Research note
Heat retention while brewing tea: practical lessons
A small TeaDB experiment suggests that preheating and matching the vessel to the water volume can matter more than assuming one material always retains heat best.
Brew with confidence
Gongfu Cha
工夫茶
Suitable for: Oolong tea, Dark tea, Red tea, White tea
Gongfu cha — "skilled brewing" — uses a small vessel (gaiwan or Yixing teapot, 80–150 ml) and a high leaf-to-water ratio (5–8 g per 100 ml). Each infusion is short, often just seconds, and a single session typically produces 8–12 infusions, each subtly different.
Steps
- Heat your gaiwan or teapot with boiling water and discard.
- Weigh leaves to your desired ratio (try 6 g per 100 ml of vessel capacity).
- Add leaves and pour just enough boiling water to cover. Discard the rinse.
- First infusion — pour boiling water, steep 5–10 seconds, decant fully into the cha hai.
- Pour from the cha hai into individual cups; the leaves rest while you sip.
- Each subsequent infusion 2–5 seconds longer than the last, until the leaves are spent.
Plan your next steep
Use the calculator to tune leaf, water, and temperature for this brewing style, browse tea families that suit the method, or compare current shop offers by style.
Teaware
Accessories
Sources and review
External references used to review this entry.