HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT KETTLE FOR PERFECTLY PREPARED TEA

Everything is individual, as tea is diverse in its variations so everyone he has his own experience of tea and what he likes in it, so he will choose which teapot to use for a particular type of tea. The only way to be sure which material suits which tea, or which tea component is enhanced by a certain teapot, is to experiment yourself. But for starters, in addition to different materials, here are general guidelines and how each material can affect the tea you drink.

Ceramic teapots are mainly used for the preparation itself, tea steeping, with water heated in metal teapots-kettles. But there are also ceramic teapots in which you can heat water and then prepare tea. Such teapots are baked at higher temperatures than those that are only used for soaking leaves. Clay retains heat the longest, longer than porcelain and glass, but it takes longer to heat up. Clay teapots, which are only used for tea preparation, are fired at around 1200 C.

Teapots made of special clay

Čajnici izrađeni od posebne vrste gline, izrađeni su namjenski za pripremu čaja. To nije obična glina koja se samo iskopa s određenog područja, već je to uglavnom  višekomponentna glina. Materijal se uzima iz različitih stijena/ruda koje se usitnjavaju u prah te se miješaju kako bi se dobila posebna smjesa-glina.

Such teapots have porous walls, so they absorb the aroma and taste of the tea, and with the minerals from the material they are made of, they enhance the taste of the tea, that is, some of its components.

The most famous special types of clay are listed below. The first four are Chinese, the last, the fifth, is Japanese:

1. YIXING
2. NIXING
3. JIANSHUI
4. CHAOZHOU
5. TOKONAME

YIXING

Yixing – Zisha (the name Yixing, got after a small town in Jiangsu-China, east coast, on the edge of Tiah Lake) - also known as purple clay sand, composite, multi-component clay. The teapots are chocolate brown.

This clay is purchased from the Chinese government (it is regulated by law). It is not made in the classic way on a rotating wheel (only one part), but by hand, mainly by rolling and shaping. It is baked at higher temperatures (1200 C), so it is more refined. It retains heat very well and has porous walls that absorb the aroma and flavor of the tea more and more over time, so each subsequent tea prepared in it has a stronger taste, aroma and texture. It is particularly suitable for dark teas, i.e. teas that have been left/fermented for a long time (PuErh). Even if the leaves stay a little longer than expected, the tea does not become too dry and bitter, and does not lose its taste.

• ZHUNI popularna Yixing glina specifična po crvenkasto-smeđoj boji (reddish-brown); najpopularnija crvenkasta glina, teško je naći original čajnik od te gline, jako malo se proizvode. Ne izrađuje se na okretnom kolu već ručno pa ima i četvrtastih. Ručnom izradom se zadržava veća poroznost nego vrtnjom na lončarskom kolu, no to su male razlike
• ZINI is a little darker - the most classic Yixing clay, a little darker, unique purple-brown color
• DUANI-obično dolazi u žutoj boji, a može doći i u drugim nijansama kao npr. plavo-zelena; proizvodi se od Yixing ljubičaste gline

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2p7ohcMS7RE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGBZe24hQ1o

NIXING

Clay from the southwestern part of China on the border with Vietnam, with a history of about 1300 years, near the city of Qinzhou in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of China. It consists of a special purple and red clay, actually originally a purple-red powder crushed from the rocks. It is rich in various minerals: Se, Fe, Zn, Ca, Mg, K and Na, so if you lack any of them, drinking tea from this teapot can have a positive effect on your health. The fired ceramics are dark brown to gray blue in color. It has the effect of one color emerging from another. It can be used for all types of teas, but for those with a more sensitive sense of taste, it is suitable for black, green oolong and Chinese green teas. Like Yixing (perhaps only to a lesser extent), due to the porosity of the walls, tea made from this type of clay can be specialized in PuErh teas. It enhances minerality and preserves the light note of the tea.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBh9sG62mRg

JIANSHUI

Clay named after the small town of Jianshui, located in Yunnan province, not far from the border with Vietnam. Jianshui clay teapots are almost always made by hand on a turning wheel, so you will rarely  find teapots that are square in shape or have sharp corners on them.

This clay/ore has five common colors, which when mixed into one clay, generally fall into the white and red clays. The final color of a red clay teapot can vary depending on the degree of oxidation, from red to black.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AN51I3RHceg&t=337s

CHAOZHOU

Red clay, from Feng Huang (Phoenix Mountain) in Chaozhou, Guang Dong Province. Teapots are made in the classic way on a rotating potter's wheel. More porous and thinner-walled compared to Yixing teapots, which affects heat retention (thicker-walled teapots retain heat longer). Chaozhou teapots are mostly made in the traditional Chaozhou style with a relatively small size (below 180ml, for 3-4 small cups of tea) because they are used for the Gong Fu way of making tea, which also originates from Chaozhou. After baking, they are deep red-orange in color. They are usually made in an egg shape -dragon egg.

Red clay, from Feng Huang (Phoenix Mountain) in Chaozhou, Guang Dong Province. Teapots are made in the classic way on a rotating potter's wheel. More porous and thinner-walled compared to Yixing teapots, which affects heat retention (thicker-walled teapots retain heat longer). Chaozhou teapots are mostly made in the traditional Chaozhou style with a relatively small size (below 180ml, for 3-4 small cups of tea) because they are used for the Gong Fu way of making tea, which also originates from Chaozhou. After baking, they are deep red-orange in color. They are usually made in an egg shape -dragon egg.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYs_q5K6V10

TOKONAME

For Japanese teas, the most commonly used is a "kyūsu", a small, slightly flattened teapot with a flat handle placed sideways, perpendicular to the vessel, and a shiboridashi, a smaller vessel, similar to a small deep plate with a lid and a slot for pouring (some is compared to an ashtray), a utensil made of the famous clay from the Japanese city of Tokoname, located not far from Nagoya.

Tokoname is one of the most famous centers of ceramics with many potters/ceramists working in their own studio. The earliest examples of Tokoname ware come from the late Heian period (794-1185). In the city itself, the Tokoname Tounomori Institute of Ceramics was founded, a center for the preservation of the Tokoname ceramics tradition, where young students are trained to become independent ceramicists and operate and work all over the world. Vessels made of this type of clay retain heat the shortest, because they are mainly intended for Japanese green teas that are prepared at temperatures of 50-80 C, but they are less porous than Yixing teapots, which means that they are suitable for all types of teas.

The first kyūsu were made in Tokoname during the latter part of the Edo period, approximately 1804-1830. In the Bakamatsu period, Sugie Jumon 1827－1897 became a popular maker of shudei kyūsu, teapots with unglazed surfaces made of polished red clay. It is widely believed that all Tokoname are kyūsu, shudei kyūsu, but this is actually a postwar term.

Living National Treasure Yamada Jōzan III 1924－2005) faithfully inherited the traditions of previous generations by incorporating a modern, individualistic style. Yamada's work sparked a rapid rise in contemporary appreciation of Tokoname kyūsu throughout Japan.

Nowadays, the master of making kyūsu, a living legend, Shimizu Genji (1945－) from the Hōjō Tōbō workshop, the guardian of the traditional technique of shaping teapots on the potter's wheel, according to the motto: "making from the heart of the maker to the heart of the user", is highly respected.

In addition to creating teapots, Shimizu dedicated himself to educating the next generation of Tokoname potters. He is known for passionately speaking about the distinguishing characteristics of Tokoname teapots: "lightness to hold", "good pouring quality" and "surface shine when used for a long time".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybb-HhSrtxA&t=429s

Of course, utensils are also made of clay from various parts of the world, and each of them has its own characteristics, its specificities, but the five listed here are a special story.

It is important to remember that the tea utensils in general, and especially the unglazed, porous ones, should not be washed with detergent, but should only be rinsed well with water after cleaning them from the rest of the leaves and left uncovered to dry.

PORCELAIN

Like glass, porcelain is thin and loses heat quickly, which can be an advantage if we don't want to wait a long time for the tea to cool down to a drinkable temperature. It is not porous, which means that one teapot can be used for all types of tea. When we are just getting to know tea, it is nice to use white porcelain, that is, some lighter colors, in order to see the quality of the leaves and the color of the tea. Or for pure visual pleasure, we can take accessories of a color that is complementary to the color of the tea. If these two things are not important to us, we can simply opt for one of the beautifully decorated teapots or cups that, in addition to the taste and smell, will provide us with a pleasant visual effect and thus complete our experience of drinking tea and help us to, at least for a moment, let's move away from the noise of the world, sink into peace and collect our thoughts.

GLASS

Glass teaware is almost identical to porcelain in terms of its properties: it loses heat quickly and is not porous, so the tea will cool down faster in this type of container, unless it is a double-walled glass cup or made of borosilicate glass, which keep much longer heat than ordinary ones, and at the same time they are more convenient to hold in the hand because they protect our fingers from burns. Teapots made of borosilicate glass can be used for heating water because such glass can withstand temperatures up to 350 C and can also be used on an open flame such as a gas stove.

Glass is not suitable for all teas, but it works best for more delicate teas that do not have a lot of catechins and will not become bitter. Hou Kui or Monkey Picked tea is a perfect example of green tea that tastes great when prepared in glassware.

STAINLESS STEEL

Stainless steel kettles are mainly used for heating water. They have thin walls and a slightly thicker bottom, and at the top of the spout they can have a whistle that warns us that the water is boiling. They are very rarely used for steeping tea. 

CAST IRON

Cast iron teapots are mainly used for heating water, less often for soaking leaves. It usually comes with a stainless steel strainer. These teapots are quite robust, massive and not suitable when you go on a trip because they will significantly increase the weight of your luggage. Another disadvantage is that you have to be careful when handling them because it would not be convenient if they fall out of your hand and fall on your leg, but their advantage is that they are practically indestructible. Once you buy them, you'll have them for the rest of your life. The water in them heats up quickly and keeps the temperature for a long time.

Are they porous? Partially. Original Japanese tetsubin releases particles of iron into the water that is heated in it (as a rule, tea is not prepared in it). With such water, the tea becomes softer, sweeter and richer in iron, which is a real boon for the user's health.

From my experience, I can say that at one time I also used my cast iron kettle for soaking the leaves and I noticed when I poured out the water that it took on a slightly darker color of the tein that remained in that kettle from numerous previous soakings. After using it for a long time only to heat water, the water that I would pour on the tea leaves, after I heated it to the appropriate temperature, returned to its usual, transparent color.

There are also cast iron teapots that are coated with enamel on the inside (this type is also used for preparing tea). Care should be taken with such teapots that they should never have less than 1/2 of water, because the enamel could fall off due to heating.

In addition to teapots, cast iron cups are also made. They can be very beautifully designed and painted. Their advantage is that they retain the temperature for a long time, but your fingers, when you take the cup in your hands, will not like it. It is necessary to wait a while for the tea in the cup to cool down. 

SILVER

When we talk about silver teapots, we are talking about teapots with two purity levels: 999 silver (99.9% pure silver and 0.1% copper) and 990 silver (99 percent pure silver and 1% copper). These teapots, in addition to being useful, also have their own decorative and material value. They are permanent and can be inherited. Silver is said to be the best mediator between tea and water.

The silver teapot is not usable for heating water, only for preparing tea. The water in it quickly loses temperature, so it is necessary to preheat it before soaking the leaves, which is especially important for teas that are prepared at high temperatures (ripe Pu Erh, black, oolong...).

I have not had the opportunity to drink tea from a silver teapot, but I have come across some texts where those who have done so claim that tea prepared in such a teapot has a softer, rounder, fuller taste.

STONE

Teapots and tea accessories in general made of various types of stone are very rare. They generally do not affect the taste of the tea. Although they can look very effective decoratively, they are impractical to handle due to their large mass. The picture below shows a teapot and 6 cups, made of the famous stone with island of Brač.

How to choose the right teapot for perfectly prepared tea - SUMA SUMARUM