Though the first gaiwans were developed in the Ming Dynasty, around the same time as the first teapots, the “lidded bowl” never caught on worldwide with the same fervor. Today, the close association between gaiwans and Chinese teas gives them an exotic reputation that can be intimidating for new brewers, but they’re actually a highly practical tool for both everyday brewing and serious tasting. We use gaiwans on a daily basis for tastings in our shop, and recommend them often for newcomers to gong fu cha. Here are five reasons why we love them, and think you will too!

Whether you’re an experienced tea drinker or just getting started, you’ve probably heard some advice about controlling the temperature of your water. But recommended steeping instructions often vary, with differences between styles, vendors, and even individual teas. How can you be sure you’re getting the best flavor in every brew?

A variable temperature kettle is one way to ensure you’re always using the right temperature for the tea you’re brewing, but these complex appliances can be an expensive investment, and don’t pack easily for travel. They’re also a very modern invention - countless generations of tea drinkers have learned to brew tea well without the aid of precise temperature control, and you can too!

In wine tasting, the ultimate test of quality is the lingering flavor that remains on the palate long after the tea has been swallowed. This characteristic is called the ‘finish’, and the longer its subtle complexities linger on the tongue, the better the quality of the wine.

The same concept is easily applied to tea - while many mediocre teas can present a pleasant taste on the front of the tongue, it is only those of truly high quality that leave a delightful lingering finish in the back of the throat. In Chinese, tea drinkers often call this quality the hui gan, or ‘returning sweetness’. But as with many other Chinese tea terms, the specific translation of this phrase is debatable. What does it taste like? Does every tea have it in varying degrees, or is it only found in certain tea types? How is it different from what we call the ‘finish’ in English?

There are many variables that contribute to the flavor of tea in your cup, but one of the most commonly overlooked is the quality of water. As brewed tea is made up of nearly 99% water, this primary ingredient definitely deserves some consideration.

Thanks in part to highly lauded health benefits, the popularity of green tea has exploded worldwide. Backed by promises of weight loss, anti-aging capabilities, and the novelty of a natural bright green color, green tea has become a trending ingredient in everything from cookies and cakes to lattes and protein shakes. But few of these concoctions gives center stage to the green tea itself, instead blending (often powdered) leaves with fillers, sweeteners, or other strong flavors to mask the inherent bitterness of mass-produced teas.

Troubleshoot bitter tea flavors with these brewing tips >>

Unfortunately, the small quantities used for subtle green tea flavor are rarely enough to offer the promised benefits, and the quantity of butter and sugar in a green tea cookie will more than offset the metabolism-boosting effects of the powdered tea that makes it green. To get the most from any green tea, it must be a regular habit, drunk without added flavors or sweeteners. Luckily, this doesn't mean you have to choke down a bitter brew. Find green teas that taste good naturally by asking about these flavor factors:

In China, tea is brewed for even the slightest social occasion. Family, friends, and business partners are all welcomed with a small cup of tea, which will be sipped and refilled throughout the conversation with multiple infusions from a single small pot, packed full of tea leaves. In a similar way, tea took on a central role in social lives in Europe as an alternative to alcohol, and an acceptable social beverage for women. Afternoon tea quickly became a cultural institution designed to facilitate social gathering. If you’re looking for new ways to bring people together, tea has a proven track record.

Today, the incredible array of tea available from across the world means there is no end to tasting opportunities, but solo analysis often falls flat. Even a single tasting companion with different flavor associations can expand your understanding of any given tea. If you’ve recently fallen in love with tea, sharing your new passion with friends can unlock a whole new appreciation. No matter what the context of your tea tasting, these general guidelines will give you an idea of what to plan for.

Small brewing vessels and tasting cups are an iconic part of the Chinese method of brewing tea called gong fu cha. For devotees of traditional Chinese teas, the process of brewing and tasting several infusions in small cups can be a personal moment to refresh, or a way to showcase and share the tea they love with others. But for tea drinkers familiar with western traditions, the diminutive scale and elaborate-looking process of gong fu cha often seem impractical.

If you’ve never tried your hand at the Chinese method, rest assured that it does not need to be complicated. Reduce gong fu cha to its simplest form by using only a pot and single cup of matching size. Add tea leaves to the pot, followed by hot water, and decant your brew into the cup. Despite the lack of ceremony, this minimal process will help you brew and appreciate a better cup of tea in the following three ways:

To those unfamiliar with the vast array of fine teas from around the world, the range and subtlety of tea flavors can be overwhelming and intimidating. As with fine wines, written tasting notes describing subjective flavor comparisons are often too poetic to be believable, and regularly fail to accurately describe the personal experience of the average tea drinker. Does that tea really taste like creme brulee or fresh papaya to anyone but the most talented tasters?

Luckily, there is no wrong way to taste tea. Each taster’s palate is shaped by a unique combination of experiences and priorities, and no two people are likely to have exactly the same impression of any tea. Even minimal experience is usually enough to create a personal definition of “good” and “bad” tea, and for most tea drinkers, this is enough. But for those who would like to train their palate and deepen their appreciation of flavor complexity, here are a few simple techniques to practice when tasting.