How long does it take to season a Yixing teapot?

At Least 90 minutes.

A common mistake people make is thinking you can use your teapot as soon as you get it. We often get questions from people who are curious or taken aback by the smell they sense after getting the piece of teaware. It can be described as “earthy”, “muddy”, “moldy”, and even “fishy”.

PREPARING YOUR YIXING TEAPOT FOR SEASONING 

• place your new teapot in a bowl filled with cool water and gently wipe it with a towel or even better, with a big brush
  (make sure there are no foreign flavors on the bowl or towel)

SEASONING YOUR YIXING CLAY TEAPOT

• fill a pot with water, gently place your Yixing teapot inside (pot and lid separately), so that it’s covered
• bring to a gentle boil and keep boiling for about one hour
  (this will help to remove the earthy smell)
  *make sure to use a medium fire so that it’s not at a hard boil and the teapot doesn’t become damaged
• wait for the water to cool before picking up the teapot

Optional step:

• repeat the same step but boil the teapot together with tea leaves for 90 minutes

• choose a cheaper tea, ideally, a type of tea that you will most often drink out of the teapot (for example, if you plan to mostly drink oolongs boil it with some oolong)

• after 90 mins, when the water cools, place the teapot in a bowl of warm water to give it a final rinse

• wipe with a clean towel and let it dry in a well-ventilated place

• now your Yixing is ready for use!