Green Tea Forum

Hushfield · Brown Belt Joined: 30 May 2008 Posts: 49

Hi all,
I was just making my morning cup of sencha and as I put some of the freshly boiled water in the teapot to pre-heat it, I wondered "Why am I doing this?". Turns out I have absolutely no idea why I pre-heat the teapot before brewing tea in it, yet many guides on brewing tea suggest that one should do this. So: why does one pre-heat the teapot?
Thanks in advance for answering yet another newbie question ^^
Cheers
H

Chip · Posted: Jun 24, 2008 5:49 pm Post subject:

Because the water temperature will drop significantly when pouring hot water into a cold kyusu. Pouring into a preheated kyusu gives the brewer a little more control of the brewing process, IMHO. An alternative is to pour hotter water over the leaves in a cold pot...not my prefered method.

Using a preheated kyusu gives me more consistant brewing results.

Also, placing dry leaf into a preheated kyusu begins to wake the leaf up prior to pouring hot water into the kyusu.

I love the smell of a good dry leaf in a preheated kyusu...an added treat.

Hushfield · Brown Belt Joined: 30 May 2008 Posts: 49

britt · 2nd Degree Black Belt Joined: 22 Oct 2007 Posts: 175

I use both methods and have had good results both ways but I usually use hotter water for the first infusion and don't preheat.

You can't preheat on later infusions, unless you pour hot water all over the outside of the pot as they often do when brewing Chinese-Taiwanese tea gong fu style.

greenisgood · Black Belt Joined: 20 Jan 2008 Posts: 112

I don't specifically preheat with seperate water but instead cool down my water and preheat in the process. I've found that pouring boiling water into my cup(s), then into my empty teapot, then into my cup(s) again cools the water down to about 180 by the time I get my tea all ready to go in the kyusu (and have a few good smells). If I want the water temperature at more of a 170-175 I just pour the boiling water into my kyusu first and do the same process with one more transfer involved. I really like how easy this process is and as long as my stuff is at room temp to begin with its the same every time.

Kevangogh · Forum God Joined: 19 Jul 2005 Posts: 904 Location: Japan

I do it the same way...I like it. Oxygenates the water too.

Oni · 2nd Degree Black Belt Joined: 15 Mar 2008 Posts: 194

I usually preheat my teapot with the first infusions water, pour hot water in kyusu, after to yuzamashi and I can use the water right away, it is at the perfect temperature for sencha, and I`ve tried it without preheating and it tastes diffrent (to the worst).

olivierco · Brown Belt Joined: 01 May 2007 Posts: 68 Location: France

Preheating is also a way to be sure that your teapot is clean.