what's with all the inhuman Yixing teapot size? need a 600mL

[tenuki]

Hahah, I just got rid of a 160ml one because it was way too large....

[Space Samurai]

Yeah, in Yixing I prefer aroun 90 ml. I think you'd be happier (and have better luck finding) a large Tokoname pot. That's my two cents.

[Space Samurai]

about 5 grams.

[Salsero]

I think you will find that most of the denizens of TeaChat use from 75 ml to a max of about 150 ml, with 100 to 120 being the preferred size. They are typically using them for what is called gong fu brewing of oolong and puerh teas, a brewing style which uses a large ratio of leaf to water, short infusions, small cups, and doing many infusions. It's not the most efficient tea delivery system, but it is fun and for some teas (most notably puerh and aged oolongs) it probably yields the happiest result. In any event, it's fun! But it's not the only way to roll.

[betta]

90ml wtf man? how much tea leaf do you put into that thing, one tea leaf?

For tea lovers, the enjoyment of drinking teas is the most essential. We went to greatwall to buy lots of pots just for one reason: to improve the taste of our brewed teas, but not to extinguish our thirst. No fix rule for the amount of tea, it depends on what you like; 3-5 grams tea in 90mL takes seconds steeping, while I take 3-5 grams tea in 150mL for 3 min steeping. Good chinese teas are costly, therefore even one has 600mL pot, he/she won't really fill it up to the maximum level. Not only difficult to control the brew, but also large vessel requires a lot of teas. Moreover, with gongfu style, as the brew is highly concentrated, you'll feel even more thirsty than before drinking the tea.
Welcome on board

[tenuki]

Thirsty? Drink water.

Unenlightened? Drink TEA!!!

[omegapd]

A pot "similar" to Yixing clay is an English style Brown Betty pot. You can find them in those large sizes. I don't know exactly what kind of clay they're made out of, but they age well and get better with use like a Yixing does.

EW

[joelbct]

i mean come on, how many million little cups do i need to drink to hold my thirst?

Indeed, I hear the real reason for this is that people in Yixing are very, very tiny They're like dwarf people...

Hehe j/k, just look around, there are some oversized Yixing pots here and there

I'm with you though, I need at least 10 oz at a time (more like 18+ for Black) and would rather not have to do 25 little 10-second, 50 mL infusions, so I don't do the Gong Fu thing. Some people love it....

[chamekke]

Heh, I read the first part of this thread's title ("what's with all the inhuman Yixing teapot size?") and was assuming that the writer was complaining about the glut of larger/unusable pots and the lack of availability of small/manageable pots...

[britt]

Ive been doing some research on Yixing pot lately and have come to a conclusion that they are one of the best tea brewing vessels and also little disappointed by their inhuman sizes, i mean come on, how many million little cups do i need to drink to hold my thirst?

Ive be searching around the last few days and couldn't find any yixing pot around 600ml.

There is a Chinese saying that you should never use a cup large enough to fill you up; that 1000 small cups spread over time is better than consuming one or two large mugs. Of course, the ones who practice this obviously don't have regular jobs. They hang around drinking tea all day and night. I envy them!

I can see both sides of the size issue and like anything else, it is a matter of personal taste and one's schedule. I usually prefer tea in smaller quantities, but there are times when I want to sit down with minimum fuss and not have to brew ten infusions to get ten ounces of tea.

I brew Japanese sencha both ways. I always brew Japanese Gyokuro in small quantities, about 1.6 ounces at a time.

I brew only small quantities of Chinese and Taiwanese tea. My smallest Yixing is 65cc and the largest is 375cc. The larger ones are never used anymore.

If I want to drink 12 ounces of tea at a time, I'll brew sencha in a larger kyusu.

If you want a 600cc Yixing, be aware that you can't let unpoured tea sit in the pot after it finishes brewing. You must empty it all at one time. This is true of any pot unless it has a strainer basket or you use a tea ball, etc. Tea balls and bags aren't recommended because the leaves can't fully open.

I don't know what price you are willing to pay for a 600cc Yixing, but larger ones over 500cc are available. They can be quite expensive. Here are some examples just to show they do exist.


520cc from Jing Tea Shop, $320:




500cc from Hou De Asian, $1495:




580cc Taiwanese Yixing type pot from Ten Ren, $99:

[betta]

I've found also some large pots from deeho, but it seems to be more artistic.
Has anyone experience to buy from them or can anyone give a comment on the possibility of obtaining master grade pots at their price?

[scruffmcgruff]

Just go to teavana, or any of the myriad online tea stores. They almost always have huge Yixing pots.

[henley]

There is a Chinese saying that you should never use a cup large enough to fill you up; that 1000 small cups spread over time is better than consuming one or two large mugs. Of course, the ones who practice this obviously don't have regular jobs...

...or small children!