Finding the Right Green Tea Cups
Alright, let me tell you about getting this green tea cup set. It wasn’t exactly a grand adventure, but it took some doing. For ages, I just used whatever mug was clean for my green tea. Didn’t think much of it. But then I started noticing, you know, the taste felt a bit off sometimes. Or maybe it was just me wanting a bit more ritual to it.
So, I decided I needed a proper set. Nothing too fancy, just something right for green tea. First thing, I hit the internet. Typed in “green tea cup set”. Man, so much stuff popped up. Pages and pages. A lot of it looked like cheap junk, honestly. Thin ceramic, weird overly bright glazes. Then there was the super expensive stuff, looked like it belonged in a display case, not on my kitchen counter. Spent a couple of evenings just scrolling, getting nowhere fast.
Got fed up with looking at screens. Decided to check out some local places. There’s a big home goods store nearby. Went there. Found the tea section. They had sets, yeah, but they felt… mass-produced. You know? Lightweight, kinda flimsy. Not what I had in mind. Then I tried a smaller boutique shop downtown. They had beautiful stuff, really nice quality. But wow, the prices! I just wanted some simple cups, not fine art.
Hitting a Wall (Almost)
Felt a bit stuck. Was thinking maybe my old mug wasn’t so bad after all. Then I remembered visiting a friend ages ago. They had this simple, slightly rough-feeling ceramic set. Earthy tones. Nothing flashy, but it felt solid, authentic. That’s what I wanted.
Went back online, but this time I searched differently. Used words like “rustic ceramic tea set”, “stoneware green tea cups”, “simple japanese style tea set”. Filtered out the really cheap and the ridiculously expensive options.
- Searched specific artisan marketplaces.
- Looked at smaller online pottery stores.
- Compared photos carefully, looking at the texture and glaze.
Success and First Brew
Finally, I landed on a set on some smaller website I hadn’t heard of before. The pictures looked good. Showed the texture well. It had a small pot and four little cups. No handles, just simple shapes. The description mentioned it was stoneware, fired at a high temperature. Seemed sturdy. The price was reasonable, not dirt cheap but not outrageous either. Decided to take a punt and ordered it.
Waiting for packages is always a bit annoying, right? Took about a week. When the box arrived, I opened it right away. Packed really well, thankfully. Pulled out the pot and cups. Yes! This was it. Had a nice weight to them, slightly uneven glaze which I liked, felt handmade even if it wasn’t necessarily. The color was a nice muted green-grey.
First thing I did was wash everything carefully with warm water. Dried them off. Then I got out my favorite sencha green tea leaves. Warmed the pot, added the leaves, poured the hot water (not boiling, gotta be careful with green tea). Let it steep for just a minute or so. Poured it into one of the little cups. Holding that small, warm cup felt completely different from wrapping my hands around a big mug. Took a sip. Honestly, the tea tasted better. Maybe it’s psychological, but the whole process felt more intentional, more enjoyable. Been using that set ever since. Simple thing, but made a difference to my daily tea routine.
