How to Brew Tea in a Gaiwan: A Beginner's Guide
The gaiwan is the most versatile brewing vessel in Chinese tea. Here is how to use one without burning your fingers.
A gaiwan is simply a bowl, a lid and a saucer — yet it can brew almost any tea beautifully. Because porcelain does not absorb flavour, you can switch from green tea in the morning to roasted oolong in the afternoon.
What you need
- A gaiwan of 100–150 ml
- A fair cup (gong dao bei) to pour into
- Two or three small tasting cups
- About 5 g of tea for a 120 ml gaiwan
Step by step
- Warm everything. Fill the gaiwan with hot water, pour it into the fair cup and then into the cups. Discard the water.
- Add the leaves. Put the tea in the warm gaiwan, close the lid and give it a gentle shake. Lift the lid and smell — this is one of the best moments of the session.
- Rinse (optional). For rolled oolongs and pu-erh, cover the leaves with hot water and pour it off straight away.
- Brew short and often. Start with 10–15 seconds, then add a few seconds for every infusion.
- Pour. Hold the rim with your thumb and middle finger, keep the lid slightly open with your index finger and pour into the fair cup.
Water temperature
- Green and yellow tea: 80–85°C
- White tea: 85–90°C
- Oolong, black tea and pu-erh: 95–100°C
Avoiding burnt fingers
Do not fill the gaiwan to the brim — leave a finger's width below the rim. The flared lip stays cool only if the water does not reach it.
