The Kangii Teapot was designed based on a combinatorial study of teapots from Late Qing, to Factory 1 Era and how long spiraled tea leaves such as Yancha, Dancong, unfurled and released their flavours in response to the teapot’s shape, material, size, firing, cooling and pour rates. To this end, Kyarazen has found an optimal that performs exceedingly well not only in Chaozhou Gongfu Tea but other brewing styles, and reflected everything in the design of this teapot.
To actualize the pot, KZ was fortunate to have had found an award winning Chaozhou teapot craftsman, Chen Zhijian, whom was able to grasp immediate the key aspects and essence of the design. In his early years, Chen had came in champion in national wheel throwing competitions, with many of his works superceding his teachers in dexterity and refinement, especially in traditional and historical teapot styles from the early to late Qing dynasties. In other private commissions for KZ over the past years, Chen had been able to make impecacbly refined and elegant pots, all the way from classical Qianlong Pear shapes to ultra thin walled “Nanban” styled teapots that wheel thrown and pulled to shape entirely from the inside of the pot, without any external surface touch ups, yet maintaining very thin walls. Despite his ultra deft skills and immaculate workmanships, Chen is very humble; he does not like fame nor attention, only desiring solitude and serenity away from the limelight, in his own quiet space throwing and making tea wares. Currently in Mainland China, there is a long queue of merchants waiting for their orders to be fulfiled.
On the material, for this batch, KZ has decided on Chaozhou Premium Field Clay #1 which is the chaozhou equivalent of Yixing Fit, the formation and discovery of the clay is similar, i.e. a yellowish ultra fine clay found in small clusters, ultra low plasticity, and firing up to a nice orange hue with black iron oxide specks. This clay is very balanced in performance working well with all oolong teas and elevates the fragrance and body. It does not give or cause sharp edges in tea texture, and does not rob tea of fragrance which can happen with other ultra porous or low fired clays.
As you hold the delicate little teapot in your hands, you are, witnessing “history” being made. You will soon realize that such teapots, are treasures in the modern day, and will become heirloom treasures for centuries to come.
Directions for Usage and Care :
As the teapot is entirely new and freshly off the kiln, please rinse the teapot with clean water and ensure that any grits or loose clay is washed away before usage. There is possibly some sandy clay residue which is used to prevent the lid from sticking to the pot during firing, this can be easily washed away.
Also, this teapot is optimally fired, the teapot is ready for immediate usage after washing, you may want to fill the teapot with one or two rounds of hot water or with some light dilute good tea for five minutes, and then wash out, and it will be ready for brewing tea.
Do not boil the teapot, and not with tea leaves and towels either!
After use, please empty out the tea leaves from the pot and rinse it with clean water, and optimally with one douse of hot water before leaving to dry.
Recommended Teas and Steep Durations with Water just off the Boil.
All long loose leaf, spiral oolongs or raw puerh tea leaves - Steep from 5 to 15 seconds Ball shaped oolong teas - first steep 30 seconds, second steep onwards can be fast. This teapot is good with all teas, but it can be good to dedicate one to solely oolongs.
For long leafed teas, use between 5g to 10g tea leaves. For a Lazy Chaozhou Gongfutea Method, you can fill the entire tea pot fully with tea leaves (only for long spiral oolong, not ball shaped), and do rapid steeps from 2-9 seconds based on your taste buds.