A visit to a tea shop changed my view on steeping

I recently went to Ching Ching Cha in DC. This is not a review… I will save that for the Places tab. However, I would like to discuss what I learned about steeping there.

I am a tea beginner. I have been drinking green tea for about a year. I usually heat the water to 175, steep the tea leaves for 3 minutes, and then pour the tea into a large mug to cool for about 10 minutes. I really hate having to let it sit for awhile to cool.

The first amazing thing was the tea set which I used. It was 4 pieces made out of glass. I am hoping that someone can tell me where to find a set like this because Ching Ching Cha does not sell them yet. The first piece is a glass tube (4 or 5 inches in height). It has posts on it which serve as handles. This is the “teapot”. The second piece is the infuser. It has slots in the bottom and fits is nicely into the “teapot”. The third piece is a small tray in which to place the infuser. The fourth piece is a beautiful round tea cup, probably a little smaller than a tennis ball. If anyone knows where I can get this set, please let me know.

I ordered the DragonWell Supreme. My server heated the water to around 120 and filled my “teapot” with water. I waited one minute and then removed the leaves as instructed. I then took a sip of the tea.

It was amazing. A perfect temperature. A perfect flavor. A perfect cup. In fact so perfect, that I laughed out loud. I am sure the owner thought I was crazy.

This low temperature, cup at a time brewing method was a real eye opener for me. It was very personal and let me really enjoy the beauty of the tea. I also enjoyed being able to drink the tea right away.

I tried the same thing at home and it was almost as good… however my For Life teapot doesn’t keep the water hot enough for long enough.

Does anyone else use this steeping method? Does anyone know where I can find the 4 piece glass set I described?