No snooty teaware? No problem!

Appreciating fine tea can easily appear to require specialized equipment, a notion supported by many tea aficionados who not only own and use but also collect gaiwans, kyuusus, yixing pots, and a host of other single-purpose items.

I have been performing experiments with a variety of items found in my own kitchen, and feel I am well on the way to demonstrating the fact that these specialized items, while perfectly fine, are not actually required for the production of a good cup of tea.

Some of my experiments have been somewhat elaborate, such as yesterday's "Crock-Fu" experiment, in which I used a Pyrex measuring cup inside a baby Crock Pot, and covered with a stoneware saucer. These were all pre-heated, and boiling or near-boiling water was over, under, and between every layer to maximize heat the effect of heat conservation:



A less elaborate means toward the same end was employed today when I simply preheated a porcelain 4-ounce cup and ceramic cover, and simply poured the tea into an identical recipient cup when the infusion time had passed. This method also produced fine, drinkable tea:



Pyrex has been working out just fine for green teas, as demonstrated in a previous entry on sencha brewing.

This kind of experimentation may not be... *ahem* your cup of tea, of course. But it's fun to me!