One of the auxiliary pleasures of drinking tea is selecting accoutrements: utensils, cups, kettles, storage tins, and, of course, teapots. The choices are legion with a dazzling array of shapes, sizes, decorative touches. Sometimes that blinds us to one of the most important decisions we must make in teapot selection: its function!

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Your teapot-buying decision should be based first and foremost on size (options often go from one to six cups, sometimes larger). The next most important aspects are your personal preference for material (glass, ceramic or porcelain) and whether it will be used for brewing tea or pouring brewed tea. Other important factors include: whether it's easy to hold, pours well, and, of course, fits into your budget. A gigantic Majolica pot, festooned with monkeys and in a brilliant highly-glazed green, may warm your heart; but if when filled with tea it weighs five pounds and holds more than your family can drink, it will probably be better suited for the collector's shelf than the tea table.

Clear glass teapots (yes, there are colored ones) are a fabulous choice if you're fascinated with the "agony of the leaves" - the way they unfurl and release the nectar we so enjoy. Using a glass teapot often will lead you to know both by the color and the texture of the leaves when it is done even when you choose not to use a timer. Strainers can be glass, plastic or gold mesh and each works wonderfully, although glass offers the least possibility for impacting the flavor of the tea and gold mesh is a good second choice. The only downside to glass infusers is they require tongs or insulated cloth to remove as they get very hot. Probably one of the best things about some glass teapots is the manufacturer's ability to make a slight indentation in the tip of the spout. This facilitates pouring in a steady, non-spilling stream. Why every potter doesn't use this scheme is a constant puzzle. Well-made glass teapots also have insulated handles; if not, a terrycloth towel or potholder will certainly protect your hands.

Glass

Glass pots can stain and a little elbow grease, with or without mild soap, will clean them up easily and completely. If soap is used, it is critical to rinse in very warm water (thoroughly, many times) to ensure that no soap residue remains. Check for the manufacturer's instructions whether the pot is dishwasher safe. Two caveats: Never put a hot teapot in a freezer or refrigerator and never put it directly on a gas or electric stove, because it might crack. Some manufacturers make complementary warming stands which use small tea candles that can keep the tea hot. Tea cozies are always suitable.

Ceramic

Ceramic teapots were commonly fired in open pits, and originated 11,000 years ago in Asia and the Middle East for everyday use. Clay and earthenware pots then, and now, have natural heat-retention properties, low seepage, and brew the leaves quickly. We suggest using a timer for the first pot or two, then adjusting your brewing times according to your taste. Note the spout and if it narrows slightly at the end; this indicates better pouring capability than a too-wide opening in the spout. Check the inside of your ceramic teapot for glazing. If it is glazed, you can certainly alternate your tea choices; if unglazed or if it is an Yixing pot, stick to one type of tea only. Like ancient times, ceramic and earthenware clay pots are fired at low temperatures.

Porcelain

White clay pots first appeared at Jingdezhen and the best was known as qingbai or yingqing (clear bluish-white). Then came quingei (made in Longquan) which first appeared during the 7th century and used wood ash and iron in the clay fired in an oxygen-reduced atmosphere. In English, quingei became celadon; Korea, Thailand, Japan, and China all still make pots with this glistening greenish-gray glaze.

Perhaps no category of teapots is more aligned with China than blue and white. When most Westerners think of "fine china," this type is what usually comes to mind. First developed during the Yuan Dynasty (-) its glass-like glaze was further perfected by potters of Ming Dynasty (-) who advanced the Yuan potters' art to the highest levels. So popular were these pots that Oscar Wilde once quipped that "I find it harder and harder every day to live up to my blue china". He was part of the 19th century Aesthetic Movement whose ubiquitous symbols were the sunflower, the annunciation lily, and... blue and white chinaware!

Since the late 17th century, potters in the US, and more abundantly in England, France, Germany, Czechoslovakia, Russia and Austria have copied and sustained the best of the original china ware. In addition, each of China's contributions to pottery making has been duplicated: adding colors, three-dimensional ornamental designs, related underglazing and glazing techniques for either glass-like or intentionally crackled designs. Fortunately, today's porcelain teapots cover a wide range of prices from under $10 to hundreds of dollars, teapots to please any taste in every budget.

Care and Maintenance

For cleanup, if the exterior and interior are both glazed, wash as usual; if the interior is unglazed, only rinse the tea leaves out and rinse with hot water before each use to warm up the pot and make it more receptive to the brewing process. Some ceramic pots come with their own ceramic or mesh strainers; others do not, so you'll need to use hand-held sieves when pouring out the tea into the waiting cups. You can eliminate this process by having two pots: one to brew in and one to decant into. Earthenware or crockery versions of ceramic pots are considerably thicker and therefore stronger than delicate glass or porcelain, but they too can break from mishandling or being subjected to extremes of cold or heat, so again - no popping into the fridge or setting on a direct flame except with a complementary tea warmer stand. Do NOT put these in a dishwasher no matter what the manufacturer says.

Porcelain teapots are generally glazed inside and out and, again, unglazed interiors indicate a pot should be dedicated to one type of tea and interior glazed pots can be used for a variety of tea types. It's difficult to accept staining, and although washing with soap will certainly rid the pot of stains, most connoisseurs still aver that soap is anathema to fine pots; better to rinse leaves thoroughly, wipe with a clean damp sponge and leave stains alone. The heavier a porcelain pot the easier it is to keep the tea hot longer. Brew in the pot and decant or brew in another vessel and pour the decanted tea into the decorative pot. If you don't have a second pot, you can always brew tea in a large measuring cup, add the suggested amount of water, brew, then pour through a sieve into your special pot.

A few more words on Porcelain: soft, hard, and bone

The word porcelain, by the way, is not a derivative of any Chinese word but from the Italian, porcella or the French, porcelain, for cowrie shells and their shiny appearance. That appearance is a combination of materials and firing techniques. Fine white paste porcelain uses strong, vitreous, translucent ceramic clays fired at a low temperature, then it is glazed and fired at a very high temperature. It was the appearance of this advance in ceramics that captured everyone's imagination as its nearly translucent quality was unlike the rough appearance of most ceramics. Referred to as "china ware" by the Europeans who first imported tea, and tea ware, from China, porcelain continued to evolve with the talents and experiments of potters during a succession of dynasties, each contributed techniques and styles in the manufacture of china ware. Soft paste porcelain pots are produced by mixing white clay with a glassy substance that is a mixture of white sand, gypsum, soda, salt, alum and nitre which is then fired at a lower temperature than hard-paste porcelain. Hard paste porcelain uses kaolin and petuntse or other clays, ground glassy substances, soapstone, bone ash and other elements that give it its glossy appearance and glass-like composition and are fired at higher temperatures. A third category of porcelain, bone china, which is most common today. It is stronger than hard-paste porcelain and easier and less expensive to manufacture, and contains bone ash into the typical clay ingredients. As a result, its appearance is more ivory or soft white than the bright white of classic hard paste porcelain.

The history and evolution of glass, clay, and porcelain teapots fills many books. We hope this gives you at least a basic understanding of the varieties available for choosing your first, or next, teapot!

REVIEW THE LESSON

How To Choose A Chinese Teapot - By Daniel Lui

Making tea is essentially the process of breaking down the cell structure of tea leaves to release their flavour. Using the traditional method of Chinese tea-making, called Gong-Fu Cha (Tea With Great Skill), the teapot is perhaps the most important element in this process. The tea-maker must match the right size and shape of teapot, the type of clay and firing temperature with the right type of tea and the number of people being served. And since a teapot is something that may be used every day, it should should be something that is comfortable to handle, long lasting and pleasing to the eye.

About Chinese Teapots

Serious Gong-Fu Cha enthusiasts spend many hours debating the virtues of their teapots, but there is universal agreement on these four points:

• Any tea is best made in clay teapots and the best teapots are made from &#;Purple Clay&#; (Zisha) from the Yixing (Yee-zhing) area of China

   

• Zisha clay has excellent porosity and heat handling properties that significantly improves the taste of tea when compared to tea made in glass, porcelain or glazed teapots

   

• A Yixing teapot should only be used for one type of tea

   

• High-fired teapots with a finer, thinner clay are excellent for use with any tea and a must for Green, White and Oolong teas. Low-fired teapots that use a thicker and more porous clay work best for Black Tea (called Red Tea in China) and Pu-Erh Tea.

Chinese clay teapots do not use glazing. The clay used remains porous and tea oils are intended to build up inside the teapot and over time, smooth the taste of tea and improve it by adding its own unique &#;taste&#; from the accumulated oils. Different teas are not made in the same teapot unless they are from the same family or class of teas, such as different types of green or oolongs, but even this is not ideal as some teas from the same family have a strong flavour and in time, their taste can transfer to a more delicately flavoured tea.

Your teapot will be your friend for many years so make sure there are no cracks or chips. It should have a good weight and balance and feel comfortable in the hand. The handle and lid should fit your fingers and the lid should fit precisely in the top opening with the opening just large enough to accommodate the size of leaves you will be using. A smaller opening tends to keep the fragrance of tea in the teapot whereas a larger opening allows the fragrance to escape. So tea with small or rolled leaves and high fragrance (Green, White, Oolongs) will benefit from a smaller opening. A larger opening is better for tea with large leaves and low fragrance (Black and Pu-Erh).

The spout should be large enough to allow the tea to pour freely. Gong Fu Cha (the Chinese method of tea preparation) develops the taste of tea quickly with fast brew times so the hole of the spout needs to be as large as possible to not constrict the flow of tea being poured, which would make the brew times longer. Check other sized teapots to ensure the spout is proportional to the size of teapot. Many newer teapots come with a strainer built-in. If your teapot does not have a strainer, ask to have one inserted inside the spout. For more information about Gong Fu Cha, see our guide:  .

The five main elements for choosing a teapot are:

• Size
• Shape
• Manufacture
• Clay Firing
• Temperature

Size

The first thing to consider when looking for a teapot is to select the right size of teapot to suit the number of people you will be making tea for most of the time. Teapots come in a variety of sizes but can be generally grouped the following way:

Chart - Teapot Sizes for Number of People Served

Size of Teapot

Volume of Teapot (ml / fl oz) (approximate)

Number of People Served

#1 size

70 ml / 2.4 fl oz

1 &#; 2 people

# 2 size

100 ml / 3.4 fl oz

2 &#; 4 people

# 3 size

175 ml / 6.0 fl oz

3 &#; 5 people

3 &#; 5 people

# 4 size

225 ml / 7.6 fl oz

4 &#; 6 people

 

Shopping for teapots can be confusing so the Size of Teapot numbers indicated above correspond quite well to the number of people being served. If you usually drink tea alone or with one other person, the #2 size for 2 persons would be a good start. If a few more people come over for tea, you can simply make more brews. If you have a favourite tea that you serve often to many guests, consider getting a larger teapot for that tea.

Shape

The different shapes of teapots allow for the different types of leaves to expand in their own unique way to maximize the surface area exposed to water while brewing inside the teapot. Teapots come in 2 basic profiles: high profile and low profile and each is suited to a number of teas.

Chart: Teapot Shapes For Type of Tea &#;

Taiwan Oolong (High Profile)

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Green/White Tea (High Profile)

Tie Guan Yin (Gun Yam, Iron Buddha,  
Chinese Oolong, Buddha of Mercy) (Low Profile)

Chinese Black Tea (known as Red Tea in China) 
Pu-Erh (Bow Lay) (High Profile)

Da Hong Pao (Cliff Tea) & Phoenix Tea (Low Profile)

A Decorative Teapot (Low Profile)

Collecting interesting looking teapots can be an enjoyable and rewarding hobby but one should not confuse a good tea-making teapot with a decorative one. Notice that all the shapes above except for the decorative one follow very simple designs. The reason for the lack of ornamentation is because tea is very sensitive to heat fluctuations and the best teapots distribute heat evenly. Decorations create different densities in the teapot, which can create hot and cool spots. Another reason is that with Gong Fu Cha, hot water is poured over a teapot during brewing and the water will be deflected by awkward angles, creating further hot and cool spots inside the teapot during brewing.

Manufacture

Unlike Western pottery-making techniques where &#;earth-clays&#; are turned on a wheel, the more rigid quality of Zisha clay enables the component parts of a teapot to be made in advance and then assembled piece by piece. There are 3 types of manufacture:

• Handmade
• Half-handmade
• Molded

Handmade teapots are formed into shape by an artist who hand cuts the pieces and assembles them into shape using traditional tools such as wooden picks and paddles. In preparing Zisha clay to make the various parts of a handmade teapot, it is folded many times, somewhat like in the manufacture of Japanese katana (samurai sword). This folding strengthens the clay and creates micro channel air pockets in the clay which allows air to move in both directions through the teapot. This &#;dual-porosity&#; characteristic is thought to provide additional oxygen to the tea while brewing and as wine drinkers know, oxygen intensifies flavour.

Half-handmade is assembling machine-molded pieces by hand with traditional tools. Many good teapots using Zisha clay are made in this way.
Molded teapots are made by a mass-production process of assembling pre-molded pieces by machine, such as the two halves of the teapot and lid and attaching a pre-molded spout and handle. Even though molded teapots are not as valuable as handmade or half-handmade teapots, many are made with Yixing clay and are still superior for tea-making than glazed or porcelain teapots.
There is a certain pride in owning a handmade teapot, especially if it is made by a famous artist. The making of teapots is a highly skilled art and some Zisha teapots from famous artists are collectors&#; items and fetch very high prices, especially if from the &#;s or &#;s or even from the Qing Dynasty ( &#;). Antique teapots are prized because no two are alike, with each one having a unique history, patina, &#;taste&#; and &#;personality&#;. Knowing antiques requires highly specialized knowledge so only deal with an expert you can trust.

Clay

Quality of Clay

Yixing (Yee-zhing) clay is the famous clay from the Yixing region of Jiangsu Province in Central China from which the finest teapots have been made for centuries. There are many types of Yixing clay but they can generally be grouped into two grades of quality:

• &#;Earth-clay&#; made from mud
• &#;Stone-clay&#; made from rock (Zisha)

&#;Earth-clay&#; is typically used to make mid-grade quality teapots which are widely available in many designs at affordable prices. It&#;s natural colour is white. The superior &#;stone-clay&#; is known as Zisha or &#;Purple Clay&#; (even though the colour of the clay may not necessarily be purple) and comes naturally in a variety of colours. So Zisha Clay is also known as &#;Natural&#; or &#;Original&#; Clay.
The unique granular structure and mineral composition of Zisha clay gives it excellent heat handling properties that are unsurpassed for maintaining a stable temperature in a teapot, thereby mitigating temperature fluctuations which can diminish the flavour of tea. The mineral and metal content of Zisha includes iron oxide, kaolinite, quartz and mica, making these teapots very strong when fired and resistant to damage when compared to more delicate Western pottery. High quality Yixing clay is 3-6 times less absorbent than other clays which helps these teapots to retain the fragrance of teas.

Chart: Quality of Yixing Clay

Yixing &#;Earth&#; Clay (this example is artificially coloured to look like Zisha &#;Wuni&#; Black Clay) Yixing &#;Stone&#; Clay  
(also called Zisha &#;Purple&#; Clay, &#;Natural&#; or &#;Original&#; Clay) .

Composition of Clay

There are 3 basic compositions of clays which are often mixed together in an infinite variety of combinations.

• Zisha Clay. (Also called &#;Qing Shui Ni&#; when not mixed or coloured).
• Mixed (Pingni). Can be any combination of Yixing, non-Yixing and artificial clays
• Artificial (Coloured clay). May also be used in mixed clay.

Chart:  Composition of Clay

Yixing Zisha &#;Purple&#; Clay. This example has no mixed clay so it could also be called

 

Qing Shui Ni Mixed Clay (Pingni) Artificial (Coloured) Clay

Colour of Clay

When clays are mixed, they are called Pingni. &#;Natural&#; or &#;Original&#; Zisha clays are often mixed together to make traditional and new colours. Natural and artificial colours can be mixed or overlayed with each other in various designs. Quite often a small quantity of Yixing earth-clay or even Zisha is added to a lower grade non-Yixing clay and the teapot is then sold as a &#;Yixing Teapot&#;. While technically correct, this can be mis-leading.

&#;Artificial&#; clay (Yixing &#;earth&#; clay and/or non-Yixing clay) is clay that is coloured with artificial dyes, often duplicating natural Zisha colours. These teapots do not perform as well as Zisha teapots and will not look as nice over time as the colour will fade compared to teapots made from Zisha clays which retain their natural colour.

Assessing the quality of a teapot by the colour of the clay is a highly specialized skill and the source of much debate among experts. Here&#;s a few guidelines to help you understand Chinese teapots by their colours.
The natural colour of Yixing &#;earth clay&#; is white. Zisha clay comes in a variety of natural colours, of which the most prized are:

• Red (Hongni)
• Purple (Zhini)
• Green (Luni) &#; usually mixed with other clays or overlayed

Chart: Colours of Zisha Clay

Hongni (Red)

(Purple) not to be confused with Zisha (&#;Purple Clay&#;) which describes the entire class of natural colour, high-mineral Yixing clays made from stone

Duani (Yellow) Heini or Wuni (Black) Luni (Green)

There is an another type of Zisha red clay called Zhuni which is extracted from a rare type of rock vein. The teapots made from this clay are made oversized and fired at a special low temperature (about 1,080F / 582C) and for a much longer time than other teapots. Zhuni teapots shrink during firing, making the clay extremely hard and dense. If you look closely, you can see fine &#;wrinkles&#; in the clay from the shrinkage. Even though the firing is performed with the highest degree of precision, the process is so sensitive that over half an entire batch of teapots will crack leaving just a few good ones. Zhuni teapots usually have a distinct red or orange colour and produce a high pitched sound when tapped. Needless to say, Zhuni teapots are very rare and very expensive. The markets abound with teapots claiming to be &#;real Zhuni&#;, both new and antique, so don&#;t even consider buying one of these unless you have access to a trusted expert who can verify the clay for you.

Zhuni

Different types of clays are fired at low or high temperatures to make certain types of teapots. Teapots made from more porous clay are low-fired and are made thicker to hold heat longer which is good for Chinese Black Teas (called Red Teas in China) and Pu-Erh Teas. High-fired teapots for teas such as Green, White and Oolongs use a finer, thinner clay and will cool faster, preventing these more delicate teas from &#;cooking&#; in the teapot. High-fired Zisha clays tend to have more of a reddish colour while low-fired Zisha clays tend to have more of a brown colour. High-fired teapots are less porous and retain aroma compared to low-fired teapots which are more porous and used for less aromatic teas.

Chart:  Firing  Type

High-Fired  Zisha Clay Low-Fired  Zisha Clay

New high quality, high-fired teapots have a clear and distinct ring like a little bell when you lift up the lid about a quarter of an inch and allow it to drop gently on to the teapot (make sure you are holding the teapot on the flat of your hand so it is not damping the teapot in any way). In most cases, the higher the pitch and the longer the ring, the finer the quality.

Teapots used for Black and Pu-Erh Tea are thicker and made from a more porous clay than other teapots and don&#;t have the distinctive bright ringing sound &#; but this has nothing to do with the quality. These types of teapots are selected by an examination of the clay which usually has a rougher texture than teapots used for other teas.

Older teapots have a distinctive patina from the infusion of tea oils and constant use which can dull the pitch. Many new teapots have a similar shine from a wax coating that is applied to protect the clay and make them look nice on the shelf. (see how to remove this coating below).

Antique teapots have a history (verifiable or not) and have been infused with tea oils over many years. They can produce a decided &#;thunk&#; rather than a clear ring because of the accumulation of oils in the clay but can still be of the finest quality. But remember, you are in the antique game now so buyer beware!

Shopping Checklist

Chart - Selecting A Chinese Teapot By Profile And Method Of Firing

 HIGH PROFILE High Fired Clay Low Fired Clay

Most Green/White Teas

any tea made from "tips"

Taiwan Oolong

Pu-erh LOW PROFILE

Tie Guan Yin (also called Chinese Oolong, Iron Buddha, Buddha of Mercy

Da Hong Pao

Phoenix Tea

Lapsang Souchong and other Chinese Black Teas (known as Red teas in China)

Here is a checklist of points to keep in mind when you are shopping for a teapot:

• What kind of tea will I be making?
• What size of teapot do I need for the number of people I will be serving most often?
• Will the shape allow the proper expansion for the tea leaves I will be using?

   

• What is the method of manufacture? - Handmade, Half-Hand made or Molded

   

• What is the quality of the clay? &#; Yixing Zisha, Yixing &#;Earth Clay&#; or a Non- Yixing clay
• What is the composition of the clay? &#; &#;Natural/Original&#; Zisha (non coloured, non-mixed), Mixed or Artificial

   

• What is the right type of firing for the teapot needed? &#; Low-Fired or High-Fired

   

• Is the colour of teapot consistent with the seller&#;s description?

   

• Are there any chips, cracks or hidden hairline fractures?
• Is the top hole the correct size for the type of leaves being used and is the size appropriate for the fragrance of the tea?

   

• Does the lid fit securely in the top hole but is easy to remove?

   

• Is the spout hole large enough to allow the tea to pour freely?

   

• Does it have a strainer installed? Is the teapot properly balanced and comfortable to handle?

   

• Does the teapot make me feel good when I handle it?

How To Season A New Teapot

New teapots come with a wax coating to protect the clay and make them look shiny on the shelf (and also make them look like more expensive antique teapots). This coating must be removed before making tea. Here&#;s how to remove the coating and season the clay:

1. Rinse the teapot in hot water and brush vigorously inside and outside with toothpaste (which is gently abrasive) and a toothbrush. Yes you read this right!
2. Put a large pot of water on the stove lined inside with a cloth. The pot should be large enough to completely submerge the teapot
3. Wrap the lid in another cloth and place in the large pot with the teapot. The cloths prevent breakage by stopping the teapot and lid from hitting the sides of the pot and each other when the water is boiling
4. Bring the water to a boil, cover and boil the teapot and lid for 30 minutes
5. After 30 minutes, turn off the heat and allow the water to cool
6. Remove the teapot and lid and rinse thoroughly in warm water
7. Optional - If you really want to season your teapot like a pro, re-fill the large pot with water, bring to a boil and add 2 &#; 3 tea-scoops of the tea leaves that you will be using for that teapot. Turn off the heat, cover the pot and steep the leaves for about 30 minutes to make a strong tea. Strain out the leaves and any small particles. Repeat Steps 2 to 6 using this strong tea instead of water. (Straining removes small leaf particles from the water that can clog the pores of the clay and reduce the teapot&#;s effectiveness).Your teapot is now ready to start making tea

Always pour any extra tea you might have over your teapot and give it an occasional polish with a soft cloth. This will help to build up the oils allowing your teapot to contribute its own &#;taste&#; to the tea and create its own unique patina.
If you should ever decide that you wish to use a teapot for making another type of tea, simply re-season the teapot per the above steps. There may be a break-in period with older pots.

Glass And Porcelain Teapots

Glass and porcelain teapots are &#;flavour neutral &#; and unlike clay teapots, do not change the taste of tea in any way as their impermeable surfaces do not absorb any tea oils and can be rinsed clean after each use. These are good for testing and comparing teas. You might want try a new tea in a glass or porcelain teapot before you make it in your clay teapot to compare how your clay teapot is affecting the taste.

If you want to save money or are a traditionalist, you can use a gai wan which is an inexpensive porcelain cup with a lid and base that comes in many sizes and can be used for all teas. Glass teapots are often used for Green, White and &#;blooming&#; teas as they do not absorb the delicate tea fragrance like some clay teapots and you can see the leaves expanding in a pretty display. But a high quality, high-fired Zisha clay teapot is still superior to glass and porcelain and like all clay teapots, improves the taste of tea.

More Information

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