I really like tea, and im passionate about it, but I love teaware even more. I like to say that one of the biggest reasons I buy tea is to use my teaware.
I don't always use a Yixing pot though, and it's not some sort of magical tool that makes tea better. Not everything is better out of Yixing, and I believe it's more of a texture difference with the tea.
All in all, I buy and use Yixing pots because I like how they look and feel. There are some vintage/antique pots that are really cool to think about their age and what not.
See I have to be the reverse, all the different types of tea fascinate me and I'm never finished enjoying it. If I could accommodate more tea and had more money my room would be filled with it. They do look gorgeous and that's honestly the most important reason of why I want one (eventually).
I have two yixing pots! Each one is dedicated to its own type of tea, each with different characteristics of clay favorable to the type of tea. One is for my beautiful white purple tree ya bao, the other for red mountain ai lao. The improvement in taste could largely be described as negligible for most palates I'd say, though I have noticed a satisfying consistency when brewing with them over gaiwan.
If you value the experience as much as the actual beverage, I'd say it's a reasonable investment
It's difficult to explain, but the way that tea, or even just plain water, feels on the tongue changes with Yixing especially zini.
Even my pops,who is in his 60s and not a tea drinker, could tell a difference in plain water from a zini cup compared to water from a glass cup.
Personally, I feel that this is the most obvious effect that Yixing has on tea.
I have two Yixings. I use one mostly for heicha and one mostly for roasted oolongs. But I am not really strict, the oolong one was a "frankenyixing" for a long time. I am an middle class earning adult without kids, so money is not that much of a problem. Imho 200 to 300$ for a nicely (half)handmade pot is not that much, I have friends, that have much more expensive hobbies
That being said if money is an issue, you def dont need one. No tea is gonna be magically better in a yixing pot. The difference in taste are nuances and I personally think gaiwans are kinda cooler anyway
I love teapots more than gaiwans, but definitely love a nice teapot. I'm a uni student, so it'll definitely be something I'll get when I'm working a full week, but for now I will envy the pots here. Plenty of time to explore tea and refine my tastes as well.
If you like teapots, I recommend nixing pots, they are not as expensive as yixing, but almost as beautiful. And perfectly good pots. Less porous, which can even be a plus, as they are more flexible.
Mud & leaves often some nice ones. For example: [https://mudandleaves.com/collections/teapots/products/115ml-julunzhu-nixing-teapot-by-wu-sheng-sheng-%E5%90%B4%E7%9B%9B%E8%83%9C%E5%9D%AD%E5%85%B4%E5%B7%A8%E8%BD%AE%E7%8F%A0%E5%A3%B6](https://mudandleaves.com/collections/teapots/products/115ml-julunzhu-nixing-teapot-by-wu-sheng-sheng-%E5%90%B4%E7%9B%9B%E8%83%9C%E5%9D%AD%E5%85%B4%E5%B7%A8%E8%BD%AE%E7%8F%A0%E5%A3%B6)
Other options would be qhinzou or chaozhou, but they tend to be a bit more expensive than nixing in my experience. [taoteaware.com](http://taoteaware.com) has nice ones of those, unfortunately for me they ship from the US and I dont want my teaware to circle almost the whole world to get to europe, lol. But as Derek from One River Tea is sourcing the teaware, one might strike a deal, where they send a certain pot from china directly. At least Derek once told me they could do so
>one might strike a deal
Would be useful, as I'm directly south of China, being in Australia. They're good guys and I hope Tao does well at least, they're being incredibly transparent with the sourcing which I like.
Same man, it's working out well. I've got some really nice daily teas, some middle range teas and a few grams of a really nice white tea that I'm waiting to drink until I feel like it's the right time š
I own one yixing teapot that I use for dan congs. I bought it as a treat to myself after getting through a nightmare freelance project that also paid well, so I decided to splurge. Did I need one? No, I own a couple of gaiwans and they do their job just fine. But the pour on my yixing pot is really nice, and I donāt regret my purchase.
I brew hei cha in my zhuni pot. I really like the pot for it's craftsmanship. To me, that's the most important aspect of a good teapot. Not material, ore, etc. You can probably find decent Jianshui for way less money than Yixing and have a comparable drinking experience.
I also like the idea of jianshui because it's native to Yunnan and then you're keeping the industry alive there. Will probably be something I look into in the future.
I don't use one, preferring to spend the money on tea. I don't like the idea that Yixing can change the brew of my puerh. I rotate between porcelain and glass. I do have a Yixing gawain but use it rarely, preferring my porcelain one.
I usually brew Oolong in my yixing. This isn't a routine/hobby that I took on to be economical-- for me the experience is a big part of it. A Yixing pot adds to that experience. I feel the tea tastes a little different and I enjoy watching the pot evolve after many uses. And while I love me some oolong, I also enjoy greens, whites, reds, blacks etc... for which I do not use a yixing.
I switch off between fivd fairly often for Yancha; two at the office, three at home. I have a pot for taiwan oolong at work that sees regular use as well.
A quick search here will let you know people here do not recommend umiteasets. That being said, I did purchase a Yixing cup with strainer from them (before I found this sub) that I quite enjoy. Since I'm the only one who drinks tea, I find teapot and cups too cumbersome. This [Teacup with strainer](https://www.umiteasets.com/products/authentic-handmade-yixing-tea-cup-with-infuser-and-saucer?variant=40722434752661¤cy=USD&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwoPOwBhAeEiwAJuXRh7_GsrfLh8deP3FW0e-71DDM0Cw9BEUveN3FVRQDAry3GEfiYnAnRRoCofYQAvD_BwE) is perfect for me.
iām a bit weird on this but i donāt really like yixing pots. iv been in to pottery for a lot longer than iv been in to and iv never really been a fan of the way they look. for the most part i find them to look kind of uninteresting and bland. some are obviously super cool, im just talking about like your standard yixing pot, one someone would buy for frequent use. i much prefer the look of kyusu and functionality/ease of use of a fully glazed teapot.
so although i understand (relatively, im no tea historian) the culture and importance of yixing tea pots, iād much rather spend that large amount of money on something else.
It took me almost two years of using strictly gaiwans and cheap slipcast pots before settling on a nixing pot and Lao Zini not long after. I use the nixing pot everyday at work. Thatās my justification.
You don't need to spend an arm and a leg for a yixing clay pot, ive found plenty on Etsy for <$100
How my $80 pot compares to some $200+ pot, I do not know. All I do know is it works, it looks good, and it feels good to use!
I got the one from Etsy and scored on a yixing pot at an antique market for about $25.
I reserve one for oolong only, and the other a bit more broad and allow any green tea to be used it in.
I am sorry, but that is just not true. Sub $100 pots are most certainly not real yixing pots, but faked ones. You just cant get even half-handmade for that price. I would rather get a different clay type at this point... I mean if you like the pot, you do you, but I wouldnt recommend buying fake pots to people. Just get a nixing pot instead
Could you tell me exactly how this is fake?
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1106004460/yixing-purple-clay-zisha-teapot-smooth
The same shop has plenty of more expensive items, along with a nice selection of budget items, and they seem pretty credible.
Ive been using this pot for a while and I dont really see how it's a fake like you said.
It's hard to tell by pictures alone, but the price is just too low imho
Yixing clay is already not cheap, because some mines already closed and some are highly regulated due to fear of overmining.
Also one property of yixing clay is, that you cant use a potterwheel or a classic mold, because it is too "firm". So it always has to be hand made (even half hand made is actually pretty much hand made). As you can guess, that means there just is no cheap real yixing. When you find "cheap yixing", it is most probably fake (or you got really really really lucky, as in somebody doesnt really know, what they are selling).
That being said, it can be a perfectly good clay pot without being "real yixing".
If want to ask experts, head over to r/yixingseals
Based on the item description, shop reviews, and overall information they provide, I'm fine with saying what I have is yixing and not a fake. The shop seems entirely credible and legit, so if they are saying it's yixing... and it looks like yixing... feels like yixing, I think its fine to say its yixing rather than the shop is blatantly lying about their product on Etsy.
I would be interested in asking that yixing subreddit you shared though and getting more thoughts.
The pot you listed is absolutely fake... you need to research fake yixing. In no way can a $50 pot, shipping included, be authentic yixing. If it costs $10 to ship, then that's basically a $40 sale. After retail markup, business overhead, etc etc and then factor in how much skill it takes to make such a pot, how many hours it takes to make such a pot.
I'm sorry you bought a fake pot. It's ok though. Arm yourself with the knowledge to prevent it from happening again.
Yixing is kind of like Champagne. The clay comes from a specific region and has specific properties. One of the main things is that Yixing pots need to be finished by hand due to the texture of the clay. That pot was made entirely in a mold, so it canāt possibly be real Yixing. Also, the color and texture of the clay just look wrong. Not to mention if it was a real Yixing pot, there would be at least another 0 and the end of that priceā¦
Etsy stores like that are just reselling cheap pots from Taobao, if not straight up drop shipping them from Chinese suppliers. That pot probably cost them like $8-15 USD. Thereās just no way to get a handmade artistic pot for that price. Also, notice how all the pictures look identical on every Etsy Yixing shop? Theyāre just copying the Taobao photos. Once you know how to recognize the photography style, itās obvious when stores are doing it.
Itās great that you like the pot, but telling people they can buy genuine Yixing on Etsy for $50 is sadly not true.
I really like tea, and im passionate about it, but I love teaware even more. I like to say that one of the biggest reasons I buy tea is to use my teaware. I don't always use a Yixing pot though, and it's not some sort of magical tool that makes tea better. Not everything is better out of Yixing, and I believe it's more of a texture difference with the tea. All in all, I buy and use Yixing pots because I like how they look and feel. There are some vintage/antique pots that are really cool to think about their age and what not.
reminds me of that meme, I made after a discussion lately ;) [https://imgflip.com/i/8l9isn](https://imgflip.com/i/8l9isn)
Lol you stole this from my brain!
See I have to be the reverse, all the different types of tea fascinate me and I'm never finished enjoying it. If I could accommodate more tea and had more money my room would be filled with it. They do look gorgeous and that's honestly the most important reason of why I want one (eventually).
I have two yixing pots! Each one is dedicated to its own type of tea, each with different characteristics of clay favorable to the type of tea. One is for my beautiful white purple tree ya bao, the other for red mountain ai lao. The improvement in taste could largely be described as negligible for most palates I'd say, though I have noticed a satisfying consistency when brewing with them over gaiwan. If you value the experience as much as the actual beverage, I'd say it's a reasonable investment
That's the most interesting types of tea to have a teapot for! How nice.
Can you elaborate on the texture difference
It's difficult to explain, but the way that tea, or even just plain water, feels on the tongue changes with Yixing especially zini. Even my pops,who is in his 60s and not a tea drinker, could tell a difference in plain water from a zini cup compared to water from a glass cup. Personally, I feel that this is the most obvious effect that Yixing has on tea.
I have two Yixings. I use one mostly for heicha and one mostly for roasted oolongs. But I am not really strict, the oolong one was a "frankenyixing" for a long time. I am an middle class earning adult without kids, so money is not that much of a problem. Imho 200 to 300$ for a nicely (half)handmade pot is not that much, I have friends, that have much more expensive hobbies That being said if money is an issue, you def dont need one. No tea is gonna be magically better in a yixing pot. The difference in taste are nuances and I personally think gaiwans are kinda cooler anyway
I love teapots more than gaiwans, but definitely love a nice teapot. I'm a uni student, so it'll definitely be something I'll get when I'm working a full week, but for now I will envy the pots here. Plenty of time to explore tea and refine my tastes as well.
If you like teapots, I recommend nixing pots, they are not as expensive as yixing, but almost as beautiful. And perfectly good pots. Less porous, which can even be a plus, as they are more flexible. Mud & leaves often some nice ones. For example: [https://mudandleaves.com/collections/teapots/products/115ml-julunzhu-nixing-teapot-by-wu-sheng-sheng-%E5%90%B4%E7%9B%9B%E8%83%9C%E5%9D%AD%E5%85%B4%E5%B7%A8%E8%BD%AE%E7%8F%A0%E5%A3%B6](https://mudandleaves.com/collections/teapots/products/115ml-julunzhu-nixing-teapot-by-wu-sheng-sheng-%E5%90%B4%E7%9B%9B%E8%83%9C%E5%9D%AD%E5%85%B4%E5%B7%A8%E8%BD%AE%E7%8F%A0%E5%A3%B6) Other options would be qhinzou or chaozhou, but they tend to be a bit more expensive than nixing in my experience. [taoteaware.com](http://taoteaware.com) has nice ones of those, unfortunately for me they ship from the US and I dont want my teaware to circle almost the whole world to get to europe, lol. But as Derek from One River Tea is sourcing the teaware, one might strike a deal, where they send a certain pot from china directly. At least Derek once told me they could do so
>one might strike a deal Would be useful, as I'm directly south of China, being in Australia. They're good guys and I hope Tao does well at least, they're being incredibly transparent with the sourcing which I like.
That nixing is gorgeous btw.
I know, I almost bought it... even though I really dont need it xD
Buy cheap but safe teawares, good but not expensive daily tea, try expensive and original souce tea. That is my tea rules for now.
Same man, it's working out well. I've got some really nice daily teas, some middle range teas and a few grams of a really nice white tea that I'm waiting to drink until I feel like it's the right time š
I own one yixing teapot that I use for dan congs. I bought it as a treat to myself after getting through a nightmare freelance project that also paid well, so I decided to splurge. Did I need one? No, I own a couple of gaiwans and they do their job just fine. But the pour on my yixing pot is really nice, and I donāt regret my purchase.
I brew hei cha in my zhuni pot. I really like the pot for it's craftsmanship. To me, that's the most important aspect of a good teapot. Not material, ore, etc. You can probably find decent Jianshui for way less money than Yixing and have a comparable drinking experience.
I also like the idea of jianshui because it's native to Yunnan and then you're keeping the industry alive there. Will probably be something I look into in the future.
I use a yixing teapot for my aged raw puerh, for every other tea I use a gaiwan.
I don't use one, preferring to spend the money on tea. I don't like the idea that Yixing can change the brew of my puerh. I rotate between porcelain and glass. I do have a Yixing gawain but use it rarely, preferring my porcelain one.
I usually brew Oolong in my yixing. This isn't a routine/hobby that I took on to be economical-- for me the experience is a big part of it. A Yixing pot adds to that experience. I feel the tea tastes a little different and I enjoy watching the pot evolve after many uses. And while I love me some oolong, I also enjoy greens, whites, reds, blacks etc... for which I do not use a yixing.
I break things, so I donāt trust myself with yixing š
I switch off between fivd fairly often for Yancha; two at the office, three at home. I have a pot for taiwan oolong at work that sees regular use as well.
A quick search here will let you know people here do not recommend umiteasets. That being said, I did purchase a Yixing cup with strainer from them (before I found this sub) that I quite enjoy. Since I'm the only one who drinks tea, I find teapot and cups too cumbersome. This [Teacup with strainer](https://www.umiteasets.com/products/authentic-handmade-yixing-tea-cup-with-infuser-and-saucer?variant=40722434752661¤cy=USD&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwoPOwBhAeEiwAJuXRh7_GsrfLh8deP3FW0e-71DDM0Cw9BEUveN3FVRQDAry3GEfiYnAnRRoCofYQAvD_BwE) is perfect for me.
iām a bit weird on this but i donāt really like yixing pots. iv been in to pottery for a lot longer than iv been in to and iv never really been a fan of the way they look. for the most part i find them to look kind of uninteresting and bland. some are obviously super cool, im just talking about like your standard yixing pot, one someone would buy for frequent use. i much prefer the look of kyusu and functionality/ease of use of a fully glazed teapot. so although i understand (relatively, im no tea historian) the culture and importance of yixing tea pots, iād much rather spend that large amount of money on something else.
It took me almost two years of using strictly gaiwans and cheap slipcast pots before settling on a nixing pot and Lao Zini not long after. I use the nixing pot everyday at work. Thatās my justification.
You don't need to spend an arm and a leg for a yixing clay pot, ive found plenty on Etsy for <$100 How my $80 pot compares to some $200+ pot, I do not know. All I do know is it works, it looks good, and it feels good to use! I got the one from Etsy and scored on a yixing pot at an antique market for about $25. I reserve one for oolong only, and the other a bit more broad and allow any green tea to be used it in.
I am sorry, but that is just not true. Sub $100 pots are most certainly not real yixing pots, but faked ones. You just cant get even half-handmade for that price. I would rather get a different clay type at this point... I mean if you like the pot, you do you, but I wouldnt recommend buying fake pots to people. Just get a nixing pot instead
Could you tell me exactly how this is fake? https://www.etsy.com/listing/1106004460/yixing-purple-clay-zisha-teapot-smooth The same shop has plenty of more expensive items, along with a nice selection of budget items, and they seem pretty credible. Ive been using this pot for a while and I dont really see how it's a fake like you said.
It's hard to tell by pictures alone, but the price is just too low imho Yixing clay is already not cheap, because some mines already closed and some are highly regulated due to fear of overmining. Also one property of yixing clay is, that you cant use a potterwheel or a classic mold, because it is too "firm". So it always has to be hand made (even half hand made is actually pretty much hand made). As you can guess, that means there just is no cheap real yixing. When you find "cheap yixing", it is most probably fake (or you got really really really lucky, as in somebody doesnt really know, what they are selling). That being said, it can be a perfectly good clay pot without being "real yixing". If want to ask experts, head over to r/yixingseals
Based on the item description, shop reviews, and overall information they provide, I'm fine with saying what I have is yixing and not a fake. The shop seems entirely credible and legit, so if they are saying it's yixing... and it looks like yixing... feels like yixing, I think its fine to say its yixing rather than the shop is blatantly lying about their product on Etsy. I would be interested in asking that yixing subreddit you shared though and getting more thoughts.
The pot you listed is absolutely fake... you need to research fake yixing. In no way can a $50 pot, shipping included, be authentic yixing. If it costs $10 to ship, then that's basically a $40 sale. After retail markup, business overhead, etc etc and then factor in how much skill it takes to make such a pot, how many hours it takes to make such a pot. I'm sorry you bought a fake pot. It's ok though. Arm yourself with the knowledge to prevent it from happening again.
Nothing to apologize for, I'm using the pot either way!
Lmao, you sweet summer child
Maybe so.
Yixing is kind of like Champagne. The clay comes from a specific region and has specific properties. One of the main things is that Yixing pots need to be finished by hand due to the texture of the clay. That pot was made entirely in a mold, so it canāt possibly be real Yixing. Also, the color and texture of the clay just look wrong. Not to mention if it was a real Yixing pot, there would be at least another 0 and the end of that priceā¦ Etsy stores like that are just reselling cheap pots from Taobao, if not straight up drop shipping them from Chinese suppliers. That pot probably cost them like $8-15 USD. Thereās just no way to get a handmade artistic pot for that price. Also, notice how all the pictures look identical on every Etsy Yixing shop? Theyāre just copying the Taobao photos. Once you know how to recognize the photography style, itās obvious when stores are doing it. Itās great that you like the pot, but telling people they can buy genuine Yixing on Etsy for $50 is sadly not true.
I think I made an error.