How many kyusu's...

[RussianSoul]

... a sencha head needs?

I really mean needs, not wants, collects, lusts after and such.

I have one excellent kyusu already, but recently found another one, perhaps even two, online that I really want to have. I am having some difficulty justifying more kyusu's... perhaps you can help me...

If you have more than one, how many do you have? and how do you use them?

[Eastree]

I'm considering the same. But I may still purchase a second.

[tenuki]

I am having some difficulty justifying more kyusu's... perhaps you can help me...

See, this is your problem, you feel the need to justify the additional kyuusu. You need to get deep enough into teaware addiction so that this need to justify never comes up.

But to answer your question. I have 3, all of different sizes. One for just me, one for two, and one for 2+.

[Sydney]

It depends.

I have one for the house, and one for the office.

I haven't ruled out getting one for the car so I can whip it out and senchafy myself wherever I happen to be.

[Space Samurai]

For just sencha, one, honestly.

For Japanese tea, 2-3. You could have one for sencha, one for houjicha, perhaps another for gyokuro.

For tea in general, the sky's the limit. I have a kyusu for white tea, another for black, and another for oolong, one for Japanese green and another for Chinese. And like others have said there's always one for home, one for work, one for individual use, perhaps larger ones for guests.

If you're looking to justify buying more pots, there are easy ways to do it. Just create the need for one, be it a different type of tea, or a location and what not.

[britt]

I have one excellent kyusu already, but recently found another one, perhaps even two, online that I really want to have. I am having some difficulty justifying more kyusu's... perhaps you can help me... ?

If you want them and can afford them, that's all the justification you need!

If you have more than one, how many do you have? and how do you use them?

I gave away the two with metal filters and a Somayaki with a bamboo bow handle (real pain to use compared to side handle), so I know have 12.

Of these, two have no handle. I use one of the for gyokuro (by Hokujo) and one for small quantities of sencha (by Chaho).

I have one Hokujo that is based on an English teapot that I use for sencha. It has a conventional 180 degree handle.

The other 9 are conventional side-handled kyusu; the glazed Somayaki is used for Houjicha and Genmaicha; the other 8 are used for sencha. I do use them all, cycling through them quite often. Which one I use at a given time depends on the amount I wish to brew as well as the particular mood I'm in at the time. I use certain kyusu (many are by Hokujo) with Aohagi cups, others with Nezumi Shino cups, others with Bizen cups, others with Tokaname and so on. This is not absolutely fixed, but is typical. When using a 6 ounce kyusu, I'll use a 6 to 8 ounce cup; a 12 ounce kyusu with a 12 ounce cup, etc.

Is this excessive? Absolutely!!!! Am I worried about it? No!!! I drink enough tea and enjoy it enough that I don't even attempt to justify it. I'm just as excessive with Yixings and matcha chawan.

Go ahead, buy those two; you deserve it!

[RussianSoul]

Cool thoughts here! Thanks!

Space, you are my hero. I brew my Chinese greens in a Tokoname already, although I kept quiet about this fact. Are you saying that it is not a crime? That I should stop worrying about TeaPolice showing at my doorstep and confiscating my tea? I really like how my Fujigata makes Chinese green. I may need to get another Tokoname for my oolongs.

Britt and tenuki, thanks for reminding about sizing. Perhaps I don't need two or more kyusu's of similar sizes, but I do need a smaller one just for myself and a bigger one, like 14oz for when I make sencha for me and DH, who has become a fan.

[Wesli]

You only really need one, but you'll want to get better and better ones as time goes on. My suggestion is to just get one at a time, and make sure that whatever you're buying is better than what you already have.

I have 2, but only use my 180ml as a daily pot. The 300ml one is rarely used.

[britt]

You only really need one, but you'll want to get better and better ones as time goes on. My suggestion is to just get one at a time, and make sure that whatever you're buying is better than what you already have.

This is very good advice and this is how I started my kyusu binge, although I didn't discard my earlier purchases until later. I did try to make sure I always improved upon what I last purchased. However, once I picked up my first kyusu by Hokujo, finding better ones became difficult to imposssible. The solution was to just keep purchasing different Hokujo's for different purposes, or whatever excuse I could think of; different size, different color, etc.

I seriously recommend Hokujo kyusu to anyone who wants a Tokaname. Visually, this is definitely a matter of individual taste. I've also never seen a Hokujo without a sasame or ceramic ball filter, which is no good for those who prefer metal. When it comes to the taste of the tea, IMO the Hokujo's consistently excel.

[Space Samurai]

I've heard this suggestion before, and it's great for starting out, but something about perpetual consumerism doesn't sit with me.

Oh, and I'm with Britt, Hokujo for the win. I've seen different pots, but not better ones.

[britt]

Oh, and I'm with Britt, Hokujo for the win. I've seen different pots, but not better ones.

Space Samurai, I thought this subject might bring you out of hiding! Quite a few members of the O-Cha forum seem to agree with us as well.

In all fairness, there is one other that I think produces exceptional tasting tea that is in the same league as the Hokujos. It is the Chaho set, also from Artistic Nippon (no longer available as a set). It doesn't have a handle and it is small, and as Toru stated in the description, it is quirky. It is also possibly the thinnest, lightest Tokoname I've used and I think the taste of sencha brewed in it is outstanding. But due to the Chaho's quirks, the functionality of the Hokujos, combined with the great taste of the tea brewed in them, makes them the ones I grab each and every day. IMO they can't be beat!

I'm glad to see your blog is becoming active again.

[joelbct]

If you have more than one, how many do you have? and how do you use them?

Quality over quantity... I have just two, one a larger 360° mesh and one a smaller Hokujo with a sasame clay screen:






I could see wanting to collect, but in that regard I would say each unto his/her own preference, means, and available storage space

[britt]

I could see wanting to collect, but in that regard I would say each unto his/her own preference, means, and available storage space

You can always throw out the food to make more space for kyusu! Seriously, you give some of us hope; you have been able to hold off from purchasing more Hokujos. I didn't think this was possible.

By the way, how do you like the Hokujo?

[RussianSoul]

Collecting is not my goal, although some of these pretties are hard to resist.

Good point about quality! I have a Yohen by Soukou



I can't compare because I have only one, but it feels like a top quality to me. How does it compare with Hokujo?

[olivierco]

I have:
two simple 7 oz identical porcelain kyuusu (good for brewing comparison but also for brewing houjicha)
one little tokoname (5oz) which I use the most (sencha).
one bigger porcelain kyuusu (12oz), for white, chinese greens or black teas
one similar size tokoname kyuusu (12 oz) which I use for sencha for 2 and more people.

For gyokuro, I use Hohin. I have four of them (two porcelain, one hagi and one tokoname), and maybe a fifth one soon...

I think having one kyuusu for sencha, one for houjicha and one for gyokuro is all you need.