Blocking the venting hole may be the most popular method of testing a
zisha teapot, however, the airtightness of a teapot may not be the most
important factor in selecting our teapot.

In the art of preparing Chinese tea, we do not purposefully block the
flow of water by covering the air vent. The blocking of the vent and
the halt of the flow would create a sudden and disruptive impact to the
whole process. The entire process of preparing tea should be smooth
and display a feeling of serenity. Timing should not be controlled
this way.

Then why do we use this test? It tries to measure the level of
craftsmanship--particularily the tightness and tolerance of the teapot.
However, in todays production environment where machinery can be used
to aid in manufacture of teapots, the tolerances can easily be very
high, but without much craftsmanship at all. The most important impact
is that the clay used in wholly machine-manufactured teapots are
inferior.

So what should we look for in a teapot? Well, as long as our tea does
not pour out from under the lid before it even comes out of the spout,
we should consider a few other things.

As many people have mentioned, ergonomics are definitely at the top of
the list. Balance in an instrument creates comfort and useability.
Front, or spout heavy teapots cause strain on the wrist. Other issues
of alignment and basic design help with ergonomics and are generally
common sense, so I won't drag on here.

The most important factor is the quality of the clay. The pureness of
the zisha clay and the proper firing of the clay at adequate
temperatures is what directly affects the flavor of your infusion. The
airtightness and ergonomics can affect your brewing technique, and
subsequently affect your tea. The clay's direct contact with tea,
directly affects the outcome of your brew.

How do you look for good clay? That's another article. Let me know if
you want to read more.

Bill
www.chinaflairtea.com