Tokoname Japanese tea pot from Tablinstore

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Vanenbw
Posts: 176
Joined: Mon Dec 16, 2019 10:14 pm
Location: NJ, USA

Tue Dec 31, 2019 10:32 am

Hi, just wanted to see if I can get some feedback on this kyusu. I own a 360ml, which is fine for larger servings, but I'm looking for something smaller, for 8oz cups and less.

This is one I was interested in. I'm not an expert on kyusu pots by any means, so I wanted to run this by the forum before I make the purchase.

https://www.tablinstore.info/product/3960

Thanks.
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debunix
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Location: Los Angeles, CA

Tue Dec 31, 2019 11:47 am

Looks like a solid choice for ease of use (wide openings are easier to clean, large sesame filter should counteract fineness of holes for overall quick pour). It's a fine choice at a reasonable price.
Vanenbw
Posts: 176
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Location: NJ, USA

Tue Dec 31, 2019 1:24 pm

Thank you for the feedback, @debunix. I think this would be a good size for my 8-10 oz cup, and would even be suitable for smaller quantities, although I eventually want to get a 150 ml for the higher-end teas and for when I want to drink out of my 150 ml porcelain cup. That size would be good for gyokuro as well, which have yet to try.
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nasalfrog
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Location: Tulsa, OK

Tue Dec 31, 2019 11:37 pm

Vanenbw wrote:
Tue Dec 31, 2019 10:32 am
Hi, just wanted to see if I can get some feedback on this kyusu. I own a 360ml, which is fine for larger servings, but I'm looking for something smaller, for 8oz cups and less.

This is one I was interested in. I'm not an expert on kyusu pots by any means, so I wanted to run this by the forum before I make the purchase.

https://www.tablinstore.info/product/3960

Thanks.
I like the looks of that pot, and I have a small Gyokko that works pretty well. Maybe someone can chime in who has purchased from that vendor.

If you happen to not have your heart completely set on that pot, here is one of similar size that may be a good option. The spout design of this one looks better to me (my Gyokko dribbles a bit).

http://www.yuuki-cha.com/teaware/japane ... ame-teapot

I can vouch for this vendor. My Gyokko pot came from there, and I’ve placed many separate tea and teaware purchases as well and have been pleased every time.
Last edited by nasalfrog on Wed Jan 01, 2020 12:05 am, edited 1 time in total.
Vanenbw
Posts: 176
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Location: NJ, USA

Tue Dec 31, 2019 11:57 pm

Thank you for the recommendation, @nasalfrog. I don't have my heart set on the other kyusu. Still looking around. I appreciate you sharing your experience with that vendor. I'm not in any rush to get a new kyusu. I'll consider the Yuuki-cha kyusu; however, I do recall reading about some negative experiences with this vendor on one of the forums.

Thanks again for the link.
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nasalfrog
Posts: 127
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Location: Tulsa, OK

Wed Jan 01, 2020 12:11 am

Vanenbw wrote:
Tue Dec 31, 2019 11:57 pm
Thank you for the recommendation, nasalfrog. I don't have my heart set on the other kyusu. Still looking around. I appreciate you sharing your experience with that vendor. I'm not in any rush to get a new kyusu. I'll consider the Yuuki-cha kyusu; however, I do recall reading about some negative experiences with this vendor on one of the forums.

Thanks again for the link.
You’re welcome!

Sorry I edited my post.. now that I am looking back in my records, I am uncertain if that was the offending vendor. I can no longer find that Amazon listing to confirm. They are on Amazon, though. It was either Tablinstore or Tokyo Matcha Selection, but I don’t want to possibly tarnish a vendor unless I am certain.
Vanenbw
Posts: 176
Joined: Mon Dec 16, 2019 10:14 pm
Location: NJ, USA

Wed Jan 01, 2020 6:50 am

Thanks for letting me know.
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nasalfrog
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Location: Tulsa, OK

Wed Jan 01, 2020 9:07 am

Vanenbw wrote:
Wed Jan 01, 2020 6:50 am
Thanks for letting me know.
No problem. I finally did find the teapot on their website and also on Tokyo Matcha Selection.

https://www.tablinstore.info/phone/product/4182
9AA36998-A65E-450C-9706-2794BA69AD30.jpeg
9AA36998-A65E-450C-9706-2794BA69AD30.jpeg (152.83 KiB) Viewed 5414 times
https://tokyo-matcha-selection.com/cree ... amic-mesh/
D790C33D-6A78-4CEE-B32C-E313B61355F1.jpeg
D790C33D-6A78-4CEE-B32C-E313B61355F1.jpeg (183 KiB) Viewed 5414 times


As you can see the listed volume is 120ml on both websites and the one I have is 200ml.

Tokoname.or.jp (another reputable vendor I’ve ordered from) has listed this pot on eBay and properly listed it as 200ml. They also clearly pictured the irregularity of the handle. So buyer beware about the accuracy of listings from those 2 vendors.
Vanenbw
Posts: 176
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Location: NJ, USA

Wed Jan 01, 2020 9:31 am

I can see that being an issue if you specifallly chose a size for a particular purpose. I just purchased porcelain cups listed as 100ml on the website, but when I filled it to the rim, it holds 150ml. In my case I was okay with that because I thought 100ml might have been a little too small for me.
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nasalfrog
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Location: Tulsa, OK

Wed Jan 01, 2020 9:41 am

@Vanenbw I like to brew small with greens, and almost exclusively drink greens, so I was a bit disappointed is all.
Vanenbw
Posts: 176
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Location: NJ, USA

Wed Jan 01, 2020 10:37 am

That would make sense, @nasalfrog. A little off the subject here, but I have been considering a smaller kyusu pot for smaller infusions. I only own a 360ml. My new porcelain cups are 150ml filled to the top. I usually fill it to about 130ml for each infusion. I found a 130ml kyusu on Thes Du Japon. It would be a good size for these cups (for sencha and gyokuro).

Do you find smaller infusions brew better in a smaller pot? Clearly my 360ml kyusu is overkill for my 150ml yunomi cup.
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nasalfrog
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Thu Jan 02, 2020 9:46 am

Vanenbw wrote:
Wed Jan 01, 2020 10:37 am
...Do you find smaller infusions brew better in a smaller pot?...
I do find that they brew better. A large pot didn’t retain heat well for me on smaller infusions.

I had a 360ml pot originally, and then got a 140ml Gyokko for gyokuro. I ended up trying out the high leaf to water ratio brewing suggestion from Thés du Japon for sencha (4-5g/60-70ml) in the Gyokko and liked it so much I switched how I drank sencha. Using so much leaf, I find the minimum size pot for a 60-70ml cup is around 100ml. The largest I’ve successfully tried brewing this way is in a 160ml tall-shaped pot. The 200ml flat-shaped one I linked to above did not work for me.
Vanenbw
Posts: 176
Joined: Mon Dec 16, 2019 10:14 pm
Location: NJ, USA

Thu Jan 02, 2020 11:46 am

Interesting. Thanks a lot for the information. That is a high leaf to water ratio. You can blow through a 100gm bag of tea in no time. I'm playing around with the measurements, and no doubt it varies depending on the tea I am drinking, but I find around 1 gram to 50ml of water has been good for me. I will have to try your ratio to see if I like it. It would get costly over time though to drink like that all the time. I'm more of a tea drinker than a sipper/taster. I like to have a larger sized cup of tea most of the time, but I picked up the smaller porcelain cups for smaller infusions so I can have a little balance.
Vanenbw
Posts: 176
Joined: Mon Dec 16, 2019 10:14 pm
Location: NJ, USA

Sun Jan 05, 2020 7:17 pm

nasalfrog wrote:
Wed Jan 01, 2020 9:07 am
Tokoname.or.jp (another reputable vendor I’ve ordered from) has listed this pot on eBay and properly listed it as 200ml. They also clearly pictured the irregularity of the handle. So buyer beware about the accuracy of listings from those 2 vendors.
I've stumbled upon several new sites (i.e. new to me as I continue searching teaware), and I realize how weary one has to be before making a purchase. A lot of times you are purchasing a product from another country, and it might not be such an easy return if you don't received what you ordered. I purchased a tea scoop from an online vendor in Japan, and they sent the wrong item. The owner was very apologetic, told me to keep the one he sent and he shipped out the correct item right away, along with a complimentary sample bag of tea. I thought that was really nice, and I was very pleased with the customer service. You never know who you are dealing with though. I got lucky with this vendor. I've bought tea and several teaware items from them already and I've been very impressed with their service.

I would not be too pleased if I ordered a 120ml kyusu and received a 200ml. That is kind of what happened with some porcelain cups I ordered, but as it turned out, I preferred the larger size. It was listed as 100ml on the website, but to the rim, it's in fact 150ml. If I was dead set on receiving a 100ml porcelain cup, I probably would have been disappointed, and I might have even requested a refund if the 100ml size was critical to me. In my case it was not.

That's the benefit of the forums. The same, trusted suppliers come up again and again in postings. You know right off the bat the top rated companies, which saves a newbie time and energy, and possibly a harrowing experience. Of course anyone can have a bad experience from a trusted company, but if the majority of the reviews are positive, at least one can feel a little more at ease when doing business with that vendor.
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