I bought my first purple clay teapot at a store. The teapot List price was $350. He saw I was interested and he asked for $120. It’s in Shi Piao shape. His shop was really struggling. He said he was fixing to move to a new location. Had no electricity no AC no lights. Looked like he didn’t pay his bill. His shop had very unique and beautiful antiques from China. Absolutely gorgeous items Everything about the teapot seems genuine and authentic. Came with a certificate seal says burning in 1968: Higashino Dragonbone Gold Sand. Couldn’t find any info about this name. Says made of Huanglong ShanJi purple sand clay. And passed all the test you said in those video. Says at the bottom it’s from 1968. The seller spoke very little English. From my understanding the teapot was never used. It’s a gorgeous pot with a bird and flower design. Molded by another clay on the outside. I wish I was certain it was real at the time. He had around 20 or so of Yixing teapots all different. One was with very rare type of clay. I have forgotten the material he told me. I regret not buying more of them when I was on my trip.
I think something very important to say in another video about this pot: the clay filter is very important as metal filters are said to change the important parts in the tea, but more importantly metal is known to leak nickel (a metal) into water especially in an acidic environment..Plastic filters leave micro plastics in the water..Wood filters leave wood fibers in the water..I would think paper filters leave small paper particles in the water..It was your great videos that pointed out Japanese Green tea is made in a way to protect polyphenols and such the most..I believe this is still working to make sure the tea is the most nutritious possible…I think a Gaiwan is made for that same reason also, to make a porcelain filter..That makes sure no metal, wood, or plastic get into the teas.. I think another excellent point to bring up is this pot empties really fast..I think a great video you could make would be racing the pour out between this and a Gaiwan....The true test is how much leaf and such made it into the tea..You can see with a clear cup and a bright light shines into the cup making any thing visible..Also, you could pour each one into a tea bag filter and examine both..The winner could be the fastest empty out, but the least amount of leaf and such..Keep on the excellent knowledge filled videos!
Love these pots. I currently have a collection of a dozen of them and have given them as gifts (with a brochure I made that explains the history and care). Won't use any other pot to brew my tea.
Very informative video. We are doing an exchange with Yixing teapot artists this year, taking British ceramics over to Yixing in October and they come to us in 2021. I believe the pots are usually slab built rather than wheel thrown. there are some videos on youtube showing it down.
Such an educational watch! Thanks for sharing your knowledge. I have a lifelong love of tea, but have always brewed western style. I am an herbalist as well, and often medicinal qualities of herbal brews take high temperatures and very long steep times. Gong fu style seems to be exactly the opposite. While I am very attracted to most teapots and would buy them all if I had a very large place to store them all, I am hesitant to invest in another teapot to brew in if it’s not going to be any different practically speaking from the pots I already own. I feel more curious than ever now to experiment with gong fu brewing.
This is very useful, and I now realize how many mistakes I have done with my Yixing clay pot, which I bought in 2006 during my first stay in China (at least, I never came up with the idea of washing it with soap!). I have find out that decorations, such as carter characters, can higher the price of the pot. Of course, they do not affect the brewing process, so in the end it is convenient to go for simple pots with no decoration.
+Irene Crosignani True, decorations can either be more expensive or they can be done cheaply by making the pot with a machine which usually means that they do not use the best clay so I would advise the beauty of simplicity when purchasing any Yixing clays from China.
I just purchased THREE Yixing teapots from a shop that was going out of business. Two of them appear to be half handmade and the other, probably the prettiest of the three, is machine made due to a loose lid and it doesn't sit level when it's put upside down. One of the half handmade ones is more stylistic but it feels good in my hand and is definitely well made. I can't wait to use these pots!
Are you sure? Imagine if I hand made a teapot. It would not be good. How often do you need to put your teapot upside down anyways?? My teapot wobbles and the lid rattles, but it functions. It can even hold the lid on if I turn it upside down but I never have to do that
Take water from washing rice to prepare the teapot and make the cleaning process the same way as you mentioned, cook it an half of an hour in the ricewater, than wash it after this in cold water! You will enjoy!
Hi Don! Thanks for the video. Great insight for the yixing pots. However, I would not suggest to use a tea towel, especially if you are washing the towels with detergent and adding fabric softener, as you do to your normal clothes. I have tried to use a tea towel and just after I have submerged the pot I have noticed there was a detergent smell. I took out the pot immediately. However, I left the sauce pan to boil, just to see what happens and the water was full with detergent foam. I have used paper towels instead which was much better... Best regards, Mihai.
I sign under that, I thought that was crazy talk but when water started to boil I saw some foam and the water did smell like a clean rag when it should smell of nothing. I hope the pot didn't suck in too much of that... Though the foam situation wasn't as bad as in your case.
I don´t wanted so spend my xmas money for tea and teaware, but for this price I could´not resist. The quality ist very good. I love this shape. I could check the pot out in Camden Town. I love London and drinking Pu Er at ML. ;-) See you again in march.
I've heard of a variant of the sped up seasoning technique where you brew a strong brew of your tea of choice in the teapot, decant all the tea into a big bowl, then submerge the pot in the bowl and let it sit until the tea has cooled down. To me that sounds like a better and less aggressive way! You're still leaving enough room for the journey, but just give it a bit of a kick-start, and don't have the risk of seasoning the pot with overly bitter tea.
Yes this is a midway version of seasoning although in our experience we have never added any bitter notes to the clay by seasoning it with stronger tea.
You really use YiXing pots exactly like those Chinese tea connoisseurs did. We have same approach here except we do keep a few pots for different categories of tea. Mixing tea types will have subtle influence to the mouth feel of tea infusion. It is best to separate them if you can afford it.
i bought the teapot for £1.00 in a charity shop it's smooth but has a rough texture to it's surface stamped inside the pot inside the lid under the pot and under the handle of the pot and has little like stone flecks in the pot also signed under the pot
mate thank you for your tutorial information i have some Chinese and Japanese teapots of ceramic and clay a lot i have never used especially one it's a signed Yixing Zisha purple clay teapot should i use it or keep it as a special Ornamental teapot i wish i could send a photo of it
My entire gong fu tea set is made from Yixing clay (or so I believe), from the water reservoir to the tea cups that boast Chinese inscriptions. Actually, there are Chinese inscriptions on all of the tea utensils. My clay tea set is made of a reddish material, but personally I believe the clay is of good quality (and I'd believe that the inscriptions on the tea utensils denotes that it was handmade). There's none of those creases found in some of the teapots you have mentioned. What do you think of the quality of my tea set?
I wanted to buy a nice yixing black teapot, but I'm a bit confused, because the teapot looks a bity shiny on the photos. On the other hand thanks for a useful video full of information
Hey Don! I got a Yixing Pot very similar to this one in the video, but now I reckon that is quite too big for me (300ml). Is a total no-go to use it filling it at its half? Time to get a new one?
From what I've heard and seen in his and others videos, you can definitely use a larger pot or Gaiwan to brew smaller amounts. You don't have to fill it. That's what I've taken from his videos anyway
Hi Don- I inherited a Yixing clay teapot that my has been sitting on the mantel in my family home since I was a child (I am now 73). I would like to have it appraised for value as it is unusual and meets the characteristics you state for being an authentic teapot. The first time I auctioned it on Ebay, it was bid up to $3500 but the buyer did not pay - he lived in China and could not be contacted. The second time I listed it, I received messages to please end the auction and sell direct to them. Where can I take this pot to be appraised so I will know what I have.. Thanks for your reply.
So you can vouch for the age then but in terms of quality of clay or the mark of the maker it is best to send to experts in China. If you send us pictures by email through our website then we may be able to assist you.
Hello, Mei Leaf! I've been watching your videos lately and have become quite a big fan of your channel. I have a question: Many years ago me and my brother purchased a Yixing tea set (teapot, six cups and six small plates) during a very intense period of tea obsession. Nevertheless life followed its course and the tea set ended up in its box for a long time. Now, many years later, I have decided to bring the tea set out again and resume that good old habit of Gong Fu brewing. It seems to me that the tea set is hand made or half hand made, and the lid fits the pot quite perfectly, so I think it must be good, or at least decent quality. However there is a white "dustyness" on the tea set which can't be rinsed off, as it reappears whenever the pot and cups dry. Should I be concerned? Do you know what this is? and, do you know if there is anything I can do? I would greatly appreciate any help! Thank you, Charly
Zisha contains many naturally-occurring minerals including: hydromica, muscovite, kaolinite, quartz, hematite, iron oxide, silicone oxide and others. Their inclusion in the clay and the firing temperature of the teapots (generally between 1050°C - 1280°C) give it its special appearance. The tiny white spots are trapped particles of mica. Mica will not vaporize below 1280°C, so these spots are a common characteristic of the surface of Zisha teapots. www.mudandleaves.com/teatime-blog/4-signs-of-a-real-yixing-teapot
Don did you do good research to know you clay is good Quality there are yixing in my town in Colorado but I'm not sure of where they source them or the quality of the Clay and I think that it would be best to go with you I love your videos and your expertise on tea so much I have always love the tea ceremony and teas great qualities thanks for let me tea up with you -Dylan
Hi Dylan, Yes we sourced from a quality supplier and confirmed the clay and production methods. There is a lot a varying quality clay out there so it is important to take your time when selecting your pot and look out for any painting on the surface too.
Mei Leaf hey thank you so much for your deep passion I ordered won today along with some young gushi and gaba oolong and matcha for my mother thank you for being so passionate and true hearted about getting great really really quality tea I live in Colorado there are 2 tea houses where I live but Mei leaf is who I'm going to be buying tea from for the rest of my life!!!! You all are awesome
Hi Don! Very instructive video! I learned that I need to buy a better quality teapot hahaha. But what should I do with my other clay teapots. I have two which I used for a few hundred brews. They seem not to be casted, but I can see with your video that they are poor quality. Should I still use them or the fact that they are poor quality means that there’s no good effect on the teas I brew in them? I also purchased a good quality clay teapot but he’s from Japan. I bought it at Camellia sinensis in Canada and I know I can trust them about the quality of their products. Is it the same thing/use/cleaning process/etc that for the Chinese ones ?
Hi Don. Got a question, do yixing pots turn bad? Are they like a life long friend that you can season for 50+ years or more like a partner for 10-20 years?
I had an entry level teapot with enamel on the inside. While cooling I accidentally poured a bit of cold water in it and the enamel cracked on the bottom from the inside. It's not leaking since the crack doesn't go all the way through the bottom, but now it sips bubbles into the tea when it's hot. How much did I messed up?
I have been into tea now for about 16 years. I mostly drink ripe Puer. I just got back from China and have invested in a Yixing clay pot. I think I would like to season it since I understand that it takes a while to get the full flavor. Some people say not to boil the tea with the pot for 30 minutes because it can become bitter, but to keep brewing the tea as you would to drink mutiple times to fill a bowl that covers the pot. What are your thoughts. I love your videos.
There are lots of opinions and we have tried all the methods. If you want to speed up the 'seasoning' we have never found boiling it with leaves to cause any bitterness but by all means if you prefer not to take any risks go for the strong brewing method and cover the pot with properly brewed tea.
Hello Mei Leaf I was wondering if you could tell me where to find the bowl that you sit on top of your tea tray its awesome and I really would like it!!!!
Hey Don, love your videos! I am planning to get an unglazed clay pot and have a quick question for you -- Do you know what differences there may be between Nixing Guangxi clay pots and Yixing Zisha clay pots? Thanks and keep the videos coming! :)
I have not tried Nixing Clay myself so cannot comment on the actual personal experiences but Nixing is meant to be a little less porous than Yixing.
8 років тому+1
Could you do video about making tea in different pots?Glass, porcelain and clay? I realy like porcelain.Dont like the roughness of clay.Does porcelain affect the tea in any way?
Porcelain is a great all rounder because it does not colour the tea flavour at all and has a medium heat retention making it suitable for Greens as well as hotter brewing tea.
Hi Don. Do you plan on getting any smaller yixing pots eventually? I feel like 100ml would be the sweet spot for me. But I don't really trust other merchants.
+Brent Pugsley we have more Chaozhou pots coming that are around this size but I am sure we will try to seek out some yixing ones when we are in China.
is it normal that the insides of the teapot are really rough? it even leave some sandy residue when i chip it with my finger nail...someone please advise
Hi Don! You mentioned the toxic elements in lower-quality pots, and there's also quite a lot of paranoia online about lead in Chinese teaware. Can you confirm that the one sold on the Mei Leaf site contains no lead/other toxic elements?
Well, the short story is that the natural mud teapot shouldn't have much lead, at least not excessive. However, there are synthetic clay pots, and these can contain harmful chemicals. The long story is that the demand of Yixing teapot has skyrocketed, yet there simply isn't that many Yixing clay. This huge demand created many less-than-accurate Yixing pots. Most of them are perfectly fine. What happened is that artisans source natural clay from other places (not Yixing clay but still high quality clay) and make their pots. The quality of the mud and the craftmanship can be just as good. The bigger problem is that some people make synthetic chemical Yixing pots by adding chemical coloring to brighten up the colors. Here you can see an investigation clip where workers add chemical colors to the clay. ua-cam.com/video/x0gYMpR3790/v-deo.htmlm49s I don't know say this. But if you are buying a cheap Yixing teapot with beautiful color... it may not be real. It is good to always shop for a good deal, but some deals are just too good to be true. If something is clearly lower than the market place, don't buy it.
You recommend to use Yixing Clay Pot for one type of tee. It means use it only with e.g. all oolongs or with semi-roasted oolongs or with only one tee like Tie Guan Yin?
FYI, there are tons of expensive knocks off. You would think you are buying a genuine Zisha teapot because it's expensive. They do that to fool people. They had a news investigation in China about genuine Zisha teapot. Only about 25 percent of the Zisha teapot are made from genuine Zisha Clay. The others had added chemicals or not Zisha clay at all. From what I know, the old ones made before 1990 are most likely genuine because they were cheap and available. It became expensive when this Zisha clay is becoming less available and a genuine one is hard to find.
Hi. I know this is an old video, but it's topic relevant, and I have to give it a try. So I have a question about Yixing teapots - I ordered my first yixing teapot from aliexpress for 30 EUR, mostly as a gamble and a test. I did the initial cleaning in the boiling water and everything was fine, but the moment I poured in hot water for brewing it cracked most of the way around the bottom, for now it's still perfectly usable, but I'm fairly sure the bottom will fall off in a few more uses. Is this a sign of bad quality clay or could this happen to any genuine quality yixing teapot? Or did I just make a fatal mistake by not slowly preheating the teapot, tho I've never heard of such a need. Thanks.
Hi Don! I bought in Singapore my first proper fully handmade clay pot. (of which I am proud of, as you can tell) So in your opinion it is ok, as I am a noob in Gong Fu Cha and need to find my way, if I brew oolongs and pu'erhs it? It will always be my first pot.. and maybe it gets, as you described, a good, round seasoning someday, so I know, what ever tea I have, and I am not sure, which pot to take.. at least I can take my first one...:) Maybe later I would purchase 1 for oolong and 1 for pu'erh... Would you fully agree? Thanks Paul from Vienna (orderd again today some tea from you, Gaba, white gold and Black Yunnan Tuo)
Hi. Yes I agree it is ok to mix PuErh and Oolongs for your first pot to enjoy the effect of the clay on brewing. It will mix up the seasoning but this is less important than enjoying your pot and you can always get others in the future.
I bought a Yixing tea set on a college trip to China over a decade ago. I just discovered your channel, so I broke it out of storage in my garage to have a look. I must have bought it from a tourist trap, because the pot has the mold line on the outside you mentioned in the video and is also painted on the outside with a couple of clear paint drip lines on the inside. Such a shame. I'll have to save up for your Gongfu Guru set. Until then, for hotbrewing, I'll make do with a Piao I teapot I ordered from Amazon. I've been coldbrewing in the fridge with mason jars for the past few months and enjoyed the results.
Hi, thanks for educating ppl about chinese tea culture. Looking from both of your teapot. Im pretty sure both are chemically altered. Both are cast from a mold.
The first one looks like pretty standard zini to me (speaking from experience). It doesn’t have the fake looking sheen that you would get from a slipcast pot. You’ll also note the slight warping and asymmetry that you’d expect from the handmade aspects of the half-handmade pot.
Hi Don, can you pour the tea using only one hand? One youtube video mentioned that you can hold the pot from top, but I am wondering it can be too hot to hold it by one hand.
What is actually wrong with the top of the handle and spout being higher then the bottom of the lid? And what is the purpose of putting the pot upside down?
Is there a way to test if the clay are fake or poisonous? I bought one small pot for $10 for fun...but it's not fun to drink poisonous tea if I choose to use it... says it's ceramic clay...
Couldn't find your discussion point on your channel so I'll leave my question here. What's your take on, "Kiss Pots?" Recommendations, usage, history, clay, gimmick? I recon this could be a video topic on its on, unusual and interesting. I would love to here your thoughts on the topic. our website: (not directly related, but...) www.kizhk.com
Hi Don, another great video thank you :) Can you recommend any stores or factories that I could purchase real Yixing teapots from in Yixing city please? I'm an aussie living in Suzhou, and would love to purchase several of them...of course ;) Thanks in advance!
Oooh lucky you. I would advise trying to find master potters in Yixing rather than factories as they will be your quality control. I think that the site of the Number 1 Yixing tea factory (which closed down) has studios for potters. Maybe try there?
Hi again! Just had to let you know that we went searching in Yixing city today and after many cups of tea with the local potters we decided on our very own Yixing Zisha teapot! We can't wIt to get home and season it. Thanks again for the great advice and please keep the videos coming!! We love them👍
Excellent, we are always on the lookout for good potters so it would be great if you could PM any details if you have anything. Enjoy the Zisha teapot Emma!
+Josh Viveros Yes we sell to the USA everyday. If you place your order online at www.chinalifeweb.com you will receive your order in about 10 days or so.
Personally I would not use any Hei Cha (Ripe Puer, Liu Bao, Tian Jian, Fu brick etc) in an all-star pot, their aroma just does not match other teas IMO
Please stop telling such nonsense to novice tea enthusiasts that teapots should be marked by scratching the bottom🫢 choosing a wider selection of shape, size and clay is the way to go🍵
Hi Don i have about 15 hiding clay pots and i was wondering if i could email you pictures and you could take a look at them and tell me about them. they were given to me by one of my friends who owns a tea shop. she's kind of handing her business over to me and is trying to start me off with some tea ware so it would be awesome if i could talk to you about the stuff she gave me
I bought my first purple clay teapot at a store. The teapot List price was $350. He saw I was interested and he asked for $120. It’s in Shi Piao shape. His shop was really struggling. He said he was fixing to move to a new location. Had no electricity no AC no lights. Looked like he didn’t pay his bill. His shop had very unique and beautiful antiques from China. Absolutely gorgeous items Everything about the teapot seems genuine and authentic. Came with a certificate seal says burning in 1968: Higashino Dragonbone Gold Sand. Couldn’t find any info about this name. Says made of Huanglong ShanJi purple sand clay. And passed all the test you said in those video. Says at the bottom it’s from 1968. The seller spoke very little English. From my understanding the teapot was never used. It’s a gorgeous pot with a bird and flower design. Molded by another clay on the outside. I wish I was certain it was real at the time. He had around 20 or so of Yixing teapots all different. One was with very rare type of clay. I have forgotten the material he told me. I regret not buying more of them when I was on my trip.
Omg I live in the town right next to Yixin called Liyang, we produce a lot of tea
I think something very important to say in another video about this pot: the clay filter is very important as metal filters are said to change the important parts in the tea, but more importantly metal is known to leak nickel (a metal) into water especially in an acidic environment..Plastic filters leave micro plastics in the water..Wood filters leave wood fibers in the water..I would think paper filters leave small paper particles in the water..It was your great videos that pointed out Japanese Green tea is made in a way to protect polyphenols and such the most..I believe this is still working to make sure the tea is the most nutritious possible…I think a Gaiwan is made for that same reason also, to make a porcelain filter..That makes sure no metal, wood, or plastic get into the teas..
I think another excellent point to bring up is this pot empties really fast..I think a great video you could make would be racing the pour out between this and a Gaiwan....The true test is how much leaf and such made it into the tea..You can see with a clear cup and a bright light shines into the cup making any thing visible..Also, you could pour each one into a tea bag filter and examine both..The winner could be the fastest empty out, but the least amount of leaf and such..Keep on the excellent knowledge filled videos!
Love these pots. I currently have a collection of a dozen of them and have given them as gifts (with a brochure I made that explains the history and care). Won't use any other pot to brew my tea.
I love your enthusiasm for tea! You remind me to sit back and enjoy all the aspects aside from just drinking that we take for granted when brewing
Very informative video. We are doing an exchange with Yixing teapot artists this year, taking British ceramics over to Yixing in October and they come to us in 2021. I believe the pots are usually slab built rather than wheel thrown. there are some videos on youtube showing it down.
Thanks for the advice and tips. I'm new to Yixing teapots and look forward to your other videos.
Hi Don! This is very informative! So happy and excited to recieve my pot from you!
Such an educational watch! Thanks for sharing your knowledge. I have a lifelong love of tea, but have always brewed western style. I am an herbalist as well, and often medicinal qualities of herbal brews take high temperatures and very long steep times. Gong fu style seems to be exactly the opposite. While I am very attracted to most teapots and would buy them all if I had a very large place to store them all, I am hesitant to invest in another teapot to brew in if it’s not going to be any different practically speaking from the pots I already own. I feel more curious than ever now to experiment with gong fu brewing.
Very thorough and very informative Don as always !
This is very useful, and I now realize how many mistakes I have done with my Yixing clay pot, which I bought in 2006 during my first stay in China (at least, I never came up with the idea of washing it with soap!). I have find out that decorations, such as carter characters, can higher the price of the pot. Of course, they do not affect the brewing process, so in the end it is convenient to go for simple pots with no decoration.
+Irene Crosignani True, decorations can either be more expensive or they can be done cheaply by making the pot with a machine which usually means that they do not use the best clay so I would advise the beauty of simplicity when purchasing any Yixing clays from China.
+chinalife Tea House Definitely! Again many thanks for this video.
I just purchased THREE Yixing teapots from a shop that was going out of business. Two of them appear to be half handmade and the other, probably the prettiest of the three, is machine made due to a loose lid and it doesn't sit level when it's put upside down. One of the half handmade ones is more stylistic but it feels good in my hand and is definitely well made. I can't wait to use these pots!
Are you sure? Imagine if I hand made a teapot. It would not be good. How often do you need to put your teapot upside down anyways?? My teapot wobbles and the lid rattles, but it functions. It can even hold the lid on if I turn it upside down but I never have to do that
@@voidremoved did you watch the video before replying?
Take water from washing rice to prepare the teapot and make the cleaning process the same way as you mentioned, cook it an half of an hour in the ricewater, than wash it after this in cold water! You will enjoy!
Try it out ;)
Hi Don! Thanks for the video. Great insight for the yixing pots. However, I would not suggest to use a tea towel, especially if you are washing the towels with detergent and adding fabric softener, as you do to your normal clothes. I have tried to use a tea towel and just after I have submerged the pot I have noticed there was a detergent smell. I took out the pot immediately. However, I left the sauce pan to boil, just to see what happens and the water was full with detergent foam. I have used paper towels instead which was much better... Best regards, Mihai.
I sign under that, I thought that was crazy talk but when water started to boil I saw some foam and the water did smell like a clean rag when it should smell of nothing. I hope the pot didn't suck in too much of that... Though the foam situation wasn't as bad as in your case.
I ran into a similar issue too
Best channel on UA-cam 10/10
I don´t wanted so spend my xmas money for tea and teaware, but for this price I could´not resist. The quality ist very good. I love this shape. I could check the pot out in Camden Town. I love London and drinking Pu Er at ML. ;-) See you again in march.
I like your videos very much. I have learned things from you. Also, you and your partner are fun to watch. Thanks for sharing the good stuff.
Tea, bringing the world togther. Beautiful. (...Except for the...other times, but we don't count that)
Exactly the info I have tried to find, with rumours of even poisons in the low grade clay. I will definately but a Yixing pot.
I've heard of a variant of the sped up seasoning technique where you brew a strong brew of your tea of choice in the teapot, decant all the tea into a big bowl, then submerge the pot in the bowl and let it sit until the tea has cooled down.
To me that sounds like a better and less aggressive way! You're still leaving enough room for the journey, but just give it a bit of a kick-start, and don't have the risk of seasoning the pot with overly bitter tea.
Yes this is a midway version of seasoning although in our experience we have never added any bitter notes to the clay by seasoning it with stronger tea.
You really use YiXing pots exactly like those Chinese tea connoisseurs did. We have same approach here except we do keep a few pots for different categories of tea. Mixing tea types will have subtle influence to the mouth feel of tea infusion. It is best to separate them if you can afford it.
i bought the teapot for £1.00 in a charity shop it's smooth but has a rough texture to it's surface stamped inside the pot inside the lid under the pot and under the handle of the pot and has little like stone flecks in the pot also signed under the pot
Your videos are always so helpful. Thank you!
Thanks
I wish you the best! And I hope to one day have one of these teapots thanks to your video. I wish you had these in stock, but maybe I'll get lucky. :)
mate thank you for your tutorial information i have some Chinese and Japanese teapots of ceramic and clay a lot i have never used especially one it's a signed Yixing Zisha purple clay teapot should i use it or keep it as a special Ornamental teapot i wish i could send a photo of it
My entire gong fu tea set is made from Yixing clay (or so I believe), from the water reservoir to the tea cups that boast Chinese inscriptions. Actually, there are Chinese inscriptions on all of the tea utensils. My clay tea set is made of a reddish material, but personally I believe the clay is of good quality (and I'd believe that the inscriptions on the tea utensils denotes that it was handmade). There's none of those creases found in some of the teapots you have mentioned. What do you think of the quality of my tea set?
I wanted to buy a nice yixing black teapot, but I'm a bit confused, because the teapot looks a bity shiny on the photos. On the other hand thanks for a useful video full of information
Hi Dan, love your videos! I live in California and would love if you can recommend where to get a good quality clay pot.
Loved this video
Hey Don!
I got a Yixing Pot very similar to this one in the video, but now I reckon that is quite too big for me (300ml). Is a total no-go to use it filling it at its half? Time to get a new one?
From what I've heard and seen in his and others videos, you can definitely use a larger pot or Gaiwan to brew smaller amounts. You don't have to fill it. That's what I've taken from his videos anyway
@@MrRoboto1963 Stop lying are you trying to get people arrested for using too large of a teapot??
@@voidremoved I use an 8 or 9 ounce pot every day. Yixing style. No problems
Do I need to cure my tea cup made from the same clay as a Yixing pot before usage?
Hi Don- I inherited a Yixing clay teapot that my has been sitting on the mantel in my family home since I was a child (I am now 73). I would like to have it appraised for value as it is unusual and meets the characteristics you state for being an authentic teapot. The first time I auctioned it on Ebay, it was bid up to $3500 but the buyer did not pay - he lived in China and could not be contacted. The second time I listed it, I received messages to please end the auction and sell direct to them. Where can I take this pot to be appraised so I will know what I have.. Thanks for your reply.
So you can vouch for the age then but in terms of quality of clay or the mark of the maker it is best to send to experts in China. If you send us pictures by email through our website then we may be able to assist you.
EXCELLENT Vid! Thank You!
Hello, Mei Leaf! I've been watching your videos lately and have become quite a big fan of your channel. I have a question:
Many years ago me and my brother purchased a Yixing tea set (teapot, six cups and six small plates) during a very intense period of tea obsession. Nevertheless life followed its course and the tea set ended up in its box for a long time.
Now, many years later, I have decided to bring the tea set out again and resume that good old habit of Gong Fu brewing.
It seems to me that the tea set is hand made or half hand made, and the lid fits the pot quite perfectly, so I think it must be good, or at least decent quality.
However there is a white "dustyness" on the tea set which can't be rinsed off, as it reappears whenever the pot and cups dry. Should I be concerned? Do you know what this is? and, do you know if there is anything I can do?
I would greatly appreciate any help!
Thank you,
Charly
Zisha contains many naturally-occurring minerals including: hydromica, muscovite, kaolinite, quartz, hematite, iron oxide, silicone oxide and others. Their inclusion in the clay and the firing temperature of the teapots (generally between 1050°C - 1280°C) give it its special appearance.
The tiny white spots are trapped particles of mica. Mica will not vaporize below 1280°C, so these spots are a common characteristic of the surface of Zisha teapots.
www.mudandleaves.com/teatime-blog/4-signs-of-a-real-yixing-teapot
Don did you do good research to know you clay is good Quality there are yixing in my town in Colorado but I'm not sure of where they source them or the quality of the Clay and I think that it would be best to go with you I love your videos and your expertise on tea so much I have always love the tea ceremony and teas great qualities thanks for let me tea up with you -Dylan
Hi Dylan, Yes we sourced from a quality supplier and confirmed the clay and production methods. There is a lot a varying quality clay out there so it is important to take your time when selecting your pot and look out for any painting on the surface too.
Mei Leaf hey thank you so much for your deep passion I ordered won today along with some young gushi and gaba oolong and matcha for my mother thank you for being so passionate and true hearted about getting great really really quality tea I live in Colorado there are 2 tea houses where I live but Mei leaf is who I'm going to be buying tea from for the rest of my life!!!! You all are awesome
Hi Don! Very instructive video! I learned that I need to buy a better quality teapot hahaha. But what should I do with my other clay teapots. I have two which I used for a few hundred brews. They seem not to be casted, but I can see with your video that they are poor quality. Should I still use them or the fact that they are poor quality means that there’s no good effect on the teas I brew in them? I also purchased a good quality clay teapot but he’s from Japan. I bought it at Camellia sinensis in Canada and I know I can trust them about the quality of their products. Is it the same thing/use/cleaning process/etc that for the Chinese ones ?
Hi Don. Got a question, do yixing pots turn bad? Are they like a life long friend that you can season for 50+ years or more like a partner for 10-20 years?
I had an entry level teapot with enamel on the inside. While cooling I accidentally poured a bit of cold water in it and the enamel cracked on the bottom from the inside. It's not leaking since the crack doesn't go all the way through the bottom, but now it sips bubbles into the tea when it's hot. How much did I messed up?
very informative and interesting video
I have been into tea now for about 16 years. I mostly drink ripe Puer. I just got back from China and have invested in a Yixing clay pot. I think I would like to season it since I understand that it takes a while to get the full flavor. Some people say not to boil the tea with the pot for 30 minutes because it can become bitter, but to keep brewing the tea as you would to drink mutiple times to fill a bowl that covers the pot. What are your thoughts. I love your videos.
There are lots of opinions and we have tried all the methods. If you want to speed up the 'seasoning' we have never found boiling it with leaves to cause any bitterness but by all means if you prefer not to take any risks go for the strong brewing method and cover the pot with properly brewed tea.
Thank you!
Would you recommend using 2 different Yixing pots for raw/aged and ripe Pu Erh? I've heard different things and would love your opinion.
It is difficult to say as it depends on how many pots you want to buy. If you can I would separate them but it is not essential.
Quite disapointed after watching your videos and see the Guru full pack isnt available. Quite hard to find a nice all in one kit
Sorry, may I ask you,
I got a porcelain Gong Fu set...
How does tea affects ceramic?
Should I polish it? Should I let it dry on it? Thanks
Hello Mei Leaf I was wondering if you could tell me where to find the bowl that you sit on top of your tea tray its awesome and I really would like it!!!!
We have been searching everywhere for a nice one to buy but we gave up and so we are designing our own one! Stay tuned Tech!
What's it called?
Hi Don. I've just got my first clay teapot and also few clay teacups. Do I need to season the teacups same way as seasoning the teapot?
It is worth including the cups when you are seasoning mainly to ensure that the clay is clean of clay dust rather than seasoning.
Hey Don, love your videos! I am planning to get an unglazed clay pot and have a quick question for you -- Do you know what differences there may be between Nixing Guangxi clay pots and Yixing Zisha clay pots? Thanks and keep the videos coming! :)
I have not tried Nixing Clay myself so cannot comment on the actual personal experiences but Nixing is meant to be a little less porous than Yixing.
Could you do video about making tea in different pots?Glass, porcelain and clay?
I realy like porcelain.Dont like the roughness of clay.Does porcelain affect the tea in any way?
Porcelain is a great all rounder because it does not colour the tea flavour at all and has a medium heat retention making it suitable for Greens as well as hotter brewing tea.
Hello, what are your thoughts on yixing thermos. They seem to be quite popular on eBay, but not a lot of info elsewhere
Hi Don. Do you plan on getting any smaller yixing pots eventually? I feel like 100ml would be the sweet spot for me. But I don't really trust other merchants.
+Brent Pugsley we have more Chaozhou pots coming that are around this size but I am sure we will try to seek out some yixing ones when we are in China.
is it normal that the insides of the teapot are really rough? it even
leave some sandy residue when i chip it with my finger
nail...someone please advise
my yixing pot has a maker's mark inside the pot as well as the bottom. it seems good quality otherwise. what would this indicate?
Stamp inside the pot could be faked.Would not use as a significant quality checker
Hi Don! You mentioned the toxic elements in lower-quality pots, and there's also quite a lot of paranoia online about lead in Chinese teaware. Can you confirm that the one sold on the Mei Leaf site contains no lead/other toxic elements?
Is there a reply to this floating around somewhere?
lead pollution is everywhere, even in the tobacco products.
Well, the short story is that the natural mud teapot shouldn't have much lead, at least not excessive. However, there are synthetic clay pots, and these can contain harmful chemicals. The long story is that the demand of Yixing teapot has skyrocketed, yet there simply isn't that many Yixing clay. This huge demand created many less-than-accurate Yixing pots. Most of them are perfectly fine. What happened is that artisans source natural clay from other places (not Yixing clay but still high quality clay) and make their pots. The quality of the mud and the craftmanship can be just as good. The bigger problem is that some people make synthetic chemical Yixing pots by adding chemical coloring to brighten up the colors.
Here you can see an investigation clip where workers add chemical colors to the clay.
ua-cam.com/video/x0gYMpR3790/v-deo.htmlm49s
I don't know say this. But if you are buying a cheap Yixing teapot with beautiful color... it may not be real. It is good to always shop for a good deal, but some deals are just too good to be true. If something is clearly lower than the market place, don't buy it.
pengpeng85 tobacco is a poison anyway though? Loooool.
Anything below 400$ US will NOT be handmade with natural yixing clays, thats a fact. Don't even try.
You recommend to use Yixing Clay Pot for one type of tee. It means use it only with e.g. all oolongs or with semi-roasted oolongs or with only one tee like Tie Guan Yin?
Usually a tea type like dark oolongs or PuErh rather than a single tea.
FYI, there are tons of expensive knocks off. You would think you are buying a genuine Zisha teapot because it's expensive. They do that to fool people. They had a news investigation in China about genuine Zisha teapot. Only about 25 percent of the Zisha teapot are made from genuine Zisha Clay. The others had added chemicals or not Zisha clay at all. From what I know, the old ones made before 1990 are most likely genuine because they were cheap and available. It became expensive when this Zisha clay is becoming less available and a genuine one is hard to find.
Hello Mei Leaf can you please do a video of how to season a axing zisha clay pot please?
It is reccommended to brew only one type of tea per pot because of the way it absorbs and releases flavor.
Hi. I know this is an old video, but it's topic relevant, and I have to give it a try. So I have a question about Yixing teapots - I ordered my first yixing teapot from aliexpress for 30 EUR, mostly as a gamble and a test. I did the initial cleaning in the boiling water and everything was fine, but the moment I poured in hot water for brewing it cracked most of the way around the bottom, for now it's still perfectly usable, but I'm fairly sure the bottom will fall off in a few more uses. Is this a sign of bad quality clay or could this happen to any genuine quality yixing teapot? Or did I just make a fatal mistake by not slowly preheating the teapot, tho I've never heard of such a need. Thanks.
This is not something that happens with properly made pots in our experience. Sorry!
Would you dedicate separate pots for young Sheng and aged Sheng?
Hi Don! I bought in Singapore my first proper fully handmade clay pot. (of which I am proud of, as you can tell) So in your opinion it is ok, as I am a noob in Gong Fu Cha and need to find my way, if I brew oolongs and pu'erhs it? It will always be my first pot.. and maybe it gets, as you described, a good, round seasoning someday, so I know, what ever tea I have, and I am not sure, which pot to take.. at least I can take my first one...:) Maybe later I would purchase 1 for oolong and 1 for pu'erh...
Would you fully agree?
Thanks
Paul from Vienna (orderd again today some tea from you, Gaba, white gold and Black Yunnan Tuo)
Hi. Yes I agree it is ok to mix PuErh and Oolongs for your first pot to enjoy the effect of the clay on brewing. It will mix up the seasoning but this is less important than enjoying your pot and you can always get others in the future.
Is there any problems from using a "fake" Yixing Zisha Clay Pot? Will it make my tea worse? Or will I just lose the Yixing Zisha Clay benefits?
Fake Yixing clay can contain potentially toxic chemicals and are often painted so we would advise confirming that it is authentic Zisha.
I bought a Yixing tea set on a college trip to China over a decade ago. I just discovered your channel, so I broke it out of storage in my garage to have a look. I must have bought it from a tourist trap, because the pot has the mold line on the outside you mentioned in the video and is also painted on the outside with a couple of clear paint drip lines on the inside. Such a shame.
I'll have to save up for your Gongfu Guru set. Until then, for hotbrewing, I'll make do with a Piao I teapot I ordered from Amazon. I've been coldbrewing in the fridge with mason jars for the past few months and enjoyed the results.
You look absolutely like an Indian. I first thought what is an Indian doing with the Chinese teapot 😂
you are such a legend
lol indeed
Hi, thanks for educating ppl about chinese tea culture. Looking from both of your teapot. Im pretty sure both are chemically altered. Both are cast from a mold.
The first one looks like pretty standard zini to me (speaking from experience). It doesn’t have the fake looking sheen that you would get from a slipcast pot.
You’ll also note the slight warping and asymmetry that you’d expect from the handmade aspects of the half-handmade pot.
Oh how so?You cannot tell it with just colour alone, except like blue or green
Hi Don, can you pour the tea using only one hand? One youtube video mentioned that you can hold the pot from top, but I am wondering it can be too hot to hold it by one hand.
Yes you can pour with one hand and in fact I mostly pour this way.
What is actually wrong with the top of the handle and spout being higher then the bottom of the lid?
And what is the purpose of putting the pot upside down?
Is there a way to test if the clay are fake or poisonous? I bought one small pot for $10 for fun...but it's not fun to drink poisonous tea if I choose to use it... says it's ceramic clay...
I know that some clients have tested with homemade lead testing kits: leadcheck.com/
Mei Leaf Ok, Thank you! I am checking it out.
what would happen if you do use something like soap to wash it? I may have done this before watching this video. is the pot ruined?
+Andrew Lovely No but you should probably prepare it as described at 19:00
Where can I get some yixing clay?
What is that big bowl in the middle of the table called?
Anyone?
Go on his website and find out
Couldn't find your discussion point on your channel so I'll leave my question here. What's your take on, "Kiss Pots?" Recommendations, usage, history, clay, gimmick? I recon this could be a video topic on its on, unusual and interesting. I would love to here your thoughts on the topic. our website: (not directly related, but...) www.kizhk.com
THANK YOU
"" the nob of the top of the pot "" sweet XD
just got 12$ teapot from aliexpress and I have no idea why I am here
me to I paid £10 and it comes with a carry case and two little cups 😁
Hi Don, another great video thank you :) Can you recommend any stores or factories that I could purchase real Yixing teapots from in Yixing city please? I'm an aussie living in Suzhou, and would love to purchase several of them...of course ;) Thanks in advance!
Oooh lucky you. I would advise trying to find master potters in Yixing rather than factories as they will be your quality control. I think that the site of the Number 1 Yixing tea factory (which closed down) has studios for potters. Maybe try there?
That's a great help! Thank you so much for this. Merry Christmas to you :)
Hi again! Just had to let you know that we went searching in Yixing city today and after many cups of tea with the local potters we decided on our very own Yixing Zisha teapot! We can't wIt to get home and season it. Thanks again for the great advice and please keep the videos coming!! We love them👍
Excellent, we are always on the lookout for good potters so it would be great if you could PM any details if you have anything. Enjoy the Zisha teapot Emma!
I have passed the details onto your FB PM. We've seasoned it and started the fun! Thanks again :)
ship or sell to USA?
+Josh Viveros Yes we sell to the USA everyday. If you place your order online at www.chinalifeweb.com you will receive your order in about 10 days or so.
Personally I would not use any Hei Cha (Ripe Puer, Liu Bao, Tian Jian, Fu brick etc) in an all-star pot, their aroma just does not match other teas IMO
Why would anyone limit themselves with a single design?
well... I gotta get it than!
French subtitles please!
Please stop telling such nonsense to novice tea enthusiasts that teapots should be marked by scratching the bottom🫢 choosing a wider selection of shape, size and clay is the way to go🍵
Hi Don i have about 15 hiding clay pots and i was wondering if i could email you pictures and you could take a look at them and tell me about them. they were given to me by one of my friends who owns a tea shop. she's kind of handing her business over to me and is trying to start me off with some tea ware so it would be awesome if i could talk to you about the stuff she gave me
wow Siri is so dumb. "hiding" is supposed to be "yixing"