Many tea enthusiasts appreciate the specific way a Yixing ZiSha teapot (紫砂宜兴) affects tea – its micro-porous clay and heat retention can soften bitterness and change how the aroma presents in the cup. Over time, the inside of the pot develops a thin patina from repeated use, giving the walls a slight sheen and a faint warm scent when rinsed with hot water.
However, Yixing teapots are indeed an investment (For more information on purchasing a Yixing teapot, you can read our article: A Comprehensive Guide on Choosing Yixing Clay Teapot).
But once you’ve finally decided to invest in this piece of teaware to elevate your oolong, black, and pu-erh tea-drinking experience, you want to make sure you are doing everything right to care of your new teapot.
How To Take Care Of Your Chinese Yixing Clay Teapot
A common mistake people make is thinking they can use their teapot right away. We often get questions from people who are curious or taken aback by the smell they notice after receiving a piece of teaware. It can be described as “earthy”, “muddy”, “moldy”, and even “fishy”.
While a strong fishy or moldy smell is usually not a good sign, a new Yixing teapot may have a mild earthy or clay scent from the firing and storage. This can usually be reduced with a thorough rinse or a simple pre-boil in clean water.
To lighten the earthy smell of clay and prepare the teapot for tea brewing, we should season it before use.
How to Season a Yixing Teapot
pick a clean pot, fill it with filtered water, place your Yixing teapot inside (teapot and lid separately), so that it’s covered
*make sure to use a low fire so that it’s not at a hard boil, and the teapot doesn’t become damaged.
put a clean white towel on the bottom of the pot.
bring the water to a simmer.
let it gently simmer for some time, 5–10 minutes. If the new teapot has a very strong earthy or warehouse smell, you can repeat the simmering in fresh water, but avoid harsh, rolling boils or very long boiling times to reduce the risk of thermal stress.
wait for the water to cool before picking up the teapot
Optional step:
If you like, you can repeat the simmering with some of the tea you plan to use in this pot. Despite popular belief, this doesn’t store flavor in the clay, but it can help remove remaining odors and begin forming a very light surface patina.
choose a type of tea that you will drink out of the teapot (for example, if you plan to dedicate this teapot to drinking oolongs, simmer it with oolong)
repeat the same steps, but simmer the teapot together with the tea leaves
when done seasoning and the water cools, place the teapot in a bowl of warm water to give it a final rinse
wipe with a clean towel and let it dry in a well-ventilated place
now your Yixing is ready for use!
The more you use your new zisha clay teapot, the more it will develop a color and scent of its own. Gradually, it will develop a gentle sheen and a faint tea aroma when warmed with hot water. It takes many years of use.
*Please make sure to never use any kind of soap or dish detergent with your Yixing clay teapots or any other porous teaware!
