I have a gaiwan but I don't really use it that much anymore. I only use it if I'm in a specific mood for it and I'm making sheng puer.
I started off with an "easy gaiwan" too, but had pretty much the same experience as you.
For most other teas I have a small 150ml porcelain teapot from Jingdezhen (I'm lucky to have a local teashop which imports tea & accessories directly from sources!). I pour the tea into a pitcher from the pot and use a small cup to drink it.
For japanese green tea I have a Kyusu because aesthetics are important! :D it's a bit difficult to clean though, but not too bad.
If there's more people than just me drinking the tea, I'll just use one of those large western-style teapots and normal cups. I find that people get weirder out wjen I offer them tea from a cup smaller than a tablespoon. ๐