Most tea enthusiasts have probably heard of a gaiwan. But have you ever brewed with one?
If not, you’re missing out: There’s nothing quite like watching your tea leaves bloom and flower, unfurling and gaining new character with each progressive pour.
One steeping to the next, the same tea leaves will produce vastly different flavors and fragrances. From the delicate aroma of the first steeping to the depth and complexity of those to come, each new cup offers a slightly different tasting profile to be considered and enjoyed.
Using a gaiwan requires some adjustment for those accustomed to long, single-steep brewing traditions. Luckily, perfecting your technique (and doing so without scalding your fingertips!) just requires a basic familiarity with the gaiwan’s form and function, as well as the common techniques tea drinkers have been using for centuries.
The Basics: What is a Gaiwan?
Most commonly used in China and Taiwan, the gaiwan is comprised of three elements: A lid (gai), bowl (wan), and saucer (tuo). While gaiwans are often beautifully decorated and elegantly crafted, no part is purely ornamental — each serves a clear purpose.
The bowl holds the tea leaves, containing them during and between infusions. Its walls slope and flare, creating a recessed base for brewing and a wide rim upon which to set the lid.
The lid acts as a strainer, used to pour debris-free cups. Additionally, it controls heat retention and ensures the water maintains a consistent temperature throughout the brewing process.
Throughout, the saucer provides a foundation for brewing: catching drips, preventing spills, and offering a reliable base for both bowl and lid.
Each element is essential to the process. Together, they create a unique brewing method best suited for delicate teas featuring subtle notes easily lost to more aggressive brewing techniques, as well as for robust, high-quality teas capable of withstanding — and evolving — over several steepings.
Rather than a uniformly steeped cup, gaiwans produce distinct drinking experiences that allow you to enjoy a tea in layers, unraveling its character as it reveals itself across several steepings.
That said: Let’s run through using a gaiwan, the technique for a perfect infusion, and how to avoid scalding a finger (or two).
Getting Started: Gaiwan Tips for Beginners
How long does it take to steep tea using a gaiwan?
Tragically, there's no one-size-fits-all answer; by and large, brew time will depend on your palate and preferences.
Steeping small quantities repeatedly allows you to get a clear sense of the tea and its needs. Don’t waste several grams of leaves on an oversteeped pot. Instead, experiment with brew times to find the sweet spot that suits the tea’s character — and your tastes.
Tip: Start with around 30 seconds per infusion, then adjust as needed depending on the astringency or bitterness of the initial cup.
What is the best ratio of tea to water?
A higher ratio of tea to water results in a more potent, concentrated brew, extracting more flavor, sweetness, and aroma from the leaves. That said, there is still some level of customization that can be done:
For a more concentrated brew, increase the ratio of tea to water.
For a light, subtle brew, decrease the ratio of tea to water.
Tip: Generally, 1 gram of tea leaves for every 20-25 ml of water is a reliable starting point.
What temperature of water is best for each tea?
Brewing tea isn’t much more than manipulating a few variables — steep time and water temperature, for instance — to create a cup best suited to your tastes.
However, the properties of each type of tea tend to lend themselves better to specific temperature ranges.
Tip: The ideal brewing temperature will vary from tea to tea. Follow the guidelines below when experimenting with water temperature:
For white and green tea, use water no warmer than 180°-190° to avoid burning the delicate leaves.
For oolong teas, use 190°-200° water depending on the oxidization and roasting levels.
For puerh teas, use boiling water when brewing ripe puerh and 190° when brewing raw puerh.
For black teas, use up to 200° water.
What material is best for a gaiwan?
The material of the gaiwan can dramatically affect the resulting cup.
If, for instance, you choose a clay gaiwan, know that the porous clay will absorb certain elements of every tea brewed in it. To avoid muddying the unique flavors of each tea, clay gaiwans should only be used to brew a single type of tea, such as green teas or puerhs.
A porcelain or glass gaiwan, however, will not absorb aromas or flavors that affect the next brewing, allowing you to brew teas of all kinds in the same gaiwan.
Tip: Choose a non-porous gaiwan made of porcelain or glass if you plan to brew several different types of tea with it.
Brewing Techniques: How to Use a Gaiwan
So, you’ve selected a gaiwan and a tea you’re excited to brew. Here’s how to steep the perfect cup:
Step One: Pour hot water into gaiwan and tea cups to rinse and warm the glassware. Discard the waste water.
Step Two: Add tea leaves to the bowl. For non-aged teas, pour hot water over leaves, filling to just below the rim of the gaiwan. If brewing an aged tea, add hot water to rinse, then discard and proceed with infusions as follows.
Step Three: Add lid and allow to infuse for the desired time. When ready to pour, adjust the lid slightly, leaving just enough space to decant tea.
Step Four: Grasp the rim of the bowl with the thumb and middle fingers, using the index finger to apply light pressure to the handle of the lid. Decant into a serving pitcher or tea cup.
Step Five: Repeat the infusion procedure as many times as desired (as many as 20 steepings for puerh teas and up to 6-8 times for all others).
Taste aside, the ritual of repeated steeping and serving is as soothing as it is satisfying. For more information on introducing the gaiwan to your daily tea practice, learn live and in-person from Young Tea founder (and resident gaiwan expert) Caroline Lee.
Join us at Young Tea Wallingford to enjoy three teas of your choice, shared over an hour of conversation and knowledge sharing.
P.S. If you would like to start brewing with a gaiwan, all those pictured below can be found at our Wallingford location!
