Yixing purple clay teapots have long been a beloved choice in the world of tea and even make frequent appearances in many film and television dramas. However, misconceptions and incorrect usage of them are still common.

Drinking Directly from the Spout
This is the most common sight in TV and movies, and many people are misled by it. Tea is usually brewed with water at 90°C to 100°C, so drinking directly from the spout can easily cause burns. Some might say they’ll just wait for the tea to cool, but cold tea is also harmful to health—it produces oxalic acid when cooled, which may lead to stone formation. Additionally, you can rarely finish the tea in one sip when drinking this way; the leftover tea steeps the leaves nonstop in the pot, making the brew more and more bitter as time passes.

Always use a fair cup with your teapot. This way, you can let the tea cool to a suitable temperature without worrying about the leaves being over-steeped and the tea turning bitter.

Polishing the Teapot with Bare Hands
Polishing the teapot by hand is another common mistake. Unlike prayer beads or walnuts, Yixing purple clay teapots do not develop a patina from constant hand polishing. The patina of a genuine Yixing teapot emanates from the inside out, presenting a restrained luster—not a greasy shine—and this is what makes it unique. The hands are rich in oil, and polishing the teapot with them can also result in an uneven patina.

Not Cleaning Tea Stains
Besides the two mistakes often seen in films and TV, there are other incorrect usages that many tea lovers are unaware of in daily tea brewing. For example, some people care too much about developing a patina and even leave tea stains unwashed.

In fact, an overly thick layer of tea stains will clog the teapot’s air pores, robbing the Yixing teapot of its unique advantages, and it will not speed up patina formation. When cleaning tea stains, only scrub the inner wall and avoid touching the outer wall—this will not affect the patina at all.

Using the Same Teapot for All Teas
Using a single teapot to brew all types of tea is also a commonly overlooked mistake. The double air pore structure of Yixing teapots absorbs tea aromas, which is their most distinctive feature. Therefore, it’s recommended to use a dedicated teapot for the same type of tea and avoid mixing different teas in one pot.

Using the Same Teapot Every Single Day
Many people brew tea with the same teapot every day, thinking it will speed up patina formation. But you’ll find that the purple clay’s ability to absorb water and tea oil is limited. After a period of nurturing, the pores will become saturated with absorption, so the patina effect will be less obvious than at the start, and there will be almost no change in the later stage.

It’s advisable to let the teapot rest for 1 or 2 days every 10 days. During the rest period, if the temperature and humidity remain stable, the air pores of the Yixing teapot will open and close normally and dry out completely, which will double the efficiency of absorption for subsequent nurturing.