Mēnpào Teapot

A New Trend in Tea Drinking for the New Era?

The birth of a new category of mēnpào Teapots has become a rare bright spot in the tea industry amidst an overall lack of innovation in the market. “Mēnpào” (steeped) tea is becoming a popular new way of drinking tea. What are some of the issues worth considering behind this “mēnpào craze”? As products continue to innovate and bestsellers flood the market, entering an era of intense competition, how can this “mēnpào pot craze” be sustained? Who will dominate the future landscape of tea utensils?

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How Popular Are Mēnpào Pots? China boasts a rich variety of teas and tea utensils. With the evolution of times and technological advancements, people's imagination when it comes to drinking tea has expanded. Currently, “mēnpào” tea is gaining popularity as a new method of drinking tea, and “mēnpào teapots” have become a phenomenon-level product in the industry.

If we were to describe the current fervor surrounding mēnpào teapots with one sentence, it would probably be: “Under every tent, mēnpào teapots are capturing attention.” Since the emergence of mēnpào teapots, while there are no official specific sales statistics, the popularity of this category can be reflected indirectly from the sales status of some companies.

Through interviews with the creators, the Tea Camel team learned that in 2025, the product “Deep Feelings, One Pot Steep” by Mingyuan sold over 100,000 units; in 2025, the offline sales of the mēnpào teapot gift set by Docaiziran, a cultural and creative tea gift brand, exceeded 10 million yuan…

△ Image Source: Mingyuan

Mēnpào teapots frequently appear in various settings, whether at home, outdoors, during gatherings, or in various business scenarios, and even at some important formal events. At the International White Tea Forum held in Fuding in December 2025, the teapots used by the hostesses to serve tea to guests during the meeting were mēnpào teapots.

Mēnpào teapots have also become the best partner for tea companies to attract customers or develop new products. There are numerous videos and introductions about mēnpào pots and steeping methods online, and tea companies introduce the selection and brewing of teas from a more professional perspective.

Mēnpào pots not only attract more young non-tea consumers but are also becoming the preferred choice for daily tea drinking among some seasoned tea drinkers. The steeping method, which initially started with aged white tea and Pu'er with tangerine peel, is now spreading to other types of tea. This year, many rock oolong and black tea companies have launched related steeped teas to test the market.

△ Yiyuan Dewu · Chuanjia Teapot, a teapot custom-designed for contemporary families embodying Eastern aesthetic thermos. German quality control, watchmaking craftsmanship, precision manufacturing showcasing mechanical beauty. The entire pot consists of 80 components, using international standards in craftsmanship and quality, all made by Chinese artisans with precision. It has a 1.6-liter super capacity, a paper-thin inner liner, double vacuum insulation for long-lasting warmth retention; traditional narrow-mouth and large-belly design, medical-grade 316 stainless steel; a newly defined lid for one-touch water release.

In the overall low-innovation environment of the tea industry market, mēnpào teapots have become a rare bright spot. Following categories such as personal cups, travel tea sets, electric kettles, and tea brewing devices, mēnpào teapots have become a hot category with both traffic and profits. Many companies and manufacturers have entered the market to compete, including those deeply rooted in the tea utensil industry as well as innovators crossing over from other fields.

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Is the Popularity of Mēnpào Pots a New Revolution in Tea Utensils?

Historically, the evolution and development of tea utensils have been closely related to changes in tea-drinking methods. After tea became a daily beverage, specialized utensils for tea drinking began to emerge.

Subsequently, with the spread of tea-drinking customs, the increase in tea varieties, and the development of tea-drinking methods, the production technology and categories of tea utensils became richer. Changes in tea-drinking methods profoundly influenced changes in tea utensils, and the innovation and upgrade of tea utensils further influenced more tea-drinking groups, thereby promoting the popularity of certain tea-drinking methods.

Innovation and Upgrade of Tea Utensils

Promoting the Popularity of Certain Tea-Drinking Methods

△ Shangming · Mēnpào Cup, a new design without teeth and magnetic lid, practical and convenient, no worries about lid falling off. Both the cup and the body are internally sprayed with Pottery, using lotus leaf technology, preventing flavor mixing, self-cleaning and easy to wash. Pure titanium tea strainer, diamond crystal technology, long-lasting antibacterial preservation. Long-lasting temperature-locking technology, suitable for both heat and cold preservation. Tritan inner lid, baby-safe material, smooth tea pouring, neat water cutting, no water hanging, no worries about tea stains.

In the preface to the revised edition of the book “Tea and Tea Utensils,” it is written, “From the ancient method of boiling tea, to the Tang Dynasty's method of boiling tea, the Song Dynasty's method of whisking tea, to the teapot brewing method that evolved from the Tang Dynasty's soaking tea, and the method of scooping tea in a bowl that evolved from whisking tea, the functions, shapes, glaze colors, and aesthetics of tea utensils have been continuously changing along with the development of tea-making techniques, changes in tea-drinking methods, and advances in ceramic technology. Especially the rise of gongfu tea in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties had a revolutionary impact on the development of tea utensils, pushing them towards refinement, elegance, and artistry.”

Our lifestyles determine what we need, our aesthetics determine what we want, and our technology determines what we can have. The birth of a new type of tea will inevitably give rise to the most appropriate tea utensils and tea-drinking methods, and the birth of a tea utensil will inevitably appear in the most suitable form given the social production conditions, lifestyles, and aesthetic levels of the time.

Today, the six major categories of tea—red, green, oolong, yellow, white, and dark—are already abundant, and the five famous kilns—Guanyao, Ge Kiln, Ruyao, Ding Kiln, and Jun Kiln—still shine brightly. Although innovation seems to have entered a narrow alley, the corner has welcomed the rapid development of mobile internet and the rise of interest-based e-commerce. They have stimulated people's potential needs in unexpected ways and influenced the path of industry innovation. The explosion of mēnpào teapots benefits from the maturity of internet consumption and market segmentation, as well as the support of new supply chains.

What cannot be overlooked is the role played by distributors. Those tea utensil and packaging dealers with cultural and creative design capabilities connect the manufacturing end on one hand and the distribution end on the other. They understand changes in terminal market consumption and demand,