This pot caught my eye due to its short, squat, adorable stature and silhouette, which I immediately fell in love with! I love the wide lid opening. This allows the user to easily load and remove tea leaves, and gives easy access to the inside of such a small volume pot. The large lid is easy to handle, and the lid knob is thoughtfully raised with a sculpted taper at the base, ensuring your fingers lock onto it with a sure grip.
This is my first Zhu Ni pot, and I love the feel of the smooth, leathery clay with heavy wavy creasing. The difference between other Zi Sha types can be easily observed and appreciated.
I purchased this pot to brew fresh Chinese green tea over the summer. The flavor of the green tea brewed in Zhu Ni is simply incredible. The fresh and nutty flavors of the tea are preserved, while the harsher, bitter flavors are rounded off for a balanced and harmonious steeping. I highly recommend any green tea lovers try a Zhu Ni pot for this application!
Shipping to the US was smooth and worry free. As always, Ian's communication through email is kind, courteous, knowledgeable, and quickly responsive.
Thank you again to Ian, Yi-Lei, and craftsman Shi Yun 石芸 for this cherished Ming Yuan Xu Bian 鸣远虚扁!