Hello all. Happy Holidays.

I received a Yixing (well, Chinese clay) pot for Christmas, and I'd like to
hear your collected wisdom on seasoning it. I plan to use it for oolongs.

I've read some contradictory advice on the web, so I thought I'd ask. Most
seem to advocate boiling the pot in filtered water (some suggest weak tea),
but others only suggest a scrub and a rinse.

What's the collected wisdom here?

Thanks,
Dean

DPM wrote:
> Hello all. Happy Holidays.
>
> I received a Yixing (well, Chinese clay) pot for Christmas, and I'd like to
> hear your collected wisdom on seasoning it. I plan to use it for oolongs.
>
> I've read some contradictory advice on the web, so I thought I'd ask. Most
> seem to advocate boiling the pot in filtered water (some suggest weak tea),
> but others only suggest a scrub and a rinse.
>
> What's the collected wisdom here?
>
> Thanks,
> Dean

oof. this one always stirs up some conflict... but in the interest of
being helpful I'll bite. I get a large pot, fill it with water, heat it
up to medium heat and get a decent low boil, then add a tea of the same
type I plan on brewing in it and let the pot "cook" for a bit. Then I
take it out and rinse it with warm/hot water and make sure there is no
residue or clay bits left. dry it well, set it to cool, and then get
ready to use it.

HTH
- Dominic

DPM schrieb:

> I've read some contradictory advice on the web, so I thought I'd ask.
Hehe, this esteemed group doesn´t get tired of taking the meaning of
"contradiction" to a whole new level.

Most of my small mediocre Yixings have been cured Taiwanese style.
Cooking, freezing, cooking, freezing, ad nauseum, at least 5 cycles. I
lost one pot in the process, but I guess I would have broken at some
point in time anyway.
The funny thing about the last couple pots I cured this way is that I
did it in a street kitchen in Yangshou. I paid the owner a couple Yuan
to use his fireplace and freezer and went about my business. Happily no
crowds at that time, just one very bamboozled owner and a mad adept of
the dark sciences.

Karsten [Ossi blend-cream-rock sugar]

freezing? never heard that one

Taiwanese style [forgot the link]. Supposed to break up loose parts in
micro cavities. Works with larger parts as well

Zarky Zork schrieb:

> freezing? never heard that one

If it's a never-used pot, I boil it twice. The first time without any
tea leaf, and the second with tea leaves. Pretty much the same way as
Dominic suggested above. I usually use a soft baby bottle brush to
clean the inside of any residue before and after the first boil
(without tea leaves).

If it's a used pot that I want to clean thoroughly, I just use a soft
brush to clean inside and out, and then boil it with or without tea
leaves, depending on whether I know what tea it was used for by the
previous owner or not.

Lots of different ways to season your Yixing...sounds like it's your
first Yixing. If so, congrats!

- Phyll


DPM wrote:
> Hello all. Happy Holidays.
>
> I received a Yixing (well, Chinese clay) pot for Christmas, and I'd like to
> hear your collected wisdom on seasoning it. I plan to use it for oolongs.
>
> I've read some contradictory advice on the web, so I thought I'd ask. Most
> seem to advocate boiling the pot in filtered water (some suggest weak tea),
> but others only suggest a scrub and a rinse.
>
> What's the collected wisdom here?
>
> Thanks,
> Dean

DPMKABkh.6934$dw6.2865@trndny0212/27/06

> Hello all. Happy Holidays.
>
> I received a Yixing (well, Chinese clay) pot for Christmas, and I'd like to
> hear your collected wisdom on seasoning it. I plan to use it for oolongs.
>
> I've read some contradictory advice on the web, so I thought I'd ask. Most
> seem to advocate boiling the pot in filtered water (some suggest weak tea),
> but others only suggest a scrub and a rinse.
>
> What's the collected wisdom here?
>
> Thanks,
> Dean

Hi Dean,

The collective wisdom of our group will obfuscate
and confuse the issue grandly as we happily contradict
each other in deference to our respective tea masters.

You want to remove clay particles from the interior
of the pot and that means scrubbing and boiling
(gently please) for some time and a couple times.
I've never understood at all the need to soak or
heat a YiXing pot in tea since the natural process
of using it regularly will take care of it. Here's
what I do, and you take it for what it's worth:

I boil and scrub once or twice. Then I brew
tea in it. During the brewing and steeping, I often
pour some of the tea I'm drinking over the pot
as it steeps. Also, I overflow the pot when I
pour so the tea within cascades over the sides.
Further, when finished, I take a soft cloth and
wipe down the pot's exterior surface. I also
watch that a part of the pot does not remain
habitually wetter than other parts such as below
the spout where a heavier dark stain can happen.

Having said that, others will speak of boiling,
freezing, fretting, and jostling, but I can't imagine
that a hundred years ago anyone bothered.

Most important: Dedicate your pot to a particular
type of tea. That is rule number one.

Michael

I season any pot by using it. Any surface clay,glass,SS,porcelain will
develop a patina in no time. Maybe with clay you scour the surface
with scrubbing so the patina adheres better initially. But with enough
time I think just ordinary use takes care of the problem. I like the
tea taste from a fresh raw clay pot.

Jim

DPM wrote:
> Hello all. Happy Holidays.
>
> I received a Yixing (well, Chinese clay) pot for Christmas, and I'd like to
> hear your collected wisdom on seasoning it. I plan to use it for oolongs.
>
> I've read some contradictory advice on the web, so I thought I'd ask. Most
> seem to advocate boiling the pot in filtered water (some suggest weak tea),
> but others only suggest a scrub and a rinse.
>
> What's the collected wisdom here?
>
> Thanks,
> Dean

Space Cowboy wrote:
> I season any pot by using it. Any surface clay,glass,SS,porcelain will
> develop a patina in no time. Maybe with clay you scour the surface
> with scrubbing so the patina adheres better initially. But with enough
> time I think just ordinary use takes care of the problem. I like the
> tea taste from a fresh raw clay pot.

I'm with you on this one Jim. I have began to raise some pots in this
same method, and sometimes just taking a small bit of the tea and
letting it brew in the pot for an hour or so then discarding the tea
and water. With the new pot I brought back for my brother to use from
China, I actually boiled it as most people recommend but I cannot
really see any difference in flavor of the tea or quality of the
interior of the pot. I don't think I have ever scrubbed the inside of
a pot before.

Although, one thing for sure is, make sure you turn the pot over to dry
after you use it.

Mydnight:
> Although, one thing for sure is, make sure you turn the pot over to dry
> after you use it.

I raise a pot by steeping the spent leaves for a few minutes and
pouring the tea out into a warmed up fair pitcher. After the leaves
are out of the teapot, then I use the still-hot tea to rinse the inside
and out of the pot, and then I use a boar's fur brush on the warm
exterior, which dries it immediately (inside still wet). I let the pot
sit upright and the place the lid upside down to air dry.

The main idea is to coat the entire pot with tea after each use.

Phyll


Mydnight wrote:
> Space Cowboy wrote:
> > I season any pot by using it. Any surface clay,glass,SS,porcelain will
> > develop a patina in no time. Maybe with clay you scour the surface
> > with scrubbing so the patina adheres better initially. But with enough
> > time I think just ordinary use takes care of the problem. I like the
> > tea taste from a fresh raw clay pot.
>
> I'm with you on this one Jim. I have began to raise some pots in this
> same method, and sometimes just taking a small bit of the tea and
> letting it brew in the pot for an hour or so then discarding the tea
> and water. With the new pot I brought back for my brother to use from
> China, I actually boiled it as most people recommend but I cannot
> really see any difference in flavor of the tea or quality of the
> interior of the pot. I don't think I have ever scrubbed the inside of
> a pot before.
>
> Although, one thing for sure is, make sure you turn the pot over to dry
> after you use it.

Well, folks, I think Michael was right: everyone has their own method.

Thanks for your advice. I'll do a bit of scrub-'n-boil, and then start
brewing.

Thanks again,
Dean

Happy New Year, all!


"DPM" > wrote in message news:KABkh.6934$dw6.2865@trndny02...
> Hello all. Happy Holidays.
>
> I received a Yixing (well, Chinese clay) pot for Christmas, and I'd like
> to hear your collected wisdom on seasoning it. I plan to use it for
> oolongs.
>
> I've read some contradictory advice on the web, so I thought I'd ask.
> Most seem to advocate boiling the pot in filtered water (some suggest weak
> tea), but others only suggest a scrub and a rinse.
>
> What's the collected wisdom here?
>
> Thanks,
> Dean
>
>
>
>

I don't know that you need to boil, unless the maker has used chemical
dyes in the clay which must be boiled out to make the clay safe. It is
a custom, though, which many practice. However there is a risk in
boiling that loose miniscule particles of clay could get lodged in the
pores of the teapot, or so I hear. It makes sense to me; the pots that
I have which I haven't boiled seem to 'breathe' better. Stephane of
Teamasters, and my personal experience suggest that with a pure yixing
clay teapot you don't need to do more than scrub (no soap) out any clay
particles then rinse with hot, then cold, water up to four times to get
the clay smell out. If the clay smell persists then you probably have
a lower quality yixing pot, in which case I sometimes will steep a
gonfu infusion of a tea type for 30 minutes in the pot. This usually
cures it. Some pots need additional curing: use as a pitcher for tea
that you brew in a gaiwan. I just did this with a pot I got and was
amazed at how the quality of the infusions changed--from being too
tannic and bright to floral and mellow as the clay cured. It took
about 5 infusions of tea after an initial 30 minute curing. This pot
in particular I think was boiled for 30 minutes by the vendor before
they shipped it to me.

Good luck!


DPM wrote:
> Well, folks, I think Michael was right: everyone has their own method.
>
> Thanks for your advice. I'll do a bit of scrub-'n-boil, and then start
> brewing.
>
> Thanks again,
> Dean
>
> Happy New Year, all!
>

Danica wrote:
> I don't know that you need to boil, unless the maker has used chemical
> dyes in the clay which must be boiled out to make the clay safe. It is
> a custom, though, which many practice. However there is a risk in
> boiling that loose miniscule particles of clay could get lodged in the
> pores of the teapot, or so I hear. It makes sense to me; the pots that
> I have which I haven't boiled seem to 'breathe' better. Stephane of
> Teamasters, and my personal experience suggest that with a pure yixing
> clay teapot you don't need to do more than scrub (no soap) out any clay
> particles then rinse with hot, then cold, water up to four times to get
> the clay smell out. If the clay smell persists then you probably have
> a lower quality yixing pot, in which case I sometimes will steep a
> gonfu infusion of a tea type for 30 minutes in the pot. This usually
> cures it. Some pots need additional curing: use as a pitcher for tea
> that you brew in a gaiwan. I just did this with a pot I got and was
> amazed at how the quality of the infusions changed--from being too
> tannic and bright to floral and mellow as the clay cured. It took
> about 5 infusions of tea after an initial 30 minute curing. This pot
> in particular I think was boiled for 30 minutes by the vendor before
> they shipped it to me.
>
> Good luck!

No offense, and not trying to start drama... but isn't doesn't that
basically contradict itself. "You don't need to boil the pot, but you
do need to scrub and rinse 4 times with hot/cold... and then brew some
tea... if it tastes like clay, *then* boil it with tea"

It doesn't affect the pores, as the pot would be used like this
thousands of times over its life. I just cut out the "what-if" scenario
and brush out the pot, boil it with some of the same type of tea, and
then rinse it, wipe it out well and dry it. All I've done is cut out a
few steps and ensure I'm not wasting any brews after the first.

Dunno, its all up to each individual...

> No offense, and not trying to start drama... but isn't doesn't that
> basically contradict itself. "You don't need to boil the pot, but you
> do need to scrub and rinse 4 times with hot/cold... and then brew some
> tea... if it tastes like clay, *then* boil it with tea"

Personally I find it really annoying and time consuming to boil a pot,
and if I don't have to I wont. I'm glad that the higher quality pots I
have don't require it.

> It doesn't affect the pores, as the pot would be used like this
> thousands of times over its life. I just cut out the "what-if" scenario
> and brush out the pot, boil it with some of the same type of tea, and
> then rinse it, wipe it out well and dry it. All I've done is cut out a
> few steps and ensure I'm not wasting any brews after the first.

This I cannot say as I am not a scientist, but I can imagine that
subjecting a porous pot to a rolling boil could compromise its
pores--any violent heating with pressure potentially could affect them.
I would definitely use filtered water not tap water if I was boiling,
to make sure the water was clean as possible. I like using tea leaves
too, I do believe it improves the flavor. But I'm not an expert, I'm
just a tea drinker who is a novice on a very long road...

> Dunno, its all up to each individual...

Yep.

Dominic,

It seems that the outside of my pot was treated in some way, because when I
boiled it a scum of some sort formed on the surface of the water, and it has
an odd perfumey scent. The outer surface has a slippery, waxy feel.

I'm inclined to give up on actually using it for brewing, because I don't
trust that whatever it was treated with not to be toxic, and the smell is
off-putting in any case, and bound to interfere with the tea.

Has anyone else experienced this? The pot was purchased at a B&M store
called"Teavana".

Regards,
Dean

"Dominic T." > wrote in message
ps.com...
>
> Danica wrote:
>> I don't know that you need to boil, unless the maker has used chemical
>> dyes in the clay which must be boiled out to make the clay safe. It is
>> a custom, though, which many practice. However there is a risk in
>> boiling that loose miniscule particles of clay could get lodged in the
>> pores of the teapot, or so I hear. It makes sense to me; the pots that
>> I have which I haven't boiled seem to 'breathe' better. Stephane of
>> Teamasters, and my personal experience suggest that with a pure yixing
>> clay teapot you don't need to do more than scrub (no soap) out any clay
>> particles then rinse with hot, then cold, water up to four times to get
>> the clay smell out. If the clay smell persists then you probably have
>> a lower quality yixing pot, in which case I sometimes will steep a
>> gonfu infusion of a tea type for 30 minutes in the pot. This usually
>> cures it. Some pots need additional curing: use as a pitcher for tea
>> that you brew in a gaiwan. I just did this with a pot I got and was
>> amazed at how the quality of the infusions changed--from being too
>> tannic and bright to floral and mellow as the clay cured. It took
>> about 5 infusions of tea after an initial 30 minute curing. This pot
>> in particular I think was boiled for 30 minutes by the vendor before
>> they shipped it to me.
>>
>> Good luck!
>
> No offense, and not trying to start drama... but isn't doesn't that
> basically contradict itself. "You don't need to boil the pot, but you
> do need to scrub and rinse 4 times with hot/cold... and then brew some
> tea... if it tastes like clay, *then* boil it with tea"
>
> It doesn't affect the pores, as the pot would be used like this
> thousands of times over its life. I just cut out the "what-if" scenario
> and brush out the pot, boil it with some of the same type of tea, and
> then rinse it, wipe it out well and dry it. All I've done is cut out a
> few steps and ensure I'm not wasting any brews after the first.
>
> Dunno, its all up to each individual...
>

> Has anyone else experienced this? The pot was purchased at a B&M store
> called"Teavana".

Not that I have ever bought any Yixing from Teavana (there is one
located in a nearby shopping mall), but the quality of the pots they
bill as "Yixing" are sad and costs too much. Can you still return it?


DPM wrote:
> Dominic,
>
> It seems that the outside of my pot was treated in some way, because when I
> boiled it a scum of some sort formed on the surface of the water, and it has
> an odd perfumey scent. The outer surface has a slippery, waxy feel.
>
> I'm inclined to give up on actually using it for brewing, because I don't
> trust that whatever it was treated with not to be toxic, and the smell is
> off-putting in any case, and bound to interfere with the tea.
>
> Has anyone else experienced this? The pot was purchased at a B&M store
> called"Teavana".
>
> Regards,
> Dean
>
> "Dominic T." > wrote in message
> ps.com...
> >
> > Danica wrote:
> >> I don't know that you need to boil, unless the maker has used chemical
> >> dyes in the clay which must be boiled out to make the clay safe. It is
> >> a custom, though, which many practice. However there is a risk in
> >> boiling that loose miniscule particles of clay could get lodged in the
> >> pores of the teapot, or so I hear. It makes sense to me; the pots that
> >> I have which I haven't boiled seem to 'breathe' better. Stephane of
> >> Teamasters, and my personal experience suggest that with a pure yixing
> >> clay teapot you don't need to do more than scrub (no soap) out any clay
> >> particles then rinse with hot, then cold, water up to four times to get
> >> the clay smell out. If the clay smell persists then you probably have
> >> a lower quality yixing pot, in which case I sometimes will steep a
> >> gonfu infusion of a tea type for 30 minutes in the pot. This usually
> >> cures it. Some pots need additional curing: use as a pitcher for tea
> >> that you brew in a gaiwan. I just did this with a pot I got and was
> >> amazed at how the quality of the infusions changed--from being too
> >> tannic and bright to floral and mellow as the clay cured. It took
> >> about 5 infusions of tea after an initial 30 minute curing. This pot
> >> in particular I think was boiled for 30 minutes by the vendor before
> >> they shipped it to me.
> >>
> >> Good luck!
> >
> > No offense, and not trying to start drama... but isn't doesn't that
> > basically contradict itself. "You don't need to boil the pot, but you
> > do need to scrub and rinse 4 times with hot/cold... and then brew some
> > tea... if it tastes like clay, *then* boil it with tea"
> >
> > It doesn't affect the pores, as the pot would be used like this
> > thousands of times over its life. I just cut out the "what-if" scenario
> > and brush out the pot, boil it with some of the same type of tea, and
> > then rinse it, wipe it out well and dry it. All I've done is cut out a
> > few steps and ensure I'm not wasting any brews after the first.
> >
> > Dunno, its all up to each individual...
> >