Yixing Zisha Teapot 250cc – Purple Clay – Plum Orchid Bamboo Tea

A teapot this size is built for one or two drinkers and slow afternoons. The 250cc size makes it a natural fit for solo gongfu sessions.

Made from purple clay, steady in heat and mellow in flavor. The bamboo styling gives this pot a silhouette you will recognize across the table. The pot's thermal mass keeps steepings even from first pour to last, which is exactly what you want in a daily brewer. What I like: foot ring is trimmed clean with the maker's stamp underneath. What I like: knob, handle, and spout form a visual triangle that just looks right. The clay remembers every tea, so the hundredth pot tastes better than the first, and the small comforts add up. The matte clay feels better in the hand the more you use it — the photos do not exaggerate.

The pot does its job so well you will forget to notice it. Brew, rinse, repeat — the pot takes care of the rest. The best review is a pot that gets used every day.