UmiTeaSets - Teapot & Yellow Tea

As I focus mostly on my shop these days, my collaborations have decreased because I just don’t have the time! When I say collaboration, I mean when a company offers me free product in exchange for a review or post.

Sometimes though, I get offered something really fun and it’s hard to turn down the opportunity to get it and also to share it!

As my cabinets overflow with tea, I am more partial to teaware nowadays even though I have a huge collection there as well. When UmiTeaSets reached out to me they kindly offered to send me something of each of my choice.

I chose this cute mini clay pot (style A) and yellow tea! Ever since trying and loving slow mellow yellow from Grass People Tree, I have been trying all the yellow tea I can. It’s intriguing because not every sight has this tea and I have tried many types, some good and some bad. Not really bad, but not super flavorful. Truly a mellow tea. The yellow bud tea has large buds and a light flavor when brewed for as long as a minute. The taste is vegetal but also refreshing like a green tea. When I cold brewed it, the flavor was more similar to hay!

If you’re interested in learning more about yellow tea, check out Tea For Me Please’s post about it!

I also made a little video brewing this tea on instagram if you want to check that out.

The tea pot is a “mini” teapot made of purple clay and I think it’s the perfect size for a solo session! The lid also fits well so there was little to no drip. While I am totally a gaiwan gal, I really enjoy using this tea pot. It’s a bit chunkier than some of my other pots so it gives my collection a good variety!

They have a large selection of both tea and teaware, so if you’re in need check them out!

If I had $1000 to spend on teaware...

I am SO excited about this post. As I’ve journeyed deeper into my tea journey, my obsession with teaware has increased. I have a cabinet filled with pots and cups but I still always want more! Experimentation is an important part of tea time for me. I like to try different vessels with different teas and see how it changes the experience. I sometimes use the same gaiwan or tea pot a few days in a row but usually, I run through all of my teaware!

Additionally, just like any other collector I like to be able to add more artist’s work into my collection!

How did I decide where to shop? Well, I have a few favorite places and a few of them have come out with some new pieces that I’ve been admiring. As I move into the holiday season and I have to stock the shop with goodies, I unfortunately have to tie my hands so I don’t spend on teaware! I do like to buy myself something nice as a gift if the holiday season goes well so many some of these will end up in my collection! Maybe some of these will will end up in my collection!

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Bitterleaf Teas - $230

Ok, they are pretty much my favorite shop. Their branding and aesthetic is so amazing and honestly it draws me in. I also appreciate the obvious effort they take to curate different pieces for all their different categories! Most of my current teaware comes from Bitterleaf. You could say I’m a little bit of a fan girl.

Please note that all credit for these photos goes to Bitterleaf teas, they are from their site.

Shop Bitterleaf Teas

I’ve been wanting to add more tea trays to my collection and this vintage style tea tray really caught my eye. I love the shape and how it isn’t wood! I also don’t have a tea tray that is quite as tall!

I’ve always wanted a tea jar like this! I love the idea of making tea storage just as beautiful as the teaware. This design is simple in color but complex in design. The contrast between ceramics body and wood top is also nice.

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Mansa Tea - $52

Mansa Tea is a brand I discovered on Instagram and we collaborated on a giveaway for one of their awesome tea sets. I love the way Mansa takes teas that people might otherwise feel are “out of reach” and presents them the way they should be, accessible for everyone. They also have really useful information sent out with their teas so even a novice tea drinker could brew them correctly! BUT, this post is about teaware :D

Please note that all credit for this photo goes to Mansa Tea, they are from their site.

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I love the shape and size of this tea tray. It is pefect for a solo session and there is a sense of direction about it. I don’t have a tea tray that looks like this and would love to add this to my collection!

This photo displays exactly why this tray is so appealing to me for solo tea time!

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Koto Tea - $302

This is one of my favorite shops for Japanese teaware! I have a beautiful chawan and chasen from this shop and it is one of a kind! Recently on instagram, I saw a product in their shop, a tea box! I love the design of this basket. It is simple, useful and reminiscent of the classic picnic basket!

Please note that all credit for this photo goes to Koto Tea, they are from their site.

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Obsesses with this box! I can imagine myself going on a picnic with my matcha and some delicious snacks :D

The simplicity of the design is so my speed and love how the handle can collapse as well!

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Verdant Tea - $139

I’ve never personally bought anything from verdant tea but have definitely browsed their site before! I wanted to add a yixing pot to this list because I don’t own one! I love the simplicity of yixing pots but chose one with this beautiful lotus flower.

Please note that all credit for this photo goes to Verdant Tea, they are from their site.

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It’s about time to get a yixing pot! I’ve stayed away until now for a few reasons. For one, I like to switch tea into different vessels to see where they fit best and yixings are generally dedicated to one tea.

I also prefer gaiwans usually in my brewing so I don’t often go after tea pots but the carving on this was just too beautiful to pass up!

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Yunnan Sourcing - $72

I’ve only every bought tea from yunnan sourcing but they also have a large teaware collection! Do I need more gaiwans? Probably not, but actually can you ever have too many gaiwans? The gaiwan is probably my favorite brewing vessel. I think it’s easy to use and the wide mouth enhances the tea experience with more accessible aroma. This gaiwan has a unique design and is unlike any other gaiwan that I have!

Please note that all credit for this photo goes to Yunnan Sourcing, they are from their site.

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Ah, how gorgeous is this? I love floral/plant type designs on gaiwans and this one is so different from the ones I have!

I also love the raw look of this gaiwan as most of mine are very obviously glazed!

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180andup -$146

This is a brand I discovered on instagram. Their curated collections have always drawn me in and after searching through their site I found these beautiful cups! I don’t have any octagonal cups. I also love the painted figures on the cups. Not only is it beautiful for making tea time more peaceful but I also love to photograph tea sessions and these cups would be an amazing model!

Please note that all credit for this photo goes to 180andup, they are from their site.

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I only have one other fair cup shaped this way and it’s my favorite. The one that I have is glass so it would be nice to have a ceramic one as well! I love that it has a light color glaze so that I can still see my tea!

This shape is so cute and I can’t help but put these on the list! I love the colors in the design as well.

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Esteemed Tea Co - $59

Love, love, love esteemed tea! They have a delicious selection of oolongs and I’ve featured their teas in my steep it real box because I loved it so much! I also used to have this gorgeous thin glass cup with gold rim from them and it was my favorite. The glass got stained with tea so easily because I used it so much. One day, I knocked it off my shelf by accident and because it was such a delicate cup it shattered :(

Confession. While looking these cups up for this post, I bought one. I couldn’t help but replace my beloved cup!

Please note that all credit for this photo goes to Esteemed Tea Co, they are from their site.

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I have one of these but I could always use another. These strainers are so delicate and beautiful!

I’ve always wanted a tea strainer in this style!

I will hold onto this one for dear life because I love this style of cup so much!

How lovely that it also comes with a stand!

Total: $1000

I think it’s important to note that this was actually difficult. I wanted to be able to get several items but had to re-do my list several times because some of the items I initially wanted to put on this list were too expensive in the sense that I wasn’t able to add many other.

One day I will own a legit tetsubin!!

What would be on your list if you had $1000 to spend??!