What is a Kyusu Teapot?

A kyūsu (急須) teapot is a traditional Japanese teapot commonly used for brewing and drinking green tea. The most common kyūsu design has a handle on its side, however, some kyūsu teapots will also come with a handle on the top or on the back of the teapot.

The Style of Kyūsu Teapots and Western Teapots

Kyūsu teapots are normally a lot smaller than their more western counterparts. However, like western teapots, they usually come in varying colors and shapes. One thing that makes the kyūsu teapot unique is that it comes built-in with its own filter. Because kyūsu teapots are more commonly used for green teas, and Japanese green tea is known for needing room to brew, this filter plays a role in helping that. The filter holes also tend to be very small with Kyūsu teapots since Japanese green tea leaves can be very small. This is to make sure that the leaves are filtered properly and won’t easily pass through.

How to use a Kyūsu Teapot

Using a kyūsu teapot for brewing tea is fairly similar to using a more western teapot. To begin you start by putting tea leaves into the kyūsu teapot. If you’re making a small batch of tea, one tablespoon of green tea leaves should be enough. After you have placed your green tea leaves into the teapot, you want to prepare hot water. For traditional Japanese green tea, the recommended hot water temperature is around 90 degrees Celcius or 194 degrees Fahrenheit. Once you have your water at the correct temperature you can pour it into the kyūsu teapot. For a small batch of tea 6 ounces of water will do. Once all the water is poured into the Kyūsu teapot, you will want to close the top and let the tea infuse for 60 seconds. After 60 seconds your tea is ready to be served and enjoyed.