Where do you buy your gaiwans?

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teatray
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Thu Dec 30, 2021 3:55 am

Been using my 100ml gaiwan more and more lately, so I'm thinking of adding a larger one (~150-200+ml) for when I have guests or want bigger cups. The one I have is a plain white for $12 from 8 years ago. Now I want something fancier. What are your favorite places to browse for high-quality handmade gaiwans? (I'm in the EU, so mainly looking for direct China/Taiwan shippers or EU importers, but vendors from US/elsewhere, whose selection is worth a look, are welcome, too.)

There's Etsy and Ali but not sure I want to buy there as I'm uncertain of the quality I'd get (though I've never used Etsy). Trying & returning unsatisfactory items is not much of an option, not just b/c of int'l shipping, but because of the sunk cost of the customs nightmare I have to go through for each package (apparently specific to my country).

Yunnan Sourcing and Taiwan Sourcing offer some, but there's only a few I like. Western-facing Japanese tea vendors offer porcelain, Tokoname, etc. gaiwans (Sazen, TdJ) but I assume I'll get better quality from China for these prices, if I manage not to get scammed into paying $100 for $12 worth of gaiwan.
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Bok
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Thu Dec 30, 2021 7:41 am

For me a fancy Gaiwan is a bit like a fancy umbrella - no point. It’s either gonna get lost/destroyed or broken anyways.

The cheap ones do no less good a job than the expensive ones and if they break it’s not a big deal.

If I were to consider a truly fancy one I’d go for the Buchangqi collection. Available via Daxue Jiadao or in the EU via Anmo Art cha.
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teatray
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Thu Dec 30, 2021 9:27 am

Thanks, these look beautiful! At over $200, truly fancy shmancy, too, yet the shape is humble, as is the tool's essence. I guess this is about the top artisanal grade to consider (excl. art/antiques)? Still worth considering, I think, especially if the gaiwan is your preferred method and the main way you serve tea to guests, etc. (or you're just rich). I assume there is also a healthy middle ground in the $50-$100 range that can bring a lot of joy, if your needs/budget are a bit lower.
Ethan Kurland
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Thu Dec 30, 2021 10:18 am

Bok wrote:
Thu Dec 30, 2021 7:41 am
For me a fancy Gaiwan is a bit like a fancy umbrella - no point. It’s either gonna get lost/destroyed or broken anyways.

The cheap ones do no less good a job than the expensive ones and if they break it’s not a big deal.
+1. I will add that I have many gaiwans from quite small to awkwardly large & that are thin, medium, or thick walled. For me there is no significant differences in how they infuse leaves. (Glazing is the equalizer.) I have bought most while traveling in Asia but also in Chinese neighborhoods of cities in USA. I have also bought & used saucers, lids, & wide pieces of pottery that together have worked as a gaiwan does. The last 2 months I have been using a glaIss gaiwan that is wide & thick. I have abandoned holding gaiwans w/ just one hand.

I realized that about every 3 months I tire of whatever teaware I have been using. I discover or rediscover something special about other teaware. For me it is matter of changing the routine a bit. The transparency of the glass is the obvious benefit.

The $ that you have considered spending, might be enough to commission a local potter to make you a few gaiwans, even one w/ an unglazed interior. That might be interesting.
DailyTX
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Thu Dec 30, 2021 1:28 pm

teatray wrote:
Thu Dec 30, 2021 3:55 am
Been using my 100ml gaiwan more and more lately, so I'm thinking of adding a larger one (~150-200+ml) for when I have guests or want bigger cups. The one I have is a plain white for $12 from 8 years ago. Now I want something fancier. What are your favorite places to browse for high-quality handmade gaiwans? (I'm in the EU, so mainly looking for direct China/Taiwan shippers or EU importers, but vendors from US/elsewhere, whose selection is worth a look, are welcome, too.)
I would caution on getting bigger gaiwan. One common problem with gaiwan is burning your finger. I have 3 gaiwans I use depended on mood. Super thin gaiwan from @Teas We Like, a medium thick porcelain gaiwan about 100 ml, and a super thick porcelain gaiwan about 180 ml I got from a local tea shop. I would need to use a tea towel to pour from the 180 ml to prevent burning my fingers. I have tried to fill it with less water, but then that would defeat the purpose of getting a bigger brewing vessel.
JournalerMarie
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Thu Dec 30, 2021 2:13 pm

I love my Jingdezhen gaiwans from Red Blossom Tea Company (US). Very thin, lovely, and durable. I pour boiling water into them cold, and I’ve had no issues after over a year of use. They also seem amazingly shatter-resistant. I’ve accidentally knocked pieces into one another and dropped them on carpet and from low (under a foot) heights onto my wooden tea tray, winced, and found no cracks. Amazing.

My Jingdezhen gongdaobei from Verdant Tea (US) suffered equal treatment with the same durability. (Though I do NOT recommend their “ru yao”.)

I do not recommend etsy in general. I bought a disgustingly expensive gaiwan from GraceTeawares that was poorly made and cracked from boiling water.

Edit:

Oh, also, I’ve seen Mud&Leaves (China) gaiwans recommended on this forum. I love their yixing but I haven’t tried their gaiwans.
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debunix
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Fri Dec 31, 2021 7:50 pm

I've bought a couple of gaiwans on Etsy from vendors I knew from TeaChat or TeaForum, and then I have my perfectly serviceable and ridiculously inexpensive versions from my Chinatown tea store, that work just fine but aren't collectors' items.

Most recently I bought one from [url-https://www.etsy.com/shop/PotterybyIngeNielsen]Inge Nielson on Etsy[/url]. She doesn't have any up now but she makes wonderfully functional pieces and there will surely be more on occasion.

Image

Shawn McGuire's Great Wheel Studio is pretty quiet on Etsy at present.
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jojosyc
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Tue Jan 04, 2022 9:46 am

I bought some from CraftedLeaf Tea (https://www.craftedleaf-tea.com) because they have some nice unique designs, and a decent selection. I can't tell if they are of particularly good quality material, though. The ones I bought work just fine, and I'm happy with them.
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LeoFox
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Tue Jan 04, 2022 10:55 am

Dont forget we have a gaiwan thread

viewtopic.php?f=19&t=24
Neptune
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Wed Jan 19, 2022 1:30 pm

I'd like to see this thread continue. The other sticky Gaiwan thread is more oriented towards showing them off, and I could use some help from a thread such as this.

I've been using all my free time scouring the net for about three days now, looking for a simple plain white porcelain 120ml gaiwan <= $20USD that ships from the U.S., and I think I've found it, but man - what a chore! I've gone through dozens and dozens of online shops' teaware offerings and couldn't find one- and I was fairly surprised by that.

No frills, simple, like this:

Image

So far the only place I've found this is Tea & Whisk out of Las Vegas. Surely there are others but I sure had no luck.

I figured I would post this just in case some other beginners were having a similar issue.

If there are other shop suggestions with gaiwans that exactly satisfy the above parameters, I'm sure all ears!
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mbanu
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Wed Jan 19, 2022 2:28 pm

If you are looking for a taller drinking gaiwan, I quite like the one Elmwood Inn offers: https://store.elmwoodinn.com/gaiwan.aspx It's a family-run business with a couple generations of experience. They also sell back issues of Global Tea Hut, if that is up your alley. Some of their teas can be a little on the flat side, I suspect due to the weather in Kentucky.

For brewing, I would suggest a small teapot rather than a short gaiwan, unless you have special challenges that would make a teapot impractical.
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LeoFox
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Wed Jan 19, 2022 2:37 pm

Neptune wrote:
Wed Jan 19, 2022 1:30 pm
I'd like to see this thread continue. The other sticky Gaiwan thread is more oriented towards showing them off, and I could use some help from a thread such as this.

I've been using all my free time scouring the net for about three days now, looking for a simple plain white porcelain 120ml gaiwan <= $20USD that ships from the U.S., and I think I've found it, but man - what a chore! I've gone through dozens and dozens of online shops' teaware offerings and couldn't find one- and I was fairly surprised by that.

No frills, simple, like this:

Image

So far the only place I've found this is Tea & Whisk out of Las Vegas. Surely there are others but I sure had no luck.

I figured I would post this just in case some other beginners were having a similar issue.

If there are other shop suggestions with gaiwans that exactly satisfy the above parameters, I'm sure all ears!
I know it's more expensive than you want but I highly highly recommend the gaiwan from teas we like. It is very easy to use with no chance of finger burn. And i feel it brews more true than any other gaiwan I have used, which includes one from mud and leaves.
Neptune
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Joined: Fri Jan 14, 2022 8:49 am
Location: Idaho

Wed Jan 19, 2022 2:46 pm

Thank you!

I've read about Teas We Like but haven't been able to access their website. I just now realized that the reason is because my ISP is blocking them (it does so with other sites in Europe and Asia). I can access them through my cell phone though. But when I go to their teaware section, all that is listed is a thin porcelain tulip cup and a loofah pot pad. ?
Neptune
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Joined: Fri Jan 14, 2022 8:49 am
Location: Idaho

Wed Jan 19, 2022 3:50 pm

Boom! Thank you!
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