Tea Brewing Guide: Why and How to Use a Gaiwan

Gaiwan may look simple, but it's actually not easy to find a good one. I came across some gaiwans that render the tea tasteless which makes me very cautious when choosing a new one. It took me years to find out the reason and slowly understand the meaning and beauty of a good gaiwan. Below I listed some common questions and their respective answers based on my personal discovery. I hope they are helpful and lead you to brewing with more ease and joy. If you want to go even more in depth or your specific question hasn’t been covered in this primer, please reach out to me.

Why are most gaiwans made of porcelain? What is the benefit of porcelain?

Porcelain is mainly made of kaolin clay, a very delicate clay texture, which is then glazed. Afterwards when burned under high sintering temperature, it will have crystallised surface. It can be used for tea brewing without absorbing tea flavour, transmits heat quickly, so it presents the original appearance of a tea in a neutral way.

Why is it recommended to use porcelain gaiwan? Why not other material?

It depends on your needs, if you just want to simply enjoy a cup of tea, a mug is good enough.

On the other hand, if you want to dive into tea and understand the cause and result, a good porcelain gaiwan is necessary as it gives you the original flavour. Other materials, such as ceramic or zisha tea wares are all expressions of tea that have already been modified.

Glass can also bring out the original flavour. The disadvantage is its rapid thermal conduction. It is fine for a use as pitcher. However, you can easily burn your fingers as the edge of a glass gaiwan will become very hot. So I advise against its use.

If you brew tea with a porcelain gaiwan first and then use other material, you can observe the change from original to altered flavour. It is also good for observing the colour and smelling the aroma of the tea. You will also be able to recognise the characteristics of the tea variety, and the timing when the bitterness and astringency come out in a sharper way. When you receive more messages from the tea, you get much clear understanding and more complete spectrum of tea. It will help you with your brewing skills, sensibility, and percipient choice of tea.

What is the first thing I should consider when I purchase a gaiwan?

The first thing I recommend is to consider is the firing temperature. Try to avoid low-temperature porcelain gaiwan, which are sintered at temperatures between 600 - 900 °C. Because of its low temperature, the glaze layer on the surface of the porcelain body is not fully crystallized so that the porcelain is not very dense. It’s not good for concentrating the tea's fragrance and aroma.

It is better to buy high temperature porcelain, sintered at over 1250 °C. The price is usually higher, but you will be amazed by its performance. It is always good to ask the shop about the sintering temperature before purchasing.

What is a good design for a gaiwan?

The practicality is the most important thing. How comfortable do you feel when you hold it? How smooth do you feel when you use it? Those two key questions determine whether a gaiwan fits you. No matter how nice a gaiwan looks, if it doesn't work well, you won't want to use it.

Capacity
A common size is 120 - 150 ml, which is suitable for general tea brewing. This is about the capacity for 2 to 3 people. However, it is also important to consider the size of your hand, the number of people you are drinking with and the type of tea you are brewing.

For more than four people, you can consider 180 - 200 ml.

If you are drinking by yourself or tasting the tea, you can consider 90 ml capacity.

Knob
The height of the lid / knob should be appropriate. If it is too high, your fingers will get tired; if it is too low, it will get hot or unstable.

Edge
The thinner the edge of the gaiwan, and the wider the gap between the edge of the lid and the bowl, the less hot it will be for your hands.

Shape
Different shapes are suitable for different tea varieties. Longer, narrower gaiwan with rounded bases are better at concentrating aroma. It is suitable for brewing tea that has higher pitch. The shorter, open-mouthed gaiwan with wide, flat bottoms are good for spreading tea leaves. It is suitable for tighter teas, or lower pitch tea. But they are less likely to hold tea aroma. Medium height, standard model, is suitable for all kinds of tea. It is also my personal preference.

How to use a gaiwan? How to hold it and pour tea with it?

Use it as a cup

Hold the tray of the gaiwan firmly with one hand and lift it up. With the other hand, open the lid and smell the aroma of it first, then the aroma of the tea. Then use the lid to remove the tea leaves and sip the tea through the gap between the lid and the bowl.

Adjustment
You can scrape the tea leaves in the bowl to control the strength of the tea, scraping gently will make it lighter, while scraping more will make it thicker.

Use as a tea pot

Warming the gaiwan
You can warm the gaiwan together with the lid to raise the overall temperature of the bowl.

Water filling
The open shape of the bowl makes it easy to fill with water. After warming up the pot with hot water, put the dry tea leaves in, fill the bowl with water until it is about 80% full. If it is too full, it will burn your fingers when you pour out.

The gap when you pour out the tea
If you are new to gaiwan, it’s better to have a fixed method that helps you to observe the variations. A gap of 1 mm is recommended to start with.

If it is too narrow, the tea leaves will come out too slowly. When the tea is steeped for a longer period of time, the rhythm and flavour of it will be affected.

Too wide will cause the tea leaves to flow out.

Once you are more familiar with gaiwan, it will be fun to try different widths of gap to adjust the pace, and thus the flavour of the tea.

Holding the Bowl

Press the lid of the bowl firmly with your index finger. Then use your thumb and middle finger to hold the edge of the bowl.

Pouring
The three joints of the wrist, elbow and shoulder should be coordinated with each other. The shoulders should be relaxed and sink down, and use the rotation of the joints to make the movement smooth and simple.

When I pour the tea, why is the tea soup coming out from the edge of the gaiwan?

It is because there is not enough impulse when the soup comes out. When you see it, increase the angle of tilting the bowl downwards.

How to avoid to burn my finger?

A. When using a gaiwan, your fingers should only touch the knobs, the edge of the bowl and the rim of the bottom of the bowl, which are relatively unheated. Avoid to touch the body. It’s the hottest part of gaiwan.

B. Don’t fill with too much water.
As mentioned above, filling with 80% of water is enough.

Closing words

Gaiwan is not always easy to use for beginners. It takes time to practice until it feels natural and smooth in your hands. However, it would be a pity if you skip gaiwan for this reason. It reveals the true nature of teas, gives you a solid knowledge and understanding of tea, and bring you deeper pleasures. Even if all gaiwans are made of porcelain, because of different clay receipts , sintering temperature and making process, the tea soup will also taste very different. Therefore, it would be nice if you had three or four gaiwans at home to compare to gain multiple perspectives. The process of trying to find the right gaiwan is an interesting journey to get to know tea itself.

I hope you enjoy your way and find the perfect gaiwan for you!