What teaware to buy for noobs?

[Tako]

Hello there, I just bought Gyokuro and Sencha and looking for decent priced teaware. Anyone know where to buy good quality priced well?

Looking for $100 limit for all my needs, something cheap as my first buy before I go full out when I'm more experienced with tea. Also would city tap water filtered with Brita *or similar* or bottled spring\distilled water taste better?

Most people I know would laugh if they caught me buying this stuff lol so it needs to be online xD sad but true

[debunix]

For Japanese green teas, Den's Tea carries a line of basic kyusu in different sizes that are often recommended. My first kyusu was from them, and served me well until I found some whose aesthetics that I preferred.

After the basic inexpensive glazed-interior Den's pots (key here as a one-fits-all for different teas is that a glazed pot carries over less flavor from tea to tea), there are lots of sources for artisan pots from inexpensive to way expensive, depending on your preferences and budgets.

I have used the kyusu I got from Tokoname.or.jp for green teas of all kinds (not just senchas), and it is lovely for most of them.

And the folks in the teaware artisans forum make some quite amazing pots & shiboridashi & houhins, many of which are quite affordable.

[MarshalN]

Or if you want something different, Petr

http://potsandtea.blogspot.hk/

Makes interesting and pretty good teaware. I bought a hobin with a cup. A bit on the big side, so ask about sizes, but I like it

[debunix]

Petr's kyusu from a TeaChat special offer is a star of my collection....

[dshu]

I'm relatively new to tea and have a Den's kyusu and a couple gaiwans and other pots. They have served me well. However, I prefer a more minimalist approach for now and would like just a single vessel for brewing all my tea. So I'm planning on getting a glazed shiboridashi by Petr as a nice one-size-fits-all pot.

[needaTEAcher]

I'd recommend anything glazed really, just pick something that makes you feel happy when you look at it! You can buy something nicer for specific teas when you know more about the teas and what kinds of teas you like. But for now, as you explore the tea world, I think it is important to find something that visually speaks to your soul!

[JRS22]

I'm relatively new to tea and have a Den's kyusu and a couple gaiwans and other pots. They have served me well. However, I prefer a more minimalist approach for now and would like just a single vessel for brewing all my tea. So I'm planning on getting a glazed shiboridashi by Petr as a nice one-size-fits-all pot.

If you're planning to switch from the kyusu to the shib for Japanese greens keep in mind that the filter in the shib is probably not as fine as a sasame filter or the SS in the Den's kyusu. You could end up with a lot of particles in your Japanese greens, which can affect the flavor.

[Alex]

Get a decent clay kyusu of around 250ml. Then a 100ml-150ml gaiwan for exploring teas. And a cup of around 120ml.

That would be the perfect starter set-up for someone currently drawn to Japanese teas.

[needaTEAcher]

Follow that last one. You can trust Totoro!!!!!!

[vacuithe]

I prefer a more minimalist approach for now and would like just a single vessel for brewing all my tea. So I'm planning on getting a glazed shiboridashi by Petr as a nice one-size-fits-all pot.

I own a Petr's shiboridashi, a glazed one. I use it every morning to brew a sencha. After a few months of use, even carefully rinced, washed and dried, my shibo really smells japanese tea.
I just could hardly imagine to brew something else in this shibo (like red teas, puerh, darjeelings, wulongs, and even chinese greens...)

[dshu]

I own a Petr's shiboridashi, a glazed one. I use it every morning to brew a sencha. After a few months of use, even carefully rinced, washed and dried, my shibo really smells japanese tea.
I just could hardly imagine to brew something else in this shibo (like red teas, puerh, darjeelings, wulongs, and even chinese greens...)

Thanks for the heads up, do you know what kind of glaze your shibo has?

[vacuithe]

No idea.
Outside glaze is Petr's "Black Magda", but inside, I don't know.


Last year, unused Shibo, inside glaze is... white !


Last week, look at the colour !

[needaTEAcher]

Do you have a shot of the outside?

[David R.]

Do you have a shot of the outside?

You'll find many here or here

[vacuithe]

here is mine (it's the most beautiful, of course