What are you all using to brew your loose tea?
[Reply]

Yixing pot, cast iron pot, plastic infuser and bodrum pot ... sometimes just toss leaves in the cup and hit it with hot water. I probably shouldn't say this, but I prefer the tea from a cheap cast iron-enamel pot from ebay compared to much more $ Yixing pots.
[Reply]

I had not heard of an YiXing pot before and had to look it up:

http://www.yixing.com/index.html

I must say there are some nice looking YiXing pots out there...
[Reply]

I also use yixing's. I use a different yixing for different teas. They are porous therefore absorb flavors of the teas. You don't want to mix and mingle. These can be had very cheap and it makes sense to grab one for your greens and one for your pu-erhs at minimum.
[Reply]

And I have you to thank for my tea love. I don't know if you remember but you sent me a sampler a couple years ago and started me off in my love of Pu-erhs and Oolongs. Thank you again. :-)
[Reply]

For greens and yerba mate I just use a press pot most of the time. Other teas I use this cheap tea pot from crate and barrel.
[Reply]

I have four different yixing depending on the variety of tea. I also have a yixing thermos that I use for oolong. Porcelain for the odd time I make a ginseng or milk oolong.
[Reply]

Does anyone steep their loose tea in a French Press? I'm thinking about picking up some loose tea, and was thinking I'd use my press...any cons?
[Reply]

I think there is a couple problems with a french press. One, you can get a yixing alot cheaper and you wouldn't want to use the press you use for coffee. Two, you really need to do at least one and likely two quick washes before you steep. And third, steep time off the first is usually less than 10 seconds. That would need to be a quick press and pour.

I do think it's possible just not ideal.

I would suggest you buy a cheap yixing from ebay.
[Reply]

I started off doing it in a press. It works if you're doing western style brewing with less leaves and longer steep time. It was good enough for normal black tea. I had a real hard time getting whites, greens, and oolongs to turn out good in the press.

Edit - Oh, and DocLogic77 is right about the rinses. There's no good way that you can do teas like pu-erh in the press. And I can say, even though I just discovered pu-erh, you'd be missing out (especially if you're pairing with cigars).
[Reply]

It's essential to do at least one and ideally two rinses with Pu-erh. And since this is a cigar board Pu-erh should be discussed as it's the ideal pairing for a cigar. You can't beat a perfectly stored/aged/steeped Pu-erh with about 8 years age on it combined with the best in your humidor. I recommend anyone who likes tea and cigars to try this combo. Get the right equipment, read up a bit on steeping and breaking down a beeng properly.
[Reply]

I recommend a Gaiwan hands down over all * If your good with your hands :-) * They can be a bit awkward at times, but you rinse it before use with hot water/toss in some leaf, add water, steep and get a quick blast of tea into a cup- which would be much faster then the pour time from a Yixing ( so you have to consider that while you steep as well) Or you can drink right out of the Gaiwan, and add fresh water when theres only 1/3-1/4 liquid left.

I have to mention I tend to only use a Gaiwan for Greens-whites.. etc. For Oolong-Pu-erh I use Yixing =] =] =]
( but also have a tetsubin/tea tasting brewing cup/Plastic chinese thermos ment for brewing tea in which has a screen so the tea filters out. Once again you can drink right out of it if your at your job, and quality is NOT the most important thing, or you can flush it many times into a mug for an exact brew time)

CHEERS!
[Reply]