Kyusu vs houhin
The Japanese teapot and its handleless small relative, and the difference between them is a temperature. A houhin has no handle because it is used at water temperatures low enough that the body can be held, which tells you immediately what it is for.
equipment
What is being compared
Point by point
| Aspect | Kyusu | Houhin |
|---|---|---|
| Handle | A side handle at right angles to the spout. | None. The body is held directly. |
| Water temperature it implies | Anything from about 60 °C upwards; the handle keeps the hand clear. | Low enough to hold — which in practice means shaded green tea. |
| Capacity | Larger; a domestic pot for two or three cups. | Small, for a concentrated low-temperature infusion. |
| Filter | A wide built-in ceramic mesh across the spout opening. | An integral filter, usually a moulded ridge or slot. |
| What it is used for | Sencha, bancha, genmaicha, hojicha — everyday Japanese tea. | Gyokuro and kabusecha above all. |
| If you own only one | The kyusu, which covers everything the houhin does badly. | The houhin, only if shaded tea is most of what you drink. |
The short answer
The houhin is not a smaller kyusu; the absent handle is a statement about the water. A drinker buying one without intending to brew shaded tea at low temperature has bought a pot that will scald them, and one brewing gyokuro in a kyusu is losing nothing except the pleasure of the object.
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