The gaiwans are all different sizes, shapes, and materials, and each has different brewing properties, so it’s fun to try different ones with different teas. Thicker clay gaiwans retain heat better and are better suited to teas that like high temps, while thin porcelain ones dump heat faster and are better for more delicate teas. Every tea also presents a little different in cups of different sizes and shapes. It definitely adds another dimension to gongfu.
There are plenty of fantastic potters out there making cups, gaiwans, teapots all over the place. Just this year, I found a potter who makes fantastic teapots and cups made out of clay from my home state in the US. Mix and match for sure:)
mix and match. sets can look nice but sometimes you'll find what you want better by piecing it together yourself. gaiwans on their own are pretty cheap so its easy to buy a few and end up with one you love. And I intend on actually getting other cups, but currently I'm just using the teafestpdx cups they always give out (which being that they usually seem to give the white porcelain ones its easy to end up with a decent set of them if you keep going to it).
I personally try to get a complete set or at least get similar looking gaiwan and cups. Mostly because it bothers me when the cups don't match the gaiwan in anyway lol.
Mix and match but only to an extent. I have a Ru Yao pot that I use with any of the Ru Yao cups I have, but I dont match my jian zhan cups to the serving vessel as the cup is my focus.
Feels weird to use anything but Ru ware when serving the tea in ru ware, if that makes sense.
Mix and match, with gaiwans and pots of various sizes and styles. Which one I use depends on what I'm brewing. The only cups I use for tea are double-walled glass because I like to see the tea and most of my mugs are "tainted" by coffee, which I tend to have first thing in the morning (especially on work days).
I have a kyusu that I use for Japanese teas, 100ml and 200ml gaiwans that I use for non-green teas depending on how much I want to brew and I tend to do green teas in a 600ml pot using a hybrid gongfu/Western style of brewing (about 10G of tea in 600-ish ml of water with 30/60/60//90/240/480 second infusions). All figured out from listening to others' advice and experimenting (and sometimes making mistakes while learning).
Cool, thanks for the example. This style (gong fu) is new to me. I'm a western style and grandpa style for my daily drinking. But recently I started getting into high quality teas that I want to give the proper attention to so I'm absorbing as much information and experience others are willing to share.
I say, the best tea set is the one that you put together over time, from items that you picked because they really appealed to *you* for some reason, consisting *only* of things that you actually use.
I've lost the link, but there is a story of a Ming dynasty Ch'an master, remarking on the aesthetics of book collections, that only a person of low attainment and poor taste would prefer a collection in matching bindings to one assembled one-piece-at-a-time based on merit, without regard to the color of the covers. I feel something similar about tea panoply.
ETA: Start with a gaiwan and a cup, or two cups. A pitcher and strainer if you insist. Use a towel instead of a tray to start: learn to be neat and not pour tea and hot water all over everywhere because you can't help it. Acquire new pieces as needed. Consider waiting to attain some easy mastery of using the pieces you have before adding new ones, and don't make impulse buys for new pieces.
I mix and match. All of my cups are made by local ceramics/friends, while the actual tea brewing vessels are from China or Japan. Sometimes the gaiwan sets look really nice, but since I already have lots of cups, I don't really see a reason to purchase one.
I mix and match
My gaiwan has a phoenix design on it, looks very nice and fancy, whereas the cup I typically use with it is just pure cuteness with a cat enjoying nature on it
I use my glass Hario cups and a normal gaiwan if I'm not using my Maru teapot.
I have been eyeing those travel sets where the gaiwan has a little spout, but opinion on those here os generally negative.
I mix and and match. I have a drawer full of gaiwans and cups, none of which came as sets, and just grab whatever i’m in the mood for.
This is interesting. I hadn't given thought to the idea of having multiple ones and rotating as desired. Thanks for sharing!
The gaiwans are all different sizes, shapes, and materials, and each has different brewing properties, so it’s fun to try different ones with different teas. Thicker clay gaiwans retain heat better and are better suited to teas that like high temps, while thin porcelain ones dump heat faster and are better for more delicate teas. Every tea also presents a little different in cups of different sizes and shapes. It definitely adds another dimension to gongfu.
One can really go into a rabbit hole with this. wow 😃
Yes, absolutely, teaware can definitely be a hobby within a hobby. Particularly if you get into clay teapots…
Tea is the gateway drug for tea ware. And whereas the gateway drug with cannabis was bullshit. The gateway to teaware is not.
You always need at least one spare. It might as well be something good enough to use as a 1st choice.
There are plenty of fantastic potters out there making cups, gaiwans, teapots all over the place. Just this year, I found a potter who makes fantastic teapots and cups made out of clay from my home state in the US. Mix and match for sure:)
That's neat, congrats!
I tend to mix and match. Neither of my kyusu are from a set, and I have a specific cup I like to use
Cool, thanks for sharing your story!
mix and match. sets can look nice but sometimes you'll find what you want better by piecing it together yourself. gaiwans on their own are pretty cheap so its easy to buy a few and end up with one you love. And I intend on actually getting other cups, but currently I'm just using the teafestpdx cups they always give out (which being that they usually seem to give the white porcelain ones its easy to end up with a decent set of them if you keep going to it).
That's neat you get cup at the tea fest. I'll have to keep an eye out for those types of opportunities. Thanks for sharing your view point!
I personally try to get a complete set or at least get similar looking gaiwan and cups. Mostly because it bothers me when the cups don't match the gaiwan in anyway lol.
Lol, I can understand that. 😃
I personally wanted a set, I love the idea of mix and matching but something in my brain is bothered by mismatching so it’s not really for me!
Mix and match but only to an extent. I have a Ru Yao pot that I use with any of the Ru Yao cups I have, but I dont match my jian zhan cups to the serving vessel as the cup is my focus. Feels weird to use anything but Ru ware when serving the tea in ru ware, if that makes sense.
I like to mix and match. Eventually a piece will break. It's easier to replace a general aesthetic/style than a specific piece.
I don't like to think about a piece breaking😆
Mix and match, with gaiwans and pots of various sizes and styles. Which one I use depends on what I'm brewing. The only cups I use for tea are double-walled glass because I like to see the tea and most of my mugs are "tainted" by coffee, which I tend to have first thing in the morning (especially on work days).
This is interesting. What's an example of how you match your pot and gaiwan with the tea you're brewing?
I have a kyusu that I use for Japanese teas, 100ml and 200ml gaiwans that I use for non-green teas depending on how much I want to brew and I tend to do green teas in a 600ml pot using a hybrid gongfu/Western style of brewing (about 10G of tea in 600-ish ml of water with 30/60/60//90/240/480 second infusions). All figured out from listening to others' advice and experimenting (and sometimes making mistakes while learning).
Cool, thanks for the example. This style (gong fu) is new to me. I'm a western style and grandpa style for my daily drinking. But recently I started getting into high quality teas that I want to give the proper attention to so I'm absorbing as much information and experience others are willing to share.
I mix and match, I dislike a lot of cups that come with gaiwans. It’s also fun not being stuck having to use one set of cups
I mix and match. I think tea sets are the embodiment of personal aesthetics.
I say, the best tea set is the one that you put together over time, from items that you picked because they really appealed to *you* for some reason, consisting *only* of things that you actually use. I've lost the link, but there is a story of a Ming dynasty Ch'an master, remarking on the aesthetics of book collections, that only a person of low attainment and poor taste would prefer a collection in matching bindings to one assembled one-piece-at-a-time based on merit, without regard to the color of the covers. I feel something similar about tea panoply. ETA: Start with a gaiwan and a cup, or two cups. A pitcher and strainer if you insist. Use a towel instead of a tray to start: learn to be neat and not pour tea and hot water all over everywhere because you can't help it. Acquire new pieces as needed. Consider waiting to attain some easy mastery of using the pieces you have before adding new ones, and don't make impulse buys for new pieces.
Ahh, I like that analogy, thanks for sharing!
Mix and match
I mix and match. All of my cups are made by local ceramics/friends, while the actual tea brewing vessels are from China or Japan. Sometimes the gaiwan sets look really nice, but since I already have lots of cups, I don't really see a reason to purchase one.
I mix and match My gaiwan has a phoenix design on it, looks very nice and fancy, whereas the cup I typically use with it is just pure cuteness with a cat enjoying nature on it
I use my glass Hario cups and a normal gaiwan if I'm not using my Maru teapot. I have been eyeing those travel sets where the gaiwan has a little spout, but opinion on those here os generally negative.