DEKNBE Portable Gongfu Tea Set with Travel Case

Owners consistently say it's easy to clean, which is one of its validated strengths. Porcelain is non-porous, so tea stains don't soak in the way they would with unglazed clay. Just rinse with warm water after each session — no soap needed, as soap residue can affect the taste of future brews. The compact size means there aren't many pieces to deal with, and the tray can be wiped down quickly. It's also easy to store when not in use thanks to the travel case.

This is really designed for solo tea sessions or sharing with one other person. The cups and teapot are gongfu-sized, meaning small and meant for concentrated sips rather than large mugs. If you're looking to host a tea party for four or more people, you'll want a larger set. But for a personal daily ritual or an intimate tea session with a partner, the size is just right — and it actually makes storage much easier since the whole thing tucks away compactly.

Multiple reviewers specifically mention the good packaging and presentation, which makes it feel gift-ready right out of the box. The attractive color and overall aesthetic get a lot of compliments too. It works well as a gift for someone curious about gongfu tea or Chinese tea culture, especially since it's a complete starter set at an affordable price. Just keep in mind it's delicate, so it's best suited for someone who'll treat it with care rather than toss it around.

The product listing advertises an included filter, but this is worth flagging — a couple of reviewers report that the filter or strainer was missing from their set. The teapot itself may have a built-in perforated screen at the spout, which is common in gongfu teapots, but if you're expecting a separate removable strainer, there's a chance it might not be included. You may want to have a small mesh strainer on hand as a backup, especially for fine-leaf teas.

Yes, and several owners actually use it that way. The attractive color and aesthetic design get frequent compliments, and some reviewers mention it works well as a decorative display piece or even for photo shoots. The bamboo tray also accommodates tea pet accessories, which adds to the visual appeal if you're into that aspect of tea culture. It's a nice way to add a touch of Chinese tea tradition to a shelf or countertop when you're not actively brewing.

Porcelain is generally the preferred choice for tea because it's non-porous, doesn't absorb flavors between sessions, and showcases the tea's color beautifully. This DEKNBE set is made from porcelain, which means you can brew different teas without flavor carryover. The tradeoff is that porcelain is more delicate — several owners note this set chips fairly easily, so it's not the best pick if you need something rugged for everyday use. But for flavor purity and aesthetics, porcelain wins.

With this DEKNBE gongfu set, start by warming the teapot and cups with hot water — pour it over them and let it drain into the bamboo tray. Then add your tea leaves (fill the pot about one-third full for oolong, less for green tea), pour in hot water, and do a quick 'rinse' steep of about 5 seconds that you discard. After that, steep for 15-30 seconds and pour into the cups. The beauty of gongfu is you can re-steep the same leaves 4-8 times, increasing the steep time slightly each round. The included tray catches any spillover, which is expected and part of the process.

Gongfu style tea is a traditional Chinese brewing method that uses a small teapot, higher leaf-to-water ratios, and short steeping times to coax out multiple infusions from the same leaves. This DEKNBE set is designed specifically for gongfu brewing — it includes a compact teapot, small tasting cups, and a bamboo tea tray to catch overflow, which is all part of the gongfu ritual. It's a great format for really exploring how a tea's flavor evolves across multiple steeps.

Gongfu brewing really shines with oolong, pu-erh, and Chinese green teas — these are teas designed to be steeped multiple times, revealing new flavor layers with each infusion. The porcelain material of this DEKNBE set is neutral and won't absorb flavors, so you can switch between different teas without carryover. It also works for Japanese green teas like sencha, though purists might prefer a kyusu for those. Tea bags won't give you the gongfu experience — you'll want loose leaf tea to get the most out of this set.

It depends on how you plan to use it. If you want something portable for solo tea sessions or travel, this DEKNBE set hits that niche well — it's compact, comes with a carrying case, and includes a bamboo tray. If you're serving groups, you'll want something larger since this set is sized for one or two people. Key things to consider: material (porcelain like this set is great for flavor purity), durability (this one is on the delicate side), and whether you want gongfu-style small pots or Western-style larger teapots. For a first gongfu set at an affordable price point, this checks a lot of boxes.

In Chinese tea culture, there are some lovely customs worth knowing. When someone pours you tea, you can tap two fingers on the table as a quiet 'thank you.' Always hold the cup with both hands when receiving it from an elder. With this DEKNBE gongfu set, the etiquette also involves warming the cups before serving, discarding the first steep as a rinse, and pouring for others before yourself. The small cup size is intentional — it encourages savoring each sip and engaging in conversation between pours. Don't worry about getting it perfect though, especially as a beginner. The ritual is meant to be relaxing, not stressful.

This DEKNBE set is actually a solid beginner-friendly option. It comes with everything you need — teapot, cups, tray — so you don't have to piece together a setup. The compact size makes it less intimidating than a full traditional tea setup, and owners say it's easy to use and clean. Just start with a tea you already enjoy, follow the basic gongfu steps (warm the pot, rinse the leaves, then steep in short intervals), and don't overthink it. The small cup size means each pour is just a few sips, which lets you appreciate how the flavor changes with each infusion.

High-end teas are typically single-origin, hand-picked loose leaf teas with specific terroir — think Da Hong Pao oolong from Wuyi mountains, aged pu-erh cakes, or competition-grade Taiwanese high mountain oolongs. These are exactly the kinds of teas that shine in a gongfu setup like this DEKNBE set, where the small pot and multiple infusions let you appreciate subtle flavor shifts. You don't need a high-end set to enjoy high-end tea, but you do need the gongfu format to get the most out of them — which is what this set provides at a budget-friendly entry point.

With this DEKNBE gongfu set, the process is a bit different from just dunking a tea bag. Heat your water to the right temperature (around 200°F for oolong, 175°F for green tea), warm the teapot and cups by pouring hot water over them onto the tray, add loose leaf tea to the pot, pour in water for a quick 5-second rinse that you discard, then steep for 15-30 seconds and pour into the cups. The key difference from Western brewing is you're using more leaves, less water, and shorter steep times — but you get many more infusions from the same leaves, each one tasting slightly different.