How many yixing pots does a person who drinks a variety of teas really need?
Do I need one for tieguanyin AND one for lightly roasted floral oolongs AND one for charcoal roasted ones? Can one teapot do for the full array of oolongs? Similarly, can one do for the variety of Chinese black teas or does this need to be divided among multiple pots as well? And if so, divided how? And then, tell me about the white and green pot situation as well, please.
White and green dont really need a pot.
I think Ripe Puerh, Roasted oolong are the two most important. With Jade oolong and aged Raw coming in right behind it. Then probably black tea. Once you get those you can start getting more specialized like Wuyi or Dancong Oolong. And TGY and High Mountain Taiwan Jade.
Ive never tried it, but from what I understand its an aesthetic consideration as it will take this lovely light colored pot and stain the heaping heck out of it with dark tea. It would probably taste pretty good though.
I have a clay pot for white tea. It is freaking magic. I use it with aged whites and certain young whites.
Ken’s response above pretty much sums it up. For green oolongs, you might want to consider a non-Yixing clay teapot that’s less porous and preserves more of the subtle notes. Mei leaf did a side-by-side taste test of different teas brewed in Yixing and Chaozhou pots (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5KtAS31V1E&list=PLAtdGF0-xVNZHTqUo6JitWLt4GcTrYRdr&index=2). But a clay teapot isn’t absolutely necessary. Green oolongs work well in porcelain too.
Green teas should generally be brewed in glass or porcelain. You may however want to consider a clay kyusu for Japanese greens as it removes some of the bitterness.
I have a duan ni pot I use for shous, zhuni pot for lighter oolongs, and a zi ni pot for darker oolongs & light blacks.
I also have a pot from Ippodo that I use for most green teas.
I have very little use for the zi ni pot because I just don’t drink darker oolongs + black teas very often. I would buy a pot based on what type of tea you drink the most and work from there.
Need? Zero. A gaiwan is always fine, and is often perferable.
Want? Infinity.
A good balnce? 1-2 for brewing up ripe puer, wetter stored puer, and/or high roast oolong, if you regularly drink such things.
You have to look at what you drink the most and what needs a pot. You need to use the pot to make it worth it. I got a lot of tea and I literally don’t need a pot for everything as there is stuff I don’t drink enough to justify it.
I would separate green oolongs from roasted – those generally like different pots. I would separate smokey blacks from others. I found separating creamy profiles from fruits in blacks does well too.
How about
White (aged)
green oolong
roasted oolong
black tea (up to 2 or 3 for fruit, creamy, smoky)
Young sheng (maybe 2 for smoky or bitter)
old sheng
dank puer
shou (maybe 2, one for heicha?)
I actually overlap and fudge with the fruity profile black pot for stuff like oriental beauty. Dancong and green tea I find gaiwan does best.
However, what gets sketchy is the pot chooses the tea. Be sure to test, if possible before you buy (and some sellers can tell you what they tried in that pot) or you’ll end up with a bunch of shou or oolong pots like I have.
Thou must buy three. Three shall be the number of pots purchased and the number of the pots purchased shall be three. Four shalt thou not purchase, neither shalt thou purchase two, excepting that thou then proceedeth to three. Five is right out. Once the number three, being the number of pots purchased, be reached, then thou mayst drink thine tea, and enjoy it.
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