What are your bad habits during tea sessions?
Many habits form from doing the same act over a period of time. Some are good habits and others not so much.. One of bad habits is lack of patience, I am in such a hurry to go from leaf to pot to tea that at times I don't take the time to properly enjoy or prepare the tea properly. This happens I have to do something important later but I want some tea at the moment. My second one is knowing how to improve the taste of tea by changing the temperature or steep times but instead I just drink it as is. Then I think later what I could have done but didn't..
@klepto intrigue topic of discussion, almost feels like a support group lol. The two habits that I am trying to change are not to start a new brew before bed time. Although the tea still taste good after I wake up the next day, I am sure it’s not as good as freshly brewed and caffeine disrupts the quality of sleep for most people. The second one is not to multitask so much that I forget the steep time and over steep the tea. With forgiving tea, I just add hot water. For poor quality Sheng pu, it really feels like chucking down bad liquor 
Oh if I could put away my phone while I drink tea but Instagram is addictiveDailyTX wrote: ↑Sun Oct 17, 2021 11:21 pmklepto intrigue topic of discussion, almost feels like a support group lol. The two habits that I am trying to change are not to start a new brew before bed time. Although the tea still taste good after I wake up the next day, I am sure it’s not as good as freshly brewed and caffeine disrupts the quality of sleep for most people. The second one is not to multitask so much that I forget the steep time and over steep the tea. With forgiving tea, I just add hot water. For poor quality Sheng pu, it really feels like chucking down bad liquor
.Interesting topic; for my part, I'd say:
But one thing that I have been trying hard to avoid, and with some success I think, is the temptation to drink teas that aren't suited to the circumstances.
In the past, I would actively avoid drinking a tea that was expensive, or which I didn't have much left of, even though that tea, or that style of tea, was what I felt was appropriate for the day and for how I felt. And sometimes I would drink a tea because it was new and exciting, rather than because it was a suitable tea for me at that moment.
Now, after some mental effort, I don't feel too bad about the cost of a tea, or the fact that I might not be able to get any more of it, so long as it's the right tea for the occasion.
Besides, I buy these teas for my own enjoyment (and sometimes to share), rather than for the sake of collecting them, or to pass them down to someone else.
Andrew
- trying to multi-task, and almost inevitably failing, such that the tea suffers;
- trying to 'test' the tea by applying 'standard' brewing methods to it, instead of enjoying it by changing the brewing method to suit the tea and maximise what it can offer;
- failing to use the time that I take to brew tea as an opportunity to avoid thinking or worrying.
But one thing that I have been trying hard to avoid, and with some success I think, is the temptation to drink teas that aren't suited to the circumstances.
In the past, I would actively avoid drinking a tea that was expensive, or which I didn't have much left of, even though that tea, or that style of tea, was what I felt was appropriate for the day and for how I felt. And sometimes I would drink a tea because it was new and exciting, rather than because it was a suitable tea for me at that moment.
Now, after some mental effort, I don't feel too bad about the cost of a tea, or the fact that I might not be able to get any more of it, so long as it's the right tea for the occasion.
Besides, I buy these teas for my own enjoyment (and sometimes to share), rather than for the sake of collecting them, or to pass them down to someone else.
Andrew
Biggest one is probably not taking sufficient care to warm glazed teaware gradually when it is very cold to discourage crazing, such as pre-heating twice, once with warm water to pull the teaware up to room temperature, then another with hot water to raise it up to brewing temperature, rather than rinsing once with hot water. Teacups are my worst, as a crazed pot can be seasoned rather than washed after it has crazed, but there are only so many uses for a crazed teacup. 
The biggest one for me is also multi-tasking, and failing to fully appreciate the tea as a result. One other habit, which is less bad than it is simply not what I want, is relying on a thermometer or an electric kettle's temperature settings to determine the temperature of the water. I'd like to get better at judging water temperature myself based on bubble size, etc., but I'm always too lazy (or too concerned about misjudging and brewing the tea poorly) to experiment with this.
Definitely not a bad habit in my opinion. There are so many variables in tea already. Temperature, amount of water, steeping time and mass of tea are the few we can control.averyf wrote: ↑Tue Oct 19, 2021 7:59 amThe biggest one for me is also multi-tasking, and failing to fully appreciate the tea as a result. One other habit, which is less bad than it is simply not what I want, is relying on a thermometer or an electric kettle's temperature settings to determine the temperature of the water. I'd like to get better at judging water temperature myself based on bubble size, etc., but I'm always too lazy (or too concerned about misjudging and brewing the tea poorly) to experiment with this.
I find it fascinating that all have similar bad habits. At least we can say that its a common problem. I may never leave my phone in another room while having tea but i aspire to... 
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swordofmytriumph
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I never even knew that’s why teacups develop crazing, @mbanu! Fortunately I enjoy the look so it never bothered me. I guess not warming my cups ever is a bad habit, but if I like the look, does it count as a bad habit?
is a bad habit, but if I like the look, does it count as a bad habit?
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swordofmytriumph
- Posts: 429
- Joined: Sun Dec 16, 2018 5:19 am
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Oh no!! 
RIP. Hopefully it wasn’t your favorite.
RIP. Hopefully it wasn’t your favorite.It is my favorite hahaha. Fortunately I have one more of the same as backup. And I just ordered 2 more. It's the super thin one from TWL. High current Shipping fee is sad
In any case, it happened soon after reading mbanu's warning. I didnt think this would be a concern for a porcelain gaiwan. Guess I learned the hard way.
Here is a pic of the crack.
I'm hoping to stabilize it in some way and continue using it as a dry leac holder.
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Leo, sorry to hear about your cracked gaiwan! I also don't warm my porcelain teaware, though I might have to change that. And yes, those shipping fees from TWL are high.
I have similar tea bad habits: getting distracted, starting a session too soon before bed, and using the same steeping parameters for every tea of a certain type. I also steep my leaves until they're basically producing flavoured water, which means I get bored near the end of gongfu sessions but don't want to quit.
I have similar tea bad habits: getting distracted, starting a session too soon before bed, and using the same steeping parameters for every tea of a certain type. I also steep my leaves until they're basically producing flavoured water, which means I get bored near the end of gongfu sessions but don't want to quit.
I have many of the same bad habits noted above. But I'm going to put a different spin on it; forgive me if it seems off topic.
I work and have a family, as well as many other interests. The time I spend on tea is quality time for me, given the time I have available, even though many sessions come with distractions.
Many (all?) of the people I know personally, don't have time for tea. They see my teaware when they come over, with the small cups, and have zero understanding why anyone would have a tea session at all (initially they think I only have one cup of tea in that 50ml cup, and then I explain that I infuse the leaves multiple times over the course of 30-60 minutes; by which point they think I'm nuts). They use their Keurig, Nespresso, coffee maker (if they have time!), a tea bag if they're tea drinkers...and they are also mutli-tasking. I guess when you throw a Tetley's tea bag in a mug and pour water over it, or press a button on your Keurig, any distractions won't really matter; because what they're chasing isn't of any value (for many, not all, what they're getting out of it is simply routine and caffeine; others get more I'm sure...but the majority, hmm).
I would rather have a distracted tea session (while working, perusing the internet, watching a video, etc.) then spend less time on tea by choosing an easier way out (tea bag). I know the tea I'm tasting is really good most times, and I get a few other mental health qualities out of most sessions. I may not get as much out of it as I can if I turned off those distractions, but that's life at the moment. It's either do fewer things but do them more thoughtfully, or try and enjoy a couple things at once. It's not perfect and I do strive for more quality at certain times. That said, when I do have a focused tea session it is a pleasure. If I had endless time and every tea session was as immersive as possible, I wonder if I would get as much out of it?
Oh, and as I write this I'm having some Hojicha (pausing to smell, enjoy, consider the taste and experience...albeit briefly!) and listening to music (and I was just on a music forum!). Okay then, I need help
I work and have a family, as well as many other interests. The time I spend on tea is quality time for me, given the time I have available, even though many sessions come with distractions.
Many (all?) of the people I know personally, don't have time for tea. They see my teaware when they come over, with the small cups, and have zero understanding why anyone would have a tea session at all (initially they think I only have one cup of tea in that 50ml cup, and then I explain that I infuse the leaves multiple times over the course of 30-60 minutes; by which point they think I'm nuts). They use their Keurig, Nespresso, coffee maker (if they have time!), a tea bag if they're tea drinkers...and they are also mutli-tasking. I guess when you throw a Tetley's tea bag in a mug and pour water over it, or press a button on your Keurig, any distractions won't really matter; because what they're chasing isn't of any value (for many, not all, what they're getting out of it is simply routine and caffeine; others get more I'm sure...but the majority, hmm).
I would rather have a distracted tea session (while working, perusing the internet, watching a video, etc.) then spend less time on tea by choosing an easier way out (tea bag). I know the tea I'm tasting is really good most times, and I get a few other mental health qualities out of most sessions. I may not get as much out of it as I can if I turned off those distractions, but that's life at the moment. It's either do fewer things but do them more thoughtfully, or try and enjoy a couple things at once. It's not perfect and I do strive for more quality at certain times. That said, when I do have a focused tea session it is a pleasure. If I had endless time and every tea session was as immersive as possible, I wonder if I would get as much out of it?
Oh, and as I write this I'm having some Hojicha (pausing to smell, enjoy, consider the taste and experience...albeit briefly!) and listening to music (and I was just on a music forum!). Okay then, I need help