Grandpa-style tea keeps loose leaves in your drinking mug. You sip and top up with water as the drink changes.
Aurioo’s 300 ml Botanical Panel Er Kang mug is a useful starting point for this approach. Its listed capacity gives you more room to work with than the two 150 ml mugs compared below. You still need to leave space above the drink for comfortable handling and later additions of water.
Start with a mug that has room to spare
The Botanical Panel Er Kang mug is listed as fine ceramic, with a diameter of 10 cm, height of 7.5 cm and capacity of 300 ml. It has a loop handle, a botanical panel and a softly flared rim.
Those details make it easy to understand what you are choosing: a larger everyday mug with a handle. The 300 ml figure is its catalog capacity. It is not an instruction to pour in 300 ml of water on top of the leaves, and it does not describe a measured serving yield.
Before ordering, check the selected quantity. The listing offers One and Value pack(2), and identifies the included item as a mug. A lid, saucer and infuser are not listed as included accessories. You can use the mug for this open-cup method without adding a brewing lid.
How the leaves-in-the-cup method works
Teasenz’s guide to grandpa-style brewing describes loose leaves remaining in the mug while the drinker sips and tops it up. It also emphasizes using a modest amount of leaf and keeping room for more water.
Start with a clean mug and a tea you know. Add a modest amount of loose leaf, then pour suitable water gently, leaving headroom. Let the drink reach a comfortable sipping temperature. Leave some tea in the mug when adding more water, and adjust the next addition to how the drink tastes.
Compare the three Er Kang mugs
The smaller alternatives suit someone who prefers a compact cupful and is happy to pay closer attention to the remaining space. Their capacity is about half that of the Botanical Panel mug, so they are a different choice even though all three have handles.
| Mug | Listed material and dimensions | Listed capacity | What to consider for this method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Botanical Panel Er Kang | Fine ceramic; 10 cm diameter, 7.5 cm high; loop handle | 300 ml | The largest of these three, leaving more room to divide between tea, water and headroom |
| Carved Texture Er Kang | Old rock clay ceramic; 8 cm diameter, 6 cm high; ring handle | 150 ml | A compact option; start with less in the mug rather than using the larger mug’s fill |
| Spiral Relief Er Kang | Fine ceramic; 8 cm diameter, 6.5 cm high; rounded loop handle | About 150 ml | Another smaller option, with a spiral relief exterior and a slightly taller listed profile |
The Carved Texture Er Kang mug has a carved exterior and darker clay body. If those are the details you enjoy, its smaller size may be a worthwhile choice. Allow for that size when deciding how much to put into it.
The Spiral Relief Er Kang mug has a rounded loop handle and a relief pattern around the body. Its listed capacity is approximately 150 ml despite being slightly taller than the Carved Texture model. Height alone does not tell you how much drink a vessel holds.
These catalog descriptions help you choose the physical piece. They do not establish which mug holds heat longest or produces a better-tasting infusion.
Keep the drinking experience comfortable
Floating leaves are part of this method, and they may not all settle. If sipping around them is distracting, brew separately and pour strained tea into the same mug. A mug you enjoy using remains useful whichever preparation method you choose.
Use the tea’s preparation guidance when choosing water temperature. Grandpa-style brewing does not require every tea to receive boiling water. Pour steadily rather than quickly, and stop adding water before the mug becomes awkward to lift.
When another top-up no longer gives you a drink you enjoy, empty the mug and start afresh another time.
FAQ
Do these mugs include an infuser or lid?
No infuser or lid is listed. Each product describes one mug, with the quantity changed by the selected option. Grandpa-style brewing keeps the leaves directly in the drinking vessel.
Can I use the 150 ml mugs this way?
Yes, with a modest starting amount and enough empty space for additions. Their smaller capacity makes the initial fill especially relevant. Choose the 300 ml Botanical Panel if you want more room in the vessel.
Must I use boiling water for grandpa-style tea?
No. Follow guidance appropriate to the tea and let it cool enough to sip comfortably. The method describes how the leaves stay with the drink and how you refill it; it does not impose one water temperature.