Tea preparation styles vary across the globe. The way tea is brewed in South America or the United States is vastly different than the ways it's brewed in China or Japan. This is even more prominent when the tea is brewed as part of a traditional tea ceremony like gong fu cha. If you like to brew Chinese teas according to traditional methods, this guide will help you select the right Chinese teapot for the job.
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One of the first things you should consider when choosing a Chinese teapot is size. If you like to brew a single cup of tea each morning, choosing an enormous teapot isn't going to be a good fit. Small teapots like a gaiwan or yixing cup are a great choice if you like to brew single-serving sizes. These cups also enable you to brew multiple infusions for one person. If you brew tea for the whole family, look for larger teapots to accommodate your needs.
Chinese teapots are made from yixing clay, which is derived from the Jiangsu Province of China. This region offers two types of clay known as earth clay or stone clay. Earth clay is made using mud from specially sourced regions while stone clay is made using harder rock clays.
Earth clay is used to produce mid-quality teapots. These teapots are typically white or pale stone-colored. Stone clay is a higher quality clay also known as Zisha clay. This type of clay is also known as purple clay or red clay. It can vary widely in color thanks to high concentrations of minerals like iron, quartz, and mica. These teapots have great heat retention and maintain the temperature of tea throughout the steeping process. The result is better-tasting tea when it's brewed in a Zisha teapot.
The color of the clay results in characteristics that make each teapot unique. Earth clay comes in three main colors: red, purple, and green. These are also known as Hongni, Zhini, and Luni, respectively. There are also black and yellow clays although these are far less common.
Chinese yixing pots come in a variety of shapes and styles. Some have long spouts that allow the tea to aerate when pouring while others are shorter and more stub-nosed. Clay teapots from China can also be round and plump or square and tall. In general, these teapots feature a handle 180 degrees from the spout.
Chinese clay teapots are made through a firing process. The clay is extracted from soils in China and is then fired in a kiln using low or high temperatures. To tell if a teapot is high-fired, lift the lid about one inch off the top of the pot. Gently let the lid go. You should hear a bell-like ring as the lid makes contact with the teapot opening.
The porosity of a teapot determines whether it will be fired using low or high temperatures. Clays that are very porous are fired using low temperatures in order to constrict the clay. This makes the yixing teapot more dense and sturdier. Thinner clays that are denser are fired using high temperatures. In general, high-fired yixing pots should be used for green and white teas while low-fired tea sets should be used for black, pu-erh, and oolong teas.
Clay teapots are sought-after because of their high-quality construction and their unique history. These teapots get better with age, just like a fine wine. Many affordable, but lower-quality clay teapots are lined with enamel. The enamel makes the pot more durable, and allows it to be used for different types of tea.
Premium Chinese teapots do not have an enamel lining. That's because the teapots are designed to be used with one type of tea such as oolong tea, pu-erh tea, or green tea. With each infusion, the clay gently absorbs the flavor, aroma, and color of the tea. Each subsequent brew has a richer and more nuanced flavor, which makes these teapots desirable as they age. If you like to brew one type of tea, a non-enameled Chinese teapot is the best choice for brewing loose tea leaves.
Brewing tea is an art form. Whether you like to brew iced teas in stunning glass teapots or enjoy the artistry of British porcelain teapots, there is a brewing style for you. To brew Chinese teas, use a Yixing clay teapot or a gaiwan. For the highest quality Chinese clay teapot, look for options made of purple sand, which are known as Yixing Zishas. Remember to use only one type of tea —black tea or white tea for example — if your clay teapot does not have an enamel lining.
In addition to the right teapot, you'll need the right teaware to brew properly. If you are brewing loose leaf tea, use a strainer to keep the leaves contained for easy steeping and pouring into teacups. Grab the right tools and some hot water and start brewing your next pot of tea the traditional way.
Tea preparation styles vary across the globe. The way tea is brewed in South America or the United States is vastly different than the ways it's brewed in China or Japan. This is even more prominent when the tea is brewed as part of a traditional tea ceremony like gong fu cha. If you like to brew Chinese teas according to traditional methods, this guide will help you select the right Chinese teapot for the job.
One of the first things you should consider when choosing a Chinese teapot is size. If you like to brew a single cup of tea each morning, choosing an enormous teapot isn't going to be a good fit. Small teapots like a gaiwan or yixing cup are a great choice if you like to brew single-serving sizes. These cups also enable you to brew multiple infusions for one person. If you brew tea for the whole family, look for larger teapots to accommodate your needs.
Chinese teapots are made from yixing clay, which is derived from the Jiangsu Province of China. This region offers two types of clay known as earth clay or stone clay. Earth clay is made using mud from specially sourced regions while stone clay is made using harder rock clays.
Earth clay is used to produce mid-quality teapots. These teapots are typically white or pale stone-colored. Stone clay is a higher quality clay also known as Zisha clay. This type of clay is also known as purple clay or red clay. It can vary widely in color thanks to high concentrations of minerals like iron, quartz, and mica. These teapots have great heat retention and maintain the temperature of tea throughout the steeping process. The result is better-tasting tea when it's brewed in a Zisha teapot.
The color of the clay results in characteristics that make each teapot unique. Earth clay comes in three main colors: red, purple, and green. These are also known as Hongni, Zhini, and Luni, respectively. There are also black and yellow clays although these are far less common.
Chinese yixing pots come in a variety of shapes and styles. Some have long spouts that allow the tea to aerate when pouring while others are shorter and more stub-nosed. Clay teapots from China can also be round and plump or square and tall. In general, these teapots feature a handle 180 degrees from the spout.
Chinese clay teapots are made through a firing process. The clay is extracted from soils in China and is then fired in a kiln using low or high temperatures. To tell if a teapot is high-fired, lift the lid about one inch off the top of the pot. Gently let the lid go. You should hear a bell-like ring as the lid makes contact with the teapot opening.
The porosity of a teapot determines whether it will be fired using low or high temperatures. Clays that are very porous are fired using low temperatures in order to constrict the clay. This makes the yixing teapot more dense and sturdier. Thinner clays that are denser are fired using high temperatures. In general, high-fired yixing pots should be used for green and white teas while low-fired tea sets should be used for black, pu-erh, and oolong teas.
Clay teapots are sought-after because of their high-quality construction and their unique history. These teapots get better with age, just like a fine wine. Many affordable, but lower-quality clay teapots are lined with enamel. The enamel makes the pot more durable, and allows it to be used for different types of tea.
Premium Chinese teapots do not have an enamel lining. That's because the teapots are designed to be used with one type of tea such as oolong tea, pu-erh tea, or green tea. With each infusion, the clay gently absorbs the flavor, aroma, and color of the tea. Each subsequent brew has a richer and more nuanced flavor, which makes these teapots desirable as they age. If you like to brew one type of tea, a non-enameled Chinese teapot is the best choice for brewing loose tea leaves.
Brewing tea is an art form. Whether you like to brew iced teas in stunning glass teapots or enjoy the artistry of British porcelain teapots, there is a brewing style for you. To brew Chinese teas, use a Yixing clay teapot or a gaiwan. For the highest quality Chinese clay teapot, look for options made of purple sand, which are known as Yixing Zishas. Remember to use only one type of tea —black tea or white tea for example — if your clay teapot does not have an enamel lining.
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In addition to the right teapot, you'll need the right teaware to brew properly. If you are brewing loose leaf tea, use a strainer to keep the leaves contained for easy steeping and pouring into teacups. Grab the right tools and some hot water and start brewing your next pot of tea the traditional way.
Making tea is essentially the process of breaking down the cell walls of tea leaves to release their flavour. The Gong-Fu Cha (Tea With Great Skill) method of traditional tea-making is about doing this in a very controlled way to get the maximum flavour consistently for the maximum number of brews. Too much or too little heat will break down the leaves too quickly or too slowly for the tea you are making and the flavour will be inconsistent. An incorrectly sized teapot will constrict the expansion of the leaves or leave them drowning in too much water.
The key is in matching the right size and shape of teapot, the type of clay and firing temperature with the right type of tea and the number of people being served. And since a teapot is something that may be used every day, a teapot should be something that should be comfortable to handle, long lasting and pleasing to the eye.
Serious Gong-Fu Cha enthusiasts spend many hours debating the virtues of their teapots, but there is universal agreement on these four points:
Certain clays, fired at certain temperatures are used for certain types of teapots. Teapots made from more porous clay are low-fired and are made thicker to hold heat longer which is good for Black Teas (called Red Teas in China) and Pu-Erh Teas (called Black Teas in China). High-fired teapots for teas such as Green, White and Oolongs use a finer, thinner clay and will cool faster, preventing these more delicate teas from “cooking” in the teapot.
Chart - Selecting A Chinese Teapot By Profile And Method Of Firing
HIGH PROFILE High Fired Clay Low Fired ClayMost Green/White Teas
any tea made from "tips"
Taiwan Oolong
Pu-erh LOW PROFILETie Guan Yin (also called Chinese Oolong, Iron Buddha, Buddha of Mercy
Da Hong Pao
Phoenix Tea
Lapsang Souchong and other Chinese Black Teas (known as Red teas in China)
Chinese clay teapots do not use glazing. Clay is porous and tea oils are intended to build up inside the teapot and over time, actually smooths the taste of tea and improves it by adding its own unique character with accumulated oils. Never make different teas in the same teapot unless they are from the same family or class of teas, such as different types of green or oolongs, but even this is not ideal as some teas from the same family have a strong flavour and in time, their taste would transfer to a more delicately flavoured tea.
Your teapot will be your friend for many years so make sure there are no cracks or chips. It should have good balance, be comfortable in the hand, the handle and lid should fit your fingers, the lid fit precisely in the top opening and the opening on the top just large enough to accommodate the size of leaves you will be using. A smaller opening tends to keep the fragrance of tea in the teapot whereas a larger opening allows the fragrance to escape. So tea with small or rolled leaves and high fragrance (Green, White, Oolongs) will benefit from a smaller opening. A larger opening is better for tea with large leaves and low fragrance (Black and Pu-Erh).
The spout should be large enough to allow the tea to pour freely. Gong Fu Cha develops the taste of tea quickly with fast brew times so the hole of the spout needs to be as large as possible to not constrict the flow of tea being poured, which would make the brew times longer. Check other sized teapots to ensure the spout is proportional to the size of teapot. Many newer teapots come with a strainer built-in. If your teapot does not have a strainer, ask to have one inserted inside the spout.
Glass & Porcelain Teapots
Glass and porcelain teapots are “flavour neutral “ and unlike clay teapots, do not change the taste of tea in any way as their impermeable surfaces do not absorb any tea oils and they can be rinsed clean after each use. These are good for testing and comparing teas. You might want try a new tea in a glass or porcelain teapot before you make it in your clay teapot to compare how your clay teapot is affecting the taste.
If you want to save money or are a traditionalist, you can use the traditional Gai Wan which is an inexpensive porcelain pot with a lid and base that comes in many sizes and can be used for all teas. Glass teapots are often used for Green/White and “blooming” teas as they do not absorb the delicate tea fragrance like clay and you can see the leaves expanding in a pretty display. But a high quality, high-fired Zisha clay teapot is still superior and like all clay teapots, improves the taste.
For more deatiled information, see our How-To Guide: "How To Choose A Chinese Teapot by Daniel Lui"
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