Chinese Teapots

The Yixing teapot is made of clay from near the town of Yixing in the eastern province of Jiangsu, China. The unglazed porous clay, also known as Zisha (紫砂 "purple clay"), has excellent heat retaining properties, making Yixing teapots the best brewing vessels for Chinese black, Oolong and Pu Erh teas. Here we offer a variety of popular shapes and styles that are perfect for use in Gongfu tea ceremonies.

Made of red clay from the Phoenix Mountains of Chaozhou in Guangdong province, Chaozhou teapots can be even more porous than Yixing teapots, and tend to be smaller with thinner walls. Naturally, these teapots pair perfectly with Phoenix Mountain Dan Cong Oolongs as well as other lightly roasted teas.

Nixing pottery from Qinzhou, Guangxi province, in southern China, has a history going back 1300 years. Made of a mixture of clays from the banks of the Qinjiang river, Nixing wares are typically baked unglazed at high temperatures to a characteristic deep brown colour and then polished to reveal an incredibly smooth surface. Teapots made of Nixing clay are slightly porous, but less so than Yixing ones, and may be used to brew all kinds of Chinese tea.

A must-have for all Chinese tea lovers, the classic porcelain Gaiwan (lit. 'lidded bowl') is the brewing vessel of choice for long leaf teas like Oolong, Pu Erh, White and Green teas. Gaiwan make for exceptionally fragrant infusions owing to their curved shape and open design that amplifies the aroma.