Yixing / Clay pot purchase advice within EU

[Youzi]

@Maerskian
Yeah, you see the problem is that you want to try clay, because you want to see what it does, however at that price point shipped from Europe you don't have retail options, just second hand.

Maybe you can check out Boerna. Aliexpress no charges VAT, so the shipments should be fast tracked though customs, cuz they have ISS or what number.
https://a.aliexpress.com/_mKOPCUw

Another option is that you can buy a locomotive teapot knowing that they are machine made from industrial clay. Made to standards like: red, green, blue, yellow.
So the effect you can get could be anything, and not reporoducible and not contributing to your learning about gong fu Cha.

They aren't going to kill you. They don't have heavy metals in them, besides some Barium oxide, but it's not enough to bioaccumulate to harm you in any meaningful way.

For this reason me and the fellow forum members here feel like, that your 99€ will be equal to throwing that money out the window. And better spent on tea instead.

Btw,

By functional I meant, that it has a handle and can pour out tea relatively well, nothing more.

[Maerskian]

Maerskian
Yeah, you see the problem is that you want to try clay, because you want to see what it does, however at that price point shipped from Europe you don't have retail options, just second hand.

Yes, that's exactly what i was expecting. Checked a few dozen options over here but none of 'em seemed convincing enough even not knowing enough about it.

Created this thread to confirm my suspicions which indeed pretty much can be summed up on this line:

For this reason me and the fellow forum members here feel like, that your 99€ will be equal to throwing that money out the window. And better spent on tea instead.

Maybe you can check out Boerna. Aliexpress no charges VAT, so the shipments should be fast tracked though customs, cuz they have ISS or what number.
https://a.aliexpress.com/_mKOPCUw

While i know some ( few ) sellers on Aliexpress are reliable, also aware there's tons of 'em selling the dodgy kind. Didn't know of any reliable teaware seller over there, is Boerna well known then ? anybody else bought there ?

Yes indeed, apparently Aliexpress managed to fix the IOSS VAT number although still don't know if they managed to fix the next step tranferring it to custom's database ( main source for plenty double taxations nowadays ) .

Now i think about it... think i know somebody that bought some tea through AliExpress recently & already received, think i'll just ask how it went.

Another option is that you can buy a locomotive teapot knowing that they are machine made from industrial clay. Made to standards like: red, green, blue, yellow.
So the effect you can get could be anything, and not reporoducible and not contributing to your learning about gong fu Cha.

They aren't going to kill you. They don't have heavy metals in them, besides some Barium oxide, but it's not enough to bioaccumulate to harm you in any meaningful way.

O__o ... not sure if i'm not getting a well known concept ... talking about Russian teaware or stuff sold at MoyChay or just using a comical paradox .

Whatever the case... already own 5 basic gaiwans, 1 XXL gaiwan, 2 kamjove and around 9-10 teapots ( three 100ml-size - two purion made - , one 200ml, two 300ml, the czech one... think it's around 400ml maybe... then two 550ml ones - one purion made - 8 out of 9 are Lin Ceramics ... maybe i'm forgetting one more ) . They work fine as intended, each one has its purpose.

By functional I meant, that it has a handle and can pour out tea relatively well, nothing more.

Hmm... got it. Only would disagree that functionality it's either 100% or it isn't. If those factory made clay pots can even modify your tea in a negative way and not even remain neutral i'd say that's a clear flaw, therefore not functional at all.

[Youzi]

Maybe you can check out Boerna. Aliexpress no charges VAT, so the shipments should be fast tracked though customs, cuz they have ISS or what number.
https://a.aliexpress.com/_mKOPCUw

While i know some ( few ) sellers on Aliexpress are reliable, also aware there's tons of 'em selling the dodgy kind. Didn't know of any reliable teaware seller over there, is Boerna well known then ? anybody else bought there ?

Quite a few people got teapots from them over at the /tea discord. I became almost one of them, but just got unlucky and they got locked down just when I wanted to place a custom oreder.

[Maerskian]

While i know some ( few ) sellers on Aliexpress are reliable, also aware there's tons of 'em selling the dodgy kind. Didn't know of any reliable teaware seller over there, is Boerna well known then ? anybody else bought there ?

Quite a few people got teapots from them over at the /tea discord. I became almost one of them, but just got unlucky and they got locked down just when I wanted to place a custom oreder.

Thanks a lot for confirming, also for the extra tip ( always forget about about that option, although shouldn't be necessary as i look for a relatively standard shape ) .

Just saved this sellers and will keep in mind, thanks again!

[TabulaRasa]

You could get a Boerna Nixing. Those are quite cheap and come in bigger sizes. They are on Aliexpress that's why VAT is included.

[Maerskian]

You could get a Boerna Nixing. Those are quite cheap and come in bigger sizes. They are on Aliexpress that's why VAT is included.

Yes, Youzi already mentioned that store earlier although the more opinions the better!

Have you bought from there ? if so, what's your experience with what you got so far ?

[TabulaRasa]

yes its a great and beautiful pot for the price.
it is not going to be neutral. but if you want neutral i would use a gaiwan

[Maerskian]

yes its a great and beautiful pot for the price.

What kind of clay it is & what kind of tea you brew with it ? , what would you describe as the positive impact on it ?

it is not going to be neutral. but if you want neutral i would use a gaiwan

Fully aware of it. As i mentioned earlier already own 5 basic gaiwans, 1 XXL gaiwan, 2 kamjove and around 9-10 teapots ( three 100ml-size - two purion made - , one 200ml, two 300ml, the czech one... think it's around 400ml maybe... then two 550ml ones - one purion made - 8 out of 9 are Lin Ceramics ... maybe i'm forgetting one more ) .

Neutral teapot is exactly what i don't need now.

[TabulaRasa]

It is Nixing clay. They only do Nixing. It does well with Puerh and Heicha and especially Shou. I feel like it can do Oolong as well but I'm still experimenting

[Maerskian]

It is Nixing clay. They only do Nixing. It does well with Puerh and Heicha and especially Shou. I feel like it can do Oolong as well but I'm still experimenting

Thank you!

Looks like i'll need to buy quite a few then, initially only planned to try with sheng but in the end... no time like yesterday to try with shu, heicha, oolongs as well.

Wondering if i'll notice any real benefit with aged white tea though.

[Balthazar]

Why would you need to buy several?

If you're thinking of dedicating each pot to a single type of tea, I don't see any reason to do so with nixing (and personally I think the benefits of doing so for other kinds of clay are debatable too). Or are you thinking of buying "quite a few" to test different volumes?

(As for pairing, I've found nixing to work well with a wide range of teas, and to really excel with certain types of heicha. No idea how much of that experience is due to the clay-independent properties of my vessels and how much is due to the nixing clay itself.)

[Baisao]

Why would you need to buy several?

If you're thinking of dedicating each pot to a single type of tea, I don't see any reason to do so with nixing (and personally I think the benefits of doing so for other kinds of clay are debatable too). Or are you thinking of buying "quite a few" to test different volumes?

None of the OP’s asks add up:
1) Wants to experience effects of different clays, ideally Yixing
2) Spends hundreds on bings but only wants cheap mass produced teapots
3) Appears to settle for cheap Nixing instead

I’m not sure what anyone would learn from that other than to not buy mass produced teapots.

Do I have this wrong?

[Balthazar]

I was confused about OP being willing to buy several nixing pots too, since (in addition to the question of what getting several will accomplish from a functional point of view) that'll take the total cost above the stated budget limit for a yixing pot.

But getting a single (mass-produced) nixing pot? Good idea, given the stated budget limitations, imo. "Fakes" aren't an issue yet the way they are in the yixing world. Wouldn't be more worried about mass-produced nixing than mass-produced porcelain gaiwans.

[Bok]

@Maerskian not sure if this is still available but the second one is under 100: viewtopic.php?f=28&t=1799
A private parcel if not send via DHL or similar might slip under the radar...

[Maerskian]

Apparently this conversation is widening enough that's becoming hard to read, sorry for that.

Why would you need to buy several?

If you're thinking of dedicating each pot to a single type of tea, I don't see any reason to do so with nixing (and personally I think the benefits of doing so for other kinds of clay are debatable too). Or are you thinking of buying "quite a few" to test different volumes?

(As for pairing, I've found nixing to work well with a wide range of teas, and to really excel with certain types of heicha. No idea how much of that experience is due to the clay-independent properties of my vessels and how much is due to the nixing clay itself.)

The point of buying clay pots is just experimenting, for that purpose i'd rather take my time with 'em and isolate 'em with one kind of tea/each so i can try & draw some conclusions on my own.

Not bent on buying a pot right now as somehow implied on some of my previous answers on this otherwise hard to read conversation. Will expand on this while i keep replying below.

None of the OP’s asks add up:

From the initial point to my current stance there's been some significant changes, not to be interpreted as a straight line.

1) Wants to experience effects of different clays, ideally Yixing

Correct on "different clays" & ideally "yixing" .

Skipped the part where i openly state i don't know much about clay pots & this conversation was a way to get directions.

2) Spends hundreds on bings but only wants cheap mass produced teapots

2.1) Thousands even.

2.2) Not "only wants" but rather "ideally" would rather something like a fully functional clay pot two-digit priced existed; it's been made abundantly clear there's no such thing & also pointed out that by "fully functional" i was talking about clay being functional in a positive way too.

2.3) So far quite happy with my ceramic teaware. Want to experiment further with "clay" pots, it's more than obvious i need to learn a lot on a field where i claim no expertise and that's what i'll do, will focus my 2022 budget on buying mostly sheng and spend that time reading daily through that 300+ page yixing conversation here, revisiting Marshaln old posts & finding books plus videos on the subject. Any attempt by now is postponed until 2023 at the earliest.

3) Appears to settle for cheap Nixing instead

Noted down a store someone suggested and what's being said about Nixing pots, that's it. Not settled on anything, no decision will be taken in a hurry for i'm not in any.

Long story short: just wondered if a mass produced pot supposedly made of Yixing would be fully functional for its nature; once made clear such thing doesn't exist ( as i was expecting already the moment i made this thread ) my course of action, budget & approach will be entirely diffent and - as i was also expecting - postponed.

Time to compile useful references & read/watch as much as possible.

I was confused about OP being willing to buy several nixing pots too, since (in addition to the question of what getting several will accomplish from a functional point of view) that'll take the total cost above the stated budget limit for a yixing pot.

The key was on "looks like" . I'm just compiling information, as such this will need to be filtered, cross-checked, verify potential claims, etc...

But getting a single (mass-produced) nixing pot? Good idea, given the stated budget limitations, imo. "Fakes" aren't an issue yet the way they are in the yixing world. Wouldn't be more worried about mass-produced nixing than mass-produced porcelain gaiwans.

Thanks for the tip, noted down