Quality tea ware for Chinese teas

[Gerard]

I am looking for an online dealer that retails Yixing teapots without having to pay too much. Something that I am looking for is quality as well but at a affordable price

as some of these goods reach steep prices.

 

There are online dealers out there who market beautiful teapots but I feel the quality is poor.

 

 

Thanks in advance.

Edited July 20, 2010 by durkhrod chogori

[buscon]

Hi durkhrod chogori,

 

this online shop is probably the best you can find.

I've actually never bought a teapot there, just different kind of teas and accessories, but it's one of the best rated site selling really good chinese tea and products, shipping directly from China, very trustable.

 

Have a look, I think you can find what you need

 

Cheers

Edited July 19, 2010 by buscon

[Gerard]

Thanks Buscon. I am aware that Yixing stuff is not cheap! Why there are many reasons behind, but the main one is the unique art and materials involved in making this amazing stuff. And let me tell you drinking tea from them makes the hell of a lot of difference.

 

I like this tea cups:

 

http://www.yunnansourcing.com/store/product.php?id_product=824

 

 

 

Btw, I came across this site today. Use Google translation because it is in Chinese:

 

http://shop36049974.taobao.com/

 

I got one teapot for pu-erh but need another one for my longjing greens. I paid a significant amount for the one I own and it is only a small size but gee tea tastes great when you brew it using this specific teaware.

 

I am still open to other recommended sites.

 

Now my question is:

 

How much is the price in the country of origin?

 

I know the Chinese love money so I am curious, lol!

 

 

Regards.

 

 

Edited: typos.

Edited July 19, 2010 by durkhrod chogori

[buscon]

Thanks Buscon. I am aware that Yixing stuff is not cheap! Why there are many reasons behind, but the main one is the unique art and materials involved in making this amazing stuff. And let me tell you drinking tea from them makes the hell of a lot of difference.

 

I like this tea cups:

 

http://www.yunnansourcing.com/store/product.php?id_product=824

 

 

 

I've got two Yixing teapots, and they are really nice, essential for Gong fu cha

 

I like more the classic little cups, white cercamic inside and brownish clay on the outside.

 

Good idea to have one teapot for longjing and one for the pu-erh

 

here's another good online seller:

http://stores.ebay.com/Dragon-Tea-House

the prices are almost the same as yunnansourcing, but maybe you can find smt more.

 

Let us know what you eventually buy.

Be well

[Gerard]

I have purchased mine from a Hong Kongnese local dealer in the city where I currently live but it is only 50mL and the quality is great. Very porous and no sandy feeling on touch and it doesn't leak tea when you pour it on your tea cup. This is the only thing that worries me from online purchases: quality and certainty that what I am going to buy matches the requirements I just stated.

 

About eBay dealers. Sorry but I will probably skip this last recommended link of yours. Thanks anyway.

 

I feel that quality comes with a hefty price tag so probably I will have to invest again a considerable amount on my second teapot.

 

One last thing, Buscon, do you cool off the boiling water to 85 deg. before pouring it into the teapot?

[buscon]

[Gerard]

Hi Buscon,

 

I have done some more research and I realise you were right. You did your homework very well too

 

Now, I also found out that is better using a non clay teapot for brewing greens and lightly oxidised oolongs. So I won't buy a Yixing teapot this time. I will stick to the Gaiwan type as it lets the green tea brew better.

 

The links you provided are top for Chinese tea ware. Thanks one more time.

[buscon]

Hi Buscon,

 

I have done some more research and I realise you were right. You did your homework very well too

 

Now, I also found out that is better using a non clay teapot for brewing greens and lightly oxidised oolongs. So I won't buy a Yixing teapot this time. I will stick to the Gaiwan type as it lets the green tea brew better.

 

The links you provided are top for Chinese tea ware. Thanks one more time.

 

You're really welcome

 

I've actually mastered drinking tea before getting to kung fu and meditation: it has been my first step into taoism.

Yeah, for green teas is better a normal teapot, maybe bigger. Still you can do Gong fu Cha with green teas even in a little teapot that you use just for that purpose: in little cups you can taste the tea better and with little teapots you can enjoy the different brewings.

 

Hope that the infos will be useful for any tea drinker

 

Have a nice tea!

Edited July 20, 2010 by buscon

[Brian]

..

[Gerard]

Buscon,

 

For Chinese green teas, the eggshell porcelain gaiwan type works best as recommended by some tea masters whose info I came across online.

 

 

 

A Seeker,

 

YMW, brewing tea is an art and like other arts takes practice and time to master it. I am also a beginner.

Edited July 21, 2010 by durkhrod chogori

[Gerard]

.

Edited July 21, 2010 by durkhrod chogori

[buscon]

Buscon,

 

For Chinese green teas, the eggshell porcelain gaiwan type works best as recommended by some tea masters whose info I came across online.

 

 

 

Sorry for the late answer.

I think every porcelain gaiwan is quite good: take a fine porcelain and choose the size that you need, 150-200ml should fit your purpose for green teas.

A porcelain gaiwan is also very useful to taste new teas

 

Enjoy

[Gerard]

Not a problem at all. Thanks for coming back to this thread.

 

Now and off the record, people online recommend buying long jing tea from "teaspring" and also "jingteashop". Good quality long jing is hard to come by these days even in China. But apparently the quality sold through both sites is good.

 

Thanks again.

[buscon]

Not a problem at all. Thanks for coming back to this thread.

 

Now and off the record, people online recommend buying long jing tea from "teaspring" and also "jingteashop". Good quality long jing is hard to come by these days even in China. But apparently the quality sold through both sites is good.

 

 

Teaspring is a very good online shop. I don't know Jingteashop, but looks quite good.

 

I bought my longjing from Dragon Tea House last year and I was quite happy with it: 16.99$ for 100g and was quite good. Of course you can find smt better, but for that price the quality was really ok.

 

Lately I'm more with raw Pu-erh tea, and I drink occasionaly longjing, even thought it used to be my favorite one

Maybe try to buy little samples from different sellers and compare them, it would be the best solution

[Gerard]

Yes those two provide the best Chinese green teas. I visit Teachat.com quite often lately as very knowledgeable folks post in that forum. They also told me to stay away from "Amazing Green Tea" as their long jings do not justify their price, basically BS long jing; that is, low quality sold for a high price.

 

I will try the Dragon Tea House one because that price is a bargain. But let me ask you something: what is the taste like (nutty, fruity)? And sweetness-wise?

 

My plan is to drink dragon well at least once a day and another green in the evening: Bi luo chun, hon kui, liu an gua, anji bai cha or ding gu da fang. This morning I brewed two cups of "bi luo chun" that I purchased at a local store but the quality wasn't great. Maybe I stuffed up the brewing since the taste was weedy instead of the fruity taste which is renowned for. No idea what really happened, I need to try the stuff sold at "teaspring."

 

I'll try the rest of my list before I can pair it up with my favourite green so far: dragon well.

Edited July 23, 2010 by durkhrod chogori

[DarthBane]

Very awesome topic. I have been a tea fan for years. Eventually I settled on powdered Sencha, and Japanese Teapots from a japanese seller to cut costs. EMS is just so expensive.

 

I still drink JIAOGULAN tea which is a popular longevity tea.

 

Other cost effective methods are the "french press" for making infusions of tea or herbs.

 

I still use roasted dandelion root from time to time for flushing toxins. Be advised by a doctor on this before using.

 

Pink Light

[buscon]

 

 

I will try the Dragon Tea House one because that price is a bargain. But let me ask you something: what is the taste like (nutty, fruity)? And sweetness-wise?

 

My plan is to drink dragon well at least once a day and another green in the evening: Bi luo chun, hon kui, liu an gua, anji bai cha or ding gu da fang. This morning I brewed two cups of "bi luo chun" that I purchased at a local store but the quality wasn't great. Maybe I stuffed up the brewing since the taste was weedy instead of the fruity taste which is renowned for. No idea what really happened, I need to try the stuff sold at "teaspring."

 

I'll try the rest of my list before I can pair it up with my favourite green so far: dragon well.

 

The taste was quite fruity but not really sweet, but very soft

 

If you really want to enjoy the taste of your teas, consider to get a tea taster too, like this

or

this

 

 

About brewing, pay attention to the water temperature and minutes of infusion in relation to how much tea you use.

You probably know about it

[Gerard]

Yes, soft is the word, you stole it from me. Btw, I had a second session of "bi luo chun" and this time the taste improved significantly. I am messing up my brewings with incorrect time and temperature settings.

 

I have purchased a thermometer in the mean time and thanks for recommending the aroma cups. I will buy them eventually.

 

So what is the average brewing time for Chinese green and I will fine tune from there.

 

 

Another topic,

 

There are hundreds of cakes available at Yunnan Sourcing:

 

http://stores.ebay.com/Dragon-Tea-House_UNCOOKED_W0QQ_fsubZ613479QQ_sidZ150831608QQ_trksidZp4634Q2ec0Q2em322

 

what do I need to look for when purchasing one?

 

What would be the approximate online cost for the cake I purchased recently:

 

 

I am just curious if I have been ripped off, lol!

[Sunya]

Pu erh has a lot of good bacteria in the leaves from fermentation (like yogurt) -- I personally don't wash mine and instead drink the first infusion. I don't want to waste the probiotics

[Gerard]

 

Pu-erh tea is another field of the ancient art of Chinese Tea preparation and consumption.

 

Starting point:

 

http://www.pu-erh.net/

 

http://www.teachat.com/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=7012

[buscon]

[Gerard]

For a normal (western) cup, around 200ml, use one teaspoon of tea and water around 70°, brew it for 3-4 minutes.

If you wanna make more infusions, you have to use more tea, brewing 1 minutes, start with water around 70° and increase every infusion brewing time and water temperature. 3-4 infusions are enough.

The first infusion is the most bitter. The second is the best: the taste is stronger and the bitter is not there. The third is also quite good. The forth has little taste, but still good.

 

Buscon,

 

How much more tea if I use 320mL cup.

 

I am now considering a yixing teapot for my greens, regardless of what all experts say about using a Gaiwan. Not to keen of these. I have been using a mug that comes with a ceramic steeper inside but results are very inconsistent. I don't this is the most indicated method to brew temperamental high quality Chinese greens.

 

I reckon a yixing teapot lets you control the brewing better (due to the smmaller size if you happen to buy the small type) as well as the heat (5 elements theory...fire (heat) generates earth (clay pot)). What do you think?

 

I am curious, what yixing do you use for your greens?

 

 

 

I can reccomend you to start with raw pu-erh tea: at Yunnan Sourcing you can buy little samples (25g) of almost every cake, try some that could fit your taste and next time you buy the cake

 

Yes I know, but it is time consuming. Hmmm...this is the trickiest part of having so many varieties available.

 

 

I'm still a beginner with pu-erh, but I know that it's a good idea to start with the young ones, get used to the taste and then move to the old one (if you like it...)

A good starting point are Menghai Dayi's 7542, 7532 and 8582.

 

Hard to tell about your cake: can write the name or number that it's written on the packaging ?

 

Thanks for the info. OK I will post that number.

 

About tea washing: pu-erh contains bacteria but also some dirt. Moreover you wash the tea in order to prepare it for the brewing: pu-erh tea is pressed, and the first infusion just "wash" the outside and open it a little bit - the relevant bacteria are actually inside

 

Yes I was told about it by the local Chinese merchant who sold me my first pu-erh cake.

Edited July 26, 2010 by durkhrod chogori

[buscon]

Buscon,

 

How much more tea if I use 320mL cup.

 

I am now considering a yixing teapot for my greens, regardless of what all experts say about using a Gaiwan. Not to keen of these. I have been using a mug that comes with a ceramic steeper inside but results are very inconsistent. I don't this is the most indicated method to brew temperamental high quality Chinese greens.

 

I reckon a yixing teapot lets you control the brewing better (due to the smmaller size if you happen to buy the small type) as well as the heat (5 elements theory...fire (heat) generates earth (clay pot)). What do you think?

 

I am curious, what yixing do you use for your greens?

 

1 teaspoon (3g) for 200ml is approximate, for a 320ml cup try with a teaspoon and a half. A teaspoon is also approximate, as it depends on the kind of tea - some have more volume than others...

 

The gaywan is cool, but is not that confortable as a teapot.

A Yixing teapot is good especially for pu-erh tea: you do a lot of short infusions with a lot of tea inside, that's very meditative

For green teas you can use a Yixing teapot too, and taste the different brewing. On the other side you can just buy a medium size one, 200ml, and do just one big cup.

 

I have a 200ml Yixing teapot for greens, and I use it for gong fu cha. Then I have a bigger clay one, 300ml, for doing 1 or 2 big cups. I bought them at a local chinese shop: I bought plenty of things from them - teas, teaware, kung fu shoes, poster, ornaments, etc.

 

 

Yes I know, but it is time consuming. Hmmm...this is the trickiest part of having so many varieties available.

 

 

That's what I though when I discovered pu-erh too, I know that feeling, it's kind of disappointing.

But actually it's quite the opposite: you've got plenty of different pu-erhs, you actually have to build your taste, to cultivate it. it's like learning a martial art form, you need time, patience and dedication. With pu-erh teas I've really understand why drinking tea it's really an art.

 

I suggest you to buy one of the raw cake that I mentioned before and some little samples: you're not in a hurry, take your time and enjoy the tea you can have - it's the tao way

Edited July 26, 2010 by buscon

[Gerard]

1 teaspoon (3g) for 200ml is approximate, for a 320ml cup try with a teaspoon and a half. A teaspoon is also approximate, as it depends on the kind of tea - some have more volume than others...

 

The gaywan is cool, but is not that confortable as a teapot.

A Yixing teapot is good especially for pu-erh tea: you do a lot of short infusions with a lot of tea inside, that's very meditative

For green teas you can use a Yixing teapot too, and taste the different brewing. On the other side you can just buy a medium size one, 200ml, and do just one big cup.

 

I have a 200ml Yixing teapot for greens, and I use it for gong fu cha. Then I have a bigger clay one, 300ml, for doing 1 or 2 big cups. I bought them at a local chinese shop: I bought plenty of things from them - teas, teaware, kung fu shoes, poster, ornaments, etc.

 

 

 

That's what I though when I discovered pu-erh too, I know that feeling, it's kind of disappointing.

But actually it's quite the opposite: you've got plenty of different pu-erhs, you actually have to build your taste, to cultivate it. it's like learning a martial art form, you need time, patience and dedication. With pu-erh teas I've really understand why drinking tea it's really an art.

 

I suggest you to buy one of the raw cake that I mentioned before and some little samples: you're not in a hurry, take your time and enjoy the tea you can have - it's the tao way

 

 

Thanks again, my friend. I will heed your advice, except the yixing for greens, lol!

 

The crowd over at teachat almost "banned" me from that forum for asking this kind of advice, lol. I hate gaiwans, and love teapots. I need to find a good porcelain teapot that is not to thick to avoid overheating the tea while brewing it.

 

Any links for porcelain teapots yixing style and not big sized?

 

I trust your advice but I like to listen to other people as well, please don't get me wrong.

 

Yes, Chinese tea drinking is an ancient art and takes years of practice to master it, but hey! I am enjoying the ride big time.

 

I don't have the wrapping anymore but a friend of mine who bought the same cake does, so once I get hold of them I will post. Maybe I wasn't ripped off at all and what I bought is good quality "pu."

 

Take care.

[buscon]

Thanks again, my friend. I will heed your advice, except the yixing for greens, lol!

 

The crowd over at teachat almost "banned" me from that forum for asking this kind of advice, lol. I hate gaiwans, and love teapots. I need to find a good porcelain teapot that is not to thick to avoid overheating the tea while brewing it.

 

Any links for porcelain teapots yixing style and not big sized?

 

I trust your advice but I like to listen to other people as well, please don't get me wrong.

 

Yes, Chinese tea drinking is an ancient art and takes years of practice to master it, but hey! I am enjoying the ride big time.

 

I don't have the wrapping anymore but a friend of mine who bought the same cake does, so once I get hold of them I will post. Maybe I wasn't ripped off at all and what I bought is good quality "pu."

 

Take care.

 

teachat is a great forum for tea, you can find for sure people that know more than me

 

I cannot really suggest you a ceramic teapot, but Dragontea house has some good ones:

ceramic teapots

 

Let me know what you eventually buy

Be well