Kiln-Glazed Ceramic Gaiwan

A gaiwan is the simplest brewing vessel in Chinese tea practice and, once you have used one, the most direct: leaves go in the bowl, water goes over them, and the lid is tilted to hold the leaves back as you pour. Three pieces — bowl, lid and saucer — and no infuser, filter or plunger to clean afterwards.

These are thrown and fired with reactive kiln glazes, so the colour breaks and pools differently on each piece. Nine glazes are offered, from a deep dark red through green, blue and black to a two-tone brown and yellow. The rim of the bowl flares outward, which is not decorative: it keeps the rim cool enough to hold while the body of the bowl is full of near-boiling water. Capacity is 180 ml, the traditional size for several short infusions of one leaf.

Use it for oolong, pu-erh, green and white teas, where repeated short steeps matter more than a single long one. Rinse with hot water rather than detergent, which the glaze can hold, and dry uncovered. Not suitable for microwave or dishwasher. It is also the least expensive way into gongfu-style brewing, since it needs nothing else at all beyond a small jug and a cup to pour the tea into.

• Three pieces: bowl, lid and saucer
• Nine reactive kiln glazes; each piece varies
• 180 ml capacity (200 ml in the blue and yellow glaze)
• Flared cool-touch rim
• Suits oolong, pu-erh, green and white teas
• Rinse with hot water; hand dry
• Not microwave or dishwasher safe