Has anyone compared cheap and expensive yixing teaware?
I’m curious whether anybody has actually experimented with cheap and expensive yixing teaware. Have you noticed any difference between the two in short-term use, and what about after long-term use?
Please share your stories if you have any :).
If the expensive yixing is expensive because it was made by a famous potter as opposed to a cheap pot made from the same clay by an unknown potter I doubt you will notice a difference. If one is cheap because it is made from inferior clay you may notice a difference. I think it is the quality of the clay that matters, not the cost of the pot. And like I said sometimes the pot is expensive because of who made it, the name of the potter. On the other had making yixing is an art form and some potters will make better pots. There are points to be made for each side of the argument.
Essential reading on yixing: http://www.kyarazen.com/secrets-choosing-yixing-teapots/
there’s over a year’s worth of reading about this subject on teachat…most of your questions are probably already answered over there.
yixing is not overrated, but its akin to fine art. You have collectors, hobbyists, antiquers, fine art enthusiasts, practical users, etc and they all perceive its value differently because they’re looking at it through a different lens.
Marshaln’s blog has some great posts on it as qell, searchable by tag. It may be of particular interest if you’re scientifically minded to read the most recent, about the study of determining composition of cheap vs. pricier pots.
The most noticeable difference I have noticed when comparing a factory 1 shuiping vs. a factor 5 shuiping, similar size, is how much thicker the same tea brews in the F1 pot. The F1 pot also brings out the tea aroma more so than F5 pot, especially after some seasoning. The other different is that the F5 pot took longer to season, like 10 – 12 sessions, vs. the F1 only took half that to really start to shine. I am still learning my F1 pots, so I am still looking for the best tea pairing that brings out the most flavors. Not sure about longer term differences since I have only had the F1 pot for a month or so.
I see…. So it might not have been my imagination. I bought a very cheap nice looking, but cheap, yixing teapot. I seasoned it by boiling it with tea and all that, but I still feel like it keeps sucking out all of the tea aroma and flavor. I must have used it only 7-8 times. I quit using it, because it was getting to be a bit boring. I’ll try using it again a bunch of times. Perhaps its greediness will eventually diminish.
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