On Nov 20, 11:58 am, wrote:
The only issue with those Kam Man gaiwans is that they're so
big. I think brewing in gaiwan works best when you put enough
leaf to expand into whole volume. Then the leaves don't get
stale taste even if you brew them again and again for half a
day. I used to use a mug without infuser with just leaves
floating around at work. I also used a chinese rice cup.. I
put some kind of lid on top of it but I don't remember what
lid exactly.

I wish Kam Man had varying sizes of gaiwans..

It's a really good store for teaware by the way. Good
selection of cups and cheaper than pearl river mart.
They have good tetsubins for a very cheap price now.
But the lids don't fit too well on them, that's the only
problem.

Yes, it is a big one... but again for work use and the fact I don't
have to worry about an accident it does well. The one I broke was a
much more expensive one which was smaller and heavier weight. It had
actually survived a fall at home once, but it lost against the stone
floor of my work's bathroom. The lid is indeed a bit of an odd fit,
but decent.

I tried the leaves straight in the mug too, but it just isn't as
functional. I'd kill to have a store like Kam Man in Pittsburgh, even
though their stuff is lower quality it is inexpensive and fairly
decent... it puts the even lower quality and more expensive stuff in
our Asian markets to shame. It's all relative I guess, I can't even
*buy* a gaiwan in Pittsburgh of any quality at any price.

- Dominic