Some teas just hold up better to multiple infusions and retain their characters better. These tend to be the “sturdier” teas like puer. I wouldn’t be surprised if Lu’an Guapian could also be used this way, and I suspect Tianshan April Mist would also hold up well.
I haven’t noticed black tea as being particularly bad with multiple infusions, although usually they’re not great for that. I have noticed that Wuyi oolongs don’t stand up to multiple infusions very well, which is probably why people sometimes use the gongfu method instead.
Tea leaves only have a certain amount of “stuff” inside them, and no matter how much cleverness you have, you can only get so much out of them. I never believe people who say that such-and-such high quality tea is good for 10 infusions or something like that.
My preferred method is to just use a small amount of leaves and only do 2 infusions at the most — often just 1 infusion. It’s very simple and flexible, and requires little time or commitment. The tea never gets too strong, it tastes good, and lighter tea doesn’t take on undesirable qualities as easily.
It’s also good for the “grandpa” method. You can just sprinkle a few leaves in your cup, pour the water on top, and enjoy. With fewer leaves, it’s easier to drink because they aren’t constantly floating into your mouth. 😉
