Caring for Teaware: Everyday Upkeep for Gaiwans, Yixing Teapots, and Cups

Teaware is something you touch every day. A gaiwan used for five years, or a small teapot that has brewed ripe pu'er a thousand times over, carries its owner's habits. Caring for teaware doesn't take elaborate rituals. Stick to a few principles: clean up right after use, dry everything thoroughly, and keep detergent scents away. Your teaware will last a long time, and the tea you brew will taste clean.

Every Day: After Brewing

1. Empty the spent leaves: Tip out the leaves as soon as you finish brewing; don't leave wet leaves sitting in the gaiwan or teapot overnight. You can spread the spent leaves on a white plate to look them over, then use them as mulch for potted plants.
2. Rinse with hot water: Rinse the gaiwan, fairness pitcher, and cups with hot water to wash away leftover tea.
3. Dry upside down or on their sides: Let everything air-dry in a well-ventilated spot. Keep teapot lid and body apart, and lean the gaiwan lid against the edge of the bowl so the moisture can escape.
4. Wipe the outside dry: Use a clean tea towel to wipe water droplets off the outside so they don't leave water marks.

Every Week: Dealing with Tea Stains

With long use, white porcelain or glass teaware develops a brown ring of tea stain on the inside.

• Baking soda: Dip a damp soft cloth or sponge in a little baking soda, gently wipe the stained area, then rinse with clean water.
• Warm-water soak: For thicker stains, first soak in warm water with a small spoonful of baking soda for 20–30 minutes, then scrub.
• Avoid the rough side of a scouring pad: The rough side scratches the glaze, and scratches trap tea stains even more easily.
• Go easy on scented dish soap: Fragrance tends to linger and affects the aroma of the next brew. When you really need it, use an unscented cleaner and rinse several extra times with hot water.

Yixing Clay Teapots: A Little More Patience

Yixing (zisha) clay teapots are unglazed, and the walls have tiny pores that absorb the scent of tea, so they are cared for differently from porcelain.

Seasoning a New Teapot

Before using a newly bought Yixing teapot for the first time, give it a little preparation:

1. Rinse the teapot inside and out with clean water to remove dust from making and packaging.
2. Separate the body and lid, place them in a clean, oil-free pot, add water to cover the teapot, and slowly heat over low flame to a gentle simmer. Keep it there for about 30 minutes to 1 hour, then turn off the heat and let it cool.
3. Take it out and let it dry, then brew a few pots of the tea you plan to use it for long-term and pour them out, so the teapot gets to know that tea's aroma first.

Keep the heat low while simmering; you can lay a clean cloth on the bottom of the pot so the teapot doesn't knock around in the water. Methods vary a little from one source to another; the key points are "clean" and "gentle," and there's no need to add anything else.

One Teapot, One Tea

Yixing teapots absorb the flavor of tea, so it's best to dedicate each teapot to one type of tea, for example one for ripe (shou) pu'er and another for aged raw (sheng) tea. Mixing the richness of ripe pu'er and the lifted brightness of raw pu'er in the same teapot affects both.

Everyday Care

• Empty the leaves right after brewing, rinse with hot water, and leave the lid off to dry.
• Don't use detergent, and don't leave tea "soaking" in the teapot overnight; that actually makes the clay more likely to develop off odors.
• A teapot's luster comes from long use and wiping. Give the body a wipe with your tea towel while you brew, and it will naturally grow smoother and warmer with use.

To find out which teas suit a teapot, read Yixing Clay Teapots and Pu'er.

Fairness Pitchers and Strainers

• Fairness pitcher: Glass shows tea stains most easily. Clean it with baking soda once a week and it will stay crystal clear, making it easy to see the liquor color.
• Strainer: Fine mesh easily traps tea dust. Right after brewing, run water through from the back to the front to knock debris loose; stainless steel strainers can be brushed gently with a soft brush.

Storage and Travel

• Dry completely before putting away: Any teaware should be completely dry before it goes into a cabinet or box; trapped moisture easily leads to off odors.
• Wrap pieces separately: Put a layer of cloth or paper between teapots and cups so they don't knock into each other.
• Taking teaware on the road: Use a travel tea set or cloth wraps to keep pieces apart, and wrap the gaiwan lid and bowl separately.

What Well-Kept Teaware Looks Like

• The inside of white porcelain cups is clean and white, so you can see the liquor color clearly;
• A Yixing teapot's surface is smooth with a soft sheen, and it smells only faintly of tea, with no stale or oily odor;
• Strainers are clear and unclogged;
• Tea towels are clean, with no mildew spots.

Only with clean teaware can you taste a tea's true character. If you're just starting to choose teaware, see Teaware Basics for Brewing Pu'er.

Quick Care Guide by Material

Scale in the Kettle

If you live where the water is on the hard side, kettles easily build up white scale. Fill the kettle about 80% full, add 1–2 tablespoons of citric acid, bring it to a boil, and let it soak for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Pour it out, then boil plain water once or twice, and the kettle will be clean again. Water quality is covered in Water for Tea.

Tea Towels and Tea Trays

The tea towel is the most overlooked piece of teaware. A damp tea towel left on a tea tray for a few days can easily start to smell, or even grow mildew. Keep two or three in rotation, and wash and dry them the same day you use them. The tray's drip basin should also be emptied and wiped clean every day. A clean tea table means a clean tea aroma.

Teaware for Business Trips and Travel

When traveling, you can bring a simple quick-brew travel cup set or a portable gaiwan, along with a few dragon pearls or tea bags. When you get home, remember to take the teaware out, wash it, and let it dry, rather than leaving it shut up in your suitcase.

FAQ

Do tea stains in a gaiwan affect the flavor? A thin layer has little effect, but heavy staining makes it hard to see the liquor color in white porcelain and may leave a stale smell. Cleaning once a week is plenty.

Can a Yixing clay teapot go in the dishwasher? Not recommended. Dishwasher detergent and high-temperature water jets aren't suited to unglazed Yixing clay. Hand-washing with hot water and air-drying is best.

My teapot hasn't been used in a long time and smells stale. What should I do? First rinse it several times with hot water, then leave it with the lid off in a well-ventilated spot for a day or two. If the smell persists, scald the teapot with boiling water a few times, then brew and discard a pot or two of tea.