Why each tool matters

The kettle: the most important tool

Water temperature changes tea more than anything else, so a kettle that lets you choose and hold a temperature is the best upgrade most tea drinkers can make. A slim gooseneck spout also gives you a slow, controlled pour.

The scale: repeatability

Teaspoons lie: a spoon of fluffy white tea might weigh 1 g, a spoon of rolled oolong 4 g. A scale that weighs to 0.1 g means you can brew tomorrow exactly what you loved today.

The gaiwan: honest and versatile

A lidded bowl on a saucer. Porcelain adds no flavour, you can see and smell the leaves, and it works for every kind of tea. It takes a little practice to pour without burning your fingers: hold the rim of the bowl, not the sides, and keep a finger on the lid.

The clay teapot: a pot that learns

Unglazed clay holds heat well and, over months of use, absorbs the tea’s oils. That is why a clay pot is kept for one family of tea (roasted oolong, say, or pu-erh). Never use soap on it; rinse with hot water and let it dry open.

The kyusu: made for Japanese greens

A side-handle teapot with a fine built-in filter for small sencha leaves. The handle lets you tip the pot right over to pour every last drop, which stops the next infusion turning bitter.

The fairness pitcher

Tea gets stronger from the first drop poured to the last. Decanting into a pitcher first mixes the infusion so every cup is the same, and stops the leaves sitting in water.

Cups

Small, thin cups cool the tea to drinking temperature quickly and gather its aroma. A white or pale inside shows the colour of the liquor, which tells you a lot about the tea.

The tray

Gongfu means warming, rinsing and pouring over. A slatted tray with a water well lets you do all of that freely.

Chasen and chawan

The bamboo whisk’s many fine prongs are what make matcha’s foam. The wide, flat-bottomed bowl gives the whisk room to move.

Storage

Light, air, heat, moisture and strong smells all spoil tea. Keep it in an airtight, opaque container in a cool cupboard away from spices and coffee. Green and white teas are best within about a year; well-stored black, oolong and pu-erh last much longer.