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Lin Ceramics – High Quality Chinese Tea Sets and Other Chinese Tea Ware

History of Lin Ceramics

Starting out small, at the advent of the 1980’s tea culture revival in Taiwan, Lin’s Ceramics was established in 1983.  What made their brand of tea ware stand out from many others was their belief that in order to establish high quality tea ware it was necessary to utilize their cultural knowledge and understanding of all aspects of the tea culture, in designing simple daily utensils with specific types of tea in mind. The result; an absolutely breathtaking selection of some of the finest and highest quality Chinese tea ware available.

From their initial single pot design, they branched out into complete tea sets and a comprehensive range of tea accessories. Early Lin Ceramics, pioneered by founder, Lin Guorong are clearly differentiated from tea ware made in the early 2000’s, by the signatures impressed into each piece of tea ware.  By the mid 2000’s, it is estimated that over 80% of tea houses in Taiwan were using Lin tea ware.  Today, they have stores throughout mainland China and Taiwan.

What has made Lin Ceramics so popular? Creative and artistic design, practicality, a deep knowledge of tea and best brewing practices and a desire to make tea ware that can be easily integrated into everyday lives, both at home and at the office.  They suggest using different types of tea ware for preparing and drinking different types of teas – this, along with the extremely creative, beautiful design, has made their tea ware some of the most sought after, high-end products of this type currently available.

Quality of Lin Ceramic Tea Ware

Aside from the professional design, the actual quality of this tea ware is definitely a cut above much of the other Chinese tea sets and tea ware currently available. All of the clay and other materials used in making the tea ware are of very high grade. The clay is mixed carefully and each piece is individually shaped by one of the many talented craftspeople in their employ. While much of the cheaper teaware available on the market today is mass-produced, each piece made by Lin Ceramics can be thought of as a piece of art more than merely a tea cup. Once the piece is shaped, natural mineral or plant glazes are applied.  Great care is then taken with the next stage – firing the products, sometimes up to three times in order

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Yixing Teapots — Tips on Their Use

First of all, what exactly is a Yixing Tea Pot? It is a clay teapot made with clay originally from the Eastern province of Yixing in China. During the mid 1500’s a monk from the region began hand crafting tea pots from this particular clay.  Being very elegant and high quality, these became favourites among scholars and other influential people in China and were much sought after. Today, most of the teapots are made in  Dingshan  — which is part of the Yixing area.

There are several reasons why these teapots are so popular. Many, especially those made hundreds of years ago, are considered national treasures. Hand made teapots are usually more expensive than those that are mass produced using a mould. Other factors determining price include the artist who crafted the teapot, the design, age and the type of clay used. Very much a tea collectors item, they are also very good reasons for choosing a Yixing teapot for brewing especially oolong or black tea.

During the steeping process, amounts of the tea seep into the porous clay so that eventually, with use, a film coats the inside of the teapot which helps to retain both the taste and even the colour of the tea as well. For this reason it is usually recommended that only one type of tea is brewed with each teapot, as eventually it will enhance the flavour of the tea even more.  This is why you may well see many small Yixing teapots on display when sharing a cup of tea with a dedicated loose leaf tea drinker.

There are standard types of teapots, such as the one shown at the top of this post, and there are more highly decorative types such as the one you can see to the right of this paragraph.  You can also find Yixing drinking cups and other ornamental items — though the tea pot is perhaps the most famous and widely known item made from Yixing clay.

Is Shape Important?

Yes, shape can be an important consideration. The main thing is that the water is able to circulate freely around the tea leaves. For this reason, the cauldron shaped teapot is a favourite and you really won’t go wrong in buying one of this shape.

Other Considerations

You may want to make sure that the lid of the teapot fits snug onto the top of the teapot. Some of

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Portable Tea Infusers – A Handy Alternative To The Teapot Infuser

Portable Infusers

Just recently I have been experimenting quite a bit with a couple of different portable infusers, which while very popular in other countries are not that easy to find here in Australia.  Consequently, we are trying out different portable tea infusers so we can get a good idea of which ones to import and sell.  So far we have a couple that are in the running, a selection of glass portable infusers and a very nice metal portable infuser made from brushed stainless steel.

While they appear to have more of a golden glow in this picture, unfortunately that is because of the limitations of the lighting in our kitchen in late afternoon and our camera.  Actually the stainless steel sections are grey not golden — but at least this gives you a fairly good idea of what they look like in general.

They are definitely very handy items to have on hand, great because they are very portable, enabling you to brew tea on the run, in the car, while at work, on holiday etc. without having to take an entire tea set with you. They are made so that you can drink out of the bottom section of the infusers if you want to, meaning that you do not even need to take a tea cup or mug with you — this (and your loose leaf tea of course) is really all that you need, providing you have access to hot water. You can even make your tea in advance and because of the nature of the infusers they will keep your tea warm for you for a while.

Open Infuser

How To Use A Portable Infuser

They are very simple and easy to use.  The infusers unscrew into three separate parts. The top section is the lid.  The next section has a metal infuser at the bottom. This is where you place your tea. Finally the larger bottom section is where you pour in your hot water.  Once the tea leaves and water are in their respective sections, you screw the infuser back together and then reverse it so the infuser with the tea leaves is sitting on the table. The water pours into this section and very effectively brews your tea.  After a few minutes–depending on the type of tea you are making–you can turn it back the other

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Teapots With Infusers: When To Use Them

Photo By: Rob Chant

If you look at the variety of different glass teapots, ceramic teapots or metal teapots available you will find many come with an infuser. Oftentimes the teapot is designed so that the infuser can actually lift out of the teapot if you like. Why would you want to invest in a teapot with infuser and when would you use it?

What the Tea Infuser Teapot Is Useful For

Many people prefer not to have tea leaves swirling around in their cup of tea. This is especially true for those who drink loose leaf tea as the leaves, when unfurled, can oftentimes take up a lot of space inside the teapot. It is also quite a bother if they get stuck in the spout of a teapot as, unless you have the right accessories, they can be quite difficult to dislodge. This is where the teapot infuser comes in very handy.

Photo By: Lucius Kwok — Loose Leaf Tea in a Teapot Without An Infuser

How To Use The Teapot With Infuser

They are very simple to use. All you need do it put the same amount of tea leaves in the actual infuser that you would have placed directly into the teapot. Pour boiling or just boiled water–depending on the type of tea you are drinking–over the tea leaves and allow it to brew as you normally would. The water will mingle freely with the tea leaves and you will have a nicely brewed pot of tea usually within minutes.

 

One thing that some people can tend to do is pack the infuser too tightly with tea leaves. This will not make for a better cup of tea. Instead, the water will not be able to freely mix around the tea leaves and you may well end up with a weaker tea than you  would have had you packed the tea leaves less tightly. In summary, usually you need to place the same amount of tea that you normally would for the amount of cups you will be pouring.

 

Another thing to determine before buying your infuser teapot is that the infuser is actually large enough for the teapot. This is not normally a problem when the teapot is sold with the infuser, but I have seen problems when people buy an infuser to use

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What To Look For When Buying Glass Teapots

I love watching a blooming tea expand in a glass teapot. I am also fascinated when I see the loose leaf teas unfurl while brewing. One of my main problems is deciding which type of glass tea pot to choose as there are so many options to choose from. If you are thinking about buying one, here are a few things to keep in mind as not all glass teapots are the same quality and even though one particular design may look great you will want it to also brew a fantastic cup of tea and be easy to use and clean. You may also find the best teapots for sale wherever you buy tea from.

The best glass teapots are made from high quality borosilicate glass, just as Pyrex kitchenware in Europe is.  (Not all Pyrex is made from borosilicate though–in the US it is made from soda lime glass instead.) This glass is heat resistant, and while lightweight it is also very durable. Most of the teapots made from this glass are crystal clear however you can find some beautiful amber coloured glass teapots as well. Because they are made from borosilicate glass they are safe to use to brew tea and they are generally dishwasher safe as well. Some caution may be needed if the dry heat in your dishwasher is extremely high–but in general they are safe to use in most home and commercial dish washers. I would only recommend buying teapots made from top quality borosilicate glass–it should be clearly labelled as being made from this material.

What Style Of Glass Teapot Is Best?

Now, that is out of the way we can talk about what else you should look for when purchasing a teapot. What style of glass teapot is best? It really depends on your personal preferences and the type of tea you are planning on brewing. If you want to show off your blooming tea you will probably want to look for a teapot that is either tall–so the flower can expand up, or fairly rotund leaving lots of room for expansion inside the teapot.  If you love loose leaf teas you may want to opt for a glass teapot with infuser. Tea leaves are popped into the tea infuser and boiled water is poured on the leaves. The tea brews nicely but you do not have to worry about tea

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