Beginner/Cheap Yixing teapot

[Poseidon]

Hello everyone! After looking through the beautiful teapots in the show off threads on here, i have a hankering for a Yixing pot now. I have been looking around and these teapot are PRICY! Thats where your help comes in. Where are some good "deals" on yixing pots on the net? Or maybe one of you fine people have an extra you could sell to someone in "need".

So far this is the one that I am interested in because it is from Adagio,whom I trust, and is within my price range.
http://www.amazon.com/Adagio-Teas-Harbi ... gio+yixing

I understand that this isnt top quality and thats ok, I cant afford top quality. But I would love to know if anyone has this pot or can give some advice on another cheap pot.

Thanks everyone!

[bliss]

I wrote a long message here that disappeared because I switched tabs in the browser on my phone to verify a few things I was writing. Oh well, lesson learnt. I'll keep it short.

Before I purchased my first Yixing I tried to read as much as possible on the subject. Very tricky. A few things seem to universally agreed upon as far as I could tell:
1. Keep using a gaiwan as long as possible to refine brewing skill before adding the additional complexity that is clay.
2. Old "factory pots", such as from Factory 1 in the 80-90s, usually has great clay that rival most of what you can buy newly made today

This together with some buzz on here about purchases of factory pots from Tony at Origin Tea made me confident in purchasing a pot. Another pot followed last month. I'm having epic sessions with these almost every day.

So...It's not what you asked for, but why not continue another two or three months with the gaiwan until you can purchase a factory pot? They are usually between 100-150 USD I believe. This is the option I went with in this very tricky subject.

Just checked and it seems that Tony has just gotten another few pots up. I'm sure there are other places that sell factory pots as well, so should you want to go for that option people here are probably happy to fill you in on more places that offer these online.

[Alucard]

Disclosure: I am a yixing newb.

I bought two inexpensive yixing pots several years ago. What I learned is one of the pots was way too big for one person IMHO (180ml) - about the same size as the one you posted. I found both pots created a flat tasting brew regardless of tea type. I much preferred using a gaiwan. I posted pretty much the same thing here with pics.

http://www.teachat.com/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=19332

[Drax]

I concur about the size issue. Depending on what you brew, you're likely to be getting 3 to 12+ brews from the tea. Do you have any experience with gaiwan sizes so that you know roughly what volume you'd prefer?

As for options, I can't speak to the quality of any of these pots, but Puerhshop has a wide selectionof pots in the $35-50 range, with varying sizes (and shipping from the US).

Yunnan Sourcing has some pots in that price range, as well. Most of my first purchases were from there.

[guitar9876]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Authentic-Chine ... 4296607%26
I own the 50ml version of this pot and I have to say, for the price you can't beat it!

[Teaism]

They looks like newly made pots from the photo. For that price and shape appreciation is fine if you like it. If for brewing tea, make sure there is no unusual smell. Many new pots are not made from the real Yixing clay and especially for pot of that price. I would be very concern to consider it for brewing tea, personally.

Sorry if I sound a bit negative but just to share my personal opinion.

Cheers!

[tingjunkie]

Where are some good "deals" on yixing pots on the net?

Sadly, you'll need the Google time machine feature to find those. Check out the cheaper offerings from Wisdom China on eBay. There are a couple pots for less than $40 in the 100ml or less range. They are some kind of mixed clay, not pure qingshui ni, but it's real Yixing clay none the less. Skip the Adagio pot.

[chrl42]

What's struck me is that, people are missing the fact Factory-1 is among the most difficult subject in Yixing. A genuine Factory-1 pots are very rare, even pots 'made of' Factory-1 clays are rare.

You can go to famous auction to purchase 'right' antique yixings but not Factory-1. The only official Factory-1 dealer I know, stay in Yixing, but most of their pots are Fangyuan period (late-80s~) pots, it's been said Fangyuan labelled pots are not worshipped as the green-egg labelled (or before) pots.
Strictly speaking, Fangyuan labels and holygram labels are not considered to be 'Zaoqi' period.

Let's not talk too easy on Factory-1 pots....it's among the hardest to authenticate...why?

Unlike antique Yixings, Factory-1 pots....the potters stay, the clays stay and even the moulds still stay the only difference between genuine and high reproductions are 'kiln'

[bliss]

What's struck me is that, people are missing the fact Factory-1 is among the most difficult subject in Yixing. A genuine Factory-1 pots are very rare, even pots 'made of' Factory-1 clays are rare.

Thanks for the heads up, I didn't know it was that hard for people with experience.

I guess I should have added that you need to have someone who's judgement you trust to authenticate these things (random claims on eBay or Taobao is...tricky). In my case, I'm more than happy with Tony's judgement, but it is not for me to make any judgement whether he is correct or not since I have so little experience.

Cheers!

[Teaism]

What's struck me is that, people are missing the fact Factory-1 is among the most difficult subject in Yixing. A genuine Factory-1 pots are very rare, even pots 'made of' Factory-1 clays are rare.

You can go to famous auction to purchase 'right' antique yixings but not Factory-1. The only official Factory-1 dealer I know, stay in Yixing, but most of their pots are Fangyuan period (late-80s~) pots, it's been said Fangyuan labelled pots are not worshipped as the green-egg labelled (or before) pots.
Strictly speaking, Fangyuan labels and holygram labels are not considered to be 'Zaoqi' period.

Let's not talk too easy on Factory-1 pots....it's among the hardest to authenticate...why?

Unlike antique Yixings, Factory-1 pots....the potters stay, the clays stay and even the moulds still stay the only difference between genuine and high reproductions are 'kiln'

In today's context, factory 1 pots are a real treasure. In the 70s -90s there are lots and lots of them available in South East Asia. They are standard pots for rough usage for brewing tea. Many collectors still have them and the prices are shooting up. For good alternative, factory 2 pots after mid 80s is very good and there some very good factory 5 90s pots available too. My focus for collection is always from 60-90s production pots from these 3 factories, which I can happily use without missing a heartbeat thinking that is an auction piece. They were really cheap a few decades ago, and make of real Yixing clay.

Cheers!

[Poseidon]

Thanks everyone for the replys! I do have a gaiwan and use it frequently although I cant say I'm an expert by any means. As we all know, using a gaiwan is time consuming so I'm looking for a pot to speed up the process when I want a quality cup of oolong, my "coffee", in the mornings.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Authentic-Chine ... 4296607%26
I own the 50ml version of this pot and I have to say, for the price you can't beat it!

That is quite the deal! Ill pick it up to hold me over until I can afford a quality piece.

[miig]

An authentic Zisha pot for 7$.. please don't do that.
All I can do is tell you what I experienced:

I bought a couple of affordable Yixings when I got serious about tea about 8 years ago, prices were lower then.. but I still paid from 30€ - 50€ foreach. (thats about 40$ - 65$). I didn't use any of them for long because the results were totally inferior to a porcelain pot in the same shape. And yes, I did season them for months, they just didn't do good work.

So please: Either spend at the very, very least 50$ or just stick with a porcelain pot or a gaiwan.. I promise you that these will yield better results than a cheap-fake Yixing... if you compare the results of a pot THAT cheap with your porcelain pot, you will do what I did: Dismiss the cheap pot.

Certainly, it is a very special quality added to tea by good Yixing.. but cheap replacements won't do the trick at all. Just my opinion, other people may experience different things.. maybe for 50 bucks you can get something more or less decent, but for SEVEN - no way. I'm certainly not someone who knows his way around Zisha, but I'd guess that a pot which would really do what is stated in that auction would cost at least around 100$.

[Poseidon]

An authentic Zisha pot for 7$.. please don't do that.
All I can do is tell you what I experienced:

I bought a couple of affordable Yixings when I got serious about tea about 8 years ago, prices were lower then.. but I still paid from 30€ - 50€ foreach. (thats about 40$ - 65$). I didn't use any of them for long because the results were totally inferior to a porcelain pot in the same shape. And yes, I did season them for months, they just didn't do good work.

So please: Either spend at the very, very least 50$ or just stick with a porcelain pot or a gaiwan.. I promise you that these will yield better results than a cheap-fake Yixing... if you compare the results of a pot THAT cheap with your porcelain pot, you will do what I did: Dismiss the cheap pot.

Certainly, it is a very special quality added to tea by good Yixing.. but cheap replacements won't do the trick at all. Just my opinion, other people may experience different things.. maybe for 50 bucks you can get something more or less decent, but for SEVEN - no way. I'm certainly not someone who knows his way around Zisha, but I'd guess that a pot which would really do what is stated in that auction would cost at least around 100$.

I completely understand. if anything, the cheap-y pot will be a decent decoration if it sucks. Im going to be saving up for a nice yixing but until then, ol' cheapy will do. Thanks for the insight though!

[Muadeeb]

I've got a couple of those cheapo 50ml pots and they're perfect for making a small amount of tea late at night or using up the last couple grams of a bag.

[chrl42]

What's struck me is that, people are missing the fact Factory-1 is among the most difficult subject in Yixing. A genuine Factory-1 pots are very rare, even pots 'made of' Factory-1 clays are rare.

You can go to famous auction to purchase 'right' antique yixings but not Factory-1. The only official Factory-1 dealer I know, stay in Yixing, but most of their pots are Fangyuan period (late-80s~) pots, it's been said Fangyuan labelled pots are not worshipped as the green-egg labelled (or before) pots.
Strictly speaking, Fangyuan labels and holygram labels are not considered to be 'Zaoqi' period.

Let's not talk too easy on Factory-1 pots....it's among the hardest to authenticate...why?

Unlike antique Yixings, Factory-1 pots....the potters stay, the clays stay and even the moulds still stay the only difference between genuine and high reproductions are 'kiln'

In today's context, factory 1 pots are a real treasure. In the 70s -90s there are lots and lots of them available in South East Asia. They are standard pots for rough usage for brewing tea. Many collectors still have them and the prices are shooting up. For good alternative, factory 2 pots after mid 80s is very good and there some very good factory 5 90s pots available too. My focus for collection is always from 60-90s production pots from these 3 factories, which I can happily use without missing a heartbeat thinking that is an auction piece. They were really cheap a few decades ago, and make of real Yixing clay.

Cheers!

CR Qing Shui Ni has many quantity, they made vases, teapots and other sculptures in Factory-1, but they still had them left.


There are early-80s CR Qing Shui Ni shuipings with odd-looking seals (4-letter and 6-letter) on the market, some say Factory-2, some say subcontracted factories, some say Factory-1. All I can say is they are 'CR Qing Shui Ni'. Some are even attached with a green sticker (genuine). But I've heard none-Factory-1 also used that sticker. But that sticker is different from today's imitated green stickers.


During 50~70s, Factory-1 used the specific moulds and seals, plus the clays. But these early-80s SPs are just out of interpretations. My suggestion is to compare these SPs with 'Qing Yin' SP (Zini) which we understand as 'genuine' Factory-1's custom-ordered pots. Because Zini Qing Yin is also reported to be made in early-80s. Factory-1 used different moulds and had different styles of making, for different periods,

if you take 'Qing Yin' SP made in mid-70s and late-70s, what they demonstrate are just typical because other Hongni SPs made during those periods just follow the style without 'Qing Yin' carvings.

and Factory-3? I've no idea