Does anyone own one of these?
http://shop.luhyutea.com/product.sc?cat ... oductId=61
What's your take?
I prefer not to get an electric kettle. I already have an electric hotplate/stove that I plan to use. What will help improve water quality/taste?
It looks similar to Lin`s kettles, but I am not sure, I saw the same kettle on imperialtea.com, but if you buy an unglazed earthenware kettle in hope for it to change the taste of water and improve your gong fu, I`d make sure it is purion, at least purion was made with gong fu in mind and tested to be ideal for puerh, on the other hand the japanese tetsubin as I read is not suitable for every kind of tea, and those nanbu kettles, the good ones are expencieve, usually twice the price of a purion kettle.
The Puerh I tasted in his shop made with tetsubin water was the best I've ever had. I never new Puerh could be that good. It was comparable to discovering high grade oolong after having only tea bags for a good part of my life.MarshalN wrote:I know, and I make my young sheng puerh with it, with great results.
I think we all have to test the words of the 'experts'. I'm sure we all don't experience things in the same way.
I've been talking to the Purion people lately asking them about the content of their clay. They are vague with their answers but told me 5-10% iron content. Iron is what seems to change the taste of water from what I can understand. But, iron needs to be put in a reduction environment to acheive the ability to change the water. This is the process that tetsubin, bankoyaki, and, purple clay from yixing are put through. From what I can tell, the Purion pots are not reduced but I'm not sure as I cannot get any real info out of these people.Oni wrote:It looks similar to Lin`s kettles, but I am not sure, I saw the same kettle on imperialtea.com, but if you buy an unglazed earthenware kettle in hope for it to change the taste of water and improve your gong fu, I`d make sure it is purion, at least purion was made with gong fu in mind and tested to be ideal for puerh, on the other hand the japanese tetsubin as I read is not suitable for every kind of tea, and those nanbu kettles, the good ones are expencieve, usually twice the price of a purion kettle.
Maybe the OP can buy an inexpensive tetsubin that is unlined to use on his electric hotplate. Are the inexpensive ones unlined and reduced? anyone?
I asked customer service about their pot. I thought their reply was helpful:
The glazed black clay kettle is made in China and the unglazed yellow kettle is made in Taiwan. The yellow clay kettle might function the same way as other clay teapots in terms of giving more body to tea's flavors. Because it is unglazed, it cannot be rinsed with detergent. Both clay kettles retain heat better than glass or stainless steel kettle. However, we are not sure about its effect on water's quality. Lately there has been some buzz online about clay kettle or teapots' ability on water purification. So far that statement has not been verified scientifically. Still, we still recommend some kind of water filtration system if you have hard water in your area. Unglazed clay might absorb unwanted elements in the unfiltered water and remain there.
I guess this buisness about unglazed clay improving water might be bogus - can anyone honestly say that unglazed clay helps with water purification/taste?
The glazed black clay kettle is made in China and the unglazed yellow kettle is made in Taiwan. The yellow clay kettle might function the same way as other clay teapots in terms of giving more body to tea's flavors. Because it is unglazed, it cannot be rinsed with detergent. Both clay kettles retain heat better than glass or stainless steel kettle. However, we are not sure about its effect on water's quality. Lately there has been some buzz online about clay kettle or teapots' ability on water purification. So far that statement has not been verified scientifically. Still, we still recommend some kind of water filtration system if you have hard water in your area. Unglazed clay might absorb unwanted elements in the unfiltered water and remain there.
I guess this buisness about unglazed clay improving water might be bogus - can anyone honestly say that unglazed clay helps with water purification/taste?
Changing the water and purifying it are two different things. Tetsubin and other kettles do not purify water. They make the water taste better through the water's contact with the iron in the kettle. Ordinary clay kettles are not going to do this. Purple clay which has been fired in a reduction kiln, Banko, will do the same thing as a tetsubin.
The Purion people are hopelessly involved with only selling their product and will not tell you much about what there product is. But, we have figured out that they use a purple clay mixed with mineral ore and iron content is 5-10%.
The Purion people are hopelessly involved with only selling their product and will not tell you much about what there product is. But, we have figured out that they use a purple clay mixed with mineral ore and iron content is 5-10%.
I don't think anybody will be willing to say this particular clay kettle will improve your water, but in general, yes, if they're made with the right material and process, some kettles can improve your water.jlheng wrote:
I guess this buisness about unglazed clay improving water might be bogus - can anyone honestly say that unglazed clay helps with water purification/taste?
How about that olive pit charcoal, Chao Zhou stove that I saw on tea obsession blog, there I read that the local red clay is very porous, and it inhale the aroma of the olives and give way better results than conventional water heating, would that be better than a purion kettle, and I saw the same Chao Zhou stove at seven cups, when they wrote about dancong.
That stove looks great - but it's too expensive for my budget!
Guess what, I found someone that uses the same kettle. See here:
http://teadork.blogspot.com/2009/02/cla ... ettle.html
He tells me that it does improve the 'taste' of the water - as long as you're using good water. I sent him an email and he highly recommends the kettle.
Guess what, I found someone that uses the same kettle. See here:
http://teadork.blogspot.com/2009/02/cla ... ettle.html
He tells me that it does improve the 'taste' of the water - as long as you're using good water. I sent him an email and he highly recommends the kettle.
You can't deny someone's personal experience so maybe that kettle does fall into that category of kettles that do change the taste of water. How much is it?
I looked at some induction burners yesterday. They are super fast and many have controls whereby to keep the water at a certain temperature. Too bad the ceramic kettles can't be used with them. The idea of charcoal is not appealing to me.
I looked at some induction burners yesterday. They are super fast and many have controls whereby to keep the water at a certain temperature. Too bad the ceramic kettles can't be used with them. The idea of charcoal is not appealing to me.