Quick answer
To brew loose leaf tea in a Gigi Glass Small Teapot, add leaves directly to the pot, pour heated water over them, steep for the time your tea requires, then pour through a strainer. Because the pot is clear, you can watch the leaves unfurl and judge strength by color, but you must remove the leaves promptly to avoid bitterness.
Why glass changes the way you brew
Glass is non-porous, so it won’t retain flavors from previous teas or hold onto strong aromas. That makes the Gigi Glass Small Teapot a good choice if you switch between delicate white teas and robust blacks. The trade-off is that glass doesn’t hold heat as long as cast iron or ceramic, so preheating the pot and using water just off the boil will help maintain temperature during steeping.
Leaf amount and water temperature for common teas
There’s no single rule for all loose leaf teas. As a starting point, use about one teaspoon of leaves per cup of water. For green and white teas, heat water to roughly 80°C (176°F); for oolong, about 90°C (194°F); and for black and herbal teas, use water near boiling. Adjust based on taste—more leaves or longer steeping for a stronger cup.
Step-by-step brewing with the Gigi Glass Small Teapot
- Preheat the teapot: Fill the Gigi Glass Small Teapot with hot tap water, let it sit for 30 seconds, then discard. This warms the glass so your brewing water stays hotter longer. A cold pot drops the water temperature and can make green or white tea taste flat.
- Add loose leaf tea: Spoon in about one teaspoon of loose leaves per cup of water. If you prefer a stronger cup, add more leaves rather than steeping longer. Don’t fill the pot more than a third full with dry leaves—they need room to expand.
- Pour water at the right temperature: Heat water to the temperature recommended for your tea type (see section above). Pour it over the leaves, filling the pot to just below the rim. For green and white teas, let boiling water cool for a minute or two before pouring.
- Steep and watch: Set a timer for 2–3 minutes for green or white tea, 3–4 minutes for oolong, and 3–5 minutes for black or herbal tea. Because the pot is clear, you can watch the leaves unfurl and the liquor darken. Start tasting at the shorter end—if it’s too weak, steep longer next time; if bitter, shorten the time.
- Pour through a strainer: Pour the tea through a fine mesh strainer into your cup. If you’re using the stainless-steel infuser that comes with the pot, lift it out before pouring. Leaving the leaves in the pot continues extraction and can make the next cup bitter.
- Clean promptly: Empty the leaves and rinse the pot with warm water. For a deeper clean, use a soft bottle brush and mild dish soap, then rinse thoroughly. Avoid sudden temperature changes—don’t pour cold water into a hot pot. Hand washing is safest for hand-blown glass; check if your model is dishwasher safe before using a machine.
Product facts
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Gigi Glass Small Teapot: Hand-blown from durable borosilicate glass with stainless-steel infuser components. Borosilicate resists thermal shock, so you can use it for both hot and iced infusions without worrying about cracking.
Gigi Glass Small Teapot
