Head to head · Pellet vs. Pan-fired
Numi Organic Gunpowder Green vs. Teavivre Dragon Well (Long Jing) Green Tea
Loose leaf
Numi Organic Gunpowder Green
Tight little pellets. Hot water finds them. They unfurl.
vs.
Loose leaf
Teavivre Dragon Well (Long Jing) Green Tea
Pan-fired flat. Toasted, sweet, no grass. The Chinese standard.
Side by side.
| Numi Organic Gunpowder | Teavivre Dragon Well | |
|---|---|---|
| Form | Loose leaf | Loose leaf |
| Leaf | Green | Green |
| Brew temp | 175°F | 175°F |
| Steep time | 3 min | 2-3 min |
| Caffeine | medium | medium |
| Best for | afternoon, slow-watch brew, pellet unfurl | Chinese style, multi-steep, nutty palette |
The verdict
Two Chinese greens, two completely different geometries.
Gunpowder is rolled into tight pellets that unfurl slow in hot water — vegetal, slightly smoky, theatrical to watch. Dragon Well is pan-fired flat — nutty, sweet, no grass, no theatre. Gunpowder is the everyday cup people share. Dragon Well is the cup people protect.
Pick Numi Organic if
You want vegetal, smoky, and the spectacle of the unfurl.
Pick Teavivre Dragon if
You want nutty, sweet, refined. The Chinese standard.
House rule
We pick a lane. We say so. Then we link both, because we know the lane isn't always yours.