the usual disclaimer I come across is that it's only suitable for "high quality" Sencha (and I'm guessing all types of Gyo.) I'm not sure what this means.

As usually an high grade sencha is brewed at lower temperatures than a lesser grade sencha (see for instance the instructions give by zencha http://www.zencha.net/brewing.php), houhins are adequate to brew an high grade sencha but would be too hot to handle for lesser grades.

[Xell]

I think would be good idea first to get some simple kyusu with fine mesh, they are quite cheap and easy to use, for sure won't be a waste. You can always get houhin latter when you feel like that.

I also like yunomi shape the most and actually my most used cup cost less than 10$. Maybe i get some pieces of stoneware, i've read that they keep warmth better and not as hot to touch as porcelain pieces

[Stentor]

Fire_snake, I think you are overthinking things and are unnecessarily torturing yourself.

Simply put, you should get something that you enjoy aesthetically and consider to be the most practical for your purposes.

The difference between houhin and side-handled kyusu is pretty much only the handle. If you want a handle, get a kyusu, if you want to grip the teapot with three fingers holding down the lid with your index finger (think gaiwan) get a houhin. Houhins are usually smaller (<160 ml) but there are plenty of kyusu available in that size as well, although maybe more so those made of unglazed clay such as Tokoname than porcelain ones.
There are houhin with thicker and thinner walls just as there are side-handled kyusus with these features.
In essence, they are simply vessels that you add tealeaves and water to and then pour the infused liquor out of. There is no magic happening as far as houhin vs kyusu (of the same size) is concerned.

The reason that houhins are supposed to be used for gyokuro and high grade sencha stems from the fact that these teas are brewed using lower temperature water, which means that you can actually touch the houhin (which you need to, since it has no handle) and that houhin are usually a small size and high grade teas are usually brewed in smaller quantity. That's it.

If anybody disagrees with me, please chime in and let me know where I'm wrong!

I have also read that a Houhin is nice because it admits a few leaf particles into the cup when decanting, which allegedly enhances the flavour.

This depends on the filter and how broken up the leaves of the tea are. Most houhin use larger holes behind the spout as filters. These can let more particles of actual tea leaves through than a finer sasame (clay mesh) filter for instance. However, with lightly steamed sencha, the leaves will expand enough so that the holes will hold the leaves back anyway and you will most likely get a clear, leaf-particle-free cup of tea regardless and there is nothing wrong with this at all. With fukamushi sencha, you will get many more (maybe too many) particles in your cup the larger the filter's holes are. Therefore, most houhin are probably better suited for lightly steamed (asamushi) sencha and side-handled kyusu (given they have the relatively standard fine sasame filters) are more versatile as they will do very well with the deeper steamed teas and do equally well with asamushi.