Please make us small pots

[BioHorn]

Hello to fellow TC'ers.

I am posting a request to the Yixing'ites to please help us fill some demand.

We would like some nicely built 40-60 ml pots. Probably one-hole shui ping would be among the most popular. So, if you are listening and live in Yixing area, please make us some small pots with tight fitting lids. Not too cheap and not too expensive. Okay?

I am sure all those afraid to post links to their coveted potential purchases (you know, getting that great pot scooped after asking, "Hey, how does this pot look?")

If anyone else agrees with this post, please chime in! Thank you!
What do you all think is a good price point? My guess is $45- sub $100 range will get the most interest. I think many of us are pining for a better way to get our yancha fix.

There have been some great posts on clays and other aspects. I would like to thank those in China who have helped us bridge the distance a bit.



Hans

[Bob_McBob]

I'd be happy to buy a good quality pot of this size even in the $100-200 range. There is no lack of demand for higher-priced pots smaller than 100ml; when JTS posts a new batch, they are gone within days, if not hours. I know a bunch of us are using the eBay special zen8tea shui ping because it's literally the only decent small pot you can buy.

[auhckw]

This request is not hard to achieve...

Someone requested for this some time ago and I found em...

1980s Factory 1 - Zisha Teapot


But I am feeling scared about sending teapots...

[debunix]

Don't forget this cutie, if you're seeking TINY....


Tiny teapot by debunix, on Flickr

[auhckw]

When I took this photo few weeks ago... it was the one and only one left. I actually like it cause the clay, but didn't buy it cause too small for me as I rarely drink yancha.

New Age Duan Ni Teapot

[Bob_McBob]

That duan ni pot is pretty. How is the pour on it and the tiny ones?

Also, I'm curious about how you measure the volume of a pot. My standard method is to fill it to the brim, put the lid on, then pour all the contents into a graduated cylinder. Measured this way, every single pot I own holds slightly more than the vendor claimed, so I wonder how most people would do this.

[wyardley]

I like small pots quite a bit, but there is a point where a pot is so small that it's difficult to judge the amount of tea to put in it, the tea has a hard time fitting in when dry, or a hard time expanding, etc. I have owned and handled a few 40-50 ml pots, and I would really suggest being careful how small you go with teapots. I know other people really like them, but I just have a hard time recommending anything smaller than 60 or 70. And I don't drink massive quantities of tea, but even I can easily drink 10-12 rounds of tea brewed in a 70 ml pot.

Aroma in Vancouver (the Canada branch of Lam Kie Yuen) used to have some fairly small pots at not unreasonable (i.e., sub-$100) prices -- you can contact them and see if they still sell any.

[auhckw]

That duan ni pot is pretty. How is the pour on it and the tiny ones?

Also, I'm curious about how you measure the volume of a pot. My standard method is to fill it to the brim, put the lid on, then pour all the contents into a graduated cylinder. Measured this way, every single pot I own holds slightly more than the vendor claimed, so I wonder how most people would do this.

I remembered they were ok. The pots are still there, maybe i'll check them out if necessary.

I measure them by filling the pot with water up to the max. Close the lid and start pouring out.

[auhckw]

Had lunch and drop by for a quickie...

All about 40ml to 100ml range (guestimate)


PS: I have seen even 20ml teapots before but is at another teashop...

[Drax]

I also got a 40mL pot from the Dragon Tea House (different from the one that debunix linked, but similar enough). It's a great teapot.

As wyardley says, the smaller size can be difficult (to get the tea in), so a wider lid is much better if possible.

The small size is really nice for more expensive teas, or for teas that you want to do more steeps in a shorter period of time (because it shortens drinking time, not brewing time).

Although I admit I still tend to go for my 100mL gaiwan more frequently...!

[BioHorn]

After doing some searching on eBay, there is a new stock of small pots at zen8tea.

They now have a number of single hole 50 ml pots that have been circulating here on TC. The price has gone up a bit. They are now $26 shipped to the US. These are functional. While the lid may be a bit loose it does have a good pour. I have been happy with yancha I have brewed in it. Just used it two days ago to brew some aged Anxi TGY. I think for the money it is a good buy. As my memory serves me, the pour is something like 4-7 seconds.

I just filled it with water and it came out to be more like 60-65 ml. I doubt many vendors measure pot volume to more than 10 ml accuracy!

Yardly mentions size. Personally this pot has worked well for two people and three if their cups are slightly under filled. Mandarin's Tea House Three Stamp brewed great in it. I sorted out the broken bits and put them on the bottom. Later I laid the longer strips on the top. It held it all in nicely. The brew was very similar to what Tim had made for me.

I could see rolled oolong being more of an issue than open rock teas.

Regardless, my point remains that it is difficult to readily find sub-100ml pots.

Debunix. That little feminine pot looks like one DTH sells. So you have it? If so, how do you like it? Maybe a show us your sub-100 ml pots thread would be nice?

auhckw. Thanks for adding the photos of your local shop's pots. Sorry about your bad luck shipping teapots!
-------
Hmm...think I will have some yancha today!

[wyardley]

Yardly mentions size. Personally this pot has worked well for two people and three if their cups are slightly under filled. Mandarin's Tea House Three Stamp brewed great in it. I sorted out the broken bits and put them on the bottom. Later I laid the longer strips on the top. It held it all in nicely. The brew was very similar to what Tim had made for me.

I could see rolled oolong being more of an issue than open rock teas.

Some rock teas can be quite long, though. Maybe not that particular one, but I have had ones with leaves easily > 2". With heavier fired stuff, there is usually some breakage, but if you have a carefully roasted old bush cliff tea, the leaves are usually quite long.

[wyardley]

Also, I think demand is really the reason for lack of small pots, especially in the West. Yes, there are a few of us who like them, but the overall market is not interested in them. To most people, a teapot under 200 ml, let alone these 40 ml sized ones, is like a toy teapot.

I don't think it has so much to do with the relative ease or difficulty of making small pots.

It's always worth emailing vendors like Hou De, Jing, etc.; often they can sell you something that they don't have on their site.

Lau Yu Fat has some smallish (80 ml) Chaozhou pots which they'll sell, though the price is a bit high.

[BioHorn]

With heavier fired stuff, there is usually some breakage, but if you have a carefully roasted old bush cliff tea, the leaves are usually quite long.

Or like some of us here there is less than accidental breakage!

Yes, there are a few of us who like them, but the overall market is not interested in them.

I totally agree. But I think there is more interest in small pots from serious drinkers. A glance at the eBay "yixing" shows many many pots. The number that are 100ml and below is very small.

[wyardley]

A few on Skip4tea also. Really, the pots are out there if you're looking for them.