The art and culture of Chinese tea ceremony Yixing ware teapots (take our Mountain Spring model for an example) represent a type of traditional craft combining both artistic and practical values. These teapots come from Yixing in the Jiangsu Province of China. Yixing has been known for more than 1,000 years for its purple clay (zisha) pottery. The Mountain Spring Yixing teapot is the highest standard of teapot and is generally made for Chinese tea ceremony.

In choosing between Yixing teapots, you should not only consider the type of clay, but also the capacity, preferred shape, and other factors particular to the maker. While the Mountain Spring model may be a better fit for particular tea types or techniques, you can make the best selection from being informed on how it compares to your other options.

True Yixing teapots increase in value over time, especially those by established masters. Since the Mountain Spring model is only made by recognized artisans, these teapots have good investment potential while remaining easily accessible. Most antique

Zhuni teapots made in traditional styles have a high investment potential due to the rarity of the clay that formed them and the scarcity of Zhuni clay in general, but they come at a higher initial price.

Jade Leaf Tea House in San Francisco has been using Mountain Spring teapots exclusively to serve high-mountain Taiwanese oolongs for over five years. Proprietor Master Zhang Wei explains, “When we started using the Mountain Spring teapot in our tea service, customer satisfaction with our top-grade oolongs increased markedly. The teapot’s ability to keep a steady temperature throughout a multi-infusion tea service means each cup reveals new dimensions of the tea.” Zhang especially appreciates how the teapot’s seasoning has developed over years of dedicated use; he observes that subtle honey notes appear in even the most delicately flavored oolongs, flavors which could not be detected in years past while using plain porcelain teacups for the same teas.

“This teapot is the workhorse of my collection,” says Elizabeth Chen, a noted collector of Asian art and owner of over 30 Yixing teapots. Although she has many more expensive and rare antique teapots, she reaches for her Mountain Spring teapot every day. “It’s been 3 years of regular use with Dan Cong oolongs, and this teapot has developed a lovely luster and performs like a teapot that costs much more.” Mme. Chen adds, “Guests are always astonished to learn it’s not a rare antique when they taste tea from it.” The teapot has developed a characteristic aroma even in an empty state, a sweet, mineral component that sets off the flavors of the Phoenix Mountain oolongs she brews exclusively in the teapot.

David Wilson, who travels throughout Europe leading tea education workshops, brings his Mountain Spring teapot with him to teach proper gongfu cha technique. “I’ve taken this teapot through hundreds of demonstrations, through flights in an overhead compartment and through the hands of total beginners while all the while producing top notch tea,” he says. Wilson especially appreciates the teapot’s receptiveness to water quality. When teaching he uses it to illustrate the importance of water on tea brewing. “Students are able to immediately taste the difference between filtered and unfiltered water brewed in this teapot, while in porcelain the differences can often be much more subtle.”

At Michelin-starred restaurant Azalea in London, tea service in Mountain Spring teapots has become an important feature of the dining experience. Head sommelier Catherine Durant introduced a tableside tea service in Mountain Spring teapots to pair alongside certain dishes. “The Mountain Spring teapot allows us to serve aged oolongs with exactly the right extraction to pair alongside our duck dishes,” Durant says. “In addition, the presentation of the hand-crafted teapots provides a tactile connection to the traditions of the teas being served, contributing to the narrative of the dish.” Feedback from customers was so positive that the restaurant now offers a tea pairing menu to accompany their wines.

In Kyoto, the Tanaka family received a Mountain Spring teapot as a wedding gift in 2018. Kenji Tanaka, who performs traditional Japanese tea ceremony but over time has developed an interest in Chinese teas, describes how the teapot has become a center point for family events. “My father was never interested in Chinese teaware and even turned up his nose at it. But since trying my Mountain Spring, he specifically asks me to use it whenever he visits,” says Tanaka. “He observed how it transformed his favorite Taiwanese oolong and then bought one for himself.” The Tanakas have photographed the teapot every year as a record of how its appearance has changed, and plan to continue the tradition for the next few decades to come.

Tea blogger Sophia Lin records her year-long experience with the Mountain Spring clay in a series of posts that reached more than 100,000 monthly readers on her blog, “Infusions”. Sourcing the same Dan Cong oolong from the same farm, Lin performed a series of side-by-side comparisons using 5 identical teaware shapes, changing only the material. “Time after time, the Mountain Spring produced the most aromatic and texturally interesting brew,” says Lin. “By six months, everyone tasting with me recognized the Mountain Spring version with a blind tasting – its mouthfeel was unique and distinct from all the others, in particular the Mountain Spring accentuated honey notes in the dan cong oolong. Sophia Lin kept detailed records of her year-long trial and found that other clay teapots also improved as they became seasoned, but the Mountain Spring was the best at enhancing the tea’s natural characteristics. At the same time, its biscotti-colored clay seasoning was the least likely to add or change the flavor of the tea with unwanted “clay” flavors.

In each instance, the Mountain Spring teapot was not simply a brewing vessel—it was an indispensable tool of tea maximization and an intimate companion that only becomes more precious with use. These anecdotal experiences are a testament to how and why this particular model has so many adamant fans amongst both tea professionals and recreational tea enthusiasts.