Clayware
I’m in search of my 1st clay pot and I was wondering if anyone has this one from Lupicia? I’m wary about buying a lot of things online because I like to physically hold them. I also don’t know the volume.
http://www.lupiciausa.com/product_p/41200511.htm
I’m also thinking of devoting a mug to 52teas’ Mayan Chocolate Chai. Yes it’s that good. Does anyone else drink chai in clayware?
I happen to have that very one, actually. Got it as some sort of promotion from Lupicia when I bought something or other there.
Size-wise… Well, it’s pretty small. I’m measuring it with my hand (medium sized), so this is how I’ll describe it:
In my open hand, it’s almost the size of my palm, and if I wrap my fingers around it, my fingertips just reach the edges of the lid. Hope that helps…
Other than that, it’s comfortable to hold, and though I’ve hardly used it so far, I’d say it gives a pretty good pour – not messy at all. Definitely a pot for small amounts of tea.
Thanks. It’s good to know it’s a good quality pot- but that still doesn’t answer my volume question.
Just measured with water and a measuring cup -
With just liquid (keep in mind, there would usually tea leaves in there), it holds about 1/2 cup, or 150 mL.
They don’t even tell you what kind of clay it’s made out of. Don’t buy it.
Well, the type of clay kind of matters…
Honestly, I don’t know much about the clays used aside from Purple Clay (Yixing) or whether there’s even much concern given to the other clays, but I’m pretty sure they don’t use Yixing, seeing as when I went in and asked them about it, they had no clue what I was talking about.
Also, purple clay comes from China, and to my knowledge is more or less just a Chinese thing (maybe Taiwanese as well). Lupicia is a Japan-based store, and their product tends to focus more around Japanese style and tradition.
All that said, if it’s not Yixing (and it’s probably not) it won’t hold the flavor as well as you might be hoping.
Yes, you would want yixing clay, but it’s fairly rare and somewhat expensive. But if you’re just using it for chai, who cares I guess, you might as well use plastic.
Pithy, why use something I don’t want? I could. True. But I don’t want to. Chai is only one tea I want clayware for. I also want one each for light and dark oolongs and raw and cooked pu erh. Chai is probably the only one I’d devote a clay drinking vessel to though.
JMKauftheil, ok I’m confused lol. (Bare w/ me, it’s late.) Do you recommend it or not? It is my (admitedly very ignorant) opinion from the very liittle I do know about clayware, that it should be fine in the aspect of retaining flavor if I season it properly. Is that correct? Educate me:)
Well, it’s possible that it would hold flavor… but I’m not sure that it would. The only I’ve heard about teapots becoming seasoned is with Yixing, (which the teapot you’re looking at is not) and cast-iron tetsubins. It’s $9, so you might as well buy it, but it might not be exactly what you’re looking for.
Either way, when the teapot DOES absorb the flavor, from what I hear, it’s over a long period time. I can’t really say from experience, but I’ve heard some pretty astounding qualities coming out after 10 years or so of use.
If you’re planning on really focusing a teapot to be seasoned for the long run, I’d say go for something of higher quality, rather than a nine dollar product from a chain tea store.
JMKauftheil, I have a nice big Yixing mug devoted to Darjeelings, and I can say after about a year of decently consistent use it’s finally developing a faint shiny ring around the inner lip as well as at the bottom. I suppose at this rate it will most likely be around 10 years of usage that it could be considered to be well-seasoned, like you say hehe.
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