Buying my first kyusu

[Xeractha]

Hi!

I'm thinking about buying my first kyusu. I found a cheap pot by Tachi Masaki on Yuuki-cha >>
http://www.yuuki-cha.com/teaware/japane ... aki-teapot

My main problem is that I don't want to spend more than 45 Euro or 5400 Yen because I'd need to pay another 27% tax. With EMS shipping it would cost 5800 yen (2200 for shipping) and there's a 99,9% chance I'd need to pay custom fees and the total price would be around 7400 yen.
If I choose airmail the cost is only 4380 yen (there's no registered airmail to Hungary, don't know why).

Has anyone bought pot from Japan and used only airmail? How often do the pots break? (The postman doesn't throw packages into the garden so that's not a problem.)

I also considered this one >> http://www.yuuki-cha.com/teaware/japane ... aki-teapot

What I'd prefer is a pot with ceramic filter, around 250ml and darker colour. These banko pots look nice to me.
I also looked around on this site http://www.tokoname.or.jp/teapot/index.html. There are around 1000 pots in their catalogue (the 26th pot is nice). I don't really know how significant the clay material is. I read somewhere banko pots reduce astringency and bitterness but I don't remember if it was caused by reduction firing or the clay itself (or placebo effect ). Though I don't really care about it, I'm used to bitter things and I suppose I can't go wrong with tokoname or banko either.

So far my favourite sencha is the Kagoshima Sencha-Ten from Zencha and I really like the Kama-iri cha though I don't know if it would be okay to mix them in one pot (unglazed).

My options are:
- wait till I can spend more (+EMS)
- order via airmail
- buy cheaper kyusu

Despite the steel mesh this one doesn't look bad to me either >> http://www.yuuki-cha.com/teaware/japane ... ame-teapot
I saw the selection on O-cha but the only one I liked has a 360° steel mesh and it's not easy to clean.
https://www.o-cha.com/tokoname-teapot-1 ... ory_id=164

[Tead Off]

Hi!

I'm thinking about buying my first kyusu. I found a cheap pot by Tachi Masaki on Yuuki-cha >>
http://www.yuuki-cha.com/teaware/japane ... aki-teapot

My main problem is that I don't want to spend more than 45 Euro or 5400 Yen because I'd need to pay another 27% tax. With EMS shipping it would cost 5800 yen (2200 for shipping) and there's a 99,9% chance I'd need to pay custom fees and the total price would be around 7400 yen.
If I choose airmail the cost is only 4380 yen (there's no registered airmail to Hungary, don't know why).

Has anyone bought pot from Japan and used only airmail? How often do the pots break? (The postman doesn't throw packages into the garden so that's not a problem.)

I also considered this one >> http://www.yuuki-cha.com/teaware/japane ... aki-teapot

What I'd prefer is a pot with ceramic filter, around 250ml and darker colour. These banko pots look nice to me.
I also looked around on this site http://www.tokoname.or.jp/teapot/index.html. There are around 1000 pots in their catalogue (the 26th pot is nice). I don't really know how significant the clay material is. I read somewhere banko pots reduce astringency and bitterness but I don't remember if it was caused by reduction firing or the clay itself (or placebo effect ). Though I don't really care about it, I'm used to bitter things and I suppose I can't go wrong with tokoname or banko either.

So far my favourite sencha is the Kagoshima Sencha-Ten from Zencha and I really like the Kama-iri cha though I don't know if it would be okay to mix them in one pot (unglazed).

My options are:
- wait till I can spend more (+EMS)
- order via airmail
- buy cheaper kyusu

Despite the steel mesh this one doesn't look bad to me either >> http://www.yuuki-cha.com/teaware/japane ... ame-teapot
I saw the selection on O-cha but the only one I liked has a 360° steel mesh and it's not easy to clean.
https://www.o-cha.com/tokoname-teapot-1 ... ory_id=164

The Tachi Masaki pots are a very good value. For me, the main consideration is size. If you need a larger pot so you can drink with others, 250ml or more is a good size. If you drink alone, more like 120ml is good or even smaller. You can use various green teas in the same pot.

To avoid the custom fees, you can ask to seller to invoice it at a lower price. I have bought things from Japan via SAL and Airmail, many times. Japanese sellers usually pack well and breakage is rare. SAL will take 2 weeks and it is inexpensive and almost as fast as Airmail.

[Xeractha]

I usually use a 100ml gaiwan and I love it for most teas but for greens I always felt it to be small. This is why I'd go for a larger kyusu but not more than 250-270ml. I suppose the brewing volume is around 200ml and 270 is measured up to the lid. That looks perfect to me.

Airmail shipping cost isn't that high for the pot, the Tachi Masaki pot would cost only 780 yen. I was just concerned about the EMS because it was insured but the 2200 yen and tax would cost me almost the same price for shipping as the pot itself. I could buy 2 pots via airmail.

If airmail is okay then I'll place the order this afternoon.
This looks nice too >>http://www.yuuki-cha.com/teaware/japane ... aki-teapot :O

[theredbaron]

As Tead Off said already, a 250 ml pot is quite large. Especially when cost is a factor, smaller pots mean considerable savings in cost of tea over time, far more than what you may save in buying a cheaper pot. With Tea it is not the amount, but the quality.
Usually pots are very well packed, and airmail makes in this sense no real difference. When i lived in Bangkok i always used airmail because with EMS one always paid taxes and rarely when things were sent by airmail.
As to which pots i would suggest - my by far best Kyusu for Sencha is my Gisui pot which i bought from this seller, similar to this now available pot http://www.ebay.com/itm/Tokoname-Shudei ... SwaB5XpUEJ .
It may be over your original budget, but it is well worth it.

[Xeractha]

The size got me thinking. I thought the 270ml would be okay based on older posts.
That pot is way more than I can afford now. After taxes it would cost around 216 USD (24 500 yen). On a first kyusu I'm not even sure if it's a good idea to spend that much. Compared to my current pot (not the gaiwan) anything would be better for japanese teas.

So based on budget and size something like this would be ideal (except the colour): http://www.yuuki-cha.com/teaware/japane ... ame-teapot

In the Tokoname catalogue the 164th pot looks better. Dark, 180 ml and probably sasame filter (セラメッシュ ?). It's ball shaped though.

[victoria3]

The size got me thinking. I thought the 270ml would be okay based on older posts.
That pot is way more than I can afford now. After taxes it would cost around 216 USD (24 500 yen). On a first kyusu I'm not even sure if it's a good idea to spend that much. Compared to my current pot (not the gaiwan) anything would be better for japanese teas.

So based on budget and size something like this would be ideal (except the colour): http://www.yuuki-cha.com/teaware/japane ... ame-teapot

In the Tokoname catalogue the 164th pot looks better. Dark, 180 ml and probably sasame filter (セラメッシュ ?). It's ball shaped though.

That Gyokko looks very nice! By the way, I frequently use 150-200ml kyusu for sencha and don't consider them large. For gyokuro I go smaller though.

[JRS22]

You can get similar a gyokko kyusu in that price range from Artistic Nippon with Sasame filters. Here's one example:


http://www.artisticnippon.com/product/t ... kanna.html

I still use mine even though I had to superglue the lid back together after I dropped it.

[Xeractha]

You can get similar a gyokko kyusu in that price range from Artistic Nippon with Sasame filters. Here's one example:


http://www.artisticnippon.com/product/t ... kanna.html

I still use mine even though I had to superglue the lid back together after I dropped it.

That's exactly what I was checking out not long ago but somehow I forgot about it even though the page was opened.
Size looks perfect, colour matches my taste, price is okay. I should write to Artisticnippon.

[Tead Off]

You can get similar a gyokko kyusu in that price range from Artistic Nippon with Sasame filters. Here's one example:


http://www.artisticnippon.com/product/t ... kanna.html

I still use mine even though I had to superglue the lid back together after I dropped it.

That's exactly what I was checking out not long ago but somehow I forgot about it even though the page was opened.
Size looks perfect, colour matches my taste, price is okay. I should write to Artisticnippon.

To achieve the dark color on most Tokoname pots, if not all, additives are used. This is from Hojo, who also told me that there are no Tokoname pure clays left. This is why Banko pots were originally marketed by him and why Tachi Masaki rose to recognition by international buyers. The additives to Tokoname will not kill you, but many tea drinkers prefer to use clays without additives. Unfortunately, clays without additives usually cost more.

As I mentioned to you before, the Masaki pots that you mentioned here are very low in price. Why? Perhaps they are being made my his 'studio' and using his seal to finish the product. I don't know. This would be something to ask the vendor.

[Xeractha]

Well, I've already bought the Gyokko on Friday. I thought it through and almost 3 dl would have been too much. Initially I thought it would be okay because the Kagoshima needs around 5g/200ml but I brew the Kamairi in the gaiwan with 4g. I bought a sencha named Okuhikari and that one requires around 3-4g/100-120ml. Maybe the reason I prefer the Kagoshima is because I can't get the other senchas to taste so good.

I was also thinking about buying a smaller gaiwan for pu-erh but maybe it's time to get a tiny yixing, but that's an investment for later and I don't even know where to start looking for that.

[Xeractha]

The kyusu finally arrived, funny though, from Tokyo to Budapest it took 1 day and the last 20km took 1 week.
This thing is super small. It holds around 100-120ml water if not filled to the top (then it's around 150ml). It should be enough but still seems to be so tiny. I remember getting my gaiwan and thinking the same. I knew what I was getting but still seemed to be tiny. Now I want even smaller.

[Tead Off]

The kyusu finally arrived, funny though, from Tokyo to Budapest it took 1 day and the last 20km took 1 week.
This thing is super small. It holds around 100-120ml water if not filled to the top (then it's around 150ml). It should be enough but still seems to be so tiny. I remember getting my gaiwan and thinking the same. I knew what I was getting but still seemed to be tiny. Now I want even smaller.

This is how the addiction starts. Different sizes, different clays, different looks. The shelves begin to fill, and before you know it...........................

[debunix]

Not tiny at all when you have a fine sencha and brew up 3-4 infusions--it adds up

[Xeractha]

The volume is perfect. I meant the size by looking at it. Seemed tiny in my hands.

[Zubo]

The volume is perfect. I meant the size by looking at it. Seemed tiny in my hands.

I have the very same kyusu by Gyokko for over 5 years already. It's my favorite piece of teaware. I'm sure you won't regret buying it!