These teapots are made from Chaozhou zhuni clay. Just like with Yixing zisha, “zhuni” refers primarily to the colour of the clay and doesn’t necessarily share the same properties as Yixing zhuni. Chaozhou zhuni clay is believed to be on the more porous side of things, absorbing the flavour and character of the tea you use it for over time.

This clay also experiences less shrinkage during firing than Yixing zisha, and consequently Jianshui zitao, which endures the highest shrinkage of the aforementioned clays. This results in well-made Chaozhou pots often having extremely tight-fitting lids.

these teapots hold approximately 80ml (+/-5ml, except one that is 100ml) and feature a bell shape. This teapot pours empty in approximately 8-9 seconds.

These teapots come from a small studio in Chaozhou and include a certificate from the artist, although most fields have been left blank in the ones we received, for some reason. So if you’re buying this pot because you’re into certificates (which are typically meaningless unless you’re paying for high-end work), then you might want to look elsewhere.

As these are unglazed pieces, we recommend dedicating your teapot to one type of tea and avoiding the use of soap or detergents.

You may wish to season your teapot before using it. We advise doing so with caution, and to refrain from leaving the teapot in boiling water.

If you wish to season it, allow the pot to rest in freshly boiled water for around 30 minutes. Remove the pot, rinse and dry. Change the water and bring it to a boil again, this time with some tea that you plan to use the pot for. After this water has come to a boil, let the pot rest in it for another 30 minutes or so, rinse and dry. Repeat as desired.

Please be mindful of sudden and/or drastic temperature changes, as these can end up breaking a new teapot, as opposed to breaking it in.

Or you can do what we do – rinse twice with boiling water and use the teapot every day for 2 weeks (or as much as you can).