Various
A 150 ml Porcelain Gaiwan: fifteen dollars, and the most fun you can have with tea
A lidded bowl that is the entire equipment list for gongfu brewing. Awkward twice, then trivial forever.
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What it is
A bowl, a lid and a saucer. You brew in the bowl and use the lid tilted at an angle to hold the leaf back as you pour. That is the whole device, and it has been the standard Chinese brewing vessel for centuries because nothing more is required.
Why porcelain, and why 150 ml
Porcelain is neutral — it holds no flavour, so one gaiwan serves every tea you own. Clay is porous and becomes tea-specific, which is lovely and is a later purchase. 150 ml is the size that suits a session for one or two people without needing absurd quantities of leaf.
The learning curve
Your first two attempts will be hot and clumsy. Hold it by the rim and the lid knob rather than the body, pour decisively rather than timidly, and it stops being a problem almost immediately.
What it unlocks
Eight to twelve infusions out of leaf that western brewing extracts once. For oolong and pu-erh that is not a refinement, it is most of the tea you paid for.
The verdict
The cheapest large upgrade in tea, and the one that makes the hobby fun rather than merely pleasant.
Best for anyone with a good oolong or pu-erh who is only getting one cup out of it.
What works
- Unlocks gongfu brewing and many-steep sessions
- Porcelain is neutral — works for every tea
- Around fifteen dollars
- Easy to clean, nothing to replace
What doesn't
- Genuinely awkward for the first couple of sessions
- Gets hot; not for distracted hands
- Thin porcelain chips if knocked