Tea Brewing Guide: How to Pour Tea Water With a Yixing Clay / Zisha Teapot

Why Pouring Tea Water Is so Important

When brewing tea, we often focus on factors like the origin of the tea leaves, the type of tea, water temperature, and steeping time. However, there's one often overlooked but equally critical aspect: the act of pouring water. This is a key element that can elevate your tea from simply tasting good to achieving a more refined, sophisticated level. It takes your tea to new heights. Pouring water involves various factors, such as the way you apply force with your body, the intensity of that force, and the speed, strength, and direction of the water flow. All of these aspects directly affect how the tea leaves release their flavor. I'll point out two essential principles for advanced water-pouring techniques—something you typically only come to appreciate after years of practice. But by focusing on the two key points below, you can transform your tea experience immediately.

1. Stability and Precision When Pouring Tea Water

Stability allows for even infusion, enabling the tea leaves to release a complex, layered flavor. Precision in control, related to the force applied, is equally important. If the force is inconsistent — sometimes too strong, sometimes too weak — the tea can become bitter or murky. Thus, mastering the balance of force is crucial.

2. The Smoothness of Water Flow in the Teapot

Water flow directly impacts the flavor and texture of the tea. If the flow is smooth, the tea releases harmoniously, resulting in a balanced and pleasant taste. If the flow is erratic, certain areas of the leaves may over-release while others under-release, leading to a muddled flavor and texture.

Pouring Water With a Yixing Clay / Zisha Teapot

Now that you understand why pouring water is so important, let’s dive into the practical aspects of this technique.

In the previous article, we discussed the basics of pouring water with a gaiwan. If you haven’t read that yet, I recommend starting there to grasp the fundamentals of water pouring before exploring this more advanced technique with Yixing clay teapots. That will give you a more comprehensive understanding.

Design Differences Between a Gaiwan and a Yixing / Zisha Teapot

The gaiwan is designed with an open mouth, allowing for various angles when pouring water, which can create different water flow dynamics and enhance the tea’s diverse flavors.

A Yixing teapot, on the other hand, is more enclosed, even if the opening is wide or narrow. This enclosed space is an advantage, as the unique clay material provides excellent insulation, allowing for the extraction of deeper aromas and flavors from the tea.

When pouring water into a Yixing teapot, the focus shifts from the variety of angles to the direction of the water flow inside the pot.

Key to Pouring With a Yixing / Zisha Teapot: Smooth Water Flow

Ultimately, we want smooth water flow inside the teapot. As previously mentioned, chaotic water flow results in a muddled, dull flavor.

Whether you use your left or right hand, pouring water into any container naturally creates either a clockwise or counterclockwise whirlpool. The Yixing teapot’s spout, which introduces an opening in this enclosed space, can disperse the whirlpool to some extent. Another important factor to consider is the angle of the teapot relative to your own position, as this can affect the alignment of the flow. After taking these elements into account and conducting experiments with water pouring, I’ve summarized the following recommendations.

Three Recommended Methods of Pouring Tea Water With a Yixing / Zisha Teapot

Position the teapot so that the spout and handle form a straight line perpendicular to you, and pour water at the 7:30 position for the smoothest flow (for left-handed pouring; reverse for right-handed pouring).

At this point, you can adjust the height of the water stream—high, medium, or low—along with the intensity—fine, medium, or strong—to suit the nature of the tea.

High Pour With Fine Stream

Ideal for aromatic oolong teas like lightly fermented or lightly roasted oolongs, as well as Oriental Beauty or red teas where you want to emphasize the aroma. The higher pour increases oxygen and accelerates the whirlpool, allowing for a lively, multi-layered flavor profile.

Medium Pour With Coarse Stream

Lower the pouring height and use a coarser stream of water, suitable for medium-roast oolong teas. This allows the tea to express deeper roasted aromas and a solid flavor base.

Low Pour with Coarse Stream

Pour from a height of 2-3 cm above the teapot with a strong, coarse stream. This is great for rock teas, bringing out their bold character. A slower, gentler pour is suitable for aged teas, like aged oolong or pu-erh, allowing their mellow, mature flavors to unfold.

What to Avoid When Pouring Tea Water With a Yixing / Zisha Teapot

It’s generally not recommended to pour water directly onto the tea leaves (for more details, refer to the gaiwan pouring technique article). When using a Yixing teapot, the best approach is the 7 o’clock fixed-point pour.

Using this as an anchor point, several variations in placement can occur, all of which may disrupt the flow inside the pot. You can experiment with these at home to observe the differences in flavor and texture.

Conclusion

Everyone’s sensitivity is different, and your understanding of water pouring will evolve with experience. The most important thing is personal practice. When you feel it, it becomes part of your own experience. There are no absolute right or wrong methods— only what suits the outcome you wish to achieve. If you don’t feel the effects right away, don’t rush to dismiss it. Stay open and keep experimenting. Over time, you may experience different results. Flexibility and openness are key to long-term enjoyment in tea drinking.

Other satotea Brewing Guides in Our Blog

Tea Brewing Guide: Why and How to Use a Gaiwan

Tea Brewing Guide: How to Brew Oolong Tea (A Primer)

Tea Brewing Guide: How to Brew Oolong Tea (Right Temperature)

Tea Brewing Guide: How to Brew Oolong Tea (Correct Timing)

Tea Brewing Guide: Water Requirements - How to Make Your Tea Taste Better

Tea Brewing Guide: Six Methods for Pouring Tea Water With a Gaiwan