Teas We Like : By and for Tea Lovers

[Teas We Like]

I spent a good amount of time with the gaiwan that TWL sells. Its one of the best gaiwans I own, the pour is fast and narrow which is important.
There are expensive gaiwans out there that have a wide pour that can splash boiling water on your fingers. The lid makes it easy to make a small opening for pouring and the only real negative is that the flared out edges can be sharp if you death grip it. Now that you have made a great gaiwan, engineer us some cups. I find Japanese made tea cups superior to all the Chinese cups I've used.

We'll think about making some tea cups, it takes some time to choose a design and get it produced

[Teas We Like]

A new set of antique Yixing teapots has been posted on the site!

[klepto]

A new set of antique Yixing teapots has been posted on the site!

Is there a need to reset or clean the pot when it arrives?

[DailyTX]

The tall shipiao looks very attractive, so tempting

[Teas We Like]

A new set of antique Yixing teapots has been posted on the site!

Is there a need to reset or clean the pot when it arrives?

We clean the pots when we receive them. Once you receive a pot, I would recommend prewarming it gradually, adding room temperature water first, then half-emptying the pot, and adding gradually warmer water. Once the pot is warm, you can pour boiling water in it, and pour out, a couple of times. Then the pot is ready to use.

[Teas We Like]

The tall shipiao looks very attractive, so tempting

Yes we really like the tiao sha effect

[McScooter]

Tempted by the Pomelo as a first yixing, but solo brew 99% of the time, so I am guessing that using the pot to ~80 to ~100ml capacity would become annoying after a while (ensuring all of the leaves will be submerged before each subsequent steep seems like a necessary step that may involve more than just shaking the pot). Guess also suboptimal from the perspective of heat retention. Any idea re: how fast the pour is when full?

Will probably place a tea order and continue going round in circles regarding the pot. Didn't think it'd take me so long to pull the trigger on a first yixing, but it has taken me....a while

[Teas We Like]

Tempted by the Pomelo as a first yixing, but solo brew 99% of the time, so I am guessing that using the pot to ~80 to ~100ml capacity would become annoying after a while (ensuring all of the leaves will be submerged before each subsequent steep seems like a necessary step that may involve more than just shaking the pot). Guess also suboptimal from the perspective of heat retention. Any idea re: how fast the pour is when full?

Will probably place a tea order and continue going round in circles regarding the pot. Didn't think it'd take me so long to pull the trigger on a first yixing, but it has taken me....a while

it's a good strategy to wait a while before getting your first yixing. The pour of the pomelo when full is fast, I don't remember now exactly how many seconds but it has a cannon spout and a good modern filter. Regarding to size, if you want to fill to ~80-100ml capacity, our benshanlvni teapot is probably a better fit for you, and the clay of that pot is very special.

[McScooter]

Tempted by the Pomelo as a first yixing, but solo brew 99% of the time, so I am guessing that using the pot to ~80 to ~100ml capacity would become annoying after a while (ensuring all of the leaves will be submerged before each subsequent steep seems like a necessary step that may involve more than just shaking the pot). Guess also suboptimal from the perspective of heat retention. Any idea re: how fast the pour is when full?

Will probably place a tea order and continue going round in circles regarding the pot. Didn't think it'd take me so long to pull the trigger on a first yixing, but it has taken me....a while

it's a good strategy to wait a while before getting your first yixing. The pour of the pomelo when full is fast, I don't remember now exactly how many seconds but it has a cannon spout and a good modern filter. Regarding to size, if you want to fill to ~80-100ml capacity, our benshanlvni teapot is probably a better fit for you, and the clay of that pot is very special.

That's a gorgeous pot, but I think it may make sense to go with a more "traditional" clay as a first foray into the world of yixing. Still debating though. I placed an order a day or so ago for a couple of Dayi cakes from TWL. Next go around I hope to scoop up the thin-flared gaiwan, a couple of more cakes, and may pull the trigger on the Pomelo after all.

[Teas We Like]

The gaiwans are back in stock!! The 2004 Bulang King was restocked as well

[maitre_tea]

The gaiwans are back in stock!! The 2004 Bulang King was restocked as well

I've noticed that things like the Bulang King, 2010 7542, 2008 8582, etc. have been restocked over the last few months, but how do you know if a tea's certain restock will be the last one? Also, I noticed that the Bulang King has increased in price (completely understandable - not complaining, but just pointing it out), so at what point do you decide that the tea's price has increased so much that you won't offer it? Or do you keep upcoming the price and let the market decide?

[Teas We Like]

The gaiwans are back in stock!! The 2004 Bulang King was restocked as well

I've noticed that things like the Bulang King, 2010 7542, 2008 8582, etc. have been restocked over the last few months, but how do you know if a tea's certain restock will be the last one? Also, I noticed that the Bulang King has increased in price (completely understandable - not complaining, but just pointing it out), so at what point do you decide that the tea's price has increased so much that you won't offer it? Or do you keep upcoming the price and let the market decide?

Hi! Thanks for your questions. Our sources will tell us if they are selling us their last cakes of a tea. In this case, we will know that a certain restock will be the last one. However, it can sometimes happen that we were planning to restock a tea, but a source sold their last cakes to someone else. In this case, we might have teas that go out of stock earlier than expected.

Regarding price increases, when our sources change the price of a tea, we always re-evaluate whether in our view the tea is worth it at the new price. In the case of the Bulang King it was an easy decision, because the increase was relatively small and this tea in our view punches above its weight.

[maitre_tea]

The gaiwans are back in stock!! The 2004 Bulang King was restocked as well

I've noticed that things like the Bulang King, 2010 7542, 2008 8582, etc. have been restocked over the last few months, but how do you know if a tea's certain restock will be the last one? Also, I noticed that the Bulang King has increased in price (completely understandable - not complaining, but just pointing it out), so at what point do you decide that the tea's price has increased so much that you won't offer it? Or do you keep upcoming the price and let the market decide?

Hi! Thanks for your questions. Our sources will tell us if they are selling us their last cakes of a tea. In this case, we will know that a certain restock will be the last one. However, it can sometimes happen that we were planning to restock a tea, but a source sold their last cakes to someone else. In this case, we might have teas that go out of stock earlier than expected.

Regarding price increases, when our sources change the price of a tea, we always re-evaluate whether in our view the tea is worth it at the new price. In the case of the Bulang King it was an easy decision, because the increase was relatively small and this tea in our view punches above its weight.

Is there any way to alert customers that a certain restock might be the final one, or do you think that's like shouting fire instead a crowded theater?

BTW, would've bought the Bulang King for the increased price, but obviously glad I got it before that happened!

[Teas We Like]

Is there any way to alert customers that a certain restock might be the final one, or do you think that's like shouting fire instead a crowded theater?

BTW, would've bought the Bulang King for the increased price, but obviously glad I got it before that happened!

We are a bit wary of doing that, because there is always some probability that we will be able to find more of that tea from a different source and we will find their storage to be satisfactory. So if we relisted a tea after saying that a restock was the last, we worry that saying that a restock is the last would be seen as a sales tactic.

it's always better to buy earlier if possible

[LeoFox]

An interesting property of the TWL gaiwan