Brewing tea in gong fu style is so fun and rewarding, I am surprised that more people don’t do it. If you drink oolong, puer, and black tea, gong fu brewing is not only fun, it’s rewarding simply because it is the best way to brew these teas. This will provide the best results and you will get the most out of your tea.

We don’t just want to drink tea, we want to feel the power of the tea as well. I’m not just talking about a caffeine buzz. I am talking tea-drunk. I am talking qi. I am talking about all that tea has to offer. The way it can calm your mood and expand your awareness. Who really knows how tea creates its pleasant effect? Maybe it’s the way the caffeine and the L-theanine dance their way into your brain. But I like to think of it as magic. In an effort to convert more tea drinkers into gong fu tea practitioners, I have developed a list of easy steps to follow.

The other thing that we need to consider is equipment. Most important of which is the teapot. If you can afford nothing else and want to get started with gong fu brewing, get a clay teapot that holds roughly between 90 and 200 ml. You could start with a porcelain pot of a gaiwan as well, but a clay teapot is best. The little cups are good too, and we are still giving away two cups with the purchase of $48 or more of goods from our site.

Let’s start brewing…

1. Heat your pot - this is done by adding boiling water to the pot, letting it sit for a moment and then pouring it out.
2. Measure and add tea to the pot - for tightly rolled oolong fill the pot to ¼ to ⅓ full of dry leaf.
3. Awakening infusion - add boiling water and pour out as soon as you place the lid on the pot. Sometimes this step is called a rinse, but the pros call it a warming and waking infusion. This infusion can be used to warm the other teaware. It can be used as a palate cleanser or it can be discarded.
4. Steep the tea - add boiling water, let steep for 30 seconds to 1 minute and pour. Remove the lid as soon as the tea has poured from the pot.
5. Enjoy tea - share tea with your family and friends or sip on your own. Compare slurping the tea with normal sipping and see if you notice a difference in flavor and aroma.
6. Repeat the steeping - this can be repeated several times… sometimes for up to 12 total infusions. Feel free to adjust brew time and water temperature. Typically, don’t go over a one minute infusion time. Always remove the lid between steepings so the leaf doesn’t continue to “cook” while you are waiting to make your next brew.
7. Clean everything and put it away so it is ready to use for your next gong fu session.

Great job! If you do this everyday for seven days, you will be hooked. If you do it everyday for 30 days, you will start to see some improvement. If you do it everyday for 100 days, you are on your way to becoming a master. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions. Happy sipping!