A slower ritual, minus the hard parts
Gongfu tea has been brewed slowly for centuries — and most of us never have the time for it. The Aurora Sands set keeps the entire ritual and removes the fiddly part. Set the lidded bowl on its brewer, add leaves and hot water, then give it a single turn. Tea streams through a built-in filter into the pitcher below — no lifting a hot pot, no drips, no burned fingers.
How it brews itself
1. Place & fill.** Rest the lidded gaiwan on the automatic brewer. Add loose tea and hot water; the fine internal screen holds the leaves back.
2. Rotate to pour.** A gentle turn left or right aligns the porcelain channels, and gravity draws the tea straight down into the side-handle pitcher. Turn it back to stop — exactly when you want.
3. Share evenly.** Pour consistent, dreg-free servings into six 50 ml tasting cups. Everyone gets the same strength, every round.
A glaze the fire signs by hand
Every piece carries a kiln-change (*yao bian*) tenmoku glaze — a deep bronze-black body that breaks into teal-blue, hare's-fur streaks where the kiln pulled the glaze as it fired. Because the pattern is drawn by flame and cooling, no two pieces, and no two sets, are ever identical. The set you receive is yours alone. Each piece is high-fired from dense Dehua porcelain at 1280°C for a smooth, non-porous surface that doesn't carry flavors between teas.
What's inside — 9 pieces + tray
- 1 × lidded brewing bowl (gaiwan)** that seats onto the brewer
- 1 × automatic self-pouring brewer** with built-in filter and a small tea-pet detail
- 1 × side-handle fairness pitcher** with a wood-grip handle and brass collar
- 6 × 50 ml tasting cups**, sized for true gongfu steeps
- 1 × black melamine tea tray** with a slatted bamboo drain surface and hidden reservoir
Why you'll reach for it every day
- Hands-free pour.** Twist and gravity does the pouring — you never lift a scalding pot.
- Self-filtering.** Leaves are strained as the tea drains, so cups run clean.
- Cool to the touch.** Heat stays inside the porcelain, not on your fingertips.
- Complete for up to six.** Brewer, pitcher, six cups and a drain tray in one set.
- Tidy by design.** The tray catches runoff and spills, so no separate board is needed.
Care
Rinse the porcelain pieces after use; hand washing is recommended to protect the wood-grip handle — keep the handle dry. Not for stovetop or microwave use.
Closing
Slow the afternoon down without slowing yourself. Brew a full round in one turn — and let the glaze do the showing off.
