Hey guys,
Sorry for the wordiness. Its been quite some time since I have been active on teachat as I've been quite busy with school, however I really have been missing out on all the positive effects that tea brings into my life. Anyways, previously my focus on tea has been with japanese matcha and sencha teas, however I am looking for some variation and have grown quite fond of Chinese oolongs. Typically I use a glazed gaiwan, but I want to be able to get the full flavors out of the tea as I do with using my purple clay kyusu with my sencha tea. Ive been researching yixing pots extensively over the past few months (on and off) and I think I have narrowed my decision to two pots:
http://www.lifeinteacup.com/_/rsrc/1365 ... &width=320
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-hNy1 ... uang_1.jpg
I plan on using them to serve just myself most of the time, but may on occasion be serving my girlfriend as well (when she feels up to it). Both seem to be fairly decent quality but I figured someone with more experience may spot something I did not. I suppose my biggest concern is with ergonomics. I prefer the 100ml He Huan style (2nd one) based on aesthetics and the extra volume should help with serving two I imagine, but the spout sits slighlty higher from the lid opening. Anyway, I would appreciate some input for a beginner.
More images can be found of each here:
http://www.lifeinteacup.com/teapots
Yixing Teapot Purple Clay Fang Gu, $72.99. product# fypot1
Yixing Teapot Red Qing Shui Ni He Huan, $120. product#pot10
Happy brewing!
Re: Choosing between two yixing pots
Between those two, I prefer the fang gu. I would get a small one for 1-3 people. The 70 ml one should be plenty big.
Re: Choosing between two yixing pots
From what I have tried I am a fan of Tie Guan Yin oolongs. I know there can be a good bit of variation in this category with different levels of roasting. How specific should I keep the oolongs I use in the pot? Should I base it on the category of Iron goddess or more upon the oxidation and roasting of the tea?tingjunkie wrote:Why type of oolongs would this be used for?
Re: Choosing between two yixing pots
As far as seasoning, and mixing flavors, I don't think it's a big deal to brew light TGY and roasted TGY in the same pot. That being said, it's extremely rare (if not impossible) to find a pot that could brew both teas well.
For lighter TGY, I prefer a higher fired, less porous clay with thinner walls to show off the higher notes and fragrances, and for the volume to be over 100ml because the leaf expands quite a bit. For high fire TGY, the pot can be a little more porous to smooth out the roasting notes, and with thicker walls to throw more heat and bring out more body of the tea. I also prefer my 40ml pots for high fire TGY solo sessions, because I like to really pack the leaf in and get a concentrated brew.
But those are just my preferences. It's always very hard to judge by photos alone, but neither of those pots would be a choice I would make for light TGY. The 70ml pot could be a good choice for medium roasts though, depending on the firing level and clay. Actually, if I were to try pairing an oolong with those pots, I'd try the 70ml with yancha.
For lighter TGY, I prefer a higher fired, less porous clay with thinner walls to show off the higher notes and fragrances, and for the volume to be over 100ml because the leaf expands quite a bit. For high fire TGY, the pot can be a little more porous to smooth out the roasting notes, and with thicker walls to throw more heat and bring out more body of the tea. I also prefer my 40ml pots for high fire TGY solo sessions, because I like to really pack the leaf in and get a concentrated brew.
But those are just my preferences. It's always very hard to judge by photos alone, but neither of those pots would be a choice I would make for light TGY. The 70ml pot could be a good choice for medium roasts though, depending on the firing level and clay. Actually, if I were to try pairing an oolong with those pots, I'd try the 70ml with yancha.
Re: Choosing between two yixing pots
I think many people like a rounder shape for tieguanyin; shuiping would work well.
Re: Choosing between two yixing pots
Some time ago, I bought a pot similar to the second pot from a local seller in Taiwan (http://www.teahometw.com/). It is made by Pan Bohong. It is modern Yixing.
When pouring hot water in it, I found there is some persistent chemical-like smell in it.
Not that all modern pots have this problem. I have tested some of them with SGS in Taiwan and found them to be safe (unlike this one, they had no strange odors, however). I did not test this particular one. It was very cheap (about 1000 NTD) and never found it makes good tea. So it has become a decorative item now. After all, the pot may be safe to use. But those are my five cents. Use them as you wish.
When pouring hot water in it, I found there is some persistent chemical-like smell in it.
Not that all modern pots have this problem. I have tested some of them with SGS in Taiwan and found them to be safe (unlike this one, they had no strange odors, however). I did not test this particular one. It was very cheap (about 1000 NTD) and never found it makes good tea. So it has become a decorative item now. After all, the pot may be safe to use. But those are my five cents. Use them as you wish.
Re: Choosing between two yixing pots
Which pot did you get? I'm considering the life in the teapot one now. I have another pot from them and love it.