Advice on Tea Set

[SimonRichie]

Hello, folks.

I'm about to order some tea gear, and I wanted some opinions.

I'd like to get this travel set. The gaiwan seems a nice size at 120 ml, and I like the style. My only concern is that the gaiwan has no saucer. Is the saucer necessary?

http://www.jas-etea.com/products/Red-Pl ... ezer-.html

I also want to order the 2 oz. kyusu from Den's for Japanese greens. Or would I be better off saving up for a Tokoname from Artistic Nippon? Or would I be likely to actually use both? (The Tokoname is unglazed, and needs to be dedicated to a single type of Japanese green tea, while the Den's is glazed and can be used for anything. Is that right?)

Any opinions would be much appreciated.

[iannon]

Welcome!
for me I prefer having the saucer..more of a comfort thing for me. I like having the extra layer there for figner burning protection from the bottom of the gaiwan. but thats just me.
On the 2oz kyusu..what do you plan on brewing in it? 2oz, for me, is more of a Gyokuro size pot vs a Sencha pot. I prefer a good 6 to 8oz kyusu for Sencha. (4 to 6 oz usable) I dont really worry about only using one pot for each type of japanese greens in an unglazed kyusu outide of maybe not using it for hojicha or something like that really.

[Chip]

Welcome to TeaChat!

It makes sense that a travel set would not incude a saucer for the gaiwan ... it is not a must have for traveling.

I like having the saucer, but it is not an absolute must. You can pour with it or without ... I generally hold it with a different grip if I am not using the saucer gripping at the rim versus cradling the bottom.

Regarding the 2 ounce kyusu. I have looked at that pretty many times. I personally would not likely use it for gyokuro since I like using handleless hobins or shiboridashi. But I would for travel or for tastings (thus maybe get more than one) or a small sencha brew late in the day.

I always feel you can use more than one kyusu and the 2 ouncer will be so much different than one you would get from AN ... and yeah you could brew just about anything in it since it is glazed.

You can brew most unroasted and ungrained Japanese teas in the same unglazed kyusu.

[gargoylekitty]

I have two of the 2 oz. kyusu and I can definitely say it's more suited for tastings or a quick session if you're a little short on time or don't want more than a little bit at that particular moment. I've used one to brew gyokuro before, but they mostly see sencha and do quite well(just be careful as they really, really don't need much leaf).

That said, if it's your first, I'd go for something a little bigger at least. Or both, I have those but I have bigger ones as well and use them all fairly regularly as they're all just so different that some just feel better for different sencha and different situations.

[Proinsias]

I don't find the saucer necessary at all, as far as utility goes it's pretty much the equivalent of a teapot stand in my book.

2oz does seem a little small for a kyusu, I use a 4oz kyusu for most of my Japanese green tea needs but don't think I'd appreciate anything much smaller than that.

[debunix]

Much as I love smaller pots, I can only imagine using the mini kyusus regularly for comparative tastings, where they'd be better suited for senchas than the matched gaiwans I otherwise use. I enjoy slightly larger That's why I still haven't ordered a group of them yet, despite the undeniable temptation.

[Chip]

... hmmm ... thinking out loud. I wonder if Den-San would be interested in offering a group buy for TCers on the little kyusu? I would likely buy at least 5 myself.

[SimonRichie]

Thanks for the replies.

I suppose I'll go for the set, even without the coaster, since it doesn't seem to be a deal-breaker for most people.

That 2-ouncer is just too cute to pass up, though.

(And it seems that some people actually do use it, so. . . .)

Now all I have to do is find a decent variable-temp kettle. I've read the threads, and there seems to be no consensus. Looks like the Pino or the utilitea get the most positive comments. $60, either way.

One more question, for now: Bamboo tea tools. Are they mostly for show, or do you actually use them with gaiwan or kyusu sessions? Or do they mostly come in handy only with a yixing pot?

Again, thanks. This place (you people) is (are) wonderful!

[Chip]

The only bamboo tools I generally use are bamboo scoops ... they are handy to get leaves into smaller pots with smaller openings.

To me, bamboo tools are more aesthetic than useful on a daily basis.

Oh, unless you are going to make matcha ... then a chasen is an absolute necessity.

[debunix]

Re: tea tools: I find I use my tea scoop quite often for sencha, because I try to be a little more precise about the quantity of leaf for those. Otherwise it gets used mostly as a photo prop.

And I keep my letter openers next to the tea, for their secondary use as puerh stabbers. If you collect a lot of puerh beengs, tuos, or bricks, you'll want something, but whether one made for the purpose is better than a repurposed screwdriver or other tool is not clear to me yet.

And since I haven't yet made peace with matcha, I gave my chasen away.

[SimonRichie]

Is it that you tried matcha and didn't like it?

[debunix]

Tried it and prefer other teas. None of it was horrid, but none of it was very appealing either. But I'm a bitterphobe and tea wimp and like my teas mild and dilute, mostly, so no one should write off matcha based on my experience.