How to Use a Gongfu Tea Set — Your First Session, Step by Step功夫茶具怎么用——第一次冲泡，一步一步来
You own a gongfu tea set, or you are about to, and nothing on the box explains what to do with it. That is the real obstacle: it looks like equipment, when it is really a short sequence you repeat. Here is that sequence in order, with the numbers, for a first honest cup.你手头有一套功夫茶具，或者正准备买。盒子上从不解释它怎么用——这才是真正的门槛：它看着像一堆器材，其实只是一段很短的流程。下面按顺序、带数字走一遍。
Most people who ask this are not confused about tea. They are confused about the table. There are four or five pieces in front of them, no instructions, and a quiet fear of doing it wrong. So this is not a history lesson; it is the order of operations.会问这个问题的人，多半不是不懂茶，而是被满桌的器具难住了。面前摆着四五件东西，没有说明书，还隐约怕做错。所以这篇不讲课，只讲先后顺序。
The short answer: heat the vessels and add 4–5 g of leaf per 100 ml. Pour water on, then pour it off again in about 15 seconds. Everything else is repetition, with five extra seconds each round.一句话说清：温器、每 100 毫升投 4–5 克茶。注水后约 15 秒出净。之后的每一泡，不过是每轮多加 5 秒的重复。
What a gongfu session actually is一场工夫泡，到底是什么
Gongfu brewing means one measure of leaf, brewed again and again, each steep poured off and served on its own. Nothing is left to sit. The point is to taste the same leaf change from steep to steep, not to make one big drink.工夫泡法，是同一份茶反复冲泡，每一泡都出净、单独喝。叶子从不泡在水里。重点是把同一批茶从第一泡喝到第八泡的变化尝出来，而不是泡一大杯。
A working setup is four things: a brewing vessel, a fairness cup, some small cups, and a tray to catch drips. The common sizes are a 200 ml pot, a 180 ml gaiwan, a 220 ml fairness cup and 70 ml cups. You can absolutely start with just the vessel and one cup.能用的一套就是四件：一件冲泡器、一只公道杯、几只小杯、一个接水的盘。常见尺寸是 200 毫升的壶、180 毫升的盖碗、220 毫升的公道杯、70 毫升的杯。完全可以只从「一件冲泡器＋一只杯」开始。
This is where it differs from Western brewing. A Western pot makes one long steep and fills a 240–350 ml mug; gongfu makes eight short steeps and fills 70 ml cups. Same leaf, different method — gongfu tea is defined by repetition, not by ritual.这正是它和西式泡法的分别。西式壶一次长泡、倒满 240–350 毫升的马克杯；工夫泡则是八次短泡、装进 70 毫升的小杯。同一片叶子，方法不同——工夫茶的关键是「反复」，不是「仪式」。
Why it is worth the extra pieces多这几件，值在哪
- A spoon of leaf gives six to eight cups, not one.一勺叶子能喝六到八杯，不是一杯。
- Every cup is hot, because 70 ml is gone in two sips.每一杯都是热的——70 毫升两口就喝完。
- You taste the leaf change. Steep two and steep five are not the same drink.你能喝出叶子的变化。第二泡和第五泡，根本不是同一杯。
- It scales from one person to four without buying anything new.一个人到四个人，同一套就够，不用另外添东西。
- It builds a five-minute pause into a day that otherwise has none.它给一天里塞进五分钟的停顿——本来一点都没有。
How to use it, step by step怎么用，一步一步
Once the pieces are on the table, the whole session is six steps. The numbers matter more than the gestures, and none of the gestures are hard.器具摆好之后，整个过程就六步。数字比手势重要，而这些手势没一个是难的。
1. Warm the vessels1. 温器
Fill the pot and cups with hot water, swirl, and pour it away. This heats the porcelain so the first steep does not drop in temperature. Ten seconds is enough; the outside of the pot should feel warm to the back of your hand.把壶和杯注满热水，晃一晃，倒掉。这样做是让瓷变热，免得第一泡温度骤降。十秒就够——用手背贴一下壶身，感觉是温的就对了。
2. Measure the leaf2. 投茶
Use about 4 to 5 g per 100 ml of water. For a 200 ml pot, that is 8 to 10 g, which looks like far too much. Judge it by eye: enough leaf to cover the bottom in a thin, even layer.大约每 100 毫升水投 4–5 克。200 毫升的壶就是 8–10 克——看着会显得太多。用眼睛判断：铺满壶底、薄薄一层就够了。
3. Heat the water3. 烧水
Oolong, black and pu-erh want water just off the boil. Green and white tea want it cooler, around 85 °C (185 °F). Judge it by the bubbles: small ones rising gently, not a rolling boil.乌龙、红茶、普洱用刚离火的水。绿茶、白茶要凉一点，约 85 °C。看气泡判断：小泡慢慢冒，不是翻滚的大沸。
4. The first steep4. 第一泡
Pour the water in, then pour it straight back out — about 15 to 20 seconds. For a lighter cup, 10 to 15 seconds. Judge it by colour: the moment the stream turns amber, it is ready.注水，然后马上出汤——约 15–20 秒。想淡一点，10–15 秒。看颜色判断：流出来的茶汤一变成琥珀色，就是好了。
5. Pour it all off5. 出汤要出净
Empty the vessel completely into the fairness cup, every drop. A spoonful left behind keeps steeping and turns the next cup bitter. If you share the tea, the fairness cup is what makes every cup taste the same.把壶里的茶汤全部倒进公道杯，一滴不留。剩一勺在里面，它会继续析出，下一泡就发苦。要分给别人喝，靠的就是公道杯——它让每一杯味道一致。
6. Serve and repeat6. 分杯、重复
Fill each 70 ml cup from the fairness cup, then add about 5 seconds to the next steep. Six to eight steeps is normal, ten is not unusual. Stop when the water stops tasting of anything.从公道杯把每只 70 毫升的杯子斟上，然后下一泡比上一泡多加约 5 秒。六到八泡很正常，十泡也不稀奇。泡到没味道就停。
The step that trips everyone up最容易栽的一步
If one step goes wrong, it is this: getting all the tea out of the vessel, quickly, without the leaf coming with it. The fix is the lid gap. Lift the lid so it sits about 3 mm off the rim. Enough for the tea to run out, not enough for the leaf to follow.如果只能栽一步，就是这一步：把茶汤又快又干净地倒出来，叶子还不能跟着走。解药是盖子留缝。把盖提起，离碗沿约 3 毫米。这个宽度够茶汤流出来，叶子又掉不出来。
That gap is easier to feel than to measure. A gaiwan makes it obvious; a pot hides it inside the spout. Tilt the vessel and let the tea leave on its own instead of pouring harder. Holding it low also keeps your fingers off the hot rim — a separate problem we wrote about in why a gaiwan burns your fingers.这个缝用手感比用尺子更好找。盖碗上很直观，壶上却藏在流口里。把器皿倾斜、让茶自己流出来，别使劲倒。手放低，也顺带避开烫手的碗沿——那是另一个问题，写在盖碗为什么会烫手里。
Mistakes beginners make新手常犯的错
- Leaving the leaf in the water between steeps. It keeps extracting, so the next steep turns harsh. Pour every steep fully into the fairness cup.两泡之间把叶子留在水里。它会一直析出，下一泡就发涩。每一泡都要全部倒进公道杯。
- Boiling water on green tea. It scalds the leaf and the cup goes bitter. Let the water fall to about 85 °C first.拿沸水冲绿茶。会把叶子烫熟，一杯发苦。先让水温降到约 85 °C。
- Too little leaf in a small pot. The cup tastes thin and watery. Use 4–5 g per 100 ml; it should cover the bottom.小壶里投茶太少。喝起来寡淡。按每 100 毫升 4–5 克，铺满壶底。
- Washing glazed porcelain with soap. Glazed porcelain holds no flavour, so soap only leaves residue. Hot water and a soft cloth are enough.用洗涤剂洗上釉的瓷器。釉面不吸味，洗涤剂只会留下残留。热水加软布就够了。
- Drinking it like a mug. Sip slowly and the cup goes cold while the leaf keeps steeping. The rhythm is pour, drink, refill.当成马克杯慢慢喝。你磨蹭，杯子凉了，叶子还在闷。节奏是：出汤、喝掉、再注。
How to practise: ten minutes, one tea怎么练：十分钟，一款茶
Pick one tea and brew three steeps back to back, with a phone timer. Do not change the leaf or the water between them; that is the whole point. Ten minutes is enough.挑一款茶，用手机计时，连泡三泡。中间不要换茶、不要换水——练的就是这个。十分钟足够。
By the third steep you will feel the rhythm the whole method runs on: pour, drink, refill. Once that clicks, you are no longer following instructions. You are just making tea.到第三泡，你就能摸到整套方法赖以成立的节奏：出汤、喝掉、再注。这个一旦顺了，你就不再是照着说明做，而是真的在泡茶了。
Still deciding what to put on the table first? The list of what a full set contains is in our guide to a gongfu tea set. The sizing logic is in what size gaiwan to buy for one person.还在纠结先摆哪件？完整清单见功夫茶具里有什么。尺寸逻辑见一个人该买多大的盖碗。
Two pieces earn their place later. The fairness cup matters when you share, and a tray matters when you care about the table. Neither is needed for a first cup. Our guide to tea trays explains what a tray actually does.有两件可以晚点再添。公道杯是分茶时才重要，茶盘是你在意桌面时才重要。第一杯茶都用不上。它到底干什么，见茶盘是干什么用的。
Questions people ask常被问到的几个问题
How much tea goes in a gongfu tea set?一套功夫茶具，要放多少茶？
About 4 to 5 g of leaf per 100 ml of water. For a 200 ml pot that is 8 to 10 g, which looks like a lot. Judge it by eye: enough leaf to cover the bottom in a thin, even layer.大约每 100 毫升水投 4–5 克。200 毫升的壶就是 8–10 克，看着挺多。用眼睛判断：铺满壶底、薄薄一层。
What water temperature should I use?水温该用多少？
Just off the boil for oolong, black and pu-erh. For green and white tea, let it cool to about 85 °C (185 °F). Judge it by the bubbles: small ones rising gently, not a rolling boil.乌龙、红茶、普洱用刚离火的水。绿茶、白茶降到约 85 °C。看气泡：小泡慢慢冒，不是翻滚的大沸。
How long is the first steep?第一泡要多久？
About 15 to 20 seconds, then pour it all off. For a lighter cup, 10 to 15 seconds. After that, add about 5 seconds to every following steep.约 15–20 秒，然后全部出净。想淡一点就 10–15 秒。之后每一泡再加约 5 秒。
Do I need every piece to start?一开始必须每件都齐吗？
No. A brewing vessel and one cup are enough to begin. The fairness cup earns its place once you share the tea, or want every cup to taste the same. A tray is about tidiness, not brewing.不必。一件冲泡器加一只杯，就能开始。公道杯是你开始分茶、或者想让每杯味道一致时才需要。茶盘管的是整洁，不管冲泡。
Can I use any tea?什么茶都能这样泡吗？
Any loose leaf works, but oolong, black and pu-erh are easiest, because they take 6 to 8 steeps without going bitter. Green and white tea work too, with cooler water and shorter steeps.散茶都可以，但乌龙、红茶、普洱最好上手，因为它们经得起 6–8 泡而不发苦。绿茶、白茶也行，只是水要更凉、泡得更短。
If you remember one line如果只记一句
Hot vessel, 4–5 g, pour off in about 15 seconds, add five seconds each time. That is the entire method; the ritual is what you bring to it, not what the set demands.温器、4–5 克、约 15 秒出净、每泡加 5 秒。整套方法就这些；仪式感是你自己带进去的，不是这套器具要求的。
Ready to put one on your own table? Our Ice Grey Kung Fu Tea Set is built around the numbers above. The beige Ru-ware set swaps the pot for a Xishi shape. If you would rather ask first, write to me. I would rather answer one email than have you buy the wrong first set.想在自己桌上摆一套？冰灰釉功夫茶具就是照上面这组数字配的。米黄汝窑西施壶则把壶换成了西施壶型。想先问一句也行——写信给我。我宁愿回一封邮件，也不想让你买错第一套。
For the longer background, the history of Chinese tea culture explains where this method came from. And the small cup itself has its own logic, in why Chinese teacups are so small.想看更长的背景，中国茶文化史里讲了这套泡法的来处。至于小杯本身的道理，见中国茶杯为什么这么小。
Curated by Moyan — I chose every piece in this shop, and the opinions here are mine. The site and the shop are the same household: when you buy a set, that is what keeps this writing going. Questions? Write to me — if I don't know something, I'll say so.墨言—店里的每一件都是我选的，这里写的看法也都是我的。站和店是一家的：你买一套茶具，就是这个站能继续写下去的原因。有问题？写信给我——不知道的，我会直说。