Hello, I have a question about the steeping process that maybe you
fine folks could help me with.

I suppose it is the case for most, but when I drink tea at home, I
prefer to enjoy my tea in a calm place; usually either at the dinner
table or in my living room. For large brewings this isn't a problem.
But I am mostly a chinese tea drinker, and I usually drink them either
gongfu style or with the help of a zhong, so I'm doing many small
infusions. I find it quite bothersome to drink my small tea cup, walk
back to the kitchen reheat the water a few seconds in the electric
kettle to raise it back to the right temperature and re-steep my tea.

Is there any more elegant solution to bring water with me at a
reasonably hot temperature so that I can at least make a few infusions
without having to re-heat my water? I'm thinking maybe a thermos, but
I'm not sure it would be able to keep it hot enough (10 degrees are
not too important for a coffee or a soup, but quite so for a tea).

I use an electric pot that I can unplug and replug into my living room
or dining room or whatever room. You can also use one of those
Japanese water boilers that keeps water at an even temperature (see,
e.g., http://www.veryasia.com/thermo-pot.html, but note that this is
just a random link to show you the machine--you'd be best to check
around the web for prices and such). Both of the above methods require
you to plug something in. Those two electric methods are the only ones
I've tried. I can leave others to say the value of gas or alcohol
burners.

cha bing

On May 3, 1:25*pm, Guizzy > wrote:
> Hello, I have a question about the steeping process that maybe you
> fine folks could help me with.
>
> I suppose it is the case for most, but when I drink tea at home, I
> prefer to enjoy my tea in a calm place; usually either at the dinner
> table or in my living room. For large brewings this isn't a problem.
> But I am mostly a chinese tea drinker, and I usually drink them either
> gongfu style or with the help of a zhong, so I'm doing many small
> infusions. I find it quite bothersome to drink my small tea cup, walk
> back to the kitchen reheat the water a few seconds in the electric
> kettle to raise it back to the right temperature and re-steep my tea.
>
> Is there any more elegant solution to bring water with me at a
> reasonably hot temperature so that I can at least make a few infusions
> without having to re-heat my water? I'm thinking maybe a thermos, but
> I'm not sure it would be able to keep it hot enough (10 degrees are
> not too important for a coffee or a soup, but quite so for a tea).

thermos works great if you pre warm it before filling with water at a
dragon boil.

> Is there any more elegant solution to bring water with me at a
> reasonably hot temperature so that I can at least make a few infusions
> without having to re-heat my water?

Buy a good thermal carafe and that should keep your water reasonably
hot. Chinese have an obsession of only drinking boiled water. So many
families store their boiled water in thermal carafes. Then, they can
have hot drinking water on hand whenever they need it.

The trains here all have a water boiler in each car. And each
compartment has a thermal carafe for handy storage of hot water.
Except the water temp. varies depending on which train you take! The
train from Guangzhou to Beijing has rather mild temp water - and
unsuitable for oolongs. Good for greens and scented teas though. The
train from Fuzhou to Shenzhen has really hot water - good for any
oolong.

You know, it's pretty hot here in Fujian in the summer. And on hot
days, we expect to buy ice cold beverages from the beverage fridge at
any store. Not so here. They store their beverages in those fridges at
room temperature!! So here, on a hot day, you only have a choice of
warm, or hot beverage. Never ice cold. The only thing they keep iced
is beer. Strange country.

Guizzy wrote:
> Hello, I have a question about the steeping process that maybe you
> fine folks could help me with.
>
> I suppose it is the case for most, but when I drink tea at home, I
> prefer to enjoy my tea in a calm place; usually either at the dinner
> table or in my living room. For large brewings this isn't a problem.
> But I am mostly a chinese tea drinker, and I usually drink them either
> gongfu style or with the help of a zhong, so I'm doing many small
> infusions. I find it quite bothersome to drink my small tea cup, walk
> back to the kitchen reheat the water a few seconds in the electric
> kettle to raise it back to the right temperature and re-steep my tea.
>
> Is there any more elegant solution to bring water with me at a
> reasonably hot temperature so that I can at least make a few infusions
> without having to re-heat my water? I'm thinking maybe a thermos, but
> I'm not sure it would be able to keep it hot enough (10 degrees are
> not too important for a coffee or a soup, but quite so for a tea).


I have a stainless steel thermos that I use ONLY for water and it does a
perfect job of keeping water reasonably hot (too hot at first in fact)
for greens at my desk. If you go the thermos route I'd recommend getting
a new one and never putting anything but water in it, and no milk or
milk tea either...they (thermoses) are (in my experience) nearly
impossible to get entirely clean once you do. I also can use the water
in this thermos for greener oolongs when it's first hot. I do shui Xians
with it too but it may be at a lower temp than ideal. That's the
trade-off for the convenience for me though. Mostly I use it for greens
and whites.

Get a good thermos though, not one of the cheap plastic things with the
vacuum glass bottle inside.

Also, my method of steeping doesn't require me to open and close the lid
a lot (I tend to brew a larger amount, say 8-10 Oz, at a time) so that
may be a factor in your decision.

Melinda

P.S. I've never heard the term zhong for a gaiwan before, is that
regional or...? What is it's literal translation? I'm happy to learn a
new tea term!

On May 5, 5:13 pm, Melinda > wrote:
> Guizzy wrote:
> > Hello, I have a question about the steeping process that maybe you
> > fine folks could help me with.
>
> > I suppose it is the case for most, but when I drink tea at home, I
> > prefer to enjoy my tea in a calm place; usually either at the dinner
> > table or in my living room. For large brewings this isn't a problem.
> > But I am mostly a chinese tea drinker, and I usually drink them either
> > gongfu style or with the help of a zhong, so I'm doing many small
> > infusions. I find it quite bothersome to drink my small tea cup, walk
> > back to the kitchen reheat the water a few seconds in the electric
> > kettle to raise it back to the right temperature and re-steep my tea.
>
> > Is there any more elegant solution to bring water with me at a
> > reasonably hot temperature so that I can at least make a few infusions
> > without having to re-heat my water? I'm thinking maybe a thermos, but
> > I'm not sure it would be able to keep it hot enough (10 degrees are
> > not too important for a coffee or a soup, but quite so for a tea).
>
> I have a stainless steel thermos that I use ONLY for water and it does a
> perfect job of keeping water reasonably hot (too hot at first in fact)
> for greens at my desk. If you go the thermos route I'd recommend getting
> a new one and never putting anything but water in it, and no milk or
> milk tea either...they (thermoses) are (in my experience) nearly
> impossible to get entirely clean once you do. I also can use the water
> in this thermos for greener oolongs when it's first hot. I do shui Xians
> with it too but it may be at a lower temp than ideal. That's the
> trade-off for the convenience for me though. Mostly I use it for greens
> and whites.
>
> Get a good thermos though, not one of the cheap plastic things with the
> vacuum glass bottle inside.
>
> Also, my method of steeping doesn't require me to open and close the lid
> a lot (I tend to brew a larger amount, say 8-10 Oz, at a time) so that
> may be a factor in your decision.
>
> Melinda
>
> P.S. I've never heard the term zhong for a gaiwan before, is that
> regional or...? What is it's literal translation? I'm happy to learn a
> new tea term!

I've used and heard both terms, but I'm sorry I don't know why some
refer to it as zhong or as gaiwan. According to Wikipedia, the literal
translation would be "hot-steeping vessel".

As for the thermos, I guess most people recommend them, so I'll be
looking for one. I'm particularly interested in the Thermos pump pots;
might be useful to avoid making a mess and to not have to open the
lid.

Thank you all for your recommendations.

> P.S. I've never heard the term zhong for a gaiwan before, is that
> regional or...? What is it's literal translation?


Zhong is a small, handleless cup. A gaiwan is handlless too. So it can
be called a zhong. Or, you could call it a "cha zhong", tea zhong.

Guizzy > wrote in news:fee9c87d-57c7-4c50-80cb-
:
> Hello, I have a question about the steeping process that maybe you
> fine folks could help me with.
>
> I suppose it is the case for most, but when I drink tea at home, I
> prefer to enjoy my tea in a calm place; usually either at the dinner
> table or in my living room. For large brewings this isn't a problem.
> But I am mostly a chinese tea drinker, and I usually drink them either
> gongfu style or with the help of a zhong, so I'm doing many small
> infusions. I find it quite bothersome to drink my small tea cup, walk
> back to the kitchen reheat the water a few seconds in the electric
> kettle to raise it back to the right temperature and re-steep my tea.
>
> Is there any more elegant solution to bring water with me at a
> reasonably hot temperature so that I can at least make a few infusions
> without having to re-heat my water? I'm thinking maybe a thermos, but
> I'm not sure it would be able to keep it hot enough (10 degrees are
> not too important for a coffee or a soup, but quite so for a tea).

Hot Water Pots, 208°F, 194°F, 176°F, 140°F (98°C, 90°C, 80°C, 60°C):
http://www.zojirushi.com/ourproducts...ts/cd_wbc.html
http://www.beveragefactory.com/coffe.../SP-3618.shtml
available at: www.AsiaChi.com, www.amazon.com, etc.