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I'm trying to decide if I should use one of my yixing pots to brew greener oolongs in. Or if I should just stick to my porcelain gaiwan. I'm fairly new to tea so I'm not very knowledgeable in the effects of yixing other than it can improve some teas, but also can dampen the aroma so I'm not sure it's a good choice for gaoshan.

I think my clay pot works better than my porcelain gaiwan.

Stick to thin porcelain.

Psyck wrote: ↑

Sat Jan 13, 2018 5:12 am

Stick to thin porcelain.

I agree

I almost exclusively brew gaoshan in high fired red clay, but my best results with gaoshan have been in porcelain infuser mugs (Taiwanese-made mugs, actually)!

Taiwanese wood fired clay. Or Taiwanese simple glazed clay

Anything.

Most often in thin-walled pots, with enough room for leaf to expand, or grandpa style in whatever cup/bowl feels right that day. At home, when brewing in a pot, I most often use an unglazed Koshin pot from Tokoname, or a fully glazed porcelain by Yi Yong Cheol. The Koshin pot gives more room for leaves to expand due to its shape and is the one I reach for first.

Bok wrote: ↑

Sat Jan 13, 2018 7:39 am

...Taiwanese simple glazed clay

Are you aware of or can provide a link to a vendor who carries these?

Kale wrote: ↑

Mon Jan 15, 2018 8:58 am

Bok wrote: ↑

Sat Jan 13, 2018 7:39 am

...Taiwanese simple glazed clay

Are you aware of or can provide a link to a vendor who carries these?

I have not seen them often in Western facing shops... Taiwanteacrafts used to have them sometimes. Songtea as well, although their prices seem excessive - but they pick only very beautiful wares.

Artisans in Taiwan sell their work mainly via Facebook or physical shops. Not so easy to access and the quality can vary quite a bit, so first hand inspection is probably better!

Peter Kuo has an online shop although it is rarely up to date and the glazed stuff is often not on there. If interested send me a pm I can ask them directly what is available or when there is new stock. All those potters are all a bit old school in that sense...

I would suggest that you look at Xu De Jia teapots. Not easy to purchase online but there are a few shops selling his work. For instance Red Blossom Tea.
His work is quite popular in China among tea and teaware good shops.
I have one teapot from this artist and I just love it.

There is also Inge Nielsen, trained in Taiwan, whose work is a really nice reinvention of Chinese, Taiwanese and Japanese teapot’s shapes.