Emilie said

Has anybody tried the gung fu teapot from Davidstea?

I didn’t see it in the “teaware” section, and I was wondering if anybody has used the gung fu teapot from Davidstea. I’m looking at buying it and was wondering about any opinions. I don’t have any experience with this type of brewing and was looking for a cheaper way to begin with. Or if you have any ideas of a better option. Thanks for the help!

18 Replies

It’s a thinner glass than I expected, so I’m extra careful not to knock it against anything, but it works well for me. I use it for mostly oolongs, but also use it to do shinobi-cha (ice brew) with some of my japanese greens. It seems to be a good starter gongfu pot, and will last me until I find something I like better. Though even then I’ll still use it for scented or non-milk oolongs, because the yixing pot I’m on the hunt for will be only for my milk oolong <3

Emilie said

Thanks, this is exactly what I was wondering!

it’s also the perfect size to make one bubble teacup’s worth of tea (though I have a pair of the hedgehog mugtails I usually use with it for normal gongfu sesions, or the set of 4 TEENY double-wall glass cups for doing tea tastings with my friend and her mom)

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OMGsrsly said

I have it. It is delicate, but since I don’t have stone or tile counters at this place, so far it’s OK.

I also have a little soy sauce container (like this, but 2 oz: http://www.amazon.com/Japanese-Green-Porcelain-Sauce-Dispenser/dp/B0043O0N92/ref=pd_sim_sbs_hg_3 ) that I use when I want to have many steepings. 200ml of the glass teapot x 5-10 steepings = too much for me! I got mine at Daiso, but many Asian import stores have similar things.

tperez said

Cool idea with the soy sauce dispenser!

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I love it – it’s so easy, so pretty, and a great intro to gong fu brewing

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TeaLady441 said

I have it too. I wanted an easy way to try gong-fu and I thought it was really adorable and reasonably priced. I have no complaints about it!

It does feel delicate, but I also have a pyrex teapot that feels just as delicate and that one is made of super-strong glass, so maybe the gong-fu isn’t as delicate/thin as it feels?

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Shmiracles said

i like the david’s tea gong fu. i have 2 different glass gong fus.
they’re great for making small one cup steeps and tasting lots of different teas at one sitting. the one that is not david’s tea is a little nicer, but it was also over twice the price.
so buy the david’s tea one. i’m sure you’ll like it!

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Emilie said

Thanks for all the replies everyone! This was really helpful and I think I’m going to get it!

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looseTman said

Can a gung fu teapot pour as fast as a Gaiwan to minimize the time the leaf is in contact with the water?

I understand that a fast pour is important with some teas such as oolongs, which have first steeps of 10-15s and can taste bitter if brewed longer. I also understand a fast pouring gaiwan allows one to get more steeps out of such teas.

Uniquity said

I find I pour much slower with my gaiwan than other tools as I am trying to avoid dropping, spilling or burning.

looseTman said

Would an “Easy Gaiwan” be helpful to you?
Marketed as preventing burned fingers & featuring an easy pour spout
AKA: “Modified”, “Modern”
Example (4 images): http://www.yunnansourcing.com/store/product.php?id_product=1360

Uniquity said

Thanks for the link but I have already accumulated far too much teaware. I don’t have a problem using my gaiwan, I just use a certain level of care. :)

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sandra said

i have a gong fu teapot (bought it from teavivre). It’s a great teapot. I use it for any kind of tea at the mo, also for my pu ehr teas, as I have no money in the bank at the mo to buy a Yixing, so this will have to do for now. works miracles for little money.

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looseTman said

In your experience, are there any advantages or disadvantages (if any) using the Teavivre gong fu teapot for the gong fu method compared to a traditional gaiwan? Thanks!

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sharpdart said

I bought the glass gongfu teapot recently from David’s. When I opened the box, the lid fell out and broke. When I asked if they had any lids to sell, they were kind enough to replace it. I like this teapot, but it feels more like a stepping stone. I like seeing the leaves, but now want a yixing for the teas I am drinking more consistently. Do I need a yixing? Probably not, but the glass is very fragile and it just feels like a matter of time.

Pooja said

Hey I just ordered and received my teapot less than a week ago and I really liked it, however the lid fell down and broke :(. I just wanted to know if you contacted them through email or phone and did they give you a hard time to replace it?

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