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WHICH TEAS REWARD GLASS
The visual brewing guide
Not every tea needs a transparent vessel — a heavily roasted oolong or a dark shú pǔ'ěr gives up nothing extra for being watched. These three do. Each section below pairs the tea with the shape that shows it best, and links straight to the pieces built for it.
Prefer a straight answer over reading? Use the glass matcher instead — same rules, three clicks.
01 — Vertical buds
Bourgeons verticaux
Silver needle, jūn shān yín zhēn (君山银针), and bud-only greens stand upright in tall straight-walled glass. The dance is the point.
Shop Le gài wǎn — le plus clair miroir du gongfu →La capacité suit le thé, non la taille de la table
100–120ml for dāncōng and green teas. 130–150ml for white tea and lighter oolong. 150–180ml only if you brew pǔ ěr or shared sessions.
Regardez l’assise du couvercle
A good gaiwan has a slightly recessed inner rim so the lid sits flush at any angle. Tilt the lid 5° — water should pour clean without dribbling down the wall.
Borosilicate, pas de verre sodocalcique
Borosilicate handles boiling water poured into a cool vessel without stress fracture. Soda-lime gaiwans crack within months. Check the spec sheet, not the price.
02 — Blooming hand-tied
Fleurs de thé nouées à la main
Jasmine pearls and flower-tied teas need height and room to open. A wide-belly glass pot is the only honest vessel.
Shop Observez votre thé s’épanouir dans une clarté soufflée à la main →Choisissez le bon volume
The 300ml pot suits solo sessions with a 2–3g dose; 450ml works for two people; 600ml comfortably serves three to four. Remember that whole leaves need space to expand, so a smaller pot with more water often outperforms a crowded larger one.
La température de l’eau compte
While borosilicate handles near-boiling water, the teas best showcased in glass — greens and whites — typically call for 75–85°C. Use the clarity to watch the leaves and get to know the ideal moment to pour.
Nettoyez délicatement, souvent
Tea oils can cling to glass over time. Rinse with warm water and a soft cloth immediately after each session. Avoid abrasive sponges; a mild citric acid soak removes stubborn stains without scratching.
03 — Liquor study
Étude de la liqueur
For yellow tea, lighter oolong and aged whites, double-wall cups let you read colour without the cup biasing your judgement.
Shop Petites coupes en verre pour une lecture fidèle de la liqueur →Adapter le volume à votre infuseur
A 110ml gaiwan pours cleanly into three 30ml cups with a little fairness-pitcher headroom. Cups larger than 50ml break the gongfu rhythm — the tea cools before the second sip.
Vérifier le bord à la lumière
Hold the cup at eye level and rotate. A well-finished rim is a single smooth curve with no thick spots. Thick rims feel clumsy on the lip and dull the first impression of the liquor.
Borosilicate, pas de verre sodocalcique
Only borosilicate handles the thermal shock of 95°C tea poured into a room-temperature cup. Cheaper soda-lime glass will craze and eventually crack at the base seam.
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