for Chinese Gongfu (this just means well made/carefully brewed) tea use Xisha pots, wash the inside with a toothbrush and toothpaste when you get it and rinse well repeatedly, then never again.

when you are done brewing for the day, fill it with hot water and let it steep overnight then dunp the leaves in the compost (or use for other things). you want a patina inside. old pots can almost make tea with no leaves.

on the outside, let tea stains form. you can polish with a tea towel and water. the patina of use is beautiful and 'proof of work'. don't ever wash.

oh and one type of tea per pot. Eg 1 for pu-erh and one for wuyi mountain oolong and one for tanchung (dancong) oolong.

. . . . .

for Japanese Sencha, oolong and black tea I use iron pots and keep them separate.

for hojicha (roasted bancha (second flush)) I use a Japanese clay pot.

* thank you to Mm-tai and Mm-san (Mr and Mrs Ng) for teaching me the way of tea. they are retired now but i think of them each day when I make tea and continue what they shared.