For the Japanese, a kyusu is essential for making tea. You don’t have to live without it, but it makes tea time even better. You can make not only Japanese tea, but also oolong tea and black tea with a kyusu. We recommend that you own one.
For those who have never bought your own kyusu teapot before, we have picked one that is easy to wash and use.
Tips for Choosing a Kyusu
For sencha, the last drop of tea is considered to be the most delicious because it contains the most umami. The last drop is sometimes referred to as the “golden drop”. Not only Japanese tea, but of course black tea as well, is squeezed to the last drop.
When brewing for more than one person, the brew is made in small batches, evenly distributed in the cups. The best kyusu teapot is the one that allows you to pour the last drop of tea without getting tired
Bankoyaki Kyusu
Speaking of kyusu, here’s one! It is the basic material and shape of the kyusu. To be honest, for the Japanese, the traditional kyusu is considered old-fashioned or austere.
The word “Kyusu” itself, however, is increasingly used due to the green tea boom abroad.
A kyusu with a handle at a 90-degree angle to the spout is called a “yokote kyusu”. The yokote kyusu is the most widely used kyusu in the Japanese tea world.To be honest, it’s a bit awkward to store as it takes up a lot of space horizontally and vertically, but when you’re making tea several times a day, it’s handy to have a kyusu that you can easily handle with one hand.
Types of Tea Suitable for the Yokote Kyusu
Depending on the type of strainer, a fine wire mesh strainer can be used for all kinds of teas. It can be used for green tea, black tea, white tea, oolong tea and herbal tea. The good thing about a fine tea strainer is that it can filter even the dust of deep steamed tea leaves. However, it is only possible to make matcha by whisking powder.
Budget for Yokote Kyusu
- From ¥5,000 – no upper limit
If a kyusu is too cheap, it can be difficult to use. They can be unnecessarily bulky, and the tea may drip unnecessarily from the spout. If the lid is inferior, it will not close properly and the tea will come out through the gap between the lid and the brewer. There are good, expensive teapots available, but be aware that they can break.
Hohin Teapot
This is the most minimalist treasure teapot for one or two people.
The hohin teapot is used to brew gyokuro and high grade sencha. You may be surprised to see it for the first time as it has no handle. It is a type of kyusu that can be held with one hand to cover and hold the lid firmly in place. The shape is very simple and easy to wash, and it takes up very little space in a cupboard.
Types of Tea Suitable for Hohin Teapot
Hohin is recommended for those who enjoy gyokuro and fine sencha teas. Gyokuro teas are brewed at 60-70°C and high quality sencha teas at 70-75°C, so there is no need to pour 100°C boiling water into this small teapot. This means that the vessel is not too hot and you can grasp the hohin with your hand without a handle.
The tea strainer has a hole for draining the hot water, but it is basically for high quality teas with large leaves. It is not suitable for teas with broken leaves, such as deep steamed teas.
Glass Tea Pot
We have chosen the most common glass teapots that you will find.
The cheapest and most ubiquitous is this Hario’s glass teapot. The wide hole makes it easy to clean the inside of the bowl, and the few grooves and indentations make it easy to clean properly.
Despite the rough using, it shows no signs of cracking. It is a simple teapot and can be used for almost any type of tea.
The glass teapot is fun to watch the tea leaves open thanks to its transparency. It is also a great way to cold-brew or iced tea, as it looks cool and refreshing.The wide base allows the tea to be brewed more efficiently, as there is less overlap between the leaves, even when steeping in cold water.
Benefits of Using a Kyusu
If you try to brew high quality Japanese tea, and especially sencha, in a stylish western teapot, the tea leaves will get stuck in the spout or strainer. The high quality sencha green teas are made from the softest new leaves. The twigs, which are firmer than the leaves, are removed during the tea making process, so that only the soft leaves remain when the higher grade sencha is drunk. When only the softest leaves are immersed in hot water, the individual leaves will inevitably become moist and overlapping. There is no space between the tea leaves. A fancy teapot with a narrow spout will not brew well.
When I try to brew sencha in a Noritake tasting cup, the tea leaves tend to clog the spout. As for Japanese tea, the last drop is so delicious that it is called the golden drop. If you pour the tea all the way through in the first brew, it won’t leave a bitter taste when you brew it in a teapot in the second brew. It makes a wonderful cup of tea.
