To use a teapot, warm it with hot water, add your leaves, pour in water just off the boil, steep, then pour off all the tea so the leaves are not left sitting in water. For pu-erh in a mug-sized or larger teapot, use about 3–4 g of leaf per 250 ml and steep 1–2 minutes for the first cup. In a small gongfu teapot, use about 5–7 g for 100–120 ml and steep only 5–10 seconds, many times over. The steps below cover both, plus how to choose and look after the pot.
Choose the right teapot
The material changes how a pot holds heat and how you care for it. Size decides how much leaf you use and how many cups you pour.
| Material | Heat | Good for | Care |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glazed porcelain or ceramic | Holds heat well | Every tea; does not keep flavors | Mild soap is fine |
| Glass | Loses heat faster | Watching the leaves open | Mild soap is fine |
| Cast iron (enamel-lined) | Holds heat very well | Larger pots, ripe pu-erh | Hot water only |
| Yixing clay (unglazed) | Holds heat well | One style of tea, gongfu brewing | Hot water only |
For size, think about how many cups you pour at once. A 500–700 ml teapot fills two or three mugs. A small 100–200 ml gongfu pot pours a round of small cups for one to three people and is refilled many times. See our guide to choosing a Yixing teapot for pu-erh if you are looking at clay pots.
Before the first use
- Glazed, glass and steel pots: wash once with warm water and a little mild soap, rinse well and let the pot dry.
- Cast iron pots: rinse with hot water only, without soap, and dry with the lid off.
- Yixing clay pots: never use soap. Rinse with water just off the boil and brew a couple of rounds of the tea you plan to keep in the pot. See how to season a Yixing teapot.
Check that the lid sits well and that water runs freely from the spout.
How to brew pu-erh in a regular teapot
This is the easy everyday method, for a mug-sized or larger pot with an infuser basket or a strainer.
- Boil fresh water in a kettle. Use water just off the boil (100°C / 212°F) for raw and ripe pu-erh alike.
- Warm the pot. Pour in a little hot water, swirl it and pour it out.
- Add the leaf. Use about 3–4 g of pu-erh per 250 ml of water. For a cake, gently break off a piece first; see how to break and rinse a tea cake.
- Rinse. Cover the leaves with hot water for 5–10 seconds, then pour it off. This wakes up pressed leaf.
- Steep. Fill the pot and steep for 1–2 minutes for the first cup.
- Pour off all the tea. Empty the pot into cups or a pitcher, or lift out the infuser, so the leaves stop steeping.
- Steep again. Add a minute or so for each later cup. The same leaves usually give 3–4 cups.
How to brew in a small gongfu teapot
Gongfu brewing uses more leaf, less water and very short steeps. It suits small clay pots and lets you follow how the tea changes from cup to cup.
- Warm the pot and cups with water just off the boil, then pour it out.
- Add about 5–7 g of leaf to a 100–120 ml pot. Use a little more for a bigger pot.
- Rinse for 5–10 seconds and pour it off.
- Brew short infusions. Start at about 5–10 seconds, pour off every drop into a pitcher or straight into cups, and add a few seconds each time.
- Keep going until the liquor turns thin. Good leaf gives 8–15 infusions.
Our gongfu brewing guide has a full timing table.
Tips for a better pot of tea
- Don't leave the leaves sitting in water. Pour off all the tea at the end of every steep, or the next cup turns bitter.
- Too bitter? Shorten the steep or use a little less leaf. Keep the water just off the boil.
- Too weak? Use a little more leaf rather than steeping much longer.
- Don't fill the pot to the brim. Leave room so the lid sits well and the pot pours cleanly.
- Heat water in a kettle, not in the teapot. Ceramic, glass and clay teapots should never go on the stove. Only a kettle made for direct heat belongs there.
After brewing
Empty the leaves soon, rinse the pot with hot water and let it dry with the lid off. Glazed porcelain, glass and stainless steel can be washed with mild soap. Yixing clay and cast iron should be rinsed with hot water only. Full steps by material are in how to clean a teapot.
Frequently asked questions
How much tea do I put in a teapot?
For pu-erh, about 3–4 g per 250 ml in a regular teapot, or about 5–7 g in a 100–120 ml gongfu pot. Scale up for a bigger pot: a 500 ml teapot takes about 6–8 g.
What water temperature should I use for pu-erh?
Water just off the boil, 100°C (212°F), for raw and ripe pu-erh alike. If the tea tastes too strong, shorten the steep or use less leaf instead of cooling the water.
How long should tea steep in a teapot?
In a regular teapot, 1–2 minutes for the first cup and a little longer for each cup after. In a small gongfu pot, start at 5–10 seconds and add a few seconds each time.
Can I leave the leaves in the teapot?
Not between cups. Pour off all the tea at the end of each steep so the leaves stop steeping. After the session, empty the leaves soon so the pot can dry.
Can I put a teapot on the stove?
Only a kettle made for direct heat. Ceramic, glass and Yixing clay teapots can crack on a burner. Heat the water in a kettle and pour it into the pot.
Looking for a pot? Browse our teaware or start with the Yixing teapot guide.
