I love gyokuro and drink it at least several times a week. I’ve seen various opinions posted here and on other sites about style and clay and I’ve experimented with a variety of different clays and shapes. Right now my favorite is a 50 ml mixed porcelain Korean Pot that I purchases when Tead Off was selling tea ware ia Teaware Online.
I’m thinking about buying a small Banko pot but I’d really like to know what other people here find give them the best results.
Pot for brewing gyokuro
i've never had a banko kyusu. i like using a hokujo shiboridashi for gyo
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Typically gyokuro is brewed with a wide opening vessel like a shiboridashi or houhin. And the lid is often left off while brewing. The wide opening prevents overheating and allows viewing of the precious leaves.
I typically use a houhin because I have ... an abundance of them. I recently after all these years finally purchased my first "shib" by Hokujo.
Problem ... or benifit with most shibs is they are typically very low volume. Thus I prefer houhin which are often larger but still small enough.
Also, since I usually only have gyokuro on hand for a few months each year leading up to shincha. So I never compared clays much. If a houhin did not brew a satisfactory session, I would just move on to another.
Tokoname, Banko, Hagi are my primary go to clays ... but each can vary quite a bit. For instance, each tokoname potter uses seemingly different clays.
I typically use a houhin because I have ... an abundance of them. I recently after all these years finally purchased my first "shib" by Hokujo.
Problem ... or benifit with most shibs is they are typically very low volume. Thus I prefer houhin which are often larger but still small enough.
Also, since I usually only have gyokuro on hand for a few months each year leading up to shincha. So I never compared clays much. If a houhin did not brew a satisfactory session, I would just move on to another.
Tokoname, Banko, Hagi are my primary go to clays ... but each can vary quite a bit. For instance, each tokoname potter uses seemingly different clays.
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The width to height ratio is typically higher on a shib. So yes, the shib is relatively wider and the houhin is relatively higher ... Typically.
The houhin typically has a round rim with a screen below the rim at the added spout. The lid covers the entire rim.
The shib typically has a spout as part of the rim, so the rim is not an absolute circle, and the lid does not cover the rim at the spout. The spout may have a "rake" or nothing at all.
You could call them a "gaiwanesque".
Did I mention that I have TAD (teaware addiction disease)? I just counted 5 shibs and 4 hobins in my teaware cabinets. I did learn to brew gyokuro on Teachat following instructions from Kevin of O-Cha but I’ve been forgetting the part about leaving off the lid. I put it on for the photo because the glaze is so pretty. This is a 60 ml shib from Andresz Bero.
I’m still interested in Banko clay but clearly it’s not an emergency.
I’m still interested in Banko clay but clearly it’s not an emergency.
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please see also: viewtopic.php?f=20&t=504
I personally prefer glazed teaware for gyokuro and unglazed for other Japanese teas. It’s a personal preference as I really don’t want clays altering the flavor of gyokuro. I’m more forgiving with sencha and enjoy trying different clays with them.
I hear people sometimes say that a shiboridashi allows the leaves to expand more than in a houhin (or even a large kyusu) but I see no merit in this idea. The leaves open prefectly well in all but the narrowest teapots.
A humble kyo-yaki houhin like this works perfectly well. It’s one of my favorite pieces despite being made by an unknown potter. I treasure it as much as my famous name teapots.
I hear people sometimes say that a shiboridashi allows the leaves to expand more than in a houhin (or even a large kyusu) but I see no merit in this idea. The leaves open prefectly well in all but the narrowest teapots.
A humble kyo-yaki houhin like this works perfectly well. It’s one of my favorite pieces despite being made by an unknown potter. I treasure it as much as my famous name teapots.
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Nice set. It looks like it's inspired to the work of Miwa Kyusetsu X.