These lovely little teapots are beautifully crafted and amazing for brewing up fine unrolled oolongs and black teas because of their thermal properties. In traditional gongfucha, Chaozhou style, sometimes pots were dipped into cooler water to lower the temperature of the teapot (and hence the leaves) between infusions so they wouldn't keep brewing. The thermal properties of fine porcelain allow the pot to cool off faster, so no dipping is needed. This pot does, however, have better heat retention than many gaiwans, and of course is much easier to handle without burning yourself!
There is a hole in the side of the lid knob to allow steam to escape. The flat four-hole filter prevents the spout from getting blocked with leaf without preventing every last drop from the pot from draining out, which is essential in classic gongfucha. The pot has a nice, rapid, 13-second pour, which is ideal for brewing fine Wuyicha, dancong teas and souchong teas, among others.
Of course, porcelain mutes nothing compared to even the finest clay, so these make a nice alternative to clay for the finest teas (when you want to taste every aspect of the tea). I tried this pot out with a cheap greener shuixian and found the tea much more pleasant to drink, but since my warehouse isn't heated in winter, the pot cooled off much faster than clay would have. This is something to keep in mind if you live somewhere in the world without central heating!
Please note these pots are ordered directly from Jingdezhen upon purchase, and will require a two-week wait before shipment.
