oolongfan wrote: ↑Sat Apr 06, 2019 8:54 pm
plamarca000 - I saw the braiser's on Global Tea Hut....so would love to hear more about yours when you get t use it. I leaning towards a coal stove....but butane might be easier.less time to get going.
Baisao - Thank you for sharing your experiences, advice, and beautiful photos..you have a beautiful set up. I love the Japanese rosewood brazier, especially since it shelters the coals fro m the wind. I live on a farm and wind can be a real issue cooking outdoors. Thank you for the advice on different properties of SE Asian and Japanese hardwood charcoal ..and article suggestion...sounds like more of a learning curve than I anticipated...but in a good way..as sometimes my current indoor tea sessions can get rushed or I get preoccupied with concerns and issues..loosing focus on the tea ceramony. Maybe the effort put into the preparaton of the task of boilng water willl be a good way to bring my attention.
Wher did you get the brazier? I also love what appear to be stone/clay coasters...beautiful and quite handy. The matt is also beautiful .....I really need to get some matts and a tea tray.
Thank you both for sharing....I really need the inspiration as the moderate Spring temperatures are here....and I would like to get out before the dog days of July
I’m glad you found it helpful. I was really surprised by how difficult their charcoal is to use. The upside is that it is mostly odorless. Even the local mesquite charcoal, which burns very hot, has an odor. That’s nice for grilling but not boiling water for tea.
I got the brazier off eBay. There was another one on there for about 6 months for $100 but I think the seller eventually pulled it down. So the exterior is rosewood and the interior has a copper box that holds the bed of ash, trivet, and your charcoal. They were used as portable braziers in pre-war Japanese homes. Of course, don’t use this inside as their homes were designed differently (and even small amounts of carbon monoxide is unhealthy).
There’s a Thai charcoal that’s worth trying but it burns quickly. It’s Thaan brand charcoal. You can get it on Amazon and various places. It’s easier than Japanese charcoal but is still a challenge. I suggest beginning with it and working your way up to the more challenging stuff.
The coasters are Japanese wicker coasters for tea service. The black one was dyed black with leather dye as the black ones from Japan are inexplicably expensive. I don’t recall where I got them (maybe Amazon) but they come in various sizes.
Cheers!