Glazed vs unglazed kyusu: I expected a bigger fight

[Wrench And Jab]

Question or objective: choose one pot for daily use
Tea category: sencha teaware comparison
Exact product: River Mist 2026 sencha
Vendor: Cedar Cup Tea
Origin: Kagoshima, Japan
Cultivar, if known: Saemidori
Harvest season/year: spring 2026
Processing or roast: medium-steamed
Cake/batch number, if relevant: cake/lot noted above where applicable; otherwise N/A
Purchase/opening date: purchased 2026-07-02; opened 2026-08-08
Storage since purchase: refrigerated sealed pouch; portion warmed before opening
Style: Japanese
Vessel: 180 ml glazed kyusu vs 180 ml unglazed Tokoname
Vessel material: glazed ceramic vs unglazed clay
Nominal and actual filled capacity: 150 ml filled each
Filter or strainer: matched sasame
Kettle: stovetop kettle + thermometer
Vessel preheated: yes
Dry leaf weight: 5 g each
Water volume: 150 ml
Water temperature: 70°C
Water source or mineral profile: soft bottled water, 35 ppm
Rinse: 5-10 s where noted by the recipe; otherwise none
Infusion schedule: 60 s, 20 s
Agitation: none
Was each infusion completely decanted?: yes
Aroma: nearly identical
Sweetness: unglazed slightly rounder
Bitterness: same
Astringency: same
Body/texture: slightly fuller unglazed
Flavour: sweet grass, nori
Aftertaste: similar
Number of satisfying infusions: 3
Exact problem: testing whether clay effect is large enough to matter
Desired result: choose one pot for daily use
Variable changed: vessel surface
Previous value: glazed
New value: unglazed
Result: small texture difference, much smaller than expected
Dry-leaf photograph: not attached yet
Liquor photograph: available in the author’s notes; not embedded in this archive
Wet-leaf photograph: not attached yet
Video if pouring or drainage is relevant: not relevant

I used the same tea and tried to keep ratio, water and timing close enough that the vessel was actually the interesting variable. The test was vessel surface: glazed versus unglazed. small texture difference, much smaller than expected.

If you own both kinds of gear, I would especially like the boring details: actual filled capacity, pour speed, cleanup, heat retention, and the thing that annoys you after three weeks.

[Okra]

Controlled test
Direct recommendation: repeat the session with unglazed.
Applies to: River Mist 2026 sencha / sencha teaware comparison in a setup close to 180 ml glazed kyusu vs 180 ml unglazed Tokoname.
Evidence: firsthand ownership/use of both compared options.
Change: repeat the session with unglazed.
Expected effect: the cup should move toward choose one pot for daily use if that variable is causal.
Observed result: small texture difference, much smaller than expected.
Limitations: If your actual filled volume differs from the stated volume, the ratio may be the bigger issue.
Commercial relationship: none.

[Recipe Attic]

Controlled test
Direct recommendation: repeat the same recipe on a second day.
Applies to: River Mist 2026 sencha / sencha teaware comparison in a setup close to 180 ml glazed kyusu vs 180 ml unglazed Tokoname.
Evidence: controlled side-by-side use under matched conditions.
Change: repeat the same recipe on a second day.
Expected effect: a repeated result should be easier to trust.
Observed result: small texture difference, much smaller than expected.
Limitations: If your actual filled volume differs from the stated volume, the ratio may be the bigger issue.
Commercial relationship: none.

[Wrench And Jab]

Long-term report
Direct recommendation: weigh the actual filled water once.
Applies to: River Mist 2026 sencha / sencha teaware comparison in a setup close to 180 ml glazed kyusu vs 180 ml unglazed Tokoname.
Evidence: firsthand long-term use of one side of the comparison.
Change: weigh the actual filled water once.
Expected effect: your ratio will become comparable with other reports.
Observed result: not tested on this exact setup yet.
Limitations: This may not transfer to a heavier roast or a very different vessel size.
Commercial relationship: none.

[Recipe Attic]

Controlled test
Direct recommendation: repeat the session with unglazed.
Applies to: River Mist 2026 sencha / sencha teaware comparison in a setup close to 180 ml glazed kyusu vs 180 ml unglazed Tokoname.
Evidence: side-by-side or repeated one-variable test.
Change: repeat the session with unglazed.
Expected effect: the cup should move toward choose one pot for daily use if that variable is causal.
Observed result: not tested on this exact setup yet.
Limitations: My result is from a small number of sessions, so treat it as evidence rather than law.
Commercial relationship: none.

[Okra]

Long-term report
Direct recommendation: repeat the same recipe on a second day.
Applies to: River Mist 2026 sencha / sencha teaware comparison in a setup close to 180 ml glazed kyusu vs 180 ml unglazed Tokoname.
Evidence: repeated sessions over time.
Change: repeat the same recipe on a second day.
Expected effect: a repeated result should be easier to trust.
Observed result: small texture difference, much smaller than expected.
Limitations: If your actual filled volume differs from the stated volume, the ratio may be the bigger issue.
Commercial relationship: none.

[Wrench And Jab]

Original-poster update
Direct recommendation: weigh the actual filled water once.
Applies to: River Mist 2026 sencha / sencha teaware comparison in a setup close to 180 ml glazed kyusu vs 180 ml unglazed Tokoname.
Evidence: follow-up on the author’s own River Mist 2026 sencha.
Change: weigh the actual filled water once.
Expected effect: your ratio will become comparable with other reports.
Observed result: small texture difference, much smaller than expected.
Limitations: This may not transfer to a heavier roast or a very different vessel size.
Commercial relationship: none.

[Author]

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