Favorite Tea Ware - Philipp Aba of ZeroZen Artlab

As a tea drinker, and I am sure this is true for you, I adore teaware, from the chasen to the yixing teapot. Everyone has their favorites! I designed this series as an opportunity for tea drinkers to showcase the very special tea objects in their personal collections. Today's selections are brought to you by Philipp Aba ZeroZen Artlab. Phillip is a prolific photographer on Instagram at ZeroZen Artlab. He started his life with tea drinking from teabags as a boy. Without the influence of parents, Philipp "fell in love with Asian culture" as a boy. His first epiphanic experience with "the real good stuff" was with Sencha. The photos and stories below are courtesy of Philipp Aba. 

I owned much more on teaware in the past but sold some of it to a good tea friend. The reason? - In my tea development I made some major mistakes choosing way to big tea vessels in the past around 200-240ml. Some might think "That's not big!" but the more you dig into Gongfu cha the more you realize it's way to big. Now my teaware I daily use is mostly around 110-120ml which is perfect and those are my favorite ones.

125ml Petr Novák teapot

When it comes to teaware I deeply love European artists because they are majorly inspired by Korean or Taiwanese rustic earthy ways of creating teaware. Speaking of it Petr Novák from the Czech Republic is my absolute hero when it comes to this certain type of teapots & co. My most beloved 125ml teapot is made by his skillful hands - what I love the most about it is its ancient rustic tree bark look. Nowadays it is quite hard to get hold on his stuff because it is sold within seconds. I hope I can get another one of this style one day. This unglazed one nearly screamed "Wuyi Yancha" to me and I never regret this choice. The stony texture of the clay suits this type of Oolong perfectly.

110ml Andrzej Bero pot

Next in the row is Andrzej Bero from Poland. I do not even own a Japanese Kyusu anymore because I felt so much in love with the ones he creates. This round shaped 110ml pot is glazed inside/outside and I use it for all kinds of green Taiwanese High Mountain Oolongs and also Chinese Tie Guan Yin. The feel of the handle and the handling of the pot itself is just flawless.

130ml Andrzej Bero pot

Next one of Bero is my beloved Korean and Japanese greens dedicated 130ml pot. It got a stronger thicker handle and a bit of a Korean type of pottery look I really love. This one is also glazed inside.

120ml Jiří Duchek teapot

Before we jump to the Chinese art of pottery there is one last European hero I discovered at last Jiří Duchek also from the Czech Republic. I only own one teapot and a lovely feather cup of him but I absolutely adore and love his work to the bits. This 120ml pear shaped tea pot smashed its purpose of being raw Sheng used with all its might into my face because this is what I use it for and it seems like this type of clay was made for it. Raw Sheng tastes pure, perfect and so well rounded and placed within this pot - it's like a miracle. This pot like most I own is unglazed. It is good to have 1-2 unglazed ones you can use for anything but I really love it to dedicate a certain teapot to just one type of tea. Because over the time you really can taste and scent the difference which evolves within this pots. The Yancha pots scent more stony and pu-erh pots more herbal and field flowery.

Li Changquan Nixing teapot

Now let's jump to the Chinese territory of Craftsmanship. Here my most used and absolute hero is this fine Nixing teapot made by an artist called Li Changquan. Beside Yixing, Jianshui, Chaozhou and Jingdezhen porcelain Nixing is one of the famous types of pottery material in China. This type of clay is normally dedicated to Heicha like Liu Bao but in my opinion it is one of the best material to be used for raw or aged Sheng. I use this small 118ml unglazed Nixing pot for aged Sheng and again it is like if it was made for it. If I could recommend the perfect vessel for Pu-erh it would be Nixing for aged and raw and Jianshui for all types of Pu.

Chaozhou 120ml teapot

Next in row is my beloved Chaozhou 120ml teapot. This type of clay is located in the same region as Dancong Oolong is grown. So most of the time it is praised to be the best for this type of Oolong and I can say that's freakin right. In this case it seems and feels like the circle finally closed and everything is in exact perfect balance and harmony. If you fell in love with Dancong's as I do there are only two options first Chaozhou and second Jianshui - nothing else. Beside the great craftsmanship I really love the wide open lid which makes it very easy to pour the tea in and watch it unfold.

120ml Benshan Lv Ni style Yixing pot

The last one is a Yixing in a very unusual shape. I really love the silky soft feel of this fine craftsmanship and those lovely carved Chinese ideographs. This 120ml Yixing pot is a type of Benshan Lv Ni and dedicated to Chinese greens only. This type of Yixing works like a charm for green teas.

Cups and utensils

Beside the pots I love to collect and use different types of cups. From those named European artists to Jingdezhen - glass or celadon - For my personal use I like bigger cups but when it comes to photo sessions or drinking with my wife I use smaller cups in pairs.

Last but not least my most used utensils are those coaster, scoops and this stainless steal strainer to keep all the dusty stuff out of my tea. So that's it for now. This isn't my whole collection but my most loved and used ones. And I am 100% sure this isn't the end of my collection at all. If you love tea you never can resist to fall in love all over again and again...and again.

Philipp's were an introduction for me to teapot makers; I'd only known of Petr Novák. I also learned the names of different styles of teapots. I can see why the objects he shared with us are his "most loved and used ones"! What do you think about Philipp's favorite tea ware? Thank you to ZeroZen for contributing to this series.

Favorite Tea Ware - Anna Mariani of The Tea Squirrel

As a tea drinker, and I am sure this is true for you, I adore teaware, from the chasen to the yixing teapot. Everyone has their favorites! I designed this series as an opportunity for tea drinkers to showcase the very special tea objects in their personal collections. Today's selections are brought to you by Anna Mariani of The Tea Squirrel. Anna takes a minimalist approach to her teaware collection. To accommodate her lifestyle, her collection is composed of a "few essential and versatile items that don't go out of fashion."

Gaiwan

The very first time I used a gaiwan was at the Chinese garden in Portland, OR, one the most authentic Chinese gardens outside of China. At the beautiful teahouse overlooking the serene pond, sitting by the open patio doors, I tried my hand at gong fu cha. It was a beautifully sunny summer day and I couldn’t take my eyes off the reflection of the pavilions and bridges, trees and the sky in the pond. It was like being in a painting. It felt really special, we had tea and mooncakes. I guess that was my rite of passage as far as my tea journey is concerned.

I bought my gaiwan in San Francisco at Red Blossom Tea Co in Chinatown. It’s called the spring gaiwan, it’s made of very thin white porcelain, so thin that it is almost transparent when held against the light. I was shown it in comparison to a cheap gaiwan and the difference was incredible. My gaiwan is definitely the most used item in my collection. I love how interactive a gaiwan is and how much control it gives you over the resulting brew.

“The Italian Teacup” aka The Beginning of My Tea Journey

This teacup is not part of my tea collection, but it’s an essential part of my tea journey. It’s one of a six-piece tea set which belonged to my grandmother. I fell in love with tea as a child. I would spend my afternoons at my grandmother's house and tea time was a daily ritual. It was not officially called "tea time" (it was called "merenda", the Italian word for "afternoon snack" or “afternoon break”) but it was definitely a ritual which I remember looking forward to every day. She would serve black tea (I think it was an English Breakfast blend or Earl Grey) in these fine porcelain cups. There was always something sweet to eat. Sometimes it was a cake she had lovingly baked, sometimes a croissant from the nearby bakery. The very same cup served as a measuring cup for baking her signature cake, “the teacup cake” (“la torta della tazzina” in Italian), the most delicious sponge cake flavored with freshly grated lemon zest.

Tea Pet

My lucky charm and low-maintenance tea companion is a squirrel tea pet, as you might have guessed from my blog name. How did a squirrel become my spirit animal? That’s a great question! Years ago, when I was living and studying in Vienna, Austria, my German language skills definitely needed improvement. One day, I was talking to my boyfriend (now husband) and was telling him how surprised I was because I had seen a squirrel right in my backyard. Vienna is full of beautiful parks and it’s not rare to catch a glimpse of wildlife. But European squirrels are very different from their American cousins. They are shy and won’t approach humans hoping to get food. I was really surprised to see one. Unfortunately, my sentence didn’t come out right. I had confused two words in German, the word for squirrel and the word for unicorn. I basically told him I had seen a little unicorn in my backyard. That’s how the squirrel found me ;-) I suppose I could have been “the tea unicorn” too...but I like my tea squirrel better!

Glass Serving Pitcher

I think serving pitchers are the most underrated tea ware items. When brewing tea the gong fu way, they are essential. If you pour from the gaiwan directly into the tasting cups, someone is going to get a lighter brew, someone is going to get the last pour, which means a stronger brew. I believe in equal opportunities for all ;-) There’s a reason why the Chinese call it the “Fairness Cup”! I love this glass serving pitcher I bought at Asha Tea House in San Francisco. It’s the perfect size and I can see the colors of my tea. I can even use it as a brewing vessel if necessary, like when I used it to brew Tai Ping Hou Kui, those leaves are so long they would never fit in a gaiwan!

A white gaiwan is one of my essential favorites, too! Anna's squirrel is a unique tea pet in terms of the material (wood, not clay) and the animal (it's a squirrel, not a pig or other zodiac animal). I wonder what animal will find me for tea? Thank you for sharing your minimal approach to tea ware, Anna.

Favorite Tea Ware: Ricardo Caicedo of My Japanese Green Tea

As a tea drinker, and I am sure this is true for you, I adore teaware, from the chasen to the yixing teapot. Everyone has their favorites! I designed this series as an opportunity for tea drinkers to showcase the very special tea objects in their personal collections. Today's selections are brought to you by Ricardo Caicedo of My Japanese Green Tea. Ricardo believes that "one day, words like sencha and matcha will be as common as espresso and cappuccino." He's doing his part in this transformation by writing his blog. You can also find Ricardo on Instagram as @kyusuteas, the name of his online tea store based in Colombia.

Japanese tea coasters

I bought them at Maiko Tea, in Kyōtanabe city, Kyoto prefecture. It wasn't easy to obtain these, because most tea shops online have tea cups and teapots only. They were a great find, and I use them daily.

Tokonameyaki Yuzamashi

A yuzamashi is used for cooling the water to the right temperature. I bought it from the online shop of Sugimoto America, because I had seen it previously in pictures but had never actually owned one. I use it when preparing matcha and sencha.

Natsume
This tea caddy for matcha is probably one my most special items that I have. It was a gift from Shizuka Maitani of the Green Tea Newbies Youtube channel. We met in Tokyo. She painted the flowers by hand! Since I drink matcha every morning, I also use it daily.

Bankoyaki mini kyusu

It holds just 120 ml (4 oz) of tea. It's very easy to use because of its small size. I don't use very often, only when brewing very expensive green teas. It's my favorite tea pot. I bought if from Yunomi.life.

Yixing tea pot

Well, I don't know for sure if it's a Yixing tea pot or not. My mother bought it when she visited Japan, which is funny because she bought a Chinese tea pot instead of a Japanese one. She never actually used it, and one day she gave it to me. I mostly drink Japanese tea, but every once in a while I like to try other things, and that's when teaware like this comes in handy.

I can see why these are among Ricardo's favorite tea ware! Each one is beautiful. Thank you for sharing them with us. My favorite from this subset of his collection is the yuzamashi. Not only is it aesthetically pleasing but I appreciate its practical purpose to cool water for infusing matcha and sencha. My kettle's lowest temperature setting is 175F so I usually pour water into a pitcher to cool it but a proper yuzamashi is more appealing than a pyrex measuring cup.

All photos and descriptions courtesy of Ricardo Caicedo.

Favorite Tea Ware - Gabie of Tea End Blog

As a tea drinker, and I am sure this is true for you, I adore teaware, from the chasen to the yixing teapot. Everyone has their favorites! This series showcases the favorite teaware of folks in the tea blogging community. I am kicking off this FTW 2017 with tea objects from Gabie of Tea End Blog. Gabie is a self described tea sipping bookworm who enjoys tea in her cup and the written word. She is the blogger behind Tea End Blog, a blog of tea and book reviews, alluring imagery and informative articles about the tea plant and literature. Sipping happily ever after is her forté and she asks any and all who have a love for tea and books to join in!

Rose Confetti Vintage Royal Albert Tea Cup

When I decided to start sipping tea and reading books again, it was a decision made to regain a part of myself that I had lost. I am sure all giving and loving women can relate! I wanted to give myself a special gift for having decided to be true to myself and I thought an authentic bone tea cup like the ones I owned before, when I had the habit of showing my love for tea, would do the trick. I searched high and low until I found an adorable bone tea cup in the most quintessential feminine color and laden with roses. The history and charm of the company drew me in and I had to have a cup of tea in Rose Confetti Vintage Royal Albert Tea Cup. I purchased my cup from Amazon and I have been sipping happily from it ever since.

Robin-egg Blue Teakettle

This exquisitely blue teakettle also found its way to be in the early stages of teaendblog.com. It had been years since I had owned a teakettle and I wanted one that was functional but also pleasant to look at. While browsing on my favorite online store (Amazon) I found the Robin-egg Blue Teakettle that you see above. Isn’t it so rustic and lovely? Although the whistling of a teakettle can be enchanting, I enjoy that this particular teakettle does not sound the alarm considering that I am an early riser and my husband is not. I use this teakettle every morning and don’t see myself ever being able to live without it.

Hario Chacha Kyusu Maru Tea Pot and Infuser

Tea cups and teakettles are fine and dandy but without a proper infuser I wouldn’t get past the tea bags. Delving into tea again required that I open myself up to all that tea had to offer, including and definitely not limited to loose-leaf. I vacillated between a simple ball to the most intricately designed infusers and decided upon the Hario Chachu Kyusu Maru Tea Pot and Infuser purchased from Amazon.com. I love this infuser and use it every single day to prepare loose-leaf. It serves as, not just an infuser, but also a personal tea pot. I also use it as my staple image for “The Sip” when performing Tea Reviews. It’s been with me from the beginning of Tea End Blog and I don’t see it going anywhere else besides my tea tray anytime soon.

Traditional Bone Inlay Serving Tray

I don’t think tea and reading time would be truly complete without a tray. How else would you get your teacup, tea pot, tea snacks and books all in one comfy place at the same time? You see the dilemma…(smiling). I almost never shop in stores since online shopping is my thing, but there was one store in Dallas, TX that drew me into its charm named Wisteria. I walked in and delightfully browsed until my eyes stumbled on a tray fit for a tea sipping and book reading queen! I looked at the price: $700! Oh, no… I can’t afford this…I looked again: Sale: $250…still not something I am willing to pay and then I looked up to see another tag: 90% off! Yes! To the counter I went! I paid approximately $25 for a perfectly pink Bone Inlay Serving Tray that I use often in my photos for Tea End Blog but also in my daily tea and reading time.

Inspirational Elephant Tea Mug

Last but not least: My Favorite Tea Mug. I certainly saved the best for last because the story behind this mug may leave you wondering if the tea fairies wish us happy tea sipping (lol). One day while shopping for various tea wares in an eclectic market in Dallas, TX I started to feel a little down. I am a perfectionist and if things aren’t going perfect (which they never do because nothing is perfect) then I feel as if all my hard work is for nothing and all the hard work in the future will be for nothing. Dramatic I know…I’m working on it. Well, I kept looking and found an elephant shaped mug that portrayed the elephant’s trunk as the handle. No…not for me…I respect the elephant too much to hold his trunk as I sip (like I said, I’m dramatic, lol). Then I found the mug you see above; simple, elegant and the elephant portrayed is in all of her elephant-y glory. I turned the mug around to see what was on the other side and it read: “One Step At A Time”. Perhaps the tea fairies really do watch over us…

Thank you participating in the series, Gabie. Your enthusiasm for tea and her tea objects is infectious.I have been steeping my teas western style lately and like how low the infuser sits in the Hario glass teapot. 

Favorite Tea Ware - Jeff Cleary of UNYtea Guy

As a tea drinker, and I am sure this is true for you, I adore teaware, from the chasen to the yixing teapot. Everyone has their favorites! This series showcases the favorite teaware of folks in the tea blogging community as well as people who enjoy drinking tea. The series kicks off this fall with tea objects from UNYtea Guy blogger, Jeff Cleary. You can also find Jeff's luminous photographs of tea @unyteaguy on Instagram.

One thing that is equally exciting for tea lovers other than tea itself is teaware. There are so many different vessels and tools used to make tea. One person could look at a “gong fu cha” setup and wonder what all the clutter is about, but each piece has a purpose. So, here are my top pieces of teaware.

Totem non-slip tea tray
from Totem Tea

This tray is small and light and has a thin coating that keeps your teaware from slipping and sliding. I love using it with my cupping sets when I’m doing tastings. It also makes a great tiny travel tray.

180ml Duani yixing pot 
from Yunnan Sourcing (no longer available)

I bought this little guy very lightly used from a tea friend. A few factors make this a favorite. The unique lid and its simple, smooth design is what originally peaked my interest. The pot functions very well, it pours well and holds heat for an appropriate amount of time. 180ml is a little on the big side, but nobody says you have to fill it all the way!

Mixing cup

I bought this at a local market soon after receiving my Duani pot because I needed to find a cup that came close to matching my pot. After not being able to find anything that matched the way I wanted it, I “settled” with this cup for $3 at a local lounge. This cup is a perfect example that great teaware doesn’t need to be expensive or flashy. Everything about this cup works for me; its nice and smooth and feels nice against my lips, it stays warm but doesn’t get to hot to hold, and it holds the perfect amount of liquid (50-60ml). If you like oolongs or puerh tea and you're into that whole seasoning thing, get a simple yixing cup, you’ll thank me later.

Hu Cheng (pot stand/support)
from Bitterleaf Teas

Every now and then we all need a little support, even your teapot. This is more than decoration because it is made of clay and holds heat just like a clay pot or gaiwan. As your tea session goes you just pour a little water on your pot to keep it warm and cozy. Any excess water will drain into your tea tray helping maintain a clean, orderly setup.

I've long admired Jeff's Duani yixing teapot so am glad it's one his favorite tea objects. A non-slip tray seems almost essential when you are styling your teas and wares for photo shoots. Although these pieces were purchased from different vendors, they make a lovely set. A big thanks to Jeff for giving us a peek into his teaware collection!

P.S. Catch up on all the posts in the Favorite Tea Ware series.

Favorite Tea Ware - A Taste of Mz Priss

As a tea drinker, and I am sure this is true for you, I adore teaware, from the chasen to the yixing teapot. Everyone has their favorites! This series showcases the favorite teaware of folks in the tea blogging community as well as people who enjoy drinking tea. It's a pleasure to share the favorite tea ware of Mz Priss of the (occasional) blog A Taste of Mz Priss. She has been seriously drinking tea since 2010 and has a serious addiction to beautiful teaware. Her tea heart belongs to middle aged shengs and great oolong, especially yancha.

This gaiwan was my very first and remains my very favorite. When I started drinking puer, I was improvising with a glass pyrex custard cup and little flower-shaped tea bag holder as the top. I decided I needed some proper tools and went searching on Amazon. I had beginner's luck with this one. I can't find it anymore so I'm really glad I snatched it when I did.

Two of my passions are tea and rocks. Most of the tea session photos I post on Instagram have a crystal or two in them. This piece combines both of my loves - it is a cup carved from lapis lazuli. I got it from Ebay and it is so special that I only drink one tea from this cup. The tea is Rivendell from Whispering Pines and it is as lovely as this cup.

This gaiwan set has a ruyao (ru) glaze that develops crackles as you use it over time. I adore the lotus shape. I use this set often and it becomes more beautiful to me the more I use it.

This pot is a very recent acquisition. When I saw a beautiful pot that my very best tea friend got from Crimson Lotus last year, I asked Glen of Crimson Lotus to keep an eye out for a small (no larger than 125 ml) gorgeous pot with beautiful carving on it. He came through mightily! This beauty is a handmade jian shui pot that has not been polished to smoothness with stones on the outside. I love this texture, the amazing carving and the shipaio shape.

This very sweet little set came fromTaiwan Tea Crafts and I use it ALL the time. It has an ash glazed finish and it goes perfectly with the rainbow cups from Teaware House. I love the little tea boat.

Thank you very much to Mz Priss for sharing five of her favorite tea objects. She told me it was a difficult decision. I have been wishing for a rice pattern gaiwan, have seen the rectangular sharing vessel all over social media, and because I went to the Lotus and Water Lily Festival at the Kenilworth Park & Aquatic Gardens last weekend, am drawn to the lotus teapot.

P.S. The Favorite Tea Ware series will take a break in August and return in September. Read all the posts in the series here.

Favorite Tea Ware - Linda Gaylard, The Tea Stylist

As a tea drinker, and I am sure this is true for you, I adore teaware, from the chasen to the yixing teapot. Everyone has their favorites! This series showcases the favorite teaware of folks in the tea blogging community as well as people who enjoy drinking tea. Today's guest is well known in the world of tea. I am excited to present Linda Gaylard's favorite teaware. Linda is a Certified Tea Sommelier, author of The Tea Book and the blog The Tea Stylist, and a former wardrobe stylist.

I have hundreds of pieces of tea ware, so it was a fun exercise for me to chose just five. I have prep vessels for different types and styles of tea for tasting as well as sentimental pieces and items that I use during tea sessions and classes. Some I use only as props for photoshoots. I’m always looking for new places to display them as I’m quickly running out of storage space.

Small glass teapot
This little glass teapot is the work horse of my collection. It may be fragile, but it has been used thousands of times since I purchased it 7 years ago. It has no chips or cracks, which one worries about with something that seems so fragile. Holding only 12 oz it’s just the right size to fill two teacups, so it's good for sharing between 2 people. I like the fact also that I can admire the colour of the tea's liquor through the glass.

Handleless cup with saucer
I don't know the provenance of this set as it was bought at rummage sale, but from what I've been able to discover, it may be close to 200 years old and quite likely from a pottery in England. This style of set was made from mid-1700's to the early part of the 1800's. Cups from this period were made to resemble the first porcelain cups that arrived with tea from China. They were adapted as larger cups with deep saucers that were often used to cool the tea. Every time I use this set I imagine the stories around its decades/centuries of use.

Porcelain kyusu
Handmade by Quebec ceramic artist Reynald Sauve, this exquisite kyusu has a perfect pour and well calculated balance and its tiny strainer holes block any leaves from entering the cup. I use it for Japanese Sencha green tea. Its little sister is a sweet factory made kyusu with an ingenious tubular strainer that circles the interiors walls of the pot, catching the leaves while the tea is being poured. Perfect size for tiny cups of Japanese Gyokuro.

Blue and white rice grain gaiwan
This may be a run of the mill gaiwan that I purchased in Los Angeles Chinatown, but it has a nice light feel and refinement that makes it easy to handle when pouring. I also like its "rice grain" pattern which gives it a transparent quality.

Japanese flower cup
This sweet little cup has travelled many places with me. It’s been to Europe, China and South Korea as well as throughout Canada and the US. It was given to me as a set of 5 from my son’s girlfriend. There are only 2 left – a blue one and a brown one which I travel with (shown). It is just the right size for holding on a plane or train. It is so nice to drink from a porcelain cup rather than a paper cup. I wrap it in a linen cloth to keep it from getting damaged.

The idea of teaware used only for props in photo shoots seems so luxurious. I am in the market for a kyusu so it is useful to read about features that work well. Thank you Linda for sharing some of your favorite tea vessels with us. And all the best for World Tea Expo 2016. All photos and stories courtesy of Linda Gaylard.

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Favorite Tea Ware - Boychik

As a tea drinker, and I am sure this is true for you, I adore teaware, from the chasen to the yixing teapot. Everyone has their favorites! This series showcases the favorite teaware of folks in the tea blogging community as well as people who enjoy drinking tea. It's a pleasure to share the favorite tea ware of "boychik". After joining Steepster four years ago, boychik's tea preferences changed from Assam/Ceylon/Darjeeling and English Breakfast/Earl Grey to Chinese teas (Puerh, Honcho, Yancha) though currently she's "exploring Taiwanese oolongs". Boychik described tea and teaware as obsessions. The teaware shown in this post have all been featured on her Instagram feed. 

Jian Shui Kyusu

This kyushu is from Yunnan Sourcing. Jian Shui is excellent for shou (I like it more than Yixing for shou or aged Sheng). It's thick, retains heat well and has a nice pour, no leaks.

Shiboridashi

This shiboridashi is by Greenwoodstudio on Etsy. It is 80ml. It is perfect for sampling any teas since its glazed inside. The size is convenient, pours quickly, no leaks. It is easy to hold, I prefer shibo to gaiwan. It doesn't burn my fingers. I use it all the time.

Ruyao teacup

This ruyao teacup is from White 2 Tea Co. Thick and heavy, retains heat well, very comfortable to hold, doesn't burn my fingers because of ridges.

Damascus steel pu knife

I got it on Aliexpress, after stubbing myself with pu pics (I have several). While they are okay on loose or medium pressed cake, they don't work on iron cakes. This one is a life and hand saver. I don't sacrifice my blood to pu gods no more!

See another view of this knife here.

Scale

I always measure my tea. I have my own parameters and try to stick to them. I'm not good at guessing if I got enough rolled oolong or if this chunk of pu is 10g. If my tea session wasn't great at least I know how much tea I should use next time to make it work.

Thank you Inna for participating in this series. I'll keep my eye on the Greenwoodstudio on Etsy for their shiboridashi offerings. Also, between you and a few other puerh fans, I know to use 10g of the tea! All photos are courtesy of boychik. The text was edited slightly.

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Favorite Tea Ware - Lisa Chan of Tiny Pinecone

As a tea drinker, and I am sure this is true for you, I adore teaware, from the chasen to the yixing teapot. Everyone has their favorites! This series showcases the favorite teaware of folks in the tea blogging community as well as people who enjoy drinking tea. Today I am excited to share the favorite tea vessels of Lisa Chan of Tiny Pinecone. Although the tea and sweets shop is now closed, you can read about Lisa's adventures on her blog and on Instagram. As of this writing, Lisa is apprenticing with Jhen Tea in Taiwan.

My gaiwan and tea tray. It is so simple, but so efficient! The fastest way to get the best out of tea. My best friend found this one on Amazon, and I have others, but since he gave me this one it is my favorite.

My most favorite cups! They were handmade in Taiwan. It fits right in my hand so comfortably, and I love the interior crackle that is revealing itself over time. It is nice to see the coil and how it was made. Especially fun are its three feet. Countless times I have knocked the cup over, but it saved itself by the curve of its belly. So cute and roly poly.

My matcha bowl is not traditional. It is stoneware but looks like a bent and dented bowl you'd find at a campfire. I love it because I keep my matcha in a repurposed soup can, and this bowl fits right in. I found it in NJ at Mitsuwa, and it turned out to be the perfect size for a bowl of matcha.

When I enjoy infusions like barley tea, or corn tea, I love using my chubby glass Kinto pot. The cups and saucers were handmade for Tiny Pinecone by the Brooklyn artist, Beth Bolgla. All the thought Beth put in to the tea ware makes the user smile...from the tactile quality of the dots, to the fun stamps on the bottom that only show when you take your last sips of tea. When I hold these cups, I hold all my memories of serving the lovely customers that came to visit our pop-up shop.

I fondly recall the dotted Tiny Pinecone cups. I now have a simple, white gaiwan, which I haven't yet used but think it will become a favorite. I'd like to thank Lisa again for participating in this series. Your vessels are beautiful. All photos and stories courtesy of Lisa Chan.

Favorite Tea Ware - Lu Ann Pannunzio of The Cup of Life

As a tea drinker, and I am sure this is true for you, I adore teaware, from the chasen to the yixing teapot. Everyone has their favorites! This series showcases the favorite teaware of folks in the tea blogging community. Coincidentally today's favorite wares are courtesy of Canadian blogger Lu Ann Pannunzio. Earlier this week, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made a state visit to the U.S. Lu Ann shares her enthusiasm for tea on The Cup of Life.

This teacup is probably my most favourite out of the few tea wares I’m sharing today. My mom has this gorgeous Royal Albert tea set that I believe was a wedding gift years ago. I used to admire it when I was younger because it was one of those items that were never used and just for show. I remember thinking how sad that was because I always dreamed of having an afternoon tea party with her and this set. It wasn’t until a few years ago that I was talking to my mom about how fun it would be to finally put it to use. She wouldn’t budge but she did notice that one of the tea cups stored had a tiny crack in it and decided to part with it and pass it to me. I think I filled that teacup ten times that day, it was definitely an exciting and surprise moment! Unfortunately, that tiny crack has been growing but it doesn’t affect the use of the teacup at all.

After going back and forth, I decided my Bonavita kettle deserves to be listed as a favourite. Water is an important element of tea and I can’t thank this kettle enough for making tea time easier. When I started with tea I never paid attention to water temperatures. I just used a typical whistling kettle on the stove and pour it over the leaves no matter what type. Later I purchased a tea thermometer but truthfully, I was bad at committing to using it. Then came this beauty. I love that it is digital and that I am able to set it to whichever temperature I need. It also heats up water quite fast and will hold the temperate for up to an hour. The gooseneck makes it so fun to pour with, too.

On a recent trip to Chinatown in Toronto, my boyfriend and I went hunting for some tea ware. We scored a gaiwan for four bucks, but my favourite were these little tasting cups which were under a dollar each. We purposely only bought two because we save them to use for our tea sessions together which we try to commit to doing at least once a week (usually on Tuesdays which we then call Teasday haha).

This last one isn’t exactly functional but the beauty makes up for that. Many years ago my sister went to Nashville for her birthday and brought me back this teapot keychain. It has been with me ever since and luckily only a few jewels have fallen out. My sister is the reason I first fell in love with tea so it’s nice to have something from her that is tea related to keep and remember that.

I have a pair of teapot earrings so I understand your enthusiam for the teapot keychain, Lu Ann. Thank you for sharing your favorite tea ware with us. All photos and stories courtesy of Lu Ann Pannunzio.