One simple way for initial use:
Fill your teapot with newly boiled water and allow the water to sit for five to ten minutes. Drain the water.
Fill the teapot a second time with newly boiled water and add one teaspoon of your favorite loose tealeaves. Allow this tea to sit for a period of five to ten minutes. Drain the tea.
You are now ready to prepare your first pot of tea. Fill your teapot with freshly boiled water to heat up the pot. Drain the water. Put one teaspoon of tealeaves into your pot. Again, fill the teapot with freshly boiled water. Drain the water quickly to rinse the tealeaves. Fill the teapot a third time with boiling water and allow it to sit for at least one minute and enjoy your tea.
How to clean your teapots:
Since the clay has the unique characteristic of absorbing the flavor of your tea, washing with soap will take away from that unique quality, so never wash your zisha teapots with any detergents or cleaning agents. Rinsing with hot water after each use would be sufficient. Pat dry with soft towels if preferred and leave the lid uncovered until it is fully dried. Tea stains may build up on your teapot after many uses. Don’t worry about getting it off as collectors are always looking for tea stains as this is one of the characteristics required for a good antique teapot. Avoid having dust and grease get into the teapot. We have seen old teapots with scaling tea stains. From a collector’s point of view, this kind of zisha teapot is worth much more value and is rare to find.
By Chai Limeng
Editor: Liu Fang
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