Handcrafted Tea Strainers: The Secret to Crystal Clear Tea

In the art of Gongfu tea, the visual clarity of the liquor is just as important as its aroma and taste. While most teapots and Gaiwans feature built-in filters at the spout to hold back large leaves, a dedicated Tea Strainer (Cha Lou) is essential for catching the finest particles and tea dust.

Placed directly over your Gong Dao Bei (fairness cup) during the pour, our fine mesh strainers guarantee a perfectly smooth, sediment-free cup of tea every time.

Explore Our Artisan Materials and Designs

A tea strainer is a highly visible part of your tea ceremony, and it should perfectly complement your teaware. We offer a stunning variety of handcrafted filters, most of which include a matching base or stand to keep your tea table clean between pours:

Ceramic & Yixing Purple Clay

Elevate your tea table with our traditional ceramic strainers. Choose from breathtaking Ru Kiln crackle glazes, rustic black pottery, elegant white porcelain, or authentic Yixing Zisha clay. Ceramic is highly durable, easy to rinse, and adds a beautifully grounded aesthetic to your setup.

Vintage Tin & Woven Brass

For a touch of antique elegance, explore our handcrafted metal filters. We feature incredibly detailed, hand-woven solid brass, as well as intricately carved tin strainers. Tin is a highly traditional material in Chinese tea culture, and our collection showcases stunning, nature-inspired shapes like antique lotus leaves, bamboo, and ginkgo designs.

Natural Bodhi Leaf & Glass

Embrace the purest elements of nature. Our heat-resistant, hand-carved glass strainers allow you to watch the rich colors of the tea flow cleanly through. For a deeply Zen, minimalist experience, we also offer traditional Dried Bodhi Leaf strainers, utilizing the naturally porous skeleton of the leaf as an eco-friendly filter.

Dual-Purpose Tea Pet Strainers

Maximize the joy on your tea tray with our unique 2-in-1 designs. Several of our Yixing purple clay strainers feature beautifully sculpted animals—such as lucky crabs, fortune toads, and turtles. These ingenious designs serve as both a highly functional tea filter and a charming Tea Pet that you can nourish with leftover tea during your session.

How to Use a Gongfu Tea Strainer

Using a dedicated strainer is a seamless part of the Gongfu tea ritual:

1. After steeping your loose leaf tea in a teapot or Gaiwan, place your tea strainer over your fairness pitcher (Gong Dao Bei).

2. Decant the brewed tea through the strainer. The fine mesh or porous clay will catch all the micro-debris.

3. Remove the strainer and rest it on its matching ceramic or wood stand to prevent drips on your bamboo tea tray.

4. Serve the perfectly clear tea to your guests.