Tea Set

Discover the different types of tea sets, from Chinese and Japanese sets for the traditional tea ceremony to modern designs for everyday use. Whether you're hosting a formal tea party or enjoying a quiet cup of tea, a tea set adds a touch of sophistication to your tea-drinking experience.

8 products

What is a Chinese tea set?

A tea set is a matched group of vessels for brewing and serving tea in one style — in the Chinese gongfu tradition that means a small teapot or gaiwan, a fairness pitcher, tasting cups and a strainer, designed to work together. Buying a set solves the beginner's puzzle in one move: every piece fits the others in volume, proportion and look, and nothing is missing when the water boils.

What's inside a gongfu tea set?

Our porcelain ceremony sets follow the classic nine-piece formula:

PieceRole at the table
Teapot (190–225 ml)Brews short, concentrated infusions
Fairness pitcher / gundaobei (~200 ml)Evens out the strength before serving
Six cups (50–60 ml)Small sips, many rounds, room for guests
Strainer (teamesh)Keeps leaf fragments out of the pitcher

The proportions are the quiet genius of the format: the pitcher holds roughly one full pot, and six small cups empty it in a single round. Each set arrives in a sturdy presentation box, so it is ready to give as well as ready to brew.

Ready-made set or build your own?

A ready-made set is the fastest road to good tea: one decision, one box, a coherent table. Building your own kit is the collector's road — combining a gaiwan, a pitcher and a teapot piece by piece as your taste sharpens. Most tea people do both: start with a set for the everyday table, then add individual pieces for particular teas. There is no wrong door in.

Travel and collector's sets

The same logic shrinks for the road: a travel tea set packs a small pot or gaiwan and a few cups into a padded case, so gongfu tea happens in hotel rooms and on train windowsills. And at the far end of the spectrum sit collector's pieces — like our antique porcelain set with a siboridashi (a handle-less Japanese pot with a built-in strainer) and four hand-painted cups with gold accents, more heirloom than utensil.

A tea set earns its keep twice: it works daily and it decorates the shelf between sessions. Compare them side by side in person — and taste before you buy at the Moychay tea club — Rozengracht 92H, Amsterdam.

Frequently asked questions

A classic gongfu set contains a small teapot or gaiwan for brewing, a fairness pitcher (gundaobei) that evens out the infusion, several small tasting cups and a strainer. Our nine-piece porcelain sets pair a 190–225 ml teapot with a matching pitcher and six 50–60 ml cups — enough to host a full table of guests.

A teapot set is the gentler start: the handle and spout feel familiar, and pouring requires no technique. A gaiwan takes an evening of practice to hold without scalded fingers, but rewards you with more control and easier cleaning. If you mostly brew for family and guests, start with a teapot; if you want to study teas closely, learn the gaiwan.

Compactness and protection. Look for a small pot or gaiwan around 100–200 ml, cups that nest inside each other, and a padded case that holds everything still in a backpack. Porcelain travels better than you would expect when properly cased, and a travel set turns any kettle — hotel, office, campsite — into a tea table.

Yes — this is one of the safest teaware gifts there is. Each ceremony set arrives complete in a solid presentation box: nothing to add, nothing to match, ready to wrap. The recipient unpacks a working tea table in miniature. Pair it with a packet of good oolong or red tea and the gift includes its own first session.

Six cups means six drinkers per round, which covers almost any gathering. The small 50–60 ml cups are intentional: gongfu tea is drunk in many short rounds rather than one large mug, so the same pot serves the table again and again as the leaves reopen. For a solo session, simply use one cup and enjoy the pot across more infusions.