the best teapot for darjeeling first flush

[myav]

What teapot is better to use for darjeeling first flush tea ?
Porcelain ?
If yixing teapot then what kind of clay ? Hong Ni, Duan Ni, etc.

[Senlin]

What teapot is better to use for darjeeling first flush tea ?
Porcelain ?
If yixing teapot then what kind of clay ? Hong Ni, Duan Ni, etc.

I would strongly recommend a thin porcelain. This tea needs a rapid thermic decay to express its aromas without being bitter, which clay doesn't really offer. I like to think about first flush as almost green teas in the way to prepare them.

But if anyone has another opinion, I would really hear about it

Senlin

[hoot]

What teapot is better to use for darjeeling first flush tea ?
Porcelain ?
If yixing teapot then what kind of clay ? Hong Ni, Duan Ni, etc.

I would strongly recommend a thin porcelain. This tea needs a rapid thermic decay to express its aromas without being bitter, which clay doesn't really offer. I like to think about first flush as almost green teas in the way to prepare them.

But if anyone has another opinion, I would really hear about it

Senlin

Personally, I would not use a Yixing or any porous clay teapot for Darjeeling. I would not trust that the aromatics would come through and I suspect that the retained flavors might not help later infusions. But if you happen to have a spare Yixing teapot, you can always give it a shot.

I use a vintage McCormick Baltimore Tea pot. It's a pretty thick glazed ceramic with a basket infuser. It works fine with the first/second flush Darjeelings that I drink. My main complaint with it is that it is difficult to clean.

My recommendation would be to use a glazed ceramic teapot and make sure the leaves have enough space to expand. Also, don't use boiling water, but off the boil at 190 degrees.
Charles

[myav]

Thank you Senlin, thank you Hoot for your explanations and advice.

I tried different Chinese teas before, but recently have bought a very good and aromatic Darjeeling from MIM region in a tea shop in Switzerland. It was absolutely different Darjeeling than I've ever had from local shops and supermarkets. Color is almost the same as from green tea, but taste is better :)

Now I ordered a similar tea from Teabox. Also I ordered MIM spring and summer oolongs but have not tried them yet. So I suppose that I need to use a ceramic teapot for Darjeeling oolong too.

[Yatra Tea Co]

Darjeelings, especially FF, can be quite finicky. I advise people who have bought from me to be quite mindful of time, temperature, and quantity of leaf used. A good Darjeeling has no comparison, but prepared incorrectly, it can be borderline undrinkable.

A ceramic pot should be ok. I personally use a standard cupping set to brew 6 oz of Darjeeling for personal consumption. Its what tasters use to understand the aroma and taste profile, so those aspects of the tea are definitely highlighted.

I brew mine at 190-195, 2.5 gms per 6-7 oz of water, usually for about 3 minutes.

[jayinhk]

You can compare to a high fired hongni/modern zhuni but porcelain might be a better bet. I think a gaiwan might be ideal if you want the tea to cool off fast, gongfu style.