Gongfu Tea Ceremony - Tools and Equipment

Tools and Equipment

Below is the main items for gongfu tea, in Taiwan, known there as 老人茶 (Pinyin: Lăorénchá).

1. brewing vessel, Yixing teapot, porcelain teapot, or a covered bowl gaiwan.
2. tea pitcher (chahai), or any matching size decanting vessel, used to ensure the consistency of the flavor of the tea (Chinese: 公道杯, Pinyin: gōng dào bēi)
3. hot water kettle, e.g. an electric kettle
4. brewing tray, or a deep, flat bottom porcelain plate to hold spills (spills are not atypical)
5. tea towel or tea cloth, usually dark-colored
6. tea spoon (tea pick) for clearing the teapot spout, and clearing tea leaves etc.
7. tea cups (traditionally 3 cups are used in most instances), matching size
8. timer
9. strainer, a tea strainer (Chinese: 漏斗, Pinyin: lòu dŏu) sometimes built into the tea pitchers
10. tea holder, tea leaf holder for weighing and dispensing, or a wooden tea spoon to measure the amount of tea leaves required (Chinese: 茶匙, Pinyin: chá chí)
11. optional: tea basin, bowl as the receptacle for used tea leaves and refuse water
12. optional: scale
13. optional: kitchen thermometer
14. optional: scent cup (snifter cup) used to appreciate the tea's aroma (Chinese: traditional 聞香杯, simplified 闻香杯, Pinyin wén xiāng bēi)
15. optional: A pair of tongs called "Jiā" (Chinese: 挾) or "Giab" in both the Chao Zhou and Min Nan dialects.