I like both of the mentioned shapes for teapots.
Currently i have a ShuiPing porcelain teapot from TaiwanTeaCrafts and i really like it, however the pour is sometimes really slow with very big leaf teas. It happens specially with aged whites and some sheng puerhs. It seems like the leaves get stuck on the filter.
Regardless of the material (porcelain or clay) i've seen most XiShi teapots have a "ball" filter which is very different from my ShuiPing.
Because of this, i am interested on getting a XiShi teapot but i would like you to please help me find an answer to these questions based on your experience:
1. Does the ball filter truly make a difference on keeping the leaves away and providing a faster and cleaner pour?
2. Is the heat retention better on XiShi teapots compared to ShuiPing, or is the thickness of the material (porcelain in my case) what determines the efficiency of heat retention?
3. If the material is thicker, how much of a difference does it make?
Thanks in advance to anyone who might be able to help
