The first part of this review details my customer service experience with Real ZiSha. Please read on for the review of the teapot.
TL;DR: The best customer service I have experienced from an online shop! Order with confidence!
This is my second time ordering from Real ZiSha to the United States. My first experience ordering from them was a smooth process with nothing of note happening during shipping. Unfortunately, my second order was not so lucky, and was flagged by customs.
I emailed Ian from Real ZiSha detailing my situation, and the support I received from him was absolutely incredible. He always replied to my many emails quickly and thoroughly, with great attention and care towards my situation, and even at times where I did not expect him to! He helped guide me through the steps to take to resolve the situation, and when my package was escalated further, he and Yi-Lei personally saw to it that my package was released, with no additional effort on my part.
Ian had informed me that this situation was extremely abnormal, and this had not happened in nearly two years, so do not worry about this happening to you, as it is extremely unlikely. However, I have the confidence that if anything went wrong, Real ZiSha would personally see it right! Please order from them with confidence, they WILL take care of you!
Thank you again Ian and Yi-Lei for your help! This was absolutely, by far, the best customer service I have ever experienced from an online store!
**ONTO THE TEAPOT**
I absolutely adore this pot. The thing that initially drew me to it was the perfectly round bottom, held up by the baby's feet. The combination of clay and ZiSha model gives the impression of a wrought-iron cauldron, brewing your potion on your tabletop. The lid sculpting is beautifully detailed and precise. Absolutely immaculate craftsmanship by Zhang Huan.
Regarding the functionality of the pot, I selected this size for brewing Hong Cha, as I wanted a slightly larger pot to account for the fewer quality steeps that Hong Cha gives you over something like Sheng Pu Er. I think that this pot works wonderfully for this function. I really appreciate the large lid opening, which makes it very easy to load and clean out tea leaves. The handle is perfectly balanced, comfortable to hold, and quite thin, with plenty of room for your fingers to not get burned by the side wall of the pot.
The pouring speed of this pot is a bit slow, as one would expect from a thin gooseneck spout, and empties in about 20 seconds. This pouring speed works great for Hong Cha, but if you are looking for a pot to flash steep tea, this would not be the best choice.
Regarding the clay, this is clearly an exquisite and special clay to be cherished. The feel in the hand is unlike anything I have experienced, with an incredibly smooth, silken texture. The color from afar is a dark, stormy grey, but up close the multicolored speckle becomes apparent, and in some light the pot can even appear yellow. It is also a very light clay, with this pot being the lightest of the three that I own. (This may be in part due to Craftsman Zhang Huan's deft skill and attention to crafting the walls of the pot so thin!). Any lover of YiXing clay simply must experience this Qing Hui Duan.
Once again, thank you Ian and Yi-Lei for all of your help! I would absolutely recommend Real ZiSha. The price you pay here is absolutely worth it for a quality, authentic, unique, handmade item, with top of the line, personalized customer service. The information Ian provides on this website and by email also gives me confidence that I have an authentic and genuine fully handmade ZiSha pot, crafted by hand by craftsman Zhang Huan, and not an imitation or fake.
I would NEVER buy a YiXing clay pot from ANYWHERE else!
