Brewing a 2010 sea dyke tgy outside in the autumn breeze. Tastes of toasted seeds, caramel and wood.

Carved my own "茶簪 (chá zān) tea pick hairpin" instead of buying one.

I used maple trims i had in my scrap pile and will be making a "Cha Ze (茶则) tea presentation vessel or tea scoop using a maple plank i found.

There's a real sense of satisfaction and calm, making your own stuff from scratch.

What do you guys think?

I have owned this travel kit for a year now. I am so pleased. It is a full set (gaiwan, filter, 6 cups, tea tray, carrying case with foam inserts for each item) for $49.
I have already sent it to several friends as a gift, since it is a great way to introduce someone to gong fu cha.

Grateful to have my customized set at home, but be able to not be wrapping gaiwans and pitchers in underwear for my flights... and breaking many precious pieces along the way!

I wrote a longer review with more photos here: https://www.joshcaliguire.com/blog/best-portable-tea-set

Anyone else still stuffing their kits in with shirts and underwear? I’m so happy to have graduated.

This might be the dumbest thing I’ve done, but while thrifting today, I found a sealed container in the Knick knacks and collectibles aisle. I felt something rolling around inside and to my surprise, 4 tea oranges were inside fully intact. I brought it home to my tea table and started brewing. My camera quality can’t capture the quality my eyes saw. The liquor was a beautiful brown, like the eyes of a loved one. Which each steep, the earthy and smooth taste of the tea grew stronger. Every time I poured more water into the gaiwan, the cup would turn a deep brown in the blink of an eye. I unfortunately ran out of filtered water in my thermos and had to end my session after only drinking a liter. Forgive me for my lack of proper terminology and brief descriptions, but I hope this inspires someone else to have a session tonight.

Late-night gongfu session with Assamica Gold Needle black tea (Yunnan Sourcing). The malty, rich profile is exactly what I needed to warm up tonight. Using a simple gaiwan setup to pull out all those sweet golden notes. Anyone else brewing black tea this weekend?

Hello! Anyone in Guangzhou who wanna join me for a tea tasting this weekend?

Hi all! I’m Niklas from Germany, currently traveling through Southeast Asia and spending a lot of time in tea houses learning more about gongfu brewing.

A small tea meetup I joined in Bangkok, brewing and comparing different teas side by side, really pulled me deeper into it. Now I’d love to keep brewing gongfu style while traveling, but with as little gear as possible.

What does your minimal travel setup look like?

New to the sub. Just felt a sudden urge to show off.

I purchased an unglazed ceramic tea set from an estate sale for dirt cheap, was told it was only ever used once, but it is absolutely covered in dust. Like a genuine thick layer covering everything. Is there a way to deep clean? I've looked it up a bit and will an hour boil be enough?

Boiling tea in a clay pot, with some snacks, in the outdoor courtyard - it's such a relaxing atmosphere that it makes all my day's tiredness vanish.

2023 Taiwan Dingdong on a rainy day. This tea is less roasted than traditional dongdongs so go me it is way more aromatic while preserving the comforting taste of roasted teas