How do you choose your teaware?

[hobin]

What are the most important factors when you decide that you have to own a particular kyusu or a chawan? Do you usually buy teaware you don't need just for aestethical purposes? Or do you feel a particular piece should fit with the place where you usually have tea?
I bought a couple of chawans that I liked a lot but that simply didn't click with the rest (room, other teaware, etc). they caught too much attention. not really wabi-sabi
what about your experience?

[bintuborg]

I think I may be suffering from the same ailment. What do you think?

20150817_182807.jpg (33.11 KiB) Viewed 1489 times

[chamekke]

I'm forever buying some new tea-thing just because it happens to charm me / take my breath away / (very rarely) amuse the heck out of me.

Does my new tea-thing "go" with my other tea-things? More often than not, nope. Luckily the Japanese aesthetic says it's OK to indulge in what Yoshio Tsuchiya calls "the pleasure of unmatched dishes"

[AT333]

I always think that I have one teapot less and kept buying. One day I realized it was an arithmetical problem. I then bought two teapots and that made me think that I always have one teapot in excess and stopped buying ever since.

[BioHorn]

I always think that I have one teapot less and kept buying. One day I realized it was an arithmetical problem. I then bought two teapots and that made me think that I always have one teapot in excess and stopped buying ever since.

The secrect. The solution. The liberation. Am applying your logic now. Thank you!

[Frisbeehead]

Does it look cool?

If yes, can I afford it?

If yes, is it something I really need?

Depending on the degree of "yes" answered to questions 1 and 2, then it's a yes. Question 3 is actually irrelevant.

[Alex]

Nothing I buy I need anymore and as a result I usually sell it on keeping only what really stands out once in hand. Something I'm trying to curb now. Just love having tea ware in transit

[heliospace]

I really don't have a preference. If it stands out and catches my attention, cool. I really do like antique wares simply because it's opened me up to researching them and trying to learn a bit more about pottery in general. (a hobby that keeps my nose in the books)

Not a whole lot of tea ware buying these days, but I did add a black wine cooler mini-fridge to my tea ware collection recently. I store the green teas in it, away from my food fridge.

[steanze]

This might be slightly OT, because I am mostly interested in Chinese teaware, so I do not get many chawans or kyusus. But if the question is general to all types of teaware, I usually choose teaware if 1) it makes good tea, 2) it contributes to creating an atmosphere/an attitude towards the session that is different from other pieces of teaware I already have, 3) it is not too "flashy" or striking to the point that it would distract me and my fellow drinkers from the tea and make the session about the teaware. And of course if I can afford it and if I didn't buy too much teaware recently
Oh and of course if I consider it safe to use.

[kyarazen]

i think everyone goes through the same biological phases of choosing tea ware.

first one starts with the lag phase... this is just simply pure innocence, not knowing anything, with all sorts of reasons or advices to buy something, and to start off, one buys some things, whether good or bad (most often it is bad)

then it goes to the log phase, this is a result of suddenly more and more sources comes up, or suddenly there is a fear for the future (i.e. unable to get anymore, this is particularly common with fragrantwoods since supply is really scarce and unstable), or simply just peer pressure, since everyone is hoarding or everyone has one/some.

and eventually one wizens (turns wise?) up a little, and realize the futility of somethings, or the unnecessary fears, learns more about culture, appreciation, functional tea wares, aesthetics, and personal taste/character. it becomes stationary phase, where the buying stops.. and after that...

some senescence? where some tea ware resale occurs, and fine tuning of the collection.

but whichever the case, nowadays i choose teaware simply because of my own self defined/preferred aesthetics on beauty and functionality (shape, wall thickness, clay) or if the material is educational/exotic. based on these two point as a foundation, there are some teawares that naturally scream "BUY ME!!!", a natural desire/feel/insistence of owning it, it is something one cannot be rational about at all! and i'll buy if it is affordable.

telling myself that buying 1 good and expensive pot is better than having 10 ok and averagely priced pots DOES NOT work at all. because one will end up with 10 or more of good and expensive pots, and eventually end up with 10 or more better and more expensive pots.. it never stops!

[debunix]

i think everyone goes through the same biological phases of choosing tea ware.

+1

I have recently been thinking of passing on some nice pieces that just don't appeal so much to me anymore....but am taking my time because I want to be sure that it's the right decision.

An hour or two ago, however, one of my screensaver photos of a very early piece of teaware came up, and reminded me of how far the collection has come. That pot was sent to a thrift shop a long time ago.

[Nu2Tea]

For me, I have one very important criteria for kitchen supplies, it needs to be dishwasher safe. If it's not, I don't want it. I don't consider anything clean unless it's gone through the dishwasher.

Even most of my coffee maker can be dismantled and put in the dishwasher.

[wyardley]

For me, I have one very important criteria for kitchen supplies, it needs to be dishwasher safe. If it's not, I don't want it. I don't consider anything clean unless it's gone through the dishwasher.

You put your teaware in the dishwasher?!

I would not suggesting putting teaware in the dishwasher, whether or not it's dishwasher safe. Not only can you get soap smells or etching, but you may also get some lingering food smells (if you put dishes that have egg on them without pre-washing, this is especially bad when you get those protein-y smells on your dishes).

The idea that it's better for you to sanitize everything is also misguided IMHO. A lot of new thinking suggests that things getting too clean may actually have some negative consequences
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/2 ... 36636.html

[Nu2Tea]

Well I guess I don't have 'real' tea ware. I have regular tea cups and an ingenuitea. I don't have specialized tea ware items.

I'm coming from years of drinking coffee and dealing with coffee oils. Washing things by hand doesn't usually remove all the oils and smells from my experience. Like I said I even dismantle the coffee maker and run it through the dishwasher. I do use the coffee maker cleaners and descalers, but even still you get build up, so in the dishwasher it goes.

I'm too old to worry about stimulating my immune system when I'm young, and worrying about allergies, too late for that. Lol I know some people claim soap residue stays on items washed, but I'm not too concerned about that. I'd rather have minuscule soap residue(that I've personally never noticed) over having coffee or tea oil staining and residue, not to mention any moldy smells that build up over time.

[wyardley]

I use a mild abrasive like baking powder or baking soda with some water, which will deal pretty well with coffee and tea stains.