A video showing how to break/flake Pu-erh tea.  The complete breaking is unusual, as one will often simply break off what is needed to make a single serving of Pu-erh tea at a time.

Surprisingly, the tea cup is a fairly recent inclusion in the traditional preparation of Pu-erh tea.  Prior to 1350AD, most Chinese teas would be consumed directly from the teapot.  In the Ming dynasty the gaiwan was added to the traditional teaset and is now one of the main ways that teas, including Pu-erh tea are prepared and enjoyed in China.  Each gaiwan is a matched set comprised of a saucer, bowl and lid.  Unlike the the YiXing teapot, the gaiwan is glazed to prevent the teaware from becoming seasoned or discolored over time.  The base material for a gaiwan is most often porcelain.  Because porcelain quickly distributes heat, porcelain gaiwans are excellent for aged and fine pu-erh preparation at lower temperatures.  The gaiwan teaset permits tea to be infused directly in the bowl and then be enjoyed from the bowl or served into tasting cups.  While gaiwans are not as good as yixing pots for most pu-erh teas, the glazed gaiwan can be used conveniently for the preparation of many types of tea.

This video is a little controversial.  While there is some disagreement on the technique used to prepare Pu-erh tea, this is definitely an interesting video on proper preparation.

The quality of the water, the temperature of the water, and infusion time are the keys to proper preparation of pu-erh.  Spring water is ideal, as excessive mineral content of removal of mineral content will taint the taste of the tea.  While some recommend using boiling water, connoisseurs allow the water to cool back from a boil to at an infusion temperature ranging from 200 to 185 degrees Fahrenheit.    Lower temperatures are generally reserved for higher quality, aged teas.  Prior to infusion, the teaset is rinsed with boiling water.   Then the tea is combined with the water at a rate of one ounce of water to one gram of tea.

The first infusion lasts 10-15 seconds and is discarded to wash the tea.  While there some difference of opinion regarding steeping times, ranging from 10 seconds to 2 minutes for the second infusion, there is a general consensus the subsequent infusions from the same leaves should receive longer infusion times.  While many westerners prefer pu-erh prepared with longer infusion times, and Tibetans may brew their pu-erh overnight, shorter infusion times allow the connoisseur to better appreciate the subtle flavors that differentiate one pu-erh tea from another.   Let you own taste be a guide, but a dark, unpleasant brew is a sign of excessive steeping time.