You may know that Yixing purple clay teapots enable you to fully enjoy your favorite tea, but when you make up your mind to actually buy one, a question comes up: How do you pick a quality purple clay teapot? I’m here today to tell you what you need to look for in order to select a great one.

There are three different categories that you should think about when picking a purple clay teapot: how practical it is, what the level handiwork is, and what materials it consists of.

Can it get the job done?

1. Right volume: How many people would you usually like to drink tea with? If the answer is not more than five, a purple clay teapot with a capacity around 300-400 milliliters is best. Generally, purple clay teapots are much smaller than coffee pots, because the Chinese sip tea slowly and gracefully. You should carefully enjoy each small mouthful of tea, and let it ease your mind. Plus, tea flavors and aromas tend to come out best in a small pot.

2. Appropriate height: Purple clay teapots of various heights have various uses. A relatively tall pot is usually used to brew black tea, while a relatively short pot is appropriate for making green tea. A pot that’s too tall tends to let tea aromas lose, and a pot that’s too short may easily overflow. So a teapot that’s not the right height might spoil the fun.

3. Big opening: A purple clay teapot with a bigger opening on the top makes getting rid of old tea leaves a breeze. Taking out soaked and opened leaves from a small-mouthed teapot can be a pain. And removing every leaf is important, so there’s no chance for mold and stains to develop in the pot.

4. Straight pour: Make sure the spout is long enough, straight, and doesn’t have any imperfections or particles stuck inside. When pouring tea, the flow from a good pot will be very even with no spatters of water flying off the sides. When you tip the pot to empty it, all of the liquid should drain out with just one simple motion. And the tea should stop coming out as soon as you want to halt the flow.

Look at workmanship, a good pot is always perfectly handmade

For centuries, purple clay teapots have been famous for their elaborate and exquisite craftsmanship. Almost all of the good purple clay teapots are handmade, and the visible workmanship is a vital yardstick to use when judging whether a purple clay teapot is worth the money or not.

1. Proper firing: Only an experienced expert can make the correct judgments when firing a purple clay teapot. You can detemine the quality of the work by tapping the body of a pot with its lid. If tapping the pot produces a sound like a small bell, it means the firing was done correctly. If the noise ends quickly or sounds like metal clanking, the potter did a poor job. Note: Don’t use the outer rim of the lid, since that is the most fragile part of the whole pot.

2. ‘Three Points One Line’: To guarantee a great flow from a purple clay teapot, each potter must carefully place the button, spout, and handle in perfect alignment. When shaping a pot, even a moment of inattention may cause a major defect. So as a shrewd customer, you should pay attention to this rule as well.

3. Airtight lid: The lid should fit tight, preferably airtight, on top of the pot. This is so heat and tea fragrances will stay inside longer. You can test the tightness like this: Fill a pot with water and start to pour it out. When pouring, press the tiny air hole on the lid. If the flow stops immediately without dripping, the lid fits perfectly on the pot.

4. Other aspects: Pay attention to the details of a purple clay teapot before buying it. It should be impeccable from every angle. For instance, the flat surfaces must be absolutely level, the inside should not be coarse or bumpy, and the craftsman’s stamps on the pot should be clearly visible. Whether or not a potter seeks perfection in his work can be seen in these details.

Is the material good enough?

The quality of the purple clay used is crucial to the overall value of a purple clay teapot. You can judge whether the material is good or not by observing and touching the surface. Real, superior purple clay shines with a natural gloss. Be aware of pots that are too bright or look like something has been added to enhance the color. When touching the pot, you should feel very tiny particles, much like sand at a beach.

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