How to Care for a Purple Clay Teapot

A new teapot begins its bond with you from the very first brew, and it deserves your meticulous care. With the right “seasoning” method, you can bring out its most exquisite artistic effect—radiant, smooth and lustrous like polished jade.

To season a teapot well, first and foremost, choose one made of top-quality clay. No matter how carefully you tend to a shoddy or flawed teapot, it will always remain imperfect. They say seasoning a purple clay teapot requires devotion, but how exactly do you put your heart into it?

1. Be Joyful

Treat it as a hobby in your daily life. It can enrich your leisure time and deepen your understanding of traditional Chinese culture. Approach purple clay art with a positive mindset, and your life will be plain yet fulfilling.

2. Be Cautious

Protect it from knocks and collisions. Purple clay teapots are valuable, and a single chip or crack can drastically reduce their worth. Beyond the financial loss, even a repaired teapot may still leave a lingering sense of disappointment.

3. Be Calm

Avoid being impatient or hasty. Jumping between different seasoning methods from one day to the next, or switching between oolong and black tea randomly, will yield no good results. In my opinion, seasoning a teapot is a process—what matters most is savoring the experience and taking pride in watching the clay transform over time.

4. Be Down-to-Earth

Every purple clay teapot, regardless of its value, serves a practical purpose. Never neglect the care of an affordable teapot or handle it recklessly. Purple clay is an irreplaceable, non-renewable resource. Keeping a teapot is like leaving a treasure for future generations.

5. Be Sincere

Seasoning a teapot is a gradual process of accumulation. Using it for three days and then abandoning it for half a year will never produce the desired effect. My personal conclusion: a purple clay teapot will reward you exactly as much as you invest in it.

6. Be Meticulous

Pay close attention to the fine details. Clean the stains in crevices and hard-to-reach corners thoroughly. Neglecting these spots for a long time will make them difficult to clean later. A clean teapot is not only better for your health, but also pleasing to the eye and uplifting to your mood.

7. Be Patient

Perseverance is key. Only long-term brewing and consistent care can yield satisfying results. Seeking quick success is not advisable—methods like boiling the teapot or applying oil will create an unnatural finish and bring no sense of accomplishment. Seasoning a teapot is purely a way to entertain yourself.

Seasoning a teapot is like nurturing a sapling; rushing the process will only spoil its natural development. There’s no need to hurry. With regular use and proper maintenance, a great teapot will naturally mature in your hands.

Rules for Seasoning a Teapot

1. One teapot, one type of tea — Consistency and purity are the keys.
2. Avoid contact with oil — Always wash your hands thoroughly after touching oil before handling the teapot.
3. Clean out tea leaves promptly after each use — This is not only for the sake of the teapot, but also for your own health.
4. Let your teapot rest for two days every three to five days before using it again.

Pro Tips for Seasoning a Teapot

1. Brew tea with it every single day.
2. The details make all the difference.What this means is paying close attention to cleaning the easily overlooked parts of the teapot during the seasoning process:

• Inner surface: Use a clean, soft cloth to wipe the entire inner surface, including the bottom, inner rim and the area around the spout opening.
• Outer surface: Pay special attention to the bottom, the knob on the lid and the rim of the spout.
• Special reminder: Wipe the rim of the teapot lid carefully along the seam. This is the spot where tea stains are most likely to form during seasoning.
• After each tea session, clean the teapot thoroughly and place it upside down in a safe spot, waiting for your next beautiful encounter. The teapot is a reflection of yourself.

When you season a teapot, the teapot in turn nurtures you. On a spiritual level, the quiet patience required to care for a teapot is a way of treating yourself with gentleness and attentiveness. The so-called “smoothness like jade” is not achieved overnight; it is a beauty carved slowly by the passage of time.