Chao Zhou stove from Tea Habitat

[Herb_Master]

The stove comes in 4 pieces


Fully assembled



Top view of Lid with Plug In



And with Plug Out



With Lid Off




Deep Inside



Vent with Chock removed


Anyone know what the Characters say ?





The Kettle





And with lid off


The kettle holds up to 250 ml but best to keep down to 220 ish else water comes from under the lid at start of pouring. Pouring speed is similar to from a teapot, not as quick as from large standard kettles.

[Herb_Master]

Imen's instructions on use can be found here

http://tea-obsession.blogspot.com/2009/ ... e-set.html

[Oni]

Your pictures are definitely better than found at teahabitat, it really shows all the details of the stove and sha dao, it is beautiful.
I read that a gongfu cha kettle should hold around 4 liang of water, that is around 200 ml, so that is the amount that needs to be used, and remember to use up all the water before refilling, I think it is good for two infusions, so the water is always fresh.
And if you recieved olive charcoal, if it is not too much to ask could you post a picture with the stove in action, and please tell us how was the water from the kettle, I have great hopes for it, I look at this stove as one of the best water heating devices for gongfu cha.

[Herb_Master]

Your pictures are definitely better than found at teahabitat, it really shows all the details of the stove and sha dao, it is beautiful.
I read that a gongfu cha kettle should hold around 4 liang of water, that is around 200 ml, so that is the amount that needs to be used, and remember to use up all the water before refilling, I think it is good for two infusions, so the water is always fresh.
And if you recieved olive charcoal, if it is not too much to ask could you post a picture with the stove in action, and please tell us how was the water from the kettle, I have great hopes for it, I look at this stove as one of the best water heating devices for gongfu cha.

Reading Imen's warning about filling a hot kettle with cool water, I am loathe to totally empty the kettle whilst in an extended Gong Fu session. I asked (on her blog) about 2 ways I could refill and she approved them both - see
comments on Imen's blog!

[Herb_Master]

And if you recieved olive charcoal, if it is not too much to ask could you post a picture with the stove in action, and please tell us how was the water from the kettle, I have great hopes for it, I look at this stove as one of the best water heating devices for gongfu cha.

Not too easy at the moment!

I have received my Olive Pit Charcoal from Spain and without too much sense I have ordered a LOT of it - 6 Boxes.

Each cardboard box is plain brown on the outside. Inside the Cardboard is printed with Olive motifs. With writing in English and Chinese




Inside are 2 300 gram packets and 2 leaflets
The packets have writing in Spanish and Chinese




The leaflets are, ... well ... leaflets






The charcoal is nice, but small


Nice BUT small

Big but - Too small



Now I am looking for some flat, odourless, smokeless hardwood charcoal to provide a lower layer beneath my Olive pits, before I can use the Stove

[wyardley]

A couple of action shots for those who requested them.

[Herb_Master]

Will, was the smoke blackened exterior cause by a charcoal other than Olive Pit!

[wyardley]

Will, was the smoke blackened exterior cause by a charcoal other than Olive Pit!

I'm pretty sure the outside got blackened when she was using olive pit charcoal only too, but I don't remember for sure. Certainly those sets have both been used with wood charcoal quite a bit.

[Oni]

Thanks for the pictures with the stove in action, and do not worry about the blackness, I saw that on sevencups site while introducing Dancongs, it is logical that with use it will develop this, but it adds aestetically and it doesn`t affect it functionally.
And emptying the kettle each time before refilling, and not mixing boiling hot water with cold water, I read about this in the-leaf magazine, I don`t remember the issue, but I recalled this because I used to do this thinking it will "refresh" my water, after this I read there that it is adversly affecting my water.

[Herb_Master]

And emptying the kettle each time before refilling, and not mixing boiling hot water with cold water, I read about this in the-leaf magazine, I don`t remember the issue, but I recalled this because I used to do this thinking it will "refresh" my water, after this I read there that it is adversly affecting my water.

I'd suffer the slight loss of oxygen in the water rather than have a cracked kettle.

[wyardley]

And emptying the kettle each time before refilling, and not mixing boiling hot water with cold water, I read about this in the-leaf magazine, I don`t remember the issue, but I recalled this because I used to do this thinking it will "refresh" my water, after this I read there that it is adversly affecting my water.

That is one opinion and one way of doing things, but like anything else in tea there are no absolutes. Just because you read something in The Leaf (or any other publication) doesn't make it so.

I have yet to see anyone provide a strong argument for one side or the other with this particular issue (in fact, I started a thread on this on teadrunk, but the thread ended up mostly discussing water jars themselves), and many skilled tea brewers I've seen add water to the pot while it is not completely empty.

Also, you don't have to add *cold* water to the pot - you can let it empty almost all the way and then add already warm water to it.

[JP]

Put a piece of wire screen in the bottom of cooker to keep the olive pit charcoal from falling through.

[Herb_Master]

Put a piece of wire screen in the bottom of cooker to keep the olive pit charcoal from falling through.

Thanks for the suggestion

[TokyoB]

Not that it matters much, but FYI - the Asian writing is Japanese.

[emeraldrobot]

thanks for sharing the awesome pics