gaiwan or teapot?

Semi-oxidized tea
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octopus
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Sat Feb 24, 2018 3:20 am

ShuShu wrote:
Thu Feb 22, 2018 7:18 pm
octopus wrote:
Wed Feb 21, 2018 7:10 am
...
I have just boiled OldWaysTea Laocong ShuiXian with pretty amazing results. (though I could have boiled it abit longer...).
Thank you for this great advice my friend.


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nice, you are welcome :)

can always boil again, the longer the better!
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Bok
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Thu Jan 17, 2019 2:20 am

S_B wrote:
Thu Jan 25, 2018 2:35 am
The gai part of gaiwan means lid. Use it to your advantage...should fix 99% of the problem here...and a thicker gaiwan. ;)
Thicker teaware is probably the last thing I need for high mountain Oolong... do not fancy cooking them ;)

But you are right, heat won’t escape if water sealed at the right angle.

I found a lot of gaiwan do have a bad design to start with, easy to burn one’s hand or otherwise prone to miss handling. A friend gave me a super cheap version (Chinese gov standard) and it is perfect! Still only use it for cupping purposes and for high end Dancong. Even for that I would prefer a porcelain teapot instead. Just like to have a handle on things so to speak...
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Bok
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Thu Jan 17, 2019 2:21 am

And those easy handle gaiwans with spout and other gimmicks are just fugly...
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S_B
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Thu Jan 17, 2019 11:56 am

Interesting, I went back to edit a post from...months back and it looks like it must have somehow updated notifications or something. I just wanted to add a smiley in case it didn't seem playful haha. Definitely, don't stew those greener oolongs! As for easy gaiwans, I can't say much on them, as I've never tried one. Happy steeping!
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Victoria
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Thu Jan 17, 2019 1:27 pm

Bok wrote:
Thu Jan 17, 2019 2:21 am
And those easy handle gaiwans with spout and other gimmicks are just fugly...
Haha, fugly is right...even if they are easier to handle. I use porcelain houhin in place of gaiwan, I prefer them aesthetically.
brutusK
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Thu Jan 17, 2019 2:17 pm

I think something about the sharp beak on houhins I find deeply unpleasant to look at. Much rather have a shiboridashi...kyusu look sort of funny to me with the side handle even though I get why others would like it.
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Bok
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Thu Jan 17, 2019 5:51 pm

brutusK wrote:
Thu Jan 17, 2019 2:17 pm
..kyusu look sort of funny to me with the side handle even though I get why others would like it.
Correct me someone if I am wrong, but Kyusu does not mean sidehandle per se, kyusu can also be a backhandle pot.
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Victoria
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Thu Jan 17, 2019 5:55 pm

Kyusu just means teapot in Japanese.
brutusK
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Thu Jan 17, 2019 6:57 pm

Good to know! My bad.
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Tillerman
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Thu Jan 17, 2019 11:01 pm

Victoria wrote:
Thu Jan 17, 2019 5:55 pm
Kyusu just means teapot in Japanese.
At last! I am so tired of posting this fact; I'm glad to see you take on the mantle @Victoria.
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Elise
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Fri Jan 18, 2019 4:15 am

I am not expert but I have always heard Japanese people using kyusu for side handled teapot and dobin for back handled teapot.
After short research I read that the word kyusu (急須) has derived from a Chinese word used originally to describe a side handled kind of pan used to heat and pour alcohol. The first character refers to the rapidity (quick pour?), while the second character can mean « bring to an end » (among all the various meanings in Classical Chinese :) ).
Maybe the origin of the word is the reason why it is used mainly for side handled pots even if if is a synonym of dobin...
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tealifehk
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Fri Jan 18, 2019 5:07 am

Nowadays I only use porcelain gaiwans for testing new teas, dancong, and big gaiwans for fresh green/yellow/white tea. In many cases, when testing new teas, I use a stoneware teapot from Fujian instead. I do use a Nixing clay gaiwan for dry storage sheng fairly often, but only because it's close at hand at work :) It does make great tea, but I'd rather use a Nixing pot over the gaiwan. Teapots are much less tricky to use and I don't get 'hot potato' moments with em.
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Fri Jan 18, 2019 6:53 am

It is not only the teaware but the user that determines how preparation goes. I often use both hands to pour when using my larger gaiwans and teapots with loose lids. I've used a cloth to hold very thin gaiwans.....

The goal for most of us is to have something delicious to drink without getting burned or upset about spills and/or breakage.

Cheers
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debunix
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Fri Jan 18, 2019 4:30 pm

have something delicious to drink without getting burned or upset about spills and/or breakage
Yes!

I also have a separate goal at work of having easy-to-clean teawares, because I do not have a dedicated kitchen-type sink, and something I can rinse with hot water in the office (over the waste bucket) is infinitely superior to the finest-performing clay that is shaped into something hard to rinse easily.

I wish for one more vessel--and one of these days I'm going to commission one--that combines a side-handle yuzamashi design with a shiboridashi's incised spout & lid to catch the leaves, in a size large enough for one or at most two infusions to serve a good portion of my tea-buddies up and down the hall; all my current shibos and kyusu are too small for this, and the really large pots generally have a lip that the lid sits on that catches the leaves. When made by a fine potter with lovely glaze inside & out it will be beautiful and oh so functional.
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S_B
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Mon Jan 28, 2019 1:54 am

Do we have any Ang Lee film fans here?

Enter Croutching Tiger Hidden Dragon - Our Jianghu hero Li Mubai (Chow Yun-Fat) is tasked with the duty of protecting a dangerously powerful sword, the Green Destiny – But in the days before the sword can be relocated to a safer place, it is stolen from our unsuspecting heroes by a wolf in sheep’s clothing, Yu Jiaolong (Zhang Ziyi). The sword is known for its incredible craftsmanship and power, truly a force to be feared in the hands of a master. Jiaolong is a very skilled martial artist despite her tender age and innocent features. She has already surpassed her master, though she has kept this fact well-hidden. While the sword is as mighty as the legends tell, Jiaolong’s skill is nothing to be underestimated either. When she finally faces Li Mubai as he demands the return of the stolen sword, Jiaolong finally realizes the incredible gap between raw talent and true mastery. Even with the aid of her newly nicked treasure, Green Destiny, she is no match for the swordsman Li Mubai. While effortlessly repelling Jiaolong’s every strike, Li Mubai attempts to convince the young martial artist that with practice and focus she would undoubtedly master the sword.

TL;DR - The legendary sword isn't what makes Li Mubai famed as a swordsman/martial artist in the Jianghu. Rather, his years of training and meditation shaped the martial artist that he is.

While I'm well aware of the dangers of romanticizing stories, the message I'm trying to shoehorn in here is that the choice of teaware hopefully isn't what makes the tea great. Folks use everything from bowls to rare pots to boilers...there are pros and cons to whatever choice. I'd say that the most important factors in a great cup of tea are good water, good tea, and focus/technique/attention (whatever you'd like to call it). Enjoy what you use, but don't let it overshadow the other parts of brewing tea that are imho vastly more pressing to pay attention to. With all of that said, if a piece brings pleasure in any way to your sessions, that is a net positive. Even if somehow looking at a beautiful design enhances your experience of the tea, more power to it!
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