Drinking tea with a gaiwan varies from person to person.
How to brew a good cup of tea with a gaiwan depends on the actual situation.
The normal capacity of a gaiwan generally ranges between 100ml and 300ml.
Different people will choose according to their needs.
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Gaiwans preferred by women
▲Women have smaller hands and need smaller tea utensils.
Women have smaller hands and need smaller tea utensils.
The size of the gaiwan should generally not exceed 150ml.
Therefore, the most suitable gaiwan size is between 100ml and 150ml.
Of course, it can also be smaller,
such as 80ml, which is also a common gaiwan specification.
As for how big a 150ml gaiwan is,
it is approximately 9cm in diameter and 8cm in height.
So personally, I think women can use a slightly smaller one, with 120ml being the most suitable.
This size is moderate, and if the gaiwan is made of thin material,
it won’t feel heavy or burn the hands, making it the best choice.
Gaiwans preferred by men
▲Men drink larger quantities of tea and more frequently, so they need a larger gaiwan.
Generally, men drink larger quantities of tea,
and they drink it more frequently,
so they need a larger gaiwan.
The largest gaiwan available
is around 300ml.
Anything larger would be a giant gaiwan,
which is not only heavy to hold
but also unattractive,
and even men may find it unsuitable.
150ml is the most appropriate size.
Large gaiwan
The above sizes are suitable for single-person use. Nowadays, Gongfu tea emphasizes brewing with a gaiwan, and when there are more people, a larger gaiwan is more convenient. In such cases, a 300ml gaiwan can come in handy.
Things to note when purchasing a gaiwan
When selecting a gaiwan, besides capacity, pay attention to the mouth and the knob.
☑ Wide mouth:
The distance between the rim of the bowl and the edge of the lid should be wide to prevent tea from spilling and burning your hands.
☑ High knob:
If the knob is recessed and too close to the lid, your fingers may get burned when pressing it.
A higher knob makes it easier to handle.
Additionally, we know that different regions have varying preferences for tea strength. For the same size gaiwan, in Chaozhou, people use a lot of tea leaves, at least 8-12g, while in Xiamen, it’s about 6-8g. In Fuzhou, where lighter tea is preferred, 3-5g of tea leaves is considered sufficient.