Kyusu is a traditional Japanese teapot made from clay or porcelain. The spout incorporates a metal filter to retain the tea leaves when pouring. The filter does not restrict the leaves, so they have plenty of room to develop their flavours and aromas. A kyusu teapot generally has a volume of 12 fl. oz. (36cl), but some contain just 3-5 fl. oz. (10-20cl) for very high quality teas. The cups used are small, of around 3 fl. oz. (10cl). A yuzamashi pot can also be used to cool the water before pouring it over the tea leaves. The kyusu is traditionally used to prepare Japanese green tea, particularly gyokuro, sencha and tamaryokucha. Kyusus can be used in 2 different waysLike a traditional teapot: using the same quantity of tea leaves and infusion time. This method is ideal for preparing small quantities of high quality tea while offering the pleasure of using a special teapot. Using the Japanese method: the tea leaves can be infused several times. For this method, infuse the leaves for 2 minutes the first time, 1.5 minutes for the second infusion, and 1 minute for the third. How to use a kyusu teapot?- Prepare the accessories: 1 kyusu, 3 cups, tea leaves and tea measure. - Heat the water in a kettle to just below boiling point. - Place the tea leaves in the pot.- Fill with 2 cups of hot water for a sencha or 1 cup of hot water for a gyokuro.- Cool the water by transferring it from cup to cup using the remaining empty cup. Each time, the water temperature is lowered by around 10°C. This ensures the water is at the correct temperature. - Pour the contents of the cups over the leaves once the water is at the right temperature. - Leave to infuse. - Pour the contents of the kyusu into the 3 cups.- Repeat the process, reducing the infusion time by a third each time.