Melinda writes:

Lewis Perin wrote:

That brings up an issue that gets ventilated here from time to time.
If Teochew (Chaozhou) style lets the pot lie around for extended
periods between steeps, and if the pot is crammed with a heavy, wet
mass of previously steeped leaves, the temperature inside the pot will
be far below boiling from the second steep onward.

I thought that was the point of pouring the boiling water over the
outside of the pot once the steep had started. I guess it would be
exactly as if the pot has stayed very hot but it would be close
wouldn't it? The pot doesn't heat up instantly of course. but if I'm
doing tea outside I have to do this because it's in the 50's F, if
that, where I am during the day.

I know that's the theory of pouring hot water over the pot, but I'm
skeptical of its effectiveness. For one thing - as I believe DogMa
once noted here - the evaporation of that water on the pot's skin will
*subtract* heat. Also, probably more importantly, during a short
steep how much heat could the poured-over water really add?

/Lew
---
Lew Perin /
http://www.panix.com/~perin/babelcarp.html