hello:
Making tea gongfu style is the best way so I've learned. But after a
day's work I'm too tired. Any ideas on how to make it easier and
faster?
ed

Could you describe your current method of brewing in all its detail so
we could suggest ways of speeding things up?

wrote:
> hello:
> Making tea gongfu style is the best way so I've learned. But after a
> day's work I'm too tired. Any ideas on how to make it easier and
> faster?
> ed

If one does gungfu without any extra embellishments its like this:
1. One fills the teapot with fresh water and witches the ON button. - 15
sec.
It will be ready at about 2 min.
During these 2 min one takes out one's chahu, chahai and chabei and tea.
2. When hot water is ready one quickly warms the chahu and puts the tea in
it - say another 30 seconds.
3. One pours away he first steep and (optionally) smells the wet tea
leaves - say another 1 min.
4. One pours the second brew water, waits 1 to 2 min and pours out the tea
that one can start drinking or sniffing now.

Altogether - 4 steps and 15 sec + 2 min + 30 sec + 1 min + 1(2) min =
between 5 and 6 min. What CAN BE easier and/or faster?

Sasha.


> wrote in message
ups.com...
> hello:
> Making tea gongfu style is the best way so I've learned. But after a
> day's work I'm too tired. Any ideas on how to make it easier and
> faster?
> ed
>

.....buy a faster kettle ?? ;-))


"Alex Chaihorsky" > wrote in message
et...
>Snip<
If one does gungfu without any extra embellishments its like this:
> or sniffing now.
>
> Altogether - 4 steps and 15 sec + 2 min + 30 sec + 1 min + 1(2) min =
> between 5 and 6 min. What CAN BE easier and/or faster?
>
> Sasha.
>
>
> > wrote in message
> ups.com...
>> hello:
>> Making tea gongfu style is the best way so I've learned. But after a
>> day's work I'm too tired. Any ideas on how to make it easier and
>> faster?
>> ed
>>
>
>
>

BTW, if one deep freezes freshly made wulong in large containers (like
filling half a glass with it, cover and put it in the freezer) hey preserve
real well. If you do not cover the glass, not only the tea may aquire a
smell, but also a cup can break, since it will be frozen from the top down.

Then its just a matter of taking this glass out of the freezer one day and
dialing 2 min on your microwave...
But then again, some people may be so-ooo tired that pushing the microwave
button may pose a problem
))))))))))))))))))))

Sasha.


"Draconus" > wrote in message
...
> ....buy a faster kettle ?? ;-))
>
>
> "Alex Chaihorsky" > wrote in message
> et...
>>Snip<
> If one does gungfu without any extra embellishments its like this:
>> or sniffing now.
>>
>> Altogether - 4 steps and 15 sec + 2 min + 30 sec + 1 min + 1(2) min =
>> between 5 and 6 min. What CAN BE easier and/or faster?
>>
>> Sasha.
>>
>>
>> > wrote in message
>> ups.com...
>>> hello:
>>> Making tea gongfu style is the best way so I've learned. But after a
>>> day's work I'm too tired. Any ideas on how to make it easier and
>>> faster?
>>> ed
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>
>

1/1
0/07

> hello:
> Making tea gongfu style is the best way so I've learned. But after a
> day's work I'm too tired. Any ideas on how to make it easier and
> faster?
> ed


Hi Ed,

I know many will have valuable comments to make,
but I am apparently the first to come across your post,
so let me try: Leaving my instinctive flippancy aside,
consider using a big pot that holds several cups, and
keeping Gung Fu for those hours when you *do* have
time to rest and ponder. Gung Fu, variously translated
as care and attention, is by its nature somewhat time
consuming.

On the other hand, I make Gung Fu tea -- if Gaiwans
count -- every single day at work, integrating it into
my other activities. It's easy as can be. In goes the
leaf, on goes the water, out goes the tea. My Gaiwan
is just the right size to produce one ounce of tea. So,
It's just me, my gaiwan, and my little Chinese cup.
Once you get comfortable with handling the Gaiwan,
no more worries. YiXing pots offer more stuff to do,
so would command more of your time.

So finally, in answer to your question, use a Gaiwan
(Chinese lidded cup), practice until you've got a
comfortable routine down, and enjoy your tea. Generally,
use more leaf than you ordinarily might, and pour more
quickly, adjusting length of steep time as needed. Steep
several times. Use an Oolong tea, they're the best for
Gung Fu, but by far not the only ones.

There are more precise definitions for "Gung Fu"
tea, far more regimented and stylized, but we need
not concern ourselves with them since your goal is
"fast and easy."

Michael

1/1
0/07

> hello:
> Making tea gongfu style is the best way so I've learned. But after a
> day's work I'm too tired. Any ideas on how to make it easier and
> faster?
> ed

Sorry guys. I don't know where I got
that "first to see his post" crap.
Michael

Concur whole heartedly with Michael's perspective on this, Ed. Like a lot
of people here I use the Gaiwan for that quick 'cuppa', especially at work.
The kettle, Gaiwan, tea tray and cup sit on the desk all day and its really
quick to make up a cup.

I brew Oolongs (Da Hong Pao, Shui Xian and the occasional Tie Guan Yin ) and
loose leaf Pu-erh. Using slightly more leaves and shorter steeps that
normal I can usually get a day's worth of tea from the one measure of
leaves.

At COB I'll empty the tea tray and refill the kettle ready for the next
morning.

Then at home in the evenings when I have a little more time, it's out with
the Yixing pot to make a 'proper' brew (or three).

Cheers
Mal
Oz



"Michael Plant" > wrote in message
...
> 1/1
> 0/07
>
>> hello:
>> Making tea gongfu style is the best way so I've learned. But after a
>> day's work I'm too tired. Any ideas on how to make it easier and
>> faster?
>> ed
>
>
> Hi Ed,
>
> I know many will have valuable comments to make,
> but I am apparently the first to come across your post,
> so let me try: Leaving my instinctive flippancy aside,
> consider using a big pot that holds several cups, and
> keeping Gung Fu for those hours when you *do* have
> time to rest and ponder. Gung Fu, variously translated
> as care and attention, is by its nature somewhat time
> consuming.
>
> On the other hand, I make Gung Fu tea -- if Gaiwans
> count -- every single day at work, integrating it into
> my other activities. It's easy as can be. In goes the
> leaf, on goes the water, out goes the tea. My Gaiwan
> is just the right size to produce one ounce of tea. So,
> It's just me, my gaiwan, and my little Chinese cup.
> Once you get comfortable with handling the Gaiwan,
> no more worries. YiXing pots offer more stuff to do,
> so would command more of your time.
>
> So finally, in answer to your question, use a Gaiwan
> (Chinese lidded cup), practice until you've got a
> comfortable routine down, and enjoy your tea. Generally,
> use more leaf than you ordinarily might, and pour more
> quickly, adjusting length of steep time as needed. Steep
> several times. Use an Oolong tea, they're the best for
> Gung Fu, but by far not the only ones.
>
> There are more precise definitions for "Gung Fu"
> tea, far more regimented and stylized, but we need
> not concern ourselves with them since your goal is
> "fast and easy."
>
> Michael
>
>

Little pot, little cup, little water equals little tea and you expect
more? I would forgo the formalities and learn to drink the appropriate
gongfu tea leaf off the top which moves you into Gaiwan territory but
dump the lid and saucer. I basically make tea a half liter at a time.
The only way to appreciate tea is by gulping then your
nose,mouth,throat,stomach,meridians,chi can tell you what they think as
independent variables. Replace contemplation with intoxication. I
don't mind gongfu so long as someone else takes the time and makes sure
my cup is always filled which is the forgotten trait of gongfu. I
don't know why it became self service which to me seems a little
basphemous like a teabag.

Jim

wrote:
> hello:
> Making tea gongfu style is the best way so I've learned. But after a
> day's work I'm too tired. Any ideas on how to make it easier and
> faster?
> ed

I second Michael's recco above: use a gaiwan.
Sometimes when I'm lazy or in a hurry, I skipped pre-heating the gaiwan
and teacups.
The first rinse (which I rarely skip) preheats the cups...almost like
hitting 2 birds in one step.

Phyll



Space Cowboy wrote:
> Little pot, little cup, little water equals little tea and you expect
> more? I would forgo the formalities and learn to drink the appropriate
> gongfu tea leaf off the top which moves you into Gaiwan territory but
> dump the lid and saucer. I basically make tea a half liter at a time.
> The only way to appreciate tea is by gulping then your
> nose,mouth,throat,stomach,meridians,chi can tell you what they think as
> independent variables. Replace contemplation with intoxication. I
> don't mind gongfu so long as someone else takes the time and makes sure
> my cup is always filled which is the forgotten trait of gongfu. I
> don't know why it became self service which to me seems a little
> basphemous like a teabag.
>
> Jim
>
> wrote:
> > hello:
> > Making tea gongfu style is the best way so I've learned. But after a
> > day's work I'm too tired. Any ideas on how to make it easier and
> > faster?
> > ed

1/10/07


> I second Michael's recco above: use a gaiwan.
> Sometimes when I'm lazy or in a hurry, I skipped pre-heating the gaiwan
> and teacups.
> The first rinse (which I rarely skip) preheats the cups...almost like
> hitting 2 birds in one step.
>
> Phyll

I do that too more often than not, on the
sampe principle you mention. When it
comes to Gung Fu, there are three ways
to approach: The right way, the wrong
way, and *my* way. The only approach
I detest is "My Way or The Highway,"
if you follow the subtlety of my thinking.
Michael