Teaware for brewing Puerh & other loose Tea

Hi Dave,

I'd say a big no to all the above. We've all started off with tea balls, but they are restrictive even with large ones... and especially with a compressed tea like puerh that expands ten-fold or even more. The ingenuitea is expensive and not exactly my cup of tea (boo! bad pun) Some like them, but not me. I think they are clunky and kind of pointless plus expensive for what it is.

I'm not saying you need to rush out and buy all kinds of expensive periphernalia either, though. My suggestion: A ceramic 3-piece tea mug that comes with the mug, strainer, and lid. The most important thing being the strainer. Make sure it is large and extends down pretty far into the mug and has medium sized (1/8" or so)holes all around and on the bottom. I still use one all the time when I don't have time for more elaborate undertakings. The lid generally doubles as a coaster for the strainer which is nice. Also, the strainer should be very large to allow for expansion. Plus, for Puerh it is nice because you can easily rinse the leaves. (here is a basic link:

Even easier is to get yourself a nice normal sized white inside coffee mug and a People's Brew Basket mesh infuser. The infuser is large and fits perfectly inside. The only downside is that you need something to set the infuser on or in when done brewing.

Gaiwan's (guywan) are nice too for greens/oolongs and easy to enjoy.

Yixing is probably one of the nicest ways to enjoy a darker tea like an oolong or Puerh, but it is a bit labor intensive and involved. Most likely if tea ends up being a more prevalent hobby/pursuit then you will naturally progress to this at some point. It is a great way to slow down and really enjoy the tea.

- Dominic Drinking: brewing Feather Tip (Xin Yang Mao Jian) teasphere.wordpress.com

I have several and I do like mine. see

I think that they are a transitional piece for most users. They make brewing loose leaf tremendously easy but most drinkers will graduate to more traditional teaware in time. I do think they are quite effective for those who are new to loose leaf. I have several and I do like mine. I think that they are a transitional piece for most users. They make brewing loose leaf tremendously easy for the loose leaf newbie but most drinkers will gradate to more traditional yixing or porcelain teaware in time, if for no other reason than to enjoy the rich culture of teaware.

Mike

Damn, who proofread that? Sorry.....

Dominic,

Thank you for the well thought out and detailed letter! This is a big help.

Dave

Mike,

Thank you as well. Great and informative website!

Dave

Karen