Brand New Need Advice

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There is no self
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Sun Jan 06, 2019 3:00 pm

Welcome aboard, mate. Enjoy the trip. As Agent Cooper would say: https://giphy.com/gifs/xUA7bhpuL1RUGXhcic/html5
bradenl123
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Sun Jan 06, 2019 3:03 pm

Would these be better suited?

https://www.mudandleaves.com/store/p398 ... g_Cup.html

72ml with the 100ml gaiwan...I was looking at the larger one. I am not sure how hot it would be but I assumed having the plate to hold would help but I am not sure. It would be cheaper to get that and then those two 72ml cups.

Braden
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Location: I think you say, convenience store?

Sun Jan 06, 2019 3:15 pm

bradenl123 wrote:
Sun Jan 06, 2019 3:03 pm
Would these be better suited?

https://www.mudandleaves.com/store/p398 ... g_Cup.html

72ml with the 100ml gaiwan...I was looking at the larger one. I am not sure how hot it would be but I assumed having the plate to hold would help but I am not sure. It would be cheaper to get that and then those two 72ml cups.

Braden
WIth a 72 ml cup, there's still tea left in the gaiwan. You can pour it in a small pitcher or even a glass, if you're not picky about it.

A gaiwan gets relatively hot, depending on how long you steep. Holding it by the rim and the lid keeps your fingers from burning. Wouldn't recommend holding the saucer as well, though.

Here's a nice video on how to use a gaiwan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqP3lFPd1bw
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pedant
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Sun Jan 06, 2019 3:33 pm

bradenl123 wrote:
Sun Jan 06, 2019 3:03 pm
Would these be better suited?

https://www.mudandleaves.com/store/p398 ... g_Cup.html

72ml with the 100ml gaiwan...I was looking at the larger one. I am not sure how hot it would be but I assumed having the plate to hold would help but I am not sure. It would be cheaper to get that and then those two 72ml cups.

Braden
yea, 72mL cups would also be fine for two person brewing, but that's still too small for personal brewing.
it can take some trial and error to find teaware sizes you like, and how many people you usually have tea with is a big factor.
personally i'd go with the bigger 72mL cups. for two person brewing, i would guess that the smaller cups would be 3/4 full, and maybe the bigger cups would be like 2/3 full. obviously either would work.

if you got the bigger 150mL gaiwan, 72mL cups would work for two person brewing, but the smaller 56mL cups wouldn't.

i've never used the gaiwan saucers/plates for anything. i have a stack of them in my cabinet, but i might as well throw them away.
.m.
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Sun Jan 06, 2019 4:51 pm

Originally, gaiwan has been used as a cup in which case it would be hold by the saucer and the tea sipped from under the lid (as seen in this reenactment by the chinese president https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wor ... 662eca0f67).
For brewing i personally dont use the saucer at all because it sometimes sticks to the bottom of the gaiwan and then falls off.
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debunix
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Sun Jan 06, 2019 5:16 pm

For some gaiwans, depending on their size and the size of my hand and my history of getting scorched fingertips when using them, I do use the saucer too; your hand and gaiwan may vary:

Image
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OCTO
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Sun Jan 06, 2019 5:55 pm

debunix wrote:
Sun Jan 06, 2019 5:16 pm
For some gaiwans, depending on their size and the size of my hand and my history of getting scorched fingertips when using them, I do use the saucer too; your hand and gaiwan may vary:

Image
Welcome!! I second the suggestion to start off with a simple Gaian Setup. If you can get a simple stainless steel tray at Chinatown, I suggest you get one. This would save you the trouble of wiping off the mess from drops of tea everywhere and also a good spot to off load your spent tea leaves.
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In view that you already have a Stagg, that is more than sufficient for your use. So you don’t need to spend more on a kettle. As mentioned by many other senior forumers, there are many parallels between coffee and tea besides CBTL... hahaha... I would suggest starting off the the greener side of the tea and working yourself up to the stronger and fermented offerings. The reason of doing so is to train your pallets to recognise and identify different characteristics of individual tea categories.

I would say with confidence that having had espresso as a staple. Your palettes will be relatively accustomed to tea that is stronger and more flavourful. Hence you will need to wind back the clock and retrain your palettes. From past experiences, it would usually take 3 - 4 weeks to retrain our palettes and start identifying lighter coloured tea.

You can then decide on your favourite or preferred tea after you have gone through the entire spectrum of tea. I must say, after more than 2 decades of serious drinking, I have yet to come to a specific conclusion as such.... hahahahaha.... More importantly, this is a journey. There will be bumps along the way, you will make a wrong turn, you will get lost in the wilderness, you will burn your fingers, break a few cups or so, crack a pot or just get plain tea drunk.... enjoy every part of it. You’ll never know where the journey will lead you to. It has taken me round the world, forged new friendships that transcends culture, religion or race. It’s one cup at a time.

Have a great journey!!... Cheers!!
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Tillerman
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Sun Jan 06, 2019 6:09 pm

.m. wrote:
Sun Jan 06, 2019 4:51 pm
Originally, gaiwan has been used as a cup in which case it would be hold by the saucer and the tea sipped from under the lid (as seen in this reenactment by the chinese president https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wor ... 662eca0f67).
For brewing i personally dont use the saucer at all because it sometimes sticks to the bottom of the gaiwan and then falls off.
Actually m., the saucer was not part of the original gaiwans; it is a more recent addition. As to the saucer sticking to the bottom of the cup and then falling off - - yup, been there, broken saucers, no longer use them,
.m.
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Sun Jan 06, 2019 6:34 pm

Tillerman wrote:
Sun Jan 06, 2019 6:09 pm
.m. wrote:
Sun Jan 06, 2019 4:51 pm
Originally, gaiwan has been used as a cup in which case it would be hold by the saucer and the tea sipped from under the lid (as seen in this reenactment by the chinese president https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wor ... 662eca0f67).
For brewing i personally dont use the saucer at all because it sometimes sticks to the bottom of the gaiwan and then falls off.
Actually m., the saucer was not part of the original gaiwans; it is a more recent addition. As to the saucer sticking to the bottom of the cup and then falling off - - yup, been there, broken saucers, no longer use them,
Thank you for clarification. It's often not easy to distinguish what is historic and what is a modern reinterpretation. I believe though i've seen some on late Qing/ROC gaiwans, perhaps in a doughnut shape with a hole in the middle.

EDIT: Here is a picture from late qing. Of course, "originally" is not the right term here, perhaps "historically" would be better.
https://www.teaguardian.com/wp-content/ ... -c1880.jpg
[the link doesnt work on click but seems to work if you paste it in the navigation bar :?:
it is borrowed from here https://www.teaguardian.com/tea-hows/te ... -of-gaiwan but similar pictures from the turn of the century could be found elsewhere.]
Last edited by .m. on Mon Jan 07, 2019 8:47 am, edited 3 times in total.
plamarca000
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Sun Jan 06, 2019 6:40 pm

I use the saucer to hold the lid in between steeps.
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Baisao
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Mon Jan 07, 2019 1:50 am

@bradenl123 I am in Austin. If you are nearby I could make local suggestions and even assist. I’ve been at this for about 15 years. Cheers!
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debunix
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Mon Jan 07, 2019 10:05 am

(Doesn't get better than in-person sessions!)
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mudandleaves
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Mon Jan 07, 2019 1:16 pm

.m. wrote:
Sun Jan 06, 2019 6:34 pm
Tillerman wrote:
Sun Jan 06, 2019 6:09 pm
.m. wrote:
Sun Jan 06, 2019 4:51 pm
Originally, gaiwan has been used as a cup in which case it would be hold by the saucer and the tea sipped from under the lid (as seen in this reenactment by the chinese president https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wor ... 662eca0f67).
For brewing i personally dont use the saucer at all because it sometimes sticks to the bottom of the gaiwan and then falls off.
Actually m., the saucer was not part of the original gaiwans; it is a more recent addition. As to the saucer sticking to the bottom of the cup and then falling off - - yup, been there, broken saucers, no longer use them,
Thank you for clarification. It's often not easy to distinguish what is historic and what is a modern reinterpretation. I believe though i've seen some on late Qing/ROC gaiwans, perhaps in a doughnut shape with a hole in the middle.

EDIT: Here is a picture from late qing. Of course, "originally" is not the right term here, perhaps "historically" would be better.
https://www.teaguardian.com/wp-content/ ... -c1880.jpg
[the link doesnt work on click but seems to work if you paste it in the navigation bar :?:
it is borrowed from here https://www.teaguardian.com/tea-hows/te ... -of-gaiwan but similar pictures from the turn of the century could be found elsewhere.]
This style is still used. Gaiwans have been in production continuously for a long time and many styles carry-over and are modified according to the studio and demands of the market. Our 100ml Little Horseshoe Tianbai Jingdezhen Porcelain Gaiwan uses a ring saucer like the one above. The ring saucer makes it possible to have a close fitting saucer while lessening the chance of it sticking to the bottom of the gaiwan when wet:

https://www.mudandleaves.com/store/p381 ... iwan_.html
.m.
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Mon Jan 07, 2019 2:58 pm

mudandleaves wrote:
Mon Jan 07, 2019 1:16 pm
This style is still used. Gaiwans have been in production continuously for a long time and many styles carry-over and are modified according to the studio and demands of the market. Our 100ml Little Horseshoe Tianbai Jingdezhen Porcelain Gaiwan uses a ring saucer like the one above. The ring saucer makes it possible to have a close fitting saucer while lessening the chance of it sticking to the bottom of the gaiwan when wet:
https://www.mudandleaves.com/store/p381 ... iwan_.html
It's a beautiful one. I've been looking at it with a great desire. Cheers. :mrgreen:
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mudandleaves
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Mon Jan 07, 2019 4:43 pm

.m. wrote:
Mon Jan 07, 2019 2:58 pm
mudandleaves wrote:
Mon Jan 07, 2019 1:16 pm
This style is still used. Gaiwans have been in production continuously for a long time and many styles carry-over and are modified according to the studio and demands of the market. Our 100ml Little Horseshoe Tianbai Jingdezhen Porcelain Gaiwan uses a ring saucer like the one above. The ring saucer makes it possible to have a close fitting saucer while lessening the chance of it sticking to the bottom of the gaiwan when wet:
https://www.mudandleaves.com/store/p381 ... iwan_.html
It's a beautiful one. I've been looking at it with a great desire. Cheers. :mrgreen:
Thanks :)
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