Unassuming tea blossom pitcher

My local tea shoppe was having a sell on some promotional items from the various big tea sites. I walked in and there was some tea blossoms brewing in a couple of these pitchers. It is 420ml/14oz. The pitcher is thick glass and magnifies the blossom 2x which impressed me the most. The body is bowed so the blossom won't fall out even if held vertical when pouring out the last drop. The handle never gets hot. It has a good lip so you won't spill a drop no matter how full. The box doesn't say anything about blossoms just to be used with paper filters. If you look there is a filter basket that goes with it which I also got. I use the filter basket top as a lid which isn't absolutely necessary. I got an Upton electric 1 liter SS detachable kettle with variable thermostat for about half the price. The only thing of note the kettle needs to be half full for the thermostat to work in all ranges. It's 1400 watts and will make water holy real fast.

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Jim

Reply to
Space Cowboy
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That's a very pretty jug. I recently bought two similar ones from ITC which are a little more squat:

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There's something satisfying about thick glass. Conversely, there's something unsatisfying about thin glass. I recently bought three of these from Dragon Tea House:

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The service from this vendor is excellent (he very kindly offered to resend another saucer that was cracked in transit), but the gaiwans are exceptionally thin glass. This means that I can no longer pour with one hand: the lid becomes so hot when pouring that one cannot hold the lid on with just a thumb. I have to use the other hand to gingerly hold the lid at its edges, which is a pity.

Does anyone have a recommendation for a good thick-glass gaiwan? The thicker and heavier, the better.

Toodlepip,

Hobbes

Reply to
HobbesOxon

Have you tried a tea blossom in yours? My glassware before this one was too big. Mine probably gives me 8 oz of tea with the blossom displacement. I don't top it off. Mine also makes needles look sexy. I've tried bushy stem teas also with good visual results. I wonder if these are generic pitchers with thick magnifying glass? I'll check out a gourmet kitchen store soon. I second Gordon at DTH. I'll have to get some glass gaiwans on the next order. My local tea shoppe is moving into a brand new building nearby. The owner says he needs more tables, more kitchen, more shelving, more storage, more counter, more of everything. January is his fourth year in business.

Jim

HobbesOx> That's a very pretty jug. I recently bought two similar ones from ITC

Reply to
Space Cowboy

I *think* this is the same sturdy gaiwan that serves me reliably at work:

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I bought mine at a bricks-and-mortar Ten Ren in New York.

/Lew

Reply to
Lewis Perin

Lewis snipped-for-privacy@panix1.panix.com11/20/06 10: snipped-for-privacy@panix.com

It might be known as the "jasmine cup," but I think I can say with fair certainty that Lew's still awaits its first jasmine steep. I hope said cup is not holding its glassy breath. Michael

Reply to
Michael Plant

It seems like the one that Hobbes got and the one that Lew got are a bit different in proportions -- the one Lew got has more space between the rim and where the lid rests, whereas the one Hobbes got has almost no space at all.

It usually becomes pretty tempting to pour to where the lid is..... or close, anyway, and once you place the lid, the water oozes up a little, which means it will be right up to the rim in Hobbes' case.... and making the rim extremely hot.

Try pouring less :). It might work better and not burn your fingers.

MarshalN

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Reply to
MarshalN

When they ask me where have all the flowers gone, I'll have an ironclad alibi.

/Lew

Reply to
Lewis Perin

snipped-for-privacy@h48g2000cwc.googlegroups.com11/20/06

11: snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com

I think that's a crucial point. For a comfortable pour, I believe you would need the lid to fit somewhat within the rim of the cup; otherwise, as you suggest, it's burning finger time again, and a broken lid moment. Gaiwan discussions around here lately have centered on whether the proper grasp is at the rim with index finger planted firmly over or in the lid knob, or alternately with some number of fingers and/or thumb grasping the base of the cup while the others control the rim and the lid. I go for the former, as you can probably tell.

For what it's worth, Lew's everyday gaiwan is perhaps five or six ounces capacity, while mine is no more than two ounces. I find this small size efficacious on several fronts. First, I can use less tea, drink less of each kind and move through three types throughout the day without guilt. I find the size easy to handle. I seem to remember that Lew's glass gaiwan has nice thin walls, while most I've seen are rather thick walled and, to me, clumsy.

But, in the end, I'm convinced that God's plan for us does not include glass gaiwans. Porcelain gaiwans are pure and worthy.

Michael

Reply to
Michael Plant

there are several companies that have beutiful, inexpensive teaware

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far they have the most choices of teaware and utensils

joanne r.

Michael Plant wrote:

Reply to
joannepr

While ShanShui does have a wide variety, you need to be careful because many of the cups and associated wares are clunky and thick walled. This is not bad, but if you expect thin porcelain, you might be disappointed. The pictured glass gaiwan is of the lid-hugs-the-rim type that MarshalN wanred about. I have made purchases from ShanShui, and I am much plesaed.

I have to recommend against harney and rot on principle, as they are massive companies, and American based. I looked over the Harney site and unearthed but one lonely gaiwan and not a single tasting or aroma cup or sharing pitcher. Clearly Harney is out of the loop. My rot search revealed nothing, although I might have missed it.

Instead I recommend Jing Tea Shop because their porcelain teawares are thin walled, well formed, well made, and reasonably priced, although I wouldn't tell them that. (Woops!). Being in Guang Zhou, they can usually do better than American based companies. It is my humble opinion that they Sebastian and Jing have good taste. They've been rather quiet lately, eh?

Michael

Reply to
Michael Plant

I break thinwalled porcelain... my office is something of a mess and I have a tendency to put my teacup down on top of heavy machinery.

I really love the Chatsworth "Vitrified Hotelware" materials... they look like thin china, and they have the right weight to them, but you can throw them against the wall and they don't chip.

I'd _love_ to have a gaiwan made of that stuff.

--scott

Reply to
Scott Dorsey

Scott Dorseyejv41m$ptc$ snipped-for-privacy@panix2.panix.com11/21/06 09: snipped-for-privacy@panix.com

I think I know the material you mention, but I don't remember it as being quite as thin as thin porcelain. I notice that Jing's cobalt blue painted gaiwans come in "lower" and "higher" qualities, the former being thinner and drawn with a more spontaneous hand, so the drawing retain a painterly quality. The higher priced ones are heavier, although not heavy, and the paintings are more even in shade and deeper in tone. I much prefer the former. I have both in my collections.

Tell me more about the vitrified hotelware.

Michael

Reply to
Michael Plant

I would call it medium thickness, actually: nowhere near as thin as some porcelain.

/Lew

Reply to
Lewis Perin

It is not as thin as the best thin porcelain, but it is still pretty thin. You could pass it off as mid-grade porcelain and get away with it, I think.

You now know about all I do. It's some kind of super-high-firing glasslike stuff, even higher firing than porcelain. Whatever it is, I like it.

--scott

Reply to
Scott Dorsey

I have one from ITC that's great. However it's kind of large (7 oz or so). YSLLC has one that Scott recommends.

HobbesOx> Does anyone have a recommendation for a good thick-glass gaiwan? The

Reply to
Danica

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explains why vitrified china is stronger.

Upton has a few 'Steelite Vitrified Hotelware' Chatsford teapots.

hth

Reply to
Elona

And they are excellent. Now, if they'd only make a gaiwan...

--scott

Reply to
Scott Dorsey

Scott Dorseyekf77b$alv$ snipped-for-privacy@panix2.panix.com11/27/06 12: snipped-for-privacy@panix.com

Hey Scott, Michael Plant did *not* write that. Watch those citations. Credit only where credit is due. M

Reply to
Michael Plant

Are there Gaiwans made of genuine porcelain?

Reply to
Elona

snip snip

Michael, I have some great stuff from Jings tea shop their tea ware is unsurpassed in what I have seen thus far. You can see thru then when held up to light and I use them for tasting. NIce stuff... Umm their tea is good too...

Reply to
Jenn

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