Tea Sets
In the set: Yixing Teapot (Zi Sha: Zi Ni), and two sets of matching Yixing Clay Zi Ni Aroma Teacups. Compared to glass, porcelain, glazed teapots, or even other ZiSha clays, ZiNi clay enhances the flavors and aromas of tea by reducing bitterness and astringency.
The “Scrolling Clouds” Handmade Gong Fu Cha set brings together four handmade pieces: a Jianshui Teapot, Teapot Rest, and two Teacups. All pieces are made from Jianshui Zitao (建水紫陶) – the unglazed purple pottery of southern Yunnan. Jianshui clay is dense, iron-rich, and low in porosity, which makes it more versatile than many other clay teawares. It doesn’t absorb aroma too strongly or lock itself to one tea type, so the set can be used for pu-erh, oolong, black tea, and other fragrance-forward teas.
In the set: Yixing Gaiwan (Zi Sha: Zi Ni), and two sets of Yixing Clay Zi Ni Aroma Teacups. Zi Ni's excellent porosity and heat-retaining properties work wonders in transforming the taste of tea, surpassing other materials like glass, porcelain, glazed teapots, or even other ZiSha clays.
This Gong Fu travel set comprises a gaiwan and cups made with top-tier Kaolin clay from Dehua, Fujian. The components of the Travel Set pack perfectly into one another. The pouch is sturdy, compact, light, and easy to carry. The ideal set for Gong Fu Cha on the go.
This beautiful Gong Fu Tea Set depicts white cranes — a symbol of peace and longevity in Chinese culture. Throughout imperial times, cranes were depicted on the robes of officials to represent their rank. The greatest outcome of Chinese tea cannot be expected without a proper Gong Fu Cha Set.
This exquisite Gong Fu Cha Set made of translucent Mutton Fat Jade Porcelain includes a Gaiwan, Gong Dao Bei, two cups, and a tea strainer. Adorned with handwritten calligraphy that reads "Approach Tea With a Focused Heart," the set combines elegance and functionality, making it ideal for mindful tea sessions.
The Heart Sutra Set, crafted from unglazed Dehua ZhuNi clay, includes a Gaiwan and Gong Dao Bei adorned with the Buddhist Sutra, and two teacups with minimalist brushstroke designs. The set features beautiful color contrasts and ergonomic shapes, enhancing the flavor, aroma, and overall tea-drinking experience.
This Gong Fu Tea Set includes a gaiwan and two teacups, crafted from porcelain and lined with silver. The set features serene landscape motifs in cobalt blue. Silver softens water, enhancing tea's sweet notes, while the porcelain exterior protects fingers from heat, making it both beautiful and practical.
This set includes a 170ml Houhin and two 50ml Teacups. Crafted from aged Dehua clay, the high-temperature reduction firing and high-iron content glaze enhance the tea's sweetness and flavor. This set combines vintage charm with practical functionality for an exceptional tea-drinking experience.
This tea set by A Jie includes the "Rough Diamond" Gaiwan and Teacup, both crafted using high-iron Dehua clay and a traditional wood-firing process. The rugged and faceted designs complement each other beautifully, and the smaller size of the gaiwan makes it perfect for solo tea sessions with your most precious teas. Each piece is unique, reflecting the natural elements of fire and clay, and brings out the tea’s natural sweetness.
What can be more enticing than watching rising steam, listening to crackling charcoal, boiling water, and a Chaozhou clay kettle clacking lid? The Chaozhou charcoal stove and clay kettle are a must-have if you are serious about Gong Fu Cha. It will transform the entire tea experience by taking it to the next level. Many argue that water boiled on the open fire in a clay kettle is so much better than the one boiled in a stainless steel electric kettle.
This matcha set is designed around a Tenmoku-style chawan – a deep, wide bowl with a rich, dark glaze – a blend of Tenmoku tradition and modern Japanese pottery design. The wide, 350ml bowl gives your chasen room to move, allowing you to mix the matcha evenly, while the deep glaze lets you appreciate the color and sheen of the foam.
Aroma cups are an essential part of enjoying the tea, especially oolong tea. As its name suggests, it is used for smelling the fragrance of the tea before drinking it. Made from renowned Yixing ZiSha clay (ZiNi), these cups will perfectly complement your tea.
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About Tea Sets [+]
A Gong Fu tea set brings together the pieces you need to brew in the Gong Fu Cha (工夫茶 – tea brewed with skill and effort) style: a small brewing vessel, cups, and often a fairness cup to decant into. We chose pieces that work together in size, material, and style.
Our collection includes sets in porcelain and glazed ceramic, silver, and clay from several of China's pottery traditions, along with travel sets, matcha sets, and a Chaozhou charcoal stove and clay kettle.
What's in a Gong Fu Tea Set
The center of every set is the brewing vessel – a gaiwan or a small teapot, usually somewhere between 90ml and 200ml. These sizes suit one to six people and many short infusions from the same leaves.
Many sets also include a Gong Dao Bei (公道杯 – Fairness Cup), also called Cha Hai (茶海 – Sea of Tea). You pour the whole infusion into it at once, so the leaves stop steeping, and every cup gets tea of the same strength. Some sets add a tea strainer, wooden tea tools, or a Hu Cheng (壶承 – Teapot Rest) that catches drips under the pot.
Porcelain and Glazed Tea Sets
Porcelain is neutral. Its glazed surface doesn't absorb tea or alter its taste, so it works with every tea type and shows the true color of the liquor. If you brew a wide range of teas, it's the most versatile choice.
Many of our porcelain sets come from Dehua, in Fujian province – one of China's foremost porcelain centers. It is known especially for Mutton Fat Jade Porcelain (羊脂玉瓷 – Yang Zhi Yu Ci), a milky-white porcelain that glows softly when light passes through it.
Silver teaware
Silver conducts heat quickly and evenly, so the leaves open all at once. That suits hot water and very short steeps, which bring out sweetness and aroma before bitterness has time to build. In the case of silver-lined porcelain teaware, the porcelain outside keeps the pieces comfortable to hold.
Clay Tea Sets
Clay brings its own character to the tea. Its mineral composition and porosity affect how tea extracts and how its texture comes across, and unglazed clay develops a patina over years of use. Each tradition behaves a little differently:
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Yixing ZiSha (宜兴紫砂 – Yixing Purple Sand) – The classic clay of Jiangsu province. Its slightly porous body softens harsher edges and rounds out the brew, which suits pu-erh, aged teas, and darker oolongs.
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Jianshui Zitao (建水紫陶 – Jianshui Purple Pottery) – Dense, iron-rich clay from southern Yunnan, polished to a smooth, semi-matte finish. Because it's relatively low in porosity, it doesn't lock onto one tea type and works for pu-erh, oolong, and black tea alike.
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Dehua clays – Dehua is best known for porcelain, but its local clays make some of our most distinctive sets. Dehua Zhu Ni (朱泥 – Red Clay) pairs especially well with Wuyi rock oolongs. High-iron clays, often wood-fired, give each piece its own texture and finish.
Travel Tea Sets
A travel set packs a gaiwan, a fairness cup, and cups into a compact case, so you can brew Gong Fu style at work, on the road, or outdoors. The pieces are designed to nest inside one another, keeping the set small and light.
Charcoal Stove and Clay Kettle
In Chaozhou, where Gong Fu Cha took shape, water for tea has traditionally been boiled in a small Sha Diao (砂铫 – Clay Kettle) over a Tan Lu (炭炉 – Charcoal Stove). Many tea drinkers find that water boiled in clay gives tea more body – it's worth testing for yourself.
Charcoal is best used outdoors. Indoors, make sure the room is well ventilated, or use an alcohol burner instead.
Matcha Sets
A matcha set brings together the three essentials for preparing matcha: a Chawan (茶碗 – Tea Bowl), a Chasen (茶筅 – Bamboo Whisk), and a Chashaku (茶杓 – Bamboo Scoop). A wide bowl gives the whisk room to move, so the matcha froths evenly.
How to Choose a Tea Set
Start with how many people you brew for. A vessel around 90ml is ideal for one; 110-120 suits two or three; 150-200 suits four to six.
Then think about what you like to drink. Porcelain is the most flexible if you brew many different teas. If you lean toward one category, a clay set can complement it.
Not every set includes a fairness cup. If yours doesn't and you're brewing for more than one person, add a Gong Dao Bei from our Teaware Accessories so every cup gets the same tea.
Whatever the material, wash teaware with hot water only. Detergents leave residue that clay in particular absorbs and passes on to the tea.