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 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.
Yixing clay originates near the city of Yixing, in China's Jiangsu province. It has been used to make traditional Chinese pottery since the Song Dynasty (960 - 1279).
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.
Seasoning Your Yixing Clay Teapot
- pick a clean pot, fill it with filtered water, boil the water, and then bring it to a simmer.
- put a clean white towel on the bottom of the pot.
- gently 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 - let it gently simmer for some time, 10–20 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, boil it with some oolong)
- repeat the same steps, but boil 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. After many years of using it, try pouring some hot water in it without any tea leaves, and you'll see how the color of the water is almost the same as a tea brew and that it will even have a taste of all the teas you've brewed!
The more you use your new zisha clay teapot, the more it will develop a gentle sheen and a faint tea aroma when you warm it with hot water. It takes many years of use, rinsing it with hot water alone.
*Please make sure to never use any kinds of soaps or dish detergents with your Yixing clay teapots or any other porous teaware!