Tea containers come in different materials and sizes owing to different types of demand. Choosing the right container would benefit your tea in the course of ageing. Here is a look at the containers available for tea storage in the market:

1. Zisha, or purple clay canisters or jars: They offer great air permeability essential for tea ageing, giving tea the right condition to allow transformations to take place. Ideal for Puer, Liubao and other red teas.
2. Pottery canisters or jars: With a porosity slightly higher than zisha containers, they are suitable for storing Pu'er, Liubao and other red teas that have matured over time, as well as white teas.
3. Ceramic canisters or jars: Coated with an impervious layer of glaze by way of high temperature firing, they are more suitable than pottery or zisha containers for storing green tea, yellow tea, Oolong tea (new or vintage), black tea and flower-scented tea.
4. Pewter canisters: Made of an alloy of tin (pure tin will be too soft for holding its shape), these metal containers are even higher in density and are odour-free. Their airtightness makes them great for keeping green tea,  Oolong tea and black tea.
5. Iron tins or barrels: Tea leaves have to be kept in aluminium foil pouches before being stored in  iron tins, which are versatile and hold different types of teas. However, this type of containers does not have much of an impact on the tea’s transformation.  Iron barrels, which can be seen in some conventional tea shops today, are commonly used to keep Oolong tea. These barrels are normally lined with paper to maintain a certain level of humidity and temperature, ensuring that the tea leaves are stored and mature in a relatively stable condition.
6. Paper canisters or bags: While the raw material is readily available, these containers offer no tight seals. As such, tea leaves have to be kept in aluminium foil pouches before being stored in the paper canisters.