Friday New TeaDay 6/22 What's your favorite brewing vessel?

[Chip]

It is official, this is a TeaParty Weekend on TeaDay today. Wow, hard to believe it is already Friday. Welcome one and all, it is BYOT, but be prepared to share with everyone else what is in your cup.

Come one, come all, come often and share your cup. If you come in late, reflect back for us.

Today's TeaPoll and source of discussion. Your favorite brewing device. Please bear with me, because I cannot come close to listing them all. So vote and then as you share your cup with us, also share what your favorite brewing vessel is and something about it. Include photos if you desire, it is always interesting to 'See' what you are talking about, especially TeaWares!

We are looking forward to sharing this TeaDay with ... everyone. Bottoms up!

[Xell]

For now it's Petr's shiboridashi, use it almost all the time. But when i figure out how better to wash kyusu and can get a decent, really thin 100-140ml kyusu i think i switch back.

edit:
Thought i'll add a photo too

shibo.jpg (47.67 KiB) Viewed 5773 times

[sriracha]

I voted kyusu as I think they are the ones that get the most use in my house.

I have a new one I'd like to show but that will have to be later, when I, the pot and the camera are all in one place at the same time.

My first and only tea today was a large cup in which I put two bags of Lipton-no Yellow label, though.

[AdamMY]

Choun Hohin by Adam Yusko, on Flickr


Used to be my favorite by a long shot, now there are a few that are closing the gap but this is still my favorite. Runners up include:


Dreaming of a White Christmas by Adam Yusko, on Flickr


Gyokko Yohen, and Seigan SO by Adam Yusko, on Flickr

Oddly enough in the same category.

[debunix]

My first shibo, and still my favorite, because it's gorgeous, and because of the stunning effect it has had on a very nice tea:


Petr Novak Wood-fired shino shiboridashi - 16 by debunix, on Flickr

I liked it so much that when I thought it was hopelessly broken, I commissioned another pair from Petr, and then tried to put it together again--and succeeded, though it still needs some fine sanding and gold-shellac or epoxy stuff to make it prettier again.

It's the vessel in question here:

"My anticipation was great this morning as I opened the newly arrived package of this tea from Norbu. A sample of this tea gave me one of my best tea experiences ever when I first tried it a month ago, but between then and now, my beloved shiboridashi broke, and my first attempt at brewing the same tea in another vessel was slightly disappointing compared to the first transcendent experience. My first attempt at repairing the shibo was not entirely successful—there was a slow leak—but I decided to try it this morning for the GZZS anyway, because it was a SLOW leak, and magic happened again…..I am drinking a meadow of spring flowers." The tea here is Gu Zhu Zi Sun 2011 Spring Zhejiang green tea from Norbu.

[SilentChaos]

But when i figure out how better to wash kyusu and can get a decent, really thin 100-140ml kyusu i think i switch back.

I'm in a dystopian nightmare of constantly washing and wiping out the same single kyusu.

[Xell]

But when i figure out how better to wash kyusu and can get a decent, really thin 100-140ml kyusu i think i switch back.

I'm in a dystopian nightmare of constantly washing and wiping out the same single kyusu.

Need only to remove used leaves, with shibo i can do this in one move. I think i can wash kyusu quite well now, but first need to get a good one. Not anytime soon, those little things do cost a lot

I think 80-90ml tea portion is about how much i want usually, drink while it's hot and enjoy all taste, then aftertaste for a while, repeat 5-8times or so. This way can enjoy tea for long time while doing something else and not drinking too much liquid.

[SilentChaos]

I tend to try wiping out my kyusu after washing to remove any residual stuff from the previous tea to make sure I get a clean taste of the next tea. Maybe I'm just paranoid from my experience of the first time ever I've cleaned a kyusu properly.

[Poohblah]

I just toss the leaves into compost and rinse my kyusu out, then leave the lid off to let it dry. It smells very pleasantly of tea after a year of light/moderate use.

I think kyusu look the best and are the most fun to use, so I voted for that. But in terms of what I use most frequently, gaiwan, thermos, and ceramic teapot all see heavier use. They are more convenient and I can use them for more things than sencha.

[IamnotHerbert]

I put in my vote for an ingenuitea type device, though the only other method I've ever really used is a "mesh ball" so I've got very little to weigh it against. I'd like to start experimenting with different methods, and I'll likely be purchasing a gaiwan in the near future as it seems to be a fairly cost-effective "next step."

[Lerxst2112]

Ahh well, I just have a gaiwan and a little porcelain teapot for now... of the two, I think I use the gaiwan more - though that may change once the weather cools, and I go back to hotter brewing of pu-erh and the like; which is what the teapot is for.

[iannon]

This little kyusu is my most often used piece during Japanese sencha season anyway

[JRS22]

My 150 ml Tokoname kyusu is my most used piece of teaware, but my favorite is my shiboridashi set from O-Cha. All parts are just the right size and shape. The shib brews an excellent largish portion of gyo. The yuzamashi is the same size, so it's easy to pour the water back and forth to preheat the shib and cool the water. Then the yuzamashi holds the brewed tea so both cups are the same. Writing this makes me want to restock gyo. I probably should give up on waiting for the gyo OTTI and just order another bag (or two).

[Chip]

I probably should give up on waiting for the gyo OTTI and just order another bag (or two).

It will happen, likely several gyokuro OTTI rounds ... that was and is still the plan. But this will not likely happen til Autumn or Winter. I am sure this would have happened last year, but did not after the disasters.

But please do buy some gyokuro as the mood strikes! Or to keep the gyokuro hardware in shape!

[vacuithe]

Petr's shibo too !