How to use a Gaiwan

A gaiwan is a lidded vessel that is often used in brewing gongfu cha. It's our tool of choice when brewing loose-leaf tea.

While it isn't hard to use, it does take a little practice and a word of warning: you may also get burned a little as you're dealing with hot/boiling water here so please be careful. However, once mastered, you won't want to brew tea any other way.

Here's a basic guide on brewing with a gaiwan:

1. Tea leaves into the vessel. Pour in water.

2. Use the lid to swirl water and leaves.

3. Pop the lid onto the vessel and let tea steep (Check out the Tea Angle Brew Guide for steeping times).

4. Leave a little gap between the lid and vessel. Hold the gaiwan with your thumb and middle finger and secure the lid using your index finger.  

5. Ensure that you have a good hold on the lid and vessel and pour the tea into the tea cups.

6. Don't forget to stop and appreciate the aroma of the tea before drinking. This can be done using the gaiwan lid.

And that in a nutshell is how you brew tea using a gaiwan. 

Click here to explore our tea collection

Click here to find out more about brewing the Gongfu Cha way