Tea vessels & tools
Teaware
25 essential vessels and tools of serious tea practice, from the Chinese gaiwan and Yixing pot to the Japanese chawan, chasen and chashaku. Each entry covers materials, history, how to use it, and what to look for when buying.
Brewing vessels
Pots, gaiwans, and brewing bowls
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Gaiwan
A three-piece lidded brewing bowl consisting of saucer, bowl, and lid.
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Yixing Teapot
Unglazed purple clay teapot from Yixing, Jiangsu, prized for absorbing tea oils over time.
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Kyusu
Side-handled Japanese teapot with an integrated mesh strainer for loose-leaf green tea.
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Houhin
Handle-less Japanese brewing vessel designed for the very low temperatures used with gyokuro.
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Shiboridashi
A shallow, handle-less brewing dish used to wring the maximum flavor from the highest-grade gyokuro.
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Glass Teapot
Heat-resistant clear teapot designed to showcase leaf unfurling and liquor color.
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Samovar
A heated metal urn that supplies hot water alongside a concentrate of strong tea in a small pot perched on top.
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Western Ceramic Teapot
The classic Western-style teapot with a top handle and front spout, exemplified by the Brown Betty.
Drinking vessels
Cups, bowls, and sippers
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Chawan
The wide, deep tea bowl used for preparing and drinking whisked matcha.
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Pinming Cup
The small tasting cup used in Chinese gongfu tea service.
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Wenxiang Cup
A tall narrow aroma cup used in pairs with a pinming cup to appreciate fragrance separately from flavor.
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Korean Dawan
The Korean tea bowl, ancestor of the Japanese Ido chawan and central to Korean darye tea practice.
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Western Teacup
The standard handled cup with matching saucer, the iconic form of British and European tea service.
Service vessels
Pitchers, trays, strainers
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Gongdaobei
The fairness pitcher that decants brewed tea from the pot so each cup receives equal strength.
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Tea Tray
A drainage tray that catches water from rinses, overflows, and warming pours during gongfu sessions.
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Tea Boat
A small dish or trivet that sits under a teapot or gaiwan to catch drips and water poured over the pot.
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Tea Strainer
A mesh filter held over the cup or pitcher to catch loose leaf and broken particles.
Matcha tools
Whisks, scoops, caddies for ceremonial matcha
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Chasen
The bamboo whisk used to froth matcha in a chawan.
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Chashaku
A long thin bamboo scoop used to measure matcha into the chawan.
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Natsume
The lacquered wooden tea caddy used to hold matcha for thin tea (usucha).
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Chaire
The ceramic tea caddy used for thick tea (koicha), traditionally stored inside a silk shifuku pouch.
Storage
Tins, caddies, and aging jars
Accessories
Picks, towels, tea pets
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Tea Pet
A small unglazed clay figurine kept on the tea tray and fed with leftover tea during brewing sessions.
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Tea Pick
A pointed tool for breaking apart compressed puerh cakes, bricks, and tuocha.
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Tea Towel
A small absorbent cloth used to wipe the rim of teapots, dry cups, and clean the working surface.