tea

Tea drinkers are a specific bunch. Just the choices available for types of tea can be overwhelming. From oolong to puer, there is a variety for every palate, and that doesn't even account for how one might take it. With all these choices available it may seem like there is no chance for tea drinkers to ever come together in anything resembling a consensus about anything, but they all do have at least one thing in common: water.

Without water, there is no tea, and without hot water, there is no hot tea. That's pretty simple stuff one … Read more

I don't do so well in the mornings: When I hear the alarm clock go off, I need caffeine immediately. To make matters worse, I'm not the biggest fan of coffee. The Teasmade Alarm Clock by Swan offers a simple alternative. In addition to waking you up, it brews a cup of tea so you'll immediately be able to drink down a cup and start your day.

While there have been plenty of automatic coffee pots, it seems it's much harder to find an option for morning tea.

The Teasmade Alarm Clock, which sells online for … Read more

A computer can be a truly useful kitchen gadget. Don't believe me? Just point your browser to Steep.it and behold! It is a handy chart of tea-steeping times and temperatures, with a timer functionality that works with visual and aural cues, and the flexibility to work it any way you want. You can type various commands right in your browser's address bar: steep.it/2minutes30seconds or steep.it/herbal, for example.

The timer counts down with a color-changing screen effect and dings (and displays a pop-up) when your tea is ready. You can even navigate away from … Read more

Automation is a wonderful thing, and sometimes it can even be fun too. The kitchen is one area where one doesn't expect to see an automatic conveyance too often (including the pop-up toaster might be a stretch). While we wait for the future to arrive, with robots and automatic jetpacks supplying our food and cooking our meals, we can at least enjoy a little glimpse of the automated future right now--and savor a nice cup of tea while at it.

The Breville Gourmet Tea Brewer & Variable-Temperature Kettle provides entertainment while automatically brewing and steeping a pot of tea. … Read more

Tea infusers tend to be pretty standard: a metallic mesh container that you can fill with tea leaves and drop into a pot of hot water. You let the leaves steep for a while and soon you have fresh tea. The Big Heart Tea Infuser is identical in use to other infusers, but its shape makes it stand out. This infuser is heart-shaped and is a little bigger than normal. It measures two inches across, offering more than enough space to make tea for two. If your sweetheart likes drinking tea, the Big Heart Tea Infuser may be a thoughtful … Read more

When it comes to brewing loose tea, more often than not the tea leaves are placed in a spherical stainless steel steeper and dunked in hot water. Well, no longer: first yellow submarines, and now tubes.

The Tea Tube Infuser by RSVP International passes the ball and instead opts for the tube form to accomplish its task. Measuring 6.25-inches long, the tea steeper makes for an excellent accessory for single-cup tea brewing. Constructed of stainless steel and polycarbonate plastic, the dishwasher safe device offers ease of use with its innovative design. When separated, the stainless steel end acts as … Read more

Water is a finicky thing: too cold and it's ice, too hot and it escapes as steam. When it comes to consuming hot water, a change of a few degrees can make all the difference in the world. Tea drinkers understand this when they choose what type of tea to brew; coffee drinkers understand this when faced with coffee that is not in their comfort zone. Nobody enjoys a beverage that is too hot or too cold, but it is rare that we have total control over it. Unless we make it ourselves.

The Capresso H2O Pro Programmable Cordless Water Kettle with Temperature Control … Read more

If you're a true tea aficionado, you know that bags are just not the way to go. Nothing beats the quality of loose tea leaves--but you need something to hold them while they steep. You could go with a traditional stainless steel tea infuser. But why would you do that when you could instead use a yellow submarine?

Designed by Ototo, the TeaSub is made of silicone and dishwasher safe. It submerges your tea leaves to the very depths of your cup, and it looks totally fab doing it. Someone should tell these guys to make a Lost version--you … Read more

Tea drinkers understand the art of brewing tea. Though coffee drinkers do appreciate interacting with their favorite beverage in order to make it, the vast majority of coffeemakers are automatic drip machines. They quite often make a fine cup of coffee, but after the initial choices of beans and grind are chosen, the actual brewing process is automated. The same cannot be said for brewing tea.

Different types of tea require different brewing temperatures; hearty black teas do well with a high brewing temperature, and green and herbal teas benefit from brewing at a lower temperature. The Capresso PerfectTea Cordless 48-Ounce Electric Glass Kettle … Read more