We all talk a lot about yixing and clay kyusu and porcelain gaiwans. I love my small but growing collection of clay and porcelain teaware, too, but I was wondering whether anybody around here uses something like a Piao I regularly?
A bunch of the Chinese and Taiwanese employees at my office use them, and they do seem convenient, though possibly a little more of a pain to clean than the simple glass pot I use (this one).
Re: Piao I?
I've been looking into buying one - at the moment I just use a gaiwan at work but a Piao I would be much more convenient!! 
Re: Piao I?
I've used Kamjove devices that look a lot like that: simple, practical, but not as much fun as a few well chosen pots/gaiwans/shiboridashi. I still keep one for traveling. Mine was nearly impossible to clean fully--there is a lot of surface you can't touch for cleaning, so it gets dirty looking no matter how often and how carefully you rinse it.
Re: Piao I?
I don't really see the appeal somehow - they seem a little clunky to me.
If I want to brew on the go or in a more casual way, I usually just use my Zoji themos, which has a removable basket for the tea leaves.
If I want to brew on the go or in a more casual way, I usually just use my Zoji themos, which has a removable basket for the tea leaves.
Re: Piao I?
I very much prefer clay pots, too, but sometimes it's very nice to watch leaves unfold and move in a glass vessel. Makes a nice study and pretty, too. Mine comes quite clean in the dishwasher - it's nonporous of course, so no worries about tastes retaining.
Not really more practical for travel than any fragile pot, though.
Not really more practical for travel than any fragile pot, though.
Re: Piao I?
One thing I've always disliked about removable steeping baskets is that once you remove the basket, you have to put it somewhere.wyardley wrote:I don't really see the appeal somehow - they seem a little clunky to me.
If I want to brew on the go or in a more casual way, I usually just use my Zoji themos, which has a removable basket for the tea leaves.
Re: Piao I?
The Zoji partially solves this by having a stand for the basket in the lid. There's also a compartment to store tea leaves under the top side of the lid.saxon75 wrote:One thing I've always disliked about removable steeping baskets is that once you remove the basket, you have to put it somewhere.wyardley wrote: If I want to brew on the go or in a more casual way, I usually just use my Zoji themos, which has a removable basket for the tea leaves.
That said, if I'm on the go, I usually just brew grandpa style, using less tea leaf, and adding more hot water partway through.
Mar 11th, '14, 01:33
Posts: 1657
Joined: Sep 2nd, '13, 07:22
Location: in your tea closet
Re: Piao I?
the piao-i has been around for decades.. i bought several kamjove ones in beijing for a few dollars a piece. not bad a contraption, allows for quick speedy extractions, shape's good for tky or other rolled tea, allowing them to expand freely.saxon75 wrote:We all talk a lot about yixing and clay kyusu and porcelain gaiwans. I love my small but growing collection of clay and porcelain teaware, too, but I was wondering whether anybody around here uses something like a Piao I regularly?
A bunch of the Chinese and Taiwanese employees at my office use them, and they do seem convenient, though possibly a little more of a pain to clean than the simple glass pot I use (this one).
there's a "yixing" equivalent of such a pot as well... minimal plastics and metal filters
