Facebook vendor: Chemical Free Purple Clay Exchange

[teatray]

I don't care much about max. pour speed, as I can factor it in--in the first few steeps where it matters at all. Having good control, OTOH, is nice, since you can pour slower, which can affect what the leaves do inside the pot (e.g. not clog the filter). Not getting a satisfactory arc wasn't meant as a criticism to speed, but to the broken, less laminar stream it results (audible when you pour into cups).

I care about lid fit both for haptic/aesthetic/OCD reasons and because it lets me pour better (esp. flat pots and pots whose spout requires a sharp flick to prevent dripping). Maybe the last circumstance reveals to the more esoteric experts that I don't know what I am doing but that knowledge is apparently such that it cannot be formed into arguments/explanations .

[d.manuk]

Does the pot still leak if you rest your thumb on the top nob instead of the lid?

[.m.]

Personally I'd consider that a good pour. Maybe not great, but definitely not bad. Most of my yixing pots would leak a few (or more than few) drops under the lid, nothing that would bother me as long as i can control it and do not spill tea all over the table (also happens wit some pots ). But I understand it can be annoying. Not filling to the brim and controlling the angle can help sometimes.

[teatray]

Does the pot still leak if you rest your thumb on the top nob instead of the lid?

Finished a session with the pot and noticed 3+ drops every time I pour. Just tested your Q, 4 times per hold method with just water at the sink: pressing firmly at the knob produced 0-1 drops (0-1-0-1), pressing the side (as in vid) produced 3-4 drops--very noticeable difference!

I got used to this (contact-minimizing) grip on my porcelain pot of similar shape, because the glazed surface feels hotter to the touch and even the knob gets too hot for me. It didn't cause leaks in the porcelain pot but presumably there's no need of it with unglazed clay as it doesn't feel as hot on contact. I will try a real brew session this way tomorrow & let you know whether the grip change completely resolved the issue for me (though as mentioned, this is not my only issue with the pour, though others may deem it good enough from the vid).

[Baisao]

The two most commonly overstated things for tea pots: pour speed and lid fit, lol

If you know what you’re doing they don’t matter at all.

A third could be laminar flow

[Baiyun]

I don't think it is so much about pots in general needing to pour fast and clean to make good tea, particularly high quality teas. Many dedicated tea friends can ultimately work with the quirks and charms of older pots to make most teas work, and work well, enjoying this process.

But if I buy a modern multi gas fired pot that someone designed yesterday among many on offer, why not have it pour fast and clean? It is not too much to ask to provide a generous air hole, properly designed filter, and a big enough spout.

A drip free lid fit and reasonably laminar flow are ultimately inconsequential but nevertheless realistic expectations for a modern pot, but a fast pour at least can add flexibility to the brewing process that does not have any downsides. Just an option that comes in handy for some teas some people drink.

Recently I received a young maocha in a tea club that, unlike my usual teas, really needs to be flash brewed to taste best, and quickly tips over to undrinkable (for me) beyond that. Fortunately I have a pot with a fast and fat stream that makes it come out just nice without any further acrobatics, just fill and dump, happy days. No further adjustments needed to make it work. Double the pour time of the pot and it no longer works that way. Nothing wrong with a suitable tool.

A beautiful old pot can certainly make me want to cultivate the skill to brew even a fussy tea well with it, but I see modern pots with a bit more pragmatism, they lack the inherent romance to put up with aspects that just come down to sloppy design and craftsmanship given today's tools.

[Baisao]

I don't think it is so much about pots in general needing to pour fast and clean to make good tea, particularly high quality teas. Many dedicated tea friends can ultimately work with the quirks and charms of older pots to make most teas work, and work well, enjoying this process.

But if I buy a modern multi gas fired pot that someone designed yesterday among many on offer, why not have it pour fast and clean? It is not too much to ask to provide a generous air hole, properly designed filter, and a big enough spout.

A drip free lid fit and reasonably laminar flow are ultimately inconsequential but nevertheless realistic expectations for a modern pot, but a fast pour at least can add flexibility to the brewing process that does not have any downsides. Just an option that comes in handy for some teas some people drink.

Recently I received a young maocha in a tea club that, unlike my usual teas, really needs to be flash brewed to taste best, and quickly tips over to undrinkable (for me) beyond that. Fortunately I have a pot with a fast and fat stream that makes it come out just nice without any further acrobatics, just fill and dump, happy days. No further adjustments needed to make it work. Double the pour time of the pot and it no longer works that way. Nothing wrong with a suitable tool.

A beautiful old pot can certainly make me want to cultivate the skill to brew even a fussy tea well with it, but I see modern pots with a bit more pragmatism, they lack the inherent romance to put up with aspects that just come down to sloppy design and craftsmanship given today's tools.

And all modern shuipings should float perfectly level in water, hahaha!

I can’t think of many teapots I own that pour badly. I’m sure most have pouring problems to some people but I’m wracking my head trying to single out one for a pouring problem, modern or old.

Each one has idiosyncrasies because each is more or less one of a kind. The skills needed to use them require little more than being present. Distractedly brewing is no matter if you’re distractedly tasting.

Which is to say that teapots like teas are both fussy and not, depending upon whether you’re present.

[Baiyun]

@Baisao to such a wayfarer, beyond doubt, things are as they are

[LeoFox]

I don't think it is so much about pots in general needing to pour fast and clean to make good tea, particularly high quality teas. Many dedicated tea friends can ultimately work with the quirks and charms of older pots to make most teas work, and work well, enjoying this process.

But if I buy a modern multi gas fired pot that someone designed yesterday among many on offer, why not have it pour fast and clean? It is not too much to ask to provide a generous air hole, properly designed filter, and a big enough spout.

A drip free lid fit and reasonably laminar flow are ultimately inconsequential but nevertheless realistic expectations for a modern pot, but a fast pour at least can add flexibility to the brewing process that does not have any downsides. Just an option that comes in handy for some teas some people drink.

Recently I received a young maocha in a tea club that, unlike my usual teas, really needs to be flash brewed to taste best, and quickly tips over to undrinkable (for me) beyond that. Fortunately I have a pot with a fast and fat stream that makes it come out just nice without any further acrobatics, just fill and dump, happy days. No further adjustments needed to make it work. Double the pour time of the pot and it no longer works that way. Nothing wrong with a suitable tool.

A beautiful old pot can certainly make me want to cultivate the skill to brew even a fussy tea well with it, but I see modern pots with a bit more pragmatism, they lack the inherent romance to put up with aspects that just come down to sloppy design and craftsmanship given today's tools.

A tea that needs to be flash brewed to be palatable sounds like a bad tea. Also, nothing really beats a gaiwan for speed - and for testing.

I do have a few pots that pour very very fast. I actually have to make an effort to slow the pour down for them, hahaha

Thinking hard about this, i guess shou might benefit from fast pour. But I really don't drink that stuff hahaha

[teatray]

I don't think it is so much about pots in general needing to pour fast and clean to make good tea, particularly high quality teas. Many dedicated tea friends can ultimately work with the quirks and charms of older pots to make most teas work, and work well, enjoying this process.

But if I buy a modern multi gas fired pot that someone designed yesterday among many on offer, why not have it pour fast and clean? It is not too much to ask to provide a generous air hole, properly designed filter, and a big enough spout.

A drip free lid fit and reasonably laminar flow are ultimately inconsequential but nevertheless realistic expectations for a modern pot, but a fast pour at least can add flexibility to the brewing process that does not have any downsides. Just an option that comes in handy for some teas some people drink.

Recently I received a young maocha in a tea club that, unlike my usual teas, really needs to be flash brewed to taste best, and quickly tips over to undrinkable (for me) beyond that. Fortunately I have a pot with a fast and fat stream that makes it come out just nice without any further acrobatics, just fill and dump, happy days. No further adjustments needed to make it work. Double the pour time of the pot and it no longer works that way. Nothing wrong with a suitable tool.

A beautiful old pot can certainly make me want to cultivate the skill to brew even a fussy tea well with it, but I see modern pots with a bit more pragmatism, they lack the inherent romance to put up with aspects that just come down to sloppy design and craftsmanship given today's tools.

And all modern shuipings should float perfectly level in water, hahaha!

I can’t think of many teapots I own that pour badly. I’m sure most have pouring problems to some people but I’m wracking my head trying to single out one for a pouring problem, modern or old.

Each one has idiosyncrasies because each is more or less one of a kind. The skills needed to use them require little more than being present. Distractedly brewing is no matter if you’re distractedly tasting.

Which is to say that teapots like teas are both fussy and not, depending upon whether you’re present.

No tea is too fussy, if you are present. No pot pours poorly once you learn its idiosyncrasies. This wisdom reminds me of

[Baiyun]

A tea that needs to be flash brewed to be palatable sounds like a bad tea. Also, nothing really beats a gaiwan for speed - and for testing.

Interestingly, the spring white tea they had processed from the same trees was the exact opposite, it could not be overbrewed at all. I went through that in no time. But this autumn puer processed maocha stood out as having a particularly fine line, even for a young puer. It would be interesting to hear from other EoT tea club subscribers on this pair of teas. Still comes out better flash brewed in that pot than from my Gaiwan.

[LeoFox]

A tea that needs to be flash brewed to be palatable sounds like a bad tea. Also, nothing really beats a gaiwan for speed - and for testing.

Interestingly, the spring white tea they had processed from the same trees was the exact opposite, it could not be overbrewed at all. I went through that in no time. But this autumn puer processed maocha stood out as having a particularly fine line, even for a young puer. It would be interesting to hear from other EoT tea club subscribers on this pair of teas. Still comes out better flash brewed in that pot than from my Gaiwan.

I've had a similar experience before - same tree - white versus sheng. The white seemed much better

[Andrew S]

I agree that minor drips should not be a problem, and can almost always be avoided through changes to technique.

But I can also understand why people expect modern pots to be 'technically perfect' (or perhaps 'technically flawless').

It's easy to ask, why would I accept a slight dribble when I know that modern pots are capable of being absolutely drip-free?

In this case, one answer could be that this pot maker is offering seemingly good-quality, genuine, additive-free clay in sizes and styles suitable to how many of us like to brew our tea, and we can forgive a drip or two (or four), but ultimately different people will prioritise different concerns.

Similarly, I don't think that a very fast pour is necessary for me, but I can see why others take a different view (although I would disagree with the proposition implicit in many online tea shops and tea blogs that a slow pour is necessarily 'bad').

@teatray: I can also see why it can be annoying to be told that there are ways to manage an issue, without being told how, but I think that that's largely a result of the difficulties in talking about tea, teapots or tea-making methods across the internet. Those difficulties tend to disappear in-person, but for most of us outside Asia, learning about tea is a solitary experience.

Andrew

[Balthazar]

@Baiyun & @Andrew S, +1

One of the first thing one learns about commenting on pots is to be careful about mentioning imperfections from a practical perspective. The end result is usually some probably well meant suggestions that you need to up your horse pot wispering techniques. Much safer to do it from an aesthetic/elitist point of view, as does Ma Weidu, who seems to be particularly irked with drippy, cloggy and slow pouring pots stating that the functional shortcomings take away from the pieces beauty.

(As someone who brews a lot of heavily compressed teas, where there are few critical steeps where the most leaf unfolding happens that almost inevitably require quick steeps, I can understand putting at least some emphasis on the pour. I bought a modern pot from Sunsing 10+ years ago of about 140 ml that took some 40+ seconds to empty. Good clay, though. Though there were some teas I could make work with it, probably most if using western style brewing, I ended up giving it away.)

[teatray]

@Andrew S The seller seems to offer genuine, EDXFR-checked clay, incl. half-handmade in the 3000-5000 NTD range. The 10K NTD ($330) range, where this pot is from, are fully handmade pieces in what you could call their "premium" category, just below the "luxury" ones offered @ >1K USD. As mentioned, there were good things about the pots I got, incl. the zhuni. My negative experience can be taken in context, incl. Leo's zhuni that seems to pour well, and me mentioning that I am a yixing newbie in the post I made my comment. I think I provided useful information for other buyers in that context: for this yixing newbie, the handmade piece received was not a pleasant pour, in contrast to the (half-handmade) luni from the same vendor and similarly "premium" priced non-yixing pots from my small collection. That's all I wished to contribute. Generally, I'd like to see more opinions, incl. negative, all around. Free discussion would make the forum more useful for me & maybe others who are looking into acquiring things. I understand that there are other user groups, for whom such contributions are just noise or even potentially harmful, such as experts (who may have no use for newbie opinions) or vendors (for obvious reasons). They seem easily bothered .