Gaiwan is a tea brewing vessel that you can use instead of a tea pot. It's made up of a bowl, lid and saucer.

While at first it may look difficult to use, you will find that it's actually more convenient to use (and clean) than teapots. 

To use, you simply place tea leaves in the bowl, pour water, cover with the lid and tilt the lid away so there's a very small gap. This way, the lid acts as a 'filter' and holds back the tea leaves from falling out. You can watch the process here:

Gaiwan is typically available as a set, including a pourer and a cup. You can pour into the pourer first and then serve tea from the pourer into the cup. One advantage of using gaiwan, instead of a teapot, is that you can clearly see how the leaves change colour and shape.

For iced teas, you can pour directly from the gaiwan to a glass with ice. We brewed using our Full Sparrow green tea.