Internet Pots

I recently had a conversation about teapots - "Internet pots", in particular. Aware that I have been singing the praises of the "non-Internet" pot for a while, I think that a few words are very much in order to redress the balance. Some of my best pots were obtained from Internet vendors, and I'd very much like to give them their due acclaim.

Specifically, from the old photograph below, pot #8 and pot #12 really are exceedingly good. (Iwii and Vlad may recognise #5 as "The Donkey".)

Here's why #8 and #12 are worth further attention...



Pot #12 is from Yunnan Sourcing, where it was priced at about $30. You might recognise it from the Half-Dipper banner at the top of the page - it's very photogenic:


This pot has provided a year-and-a-half of fine service, and is aging very well indeed. I'm fairly sure that Salsero owns one too, no less. It is made of quite light clay, but is very porous, and brews a lovely heavily-roasted wulong. It enriches the dark notes, and takes away any bitter edge that I otherwise obtain from brewing the same tea in a gaiwan. Furthermore, the wonderful texture of the skin holds the hot tea-rinses very well, and has developed a beautiful shine. I thoroughly recommend it.

For reasons that become obvious when you see it pour, my mother, during a visit last year, named it "Little Boy's Willy" (for "willy" read "peepee" if you're reading from the USA).


Pot #8 is a "Xishi" pot, from Teamasters, where it sold for around $50. Stories abound why this slightly erotic teapot style should be named after the famous Chinese beauty:


Again, while made of fairly light clay, the fit between lid and pot is absolutely perfect, and the skin is a joy to caress. Over the past 1-2 years, it has become richer and shinier with use, and pours magnificently: the pour is so precise, that it is like turning a tap on and off instantaneously. It makes a superb hongcha, amplifying the malty darkness, and smoothing out any nervous high-notes. I drink a great deal of hongcha in my office (in a gaiwan), and it never tastes as good as the same tea brewed at home with my Xishi.

So, then, two very good pots, at very reasonable prices, and easily obtainable. In the spirit of the occasion, I'd very much like to hear of any success stories that you have encountered - it's an absolute certainty that there are plenty of fine pots that I have yet to discover, and I welcome your guidance in unearthing them.