In the modern world with its high speeds, there is practically no free time left to conduct a full tea ceremony. Therefore, an amazing device for making tea was developed: a gongfu teapot.
Design
The design of all types is based on the idea of a Chinese tea ceremony, which involves a method of brewing tea using the strait method. This method of brewing helps to better open the tea leaf and give, and, therefore, saturate the drink with a noble taste and rich aroma. The first gongfu teapots had a simple design in the form of 2 tanks: an inner bulb and an outer vessel.
The inner flask is usually made of transparent plastic with an opening with a strainer at the bottom. More expensive models use heat-resistant glass. The external vessel is made of glass and equipped with a plastic handle for easy handling.
The inner vessel is installed in the outer so that there is a gap between them for brewed tea.
In 1989, Kamjove invented and patented the drain valve of the inner bulb. This greatly improved gongfu teapots and simplified their operation. Tea is brewed in the inner flask, and after the process is over, just press the button or turn the lever (depending on the model) on the lid of the product, and the finished tea is poured into an external container through an open valve. There are 2 types of drain valves:
- with a spring;
- with a taut load.
In the first embodiment, the valve opens under the action of the lever mechanism when the button is pressed and closes back under the pressure of the compressed spring when the button is released.In the second case, the valve also opens with a lever mechanism, and closes with the help of a load stretched on a rope and connected to a movable valve mechanism. The model range of types is limited to volumes from 350 ml to 1500 ml.
Less than 350 ml cannot be made for structural reasons, since there should be space between the flasks to drain the brewed tea.
Models
The most widely represented in the Russian market are 3 manufacturers of gongfu teapots: Runying, Kamjove, SAMA DOYO. These companies produce a wide range of their products.
Runying T-Series 500 ml
The body of the kettle is made in trapezoidal shape made of heat-resistant glass. To drain the brewed tea, a triangular spout is provided in the upper part of the vessel. The inner flask is made of high-quality transparent plastic, which makes it possible to see the readiness during the process of brewing tea.
The top of the kettle is equipped with a plastic lid, which is tightly fixed with a latch. A button is provided on the lid to drain the prepared beverage from the inner flask into the outer container.
When the button is pressed, the spring valve is activated and the beverage is drained.
Kamjove TP-140 (300 ml)
The smallest gongfu teapot. Represents ergonomic device, including teapot, sieve, chahai. The outer vessel is made of heat-resistant cylindrical glass.
The brewing flask with a lid is made of high-quality transparent plastic. The button for draining the brewed tea is located in the lid of the inner flask. It is installed in the outer vessel so that the lid rests on the edges of the outer vessel. Having removed the inner flask, the outer tank can be used as a mug with a handle for drinking tea.
Sama A-14 (900 ml)
The most popular model of tipot in Russia. Its versatility is due to the presence in the design of teapot, sieves, stewing. The large volume allows it to be used for tea ceremonies in a company of several people.
This is a heat-resistant glass teapot with a glass inner bulb. At the top of the external container there is a triangular spout for draining tea. On the opposite side is a plastic handle. The plastic cover is tightly fixed. There is a button to drain tea from the teapot.
In this kettle, you can brew any kind of tea. Using it is a pleasure.
How to use?
To fully enjoy the aroma of tea, you need to properly prepare it. Tipot allows you to brew tea so that it is fully opened and gives all its nutrients and aroma. First you need to choose a grade of tea. For cooking in gongfu, the most suitable Chinese puer or Taiwanese oolong. The way tea is prepared in tipot is called pouring.
- Pour some dry product into the inner flask.
- Insert it into the outer vessel of the kettle.
- Pour tea with a small amount of boiling water and immediately drain it. The first tea, the so-called technical, allows you to rinse the tea leaf and wake it up for the tea ceremony.
- The second time, pour boiling water into the inner flask and cover. Allow the drink to brew for several minutes and then press the button and pour the tea into the tea.
- Repeat this procedure several times. This will fully reveal the taste and aroma of tea and achieve the necessary strength. Thanks to the pouring method of brewing, the tea leaf is not in hot water for a long time and does not form harmful substances.
- From teahouse tea is poured into bowls.
The following video describes how the gongfu kettle works.
