Green Tea Forum

ummaya · Posted: Aug 16, 2008 5:59 am Post subject: Ceramic or stainless steel mesh?

While I wait for my Tokoname Teapot ,my first Daily Sencha and Sencha Yutaka Midori to arrive I visited several tea related web sites and I have read that some green tea "experts" pretend that not only the quality of the tea and the water, the right temperature, the right steeping time contribute to the quality of the tea you drink but that a teapot with a built-in ceramic mesh is preferable to a teapot with a stainless steel mesh which according to them may taint the taste of your tea. What is your take ?

okimasa · Posted: Aug 16, 2008 6:44 am Post subject:

I have the stainless steel mesh filter and I'm fine with it.

I looked at all the teapots on O-Cha, and I believe all but one have the stainless steal mesh. I know Kevin selects his items based on brewing the finest green tea, so from looking at O-Cha's selection, it seems a stainless steel filter works just fine.

EDIT: Just out of curiosity, which teapot did you get?

Kevangogh · Forum God Joined: 19 Jul 2005 Posts: 916 Location: Japan

Personally, while I like the look of the ceramic filters, I find no advantages to them at all when it comes down to brewing. For sure, they don't work that well with fukamushi-cha.

ummaya · Posted: Aug 16, 2008 1:51 pm Post subject:

spacesamurai · 2nd Degree Black Belt Joined: 02 Feb 2007 Posts: 204

Oni · 2nd Degree Black Belt Joined: 15 Mar 2008 Posts: 213

Those teapot that have stailess steel filter, when you pour the leaves press to the whole filter, as if they were put on a strainer, therefor they empty faster, that is why the tap on the back is nececery, and they are larger filters as well, that is why those st. steel filters are recomended for brewing fukamushi and mid steamed, I use sasame type only for asamushi senchas, and gyokuro, and for a teaser the leaves of shuppin sencha HG from horaido are a true beauty, simetrical like pine leaves and not flat but round due to handrolling, you can brew them in any pot and there will be no dust, no particles.

Kevangogh · Forum God Joined: 19 Jul 2005 Posts: 916 Location: Japan

Well, I didn't say you couldn't make fukamushi with a sesame, you definitely can. It's good to see you having success with that, looking pretty good there. However, I also heard a complaint that the hatsumi was no good because it clogged someone's sesame filter. Uh, that's not the fault of the tea, sorry. I brew hatsumi here in a stainless filtered teapot and it turns out just fine.

I have a catalog here with about 40 teapots made especially for brewing fukuamushi and none of them have a ceramic filter. I notice they all have a tall profile, not sure what the logic is behind that.

The teapot ummaya picked out can be used to brew any type of Japanese green tea.

Chip · Posted: Aug 17, 2008 1:51 am Post subject:

Space, you are a skilled pourer! not worthy

I generally use my sasame filtered pots for asamushi, and in the very rare event of gyokuro. (though for most gyokuro I use a tiny 2 ounce pot with the protracted lip and "teeth").

For me, I can pour quicker with a stainless steel filter for fukamushi. I recently tried the 360* filter which I swore I would never do, and I was amazed at how quickly and smoothly it poured. I may have to buy one.

Indeed, you can teach an old dog new tricks.

spacesamurai · 2nd Degree Black Belt Joined: 02 Feb 2007 Posts: 204

okimasa · Posted: Aug 25, 2008 9:59 pm Post subject:

Oni · 2nd Degree Black Belt Joined: 15 Mar 2008 Posts: 213

I think you guys are truly obsessed ...

EDITED by Chip: please refrain from inappropriate comments.

spacesamurai · 2nd Degree Black Belt Joined: 02 Feb 2007 Posts: 204

Oni, that's a rather sophmoric and innapropriate thing to say.

Chip · Posted: Aug 26, 2008 7:16 am Post subject:

I poured from my Fukamushi pot with the "house Fuka" today. This has the spout SS filter, but it is larger than my others. Talk about fast pours.

I am curious now more than ever. I know I used a sesame to brew fuka with not so good results a year or so ago. I know some people on that other forum had problems. I think a lot of it must have to do with technique as well, Space.

I am curious enough to try it again.

Space, we must get together one day and seriously brew some tea! Plus I want to admire your teaware!

britt · 2nd Degree Black Belt Joined: 22 Oct 2007 Posts: 179

If you look at the kyusu with metal filters, they will almost always have a larger spout opening and a larger filter than a similar sized kyusu with a sasame filter. That may be because ceramic filters used to be hand-made, so a smaller filter meant less holes to punch by hand. A press is common to use now, so I don't see any reason why the ceramic filters can't be made larger in the near future.