How To Brew Tea With a Gaiwan

A gaiwan is one of many traditional vessels used to brew tea. The gaiwan is an unassuming small bowl, but its distinctive feature is its lid, which is held ajar to strain the tea as it is poured. This Chinese teaware dates back to the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644), and can be made of porcelain, clay, or glass.

Brewing tea with a gaiwan is convenient because the teaware is compact, portable, and easy to wash and store. You can make any type of tea with a gaiwan, but it’s best suited for oolong because oolong leaves can be steeped numerous times with a high leaf-to-water ratio.

Where to find a gaiwan

If you live in a city with a large Chinese or Asian supermarket, you might find an inexpensive gaiwan in the housewares aisle. Otherwise, there are many online retailers that sell new and vintage teaware, including gaiwan. They come with a wide range of quality, styles, and price tags. Some are sold as a set with matching teacups. 

How to use your gaiwan

Measure the tea into the gaiwan, depending on the size of the gaiwan and your desired taste and strength. For a small gaiwan, 5 to 6 grams of tea is usually appropriate.

Many Chinese teas benefit from a rinse before the first real steep — especially those with rolled leaves, which includes many oolongs. The rinse allows the leaves to open up so they can release their full aromas. So after you heat the water, pour just enough into the gaiwan to cover the leaves and then discard the rinse water after a few seconds.

After that, fill the gaiwan with water for the first infusion and put the lid on while it steeps. If you’re using oolong, infuse about 10 seconds at first, then add a little time for each subsequent steep. Your tea packaging probably offers instructions for the ideal brewing method of that particular tea.

When you’re ready to strain the tea, be careful — the gaiwan will be hot! It might take some practice to pick it up without burning your fingers. hold the gaiwan in such a way that the lid is just slightly ajar, allowing water to pour out into a teacup while holding the leaves inside the gaiwan.