The taste of tea is influenced by many factors: the quality of the tea itself, the water, the skill and state of mind of the tea master and, of course, the dishes in which the tea will be brewed.
The Chinese tea ceremony does not tolerate fuss, so the right teapot will create the right mood for you. Clay teapots are suitable specifically for the Chinese method, where tea is "spilled" and not insisted. Clay teapots are best for brewing highly fermented oolong teas, red teas, and pu-erh tea. At the same time, it is better to choose your own teapot for each type of tea, because over time such a teapot is able to absorb the aroma of the tea being brewed, to the extent that boiling water poured into an empty teapot acquires a delicate aroma of tea.
Take the kettle you like in hand. Its color should be in natural shades. If the colors are unnatural, it is highly likely that polymers have been added to the starting material. The kettle shouldn't feel heavy. It should be pleasant for you to hold it in your hands. It must have a flat surface and thickness, both outside and inside. To the touch, the surface of the teapot will be smooth on the outside and slightly rough (porous) on the inside. Due to its porosity, the teapot absorbs water and, accordingly, the aroma of the tea that is brewed in it. Clay “breathes”, allows air to pass through, which has a beneficial effect on the taste of tea.
The handle of the teapot should be comfortable, not too wide and not too thin, so that the teapot in the ceremony was like an extension of the hand of the master. The handle should be aligned with the spout.
Remove the lid and turn the kettle upside down. Place the kettle upside down on a flat surface. With a proper teapot, the top of the spout, the neck and the top of the handle will be flush. This prevents the kettle from leaking and draining the entire infusion.
Look inside the teapot and notice the strainer. It should be convex, this will prevent the tea leaves from clogging in the spout.
The lid should fit snugly against the kettle. Ask the seller to put cold water or boiling water into the kettle. Usually sellers do not refuse when choosing a teapot in a good place. When closed, the teapot has two holes - in the spout and on the lid. If you close the hole on the lid with your finger, no water will flow out of the spout. Now close the hole in the spout and turn the kettle upside down. In the correct kettle, the lid stays in place and does not fall off. In the teapot overturning experiment, use only boiling water, not cold water. Of course, when checking a clay teapot in this way before buying, in order to avoid misunderstandings, it is better to ask the seller for help or hold the lid just in case until you are sure that the teapot is correct. And be careful with boiling water!
Pay attention to the stream of water flowing out of the kettle. It should be flat, the kettle should not "lick" and create smudges.
Pay attention to whether the spout is holding the drop. Water should not pour out through the lid, and the lid sits tightly and does not wobble. If the lid does not fit tightly, this creates a number of inconveniences, and in the end, the lid may simply slip off the kettle and break. It is almost impossible to find another cover. Therefore, you will have to buy a new kettle.
Tip: after brewing tea, you do not need to wash the kettle with special means, this will be harmful to it. It is enough to rinse it with warm water.
