Making tea can be very simple. With just a teapot and a cup, one can enjoy the charm of tea. Making tea can also be very elaborate. An elaborate tea mat can add more charm to the tea-tasting experience. As the saying in the tea world goes: Water is the mother of tea, and utensils are the father of tea. No matter how good the tea is, if the tea sets are rough and shabby, the charm of the tea rhyme and the aesthetics of tea art will disappear.
Good tea sets can not only complement the color of the tea, but also make the whole process of making tea flow smoothly, with a long-lasting charm and unique elegance. “If you want to do a good job, you must first sharpen your tools.” Each tea set has its own function. So, what tea sets are there on the tea mat? Today, we have sorted out a list of tea sets for you. Come and see what tea sets are still missing on your tea mat! Basic Tea Sets Teapot: Mainly used for making tea. The body of the teapot is round and has a large belly to hold a lot. The spout at the mouth of the pot is used for pouring tea. A good teapot can stimulate the fragrance of the tea to the greatest extent without absorbing the tea aroma. Gaiwan: Also known as the “Three Talents Bowl”, it is a tea set with a lid on top, a saucer at the bottom, and a bowl in the middle. Its main function is also to make tea. The lid represents the sky, the saucer represents the earth, and the bowl represents people, implicitly containing the meaning of harmony between heaven, earth and people. It is a manifestation of the long-standing tea culture of the Chinese nation. Fair Cup: Also called the “Tea Sea”, it is used to evenly distribute the tea soup and then pour it into the tasting cups. In the past, when people made good tea with a gaiwan and directly poured it into each tasting cup, there were often phenomena such as uneven concentration and different amounts of tea soup. The appearance of the fair cup solved this problem. Tasting Cup: It is the cup used for drinking tea. The body of the cup is relatively short and there are various styles. Fragrance-smelling Cup: Used for smelling the fragrance of the tea. It is longer and thinner than the tasting cup and is a unique tea set for oolong tea. The traditional tea ceremony emphasizes smelling once, then smelling again, and finally tasting. The fragrance-smelling cup has a good fragrance-gathering effect and the fragrance dissipates slowly. It can not only warm your hands but also be appreciated to your heart’s content. Auxiliary Tea Sets There are many auxiliary tea sets, which are applied to every link of making and tasting tea. Generally speaking, they focus on details. Just choose according to your own usage habits and actual needs when purchasing. Tea Caddy: A container for storing tea. When storing tea, it is important to keep it sealed, dry, away from light, in a cool place and free from strange odors. It is reasonable to choose the storage tool according to the characteristics of the tea. Tea Tray: A platform for placing tea sets and teacups. Generally speaking, the tea tray should be flat and not afraid of soaking in water. So more and more people start to use black stone tea trays, which are of high quality and can drain water. Cup Saucer: Just-brewed tea is easy to burn your hands. A cup saucer can not only prevent you from being burned but also add a sense of ritual to the tea. How wonderful! Tea Strainer: Used to filter the tea soup from the teapot to prevent broken tea leaves and tea dregs from falling into the tea soup and affecting the appearance and taste. Tea Wash: A tool for washing tea, shaped like a large bowl. In “The Classic of Chaozhou Tea”, it is said: “A family that makes tea must have three, one main and two spares.”Main wash is used for soaking tea cups, while auxiliary washes are used for soaking teapots and storing tea dregs and discarded water. Nowadays, the function of tea washes has shifted more towards washing cups, recycling cups, and holding tea dregs and discarded water. Tea: A tea is a utensil used to hold teapots, that is, the tray under the teapot. On one hand, the tea can be used to hold water during the pouring of the teapot, and on the other hand, it can be used to highlight the exquisiteness of the teapot.
Cup rack: A rack used to dry cups, where cleaned tea cups can be inverted to drain water, keeping them dry and free from contamination. Tea scoop: Used to hold and admire tea leaves, and place them into the teapot. It is often semi-spherical with a spout and made from bamboo, wood, pottery, or porcelain. Tea lid rest: Used to place the lids of teapots or covered bowls, which can easily get dirty or leave water stains if placed directly on a table or tray. A lid rest can solve this dilemma. Tea knife: Also known as ‘tea sword’, it is used to pry loose compressed tea leaves, most commonly used in Pu’er tea and tea cakes. A well-crafted tea knife is itself a beautiful art piece, adding a touch of elegance to the tea-drinking experience. Tea brush: The tea brush in Gongfu tea utensils is a very interesting tool, which can brush tea leaves, absorb excess water on the tea tray, and by brushing the pot with tea water, it can make the luster of the teapot even and smooth. Tea towel: Used for tea pots and tea tables in the tea room, preferably made of pure cotton or linen, with good water absorption and softness to avoid damaging the pot. Tea ceremony’s Six Gentlemen: The ‘Tea ceremony’s Six Gentlemen’ (Six Tea Art Tools) refer to the tea canister, tea spoon, tea strainer, tea measure, tea tongs, and tea needle. However, the content of the Tea ceremony’s Six Gentlemen is no longer limited to these six items, and sometimes appropriate adjustments are made. Tea canister: A container for tea art supplies. Tea spoon: After tea brewing, tea leaves often become tightly packed in the teapot, and it is inconvenient and unhygienic to dig them out with hands. The tea spoon is very handy for this, hence also called ‘tea scoop’. Tea strainer: Placed on the teapot opening when putting tea leaves in, it guides the tea into the pot and prevents the leaves from falling outside. Tea measure: Also known as ‘tea spoon’, it is used to measure the amount of tea leaves to be placed in the teapot, ensuring accurate tea quantity. Tea tongs: Also known as ‘tea chopsticks’, they can be used to remove tea dregs from the pot or to hold tea cups for washing, which is heat-resistant and hygienic. Tea needle: Also known as ‘tea pass’, it is used to clear the internal mesh of the teapot to maintain smooth water flow from the spout without being blocked by tea leaves. Tea kettle: As the name suggests, it is a pot for boiling water. Ancient people often used cast iron or pure copper for charcoal stoves, while modern people prefer electric heating at home for tea brewing, which is clean, fast, and convenient. Stainless steel electric kettles are the mainstream. Tea stove: With a pot, a stove is also needed. Outdoor tea events can consider charcoal stoves, while indoors, induction cookers and electric kettles are commonly used.Decorative Tea Sets for Tea Tablescape:
Soft decorative items placed on the tea table. Their function is similar to tablecloths and table runners, used to decorate the tea table. Tea Pets: They are a kind of ‘pet’ nourished by tea water or items for play during tea drinking. They are mostly handicrafts fired from purple clay or orange clay, etc. Zhuangzi wrote: Simplicity is peerless in beauty. Amidst the bustling world, everything eventually returns to simplicity. In fact, the same is true for choosing tea sets. There are so many tea sets, but functionality comes first. Select according to your needs.
