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Periscope not included.
(Credit: Irawoods.com)Few eating or imbibing customs are steeped so deeply in ritual as is the making of tea. From little cucumber sandwiches on one side of the world to medicinal uses on the other, tea has long been held as much more than simply being some leaves soaked in water. As tradition dictates, even a simple modern cup of tea must be attached to at least some sort of process; one that automates the steeping like a submerging submarine seems as good as any.
The Zarafina Tea Maker Suite entertains users while it brews a proper cup of tea. The automated machine features steeping settings for different types of tea. Depending on whether you are making a pot of black, oolong, green, white, or herbal tea, the time and temperature will vary.
The device--which sells online for $60 and up--accomplishes this variety of tea-making by floating an infuser basket full of tea over the heating water. When the temperature is right, the basket is released directly into the tea, sinking much like a submarine would into the ocean.
Featuring a payload of your favorite tea, the maker doesn't stop at simple mechanics when the water is just right--there is the steeping time to consider. Complete with a ceramic teapot, teacups and a serving tray, the do-it-all appliance automatically pours your tea directly into the teapot when it has been steeped for the appropriate amount of time. With or without ceremony, your favorite tea is now ready to enjoy.
Don't look now, but your coffee is ready.
(Credit: Hammacher Schlemmer)They say a watched pot never boils, and in the morning it is especially true. Waiting for the water to get hot enough to pour over coffee grounds can feel like an eternity. If you are using a French press for your morning brew, you know exactly what I mean. But it is not just the coffee addicts who must wait to get into hot water; tea drinkers suffer the same fate. Either way, in the end it comes down to needing hot water for your beverage. But what about the people who prefer coffee and tea?
More water means more waiting, but at least with the Complete Coffee And Tea Station, it's all in one place. While the press pot steeps the coffee, the integrated electric kettle could be brewing tea. (Or heating up water for the next round of coffee with no waiting.) The kettle may not make water boil faster, but unlike a pot on the stove, it knows when to stop. With the capability to provide water at temperatures specific to distinct drinks, the kettle heats perfect water for brewing coffee (198 degrees F), steeping tea (190 degrees F) or making hot chocolate (165 degrees F). A warming plate under the press pot keeps your beverage warm until the next round.
I'm not sure of the math, but I would like to believe that if a watched pot doesn't boil, two somehow makes it quicker. While that may not be true, at least the integrated timer will beep when it is ready.
Certain types of tea brew better at different temperatures. That means that you need to be able to control the temperature of your hot water if you plan to make the perfect cup of tea. The Tea Thermometer and Timer makes brewing a cup of tea easier: by selecting your type of tea, the thermometer will tell you how hot the water is (and how hot it needs to be), as well as notifying you when your tea is done steeping. You can choose between loose, ball, or bagged teas, as well as green, chai, black, and herbal. Eighteen types of tea are preprogrammed into the Tea Thermometer and Timer.
The Tea Thermometer and Timer accounts for all the different decisions you make in the course of brewing a cup of tea. You can set the tea strength on a scale of one to eight to make sure that even the strength of the tea is perfect. The thermometer has a four-inch stainless steel stem that will fit in a teacup, mug, or teapot while the rest of the thermometer sits outside of the water. The Tea Thermometer and Timer requires batteries and are included. The thermometer is priced at $19.95.
It's true that I love my coffee, but there's something truly comforting about a nice cup of tea. And while Lipton tea bags have their place, a real cup of tea starts with loose tea leaves--which means that sometimes, a real cup of tea ends in a mess.
The Adagio Teas IngenuiTEA teapot is convenient and easy to use and clean. Start by putting your tea leaves and hot water inside the pot. Unlike leaves in tea balls or bags, loose leaves can expand fully for more robust flavor. Steep your tea as you would normally.
Then--and this is the cool part--place the pot on top of your mug. That triggers a valve at the bottom of the pot to open, and the tea pours out into the cup. The mesh filter at the bottom of the pot keeps the leaves inside, so you can dump them, put the pot in the sink (or the dishwasher, natch), and enjoy your cup of goodness.
You can even microwave the pot if you don't want to boil water on the cooktop (or if you're at work with limited options). The pot holds 16 ounces, so you can invite a friend to join you, or savor a second cup yourself. At $15, the IngenuiTEA might make a nice holiday gift for someone on your list.
(Credit:
Morphy Richards)
There are several ways for modern consumers to save energy. This Intelliboil kettle by Morphy Richards capitalizes on efficiency and versatility to save you time and money.
The kettle gives you the option of heating water to 85 degrees, 95 degrees, or 100 degrees Fahrenheit , which not only lets you customize the temperature to your tastes and to the type of drink you're making, but also saves unnecessary energy on overheated water. The kettle also heats up faster, meaning that less energy is wasted as dissipated heat.
The Intelliboil has a removable filter, so you can protect your drink from particles, and the internal light indicator turns brighter as your water gets warmer. You can read more about the kettle's features on the Morphy Richards Web site.
Just the way you like it.
(Credit: Sur La Table)It's not always easy getting what you want when you want it. Especially if it's something where more often than not, good enough will do. Water may boil at 212 degrees Fahrenheit, but that doesn't always mean it's the preferred temperature for making tea. Factors such as tea type, length of time to steep, and how hot you want the tea to be when ready to drink come into play. For precision tea drinkers who know what they want, an alternative to the old-fashioned stovetop kettle is needed.
The Breville Variable-Temperature Electric Kettle gives tea lovers the opportunity to select preferred water temperature according to the tea they are brewing. Choose from six settings: green tea, white tea, oolong tea, French press, black tea, or boil. The electric kettle has a large 60-ounce capacity, and keeps water at the desired temperature for 20 minutes. As a safety feature, an auto shut off is incorporated so the water won't boil dry.
With a sturdy stainless-steel construction, the kettle has a classic feel merged with a modern sensibility. Complete with a removable scale filter and water level indicators on either side, the convenience offered by this kettle is apparent. For the tea lovers that know what they want, the precision offered by this electric kettle brings consistent results to the table every time.
When you start looking for ways to conserve and cut down on waste, you can find them in almost every corner. Take tea bags, for example. Even if you've mastered the "reuse it before you toss it" trick, you're still throwing away every tea bag you use.
Now, you could toss the tea bags in your compost crock, but if you're using bags with staples in them, you've got to remove the staples first. And not all bags are made from compostable material. And that string, and the plastic coating on the paper tag--there's a lot to consider.
Loose tea leaves are automatically a step up from bagged tea. You immediately set yourself apart from the crowd as a tea connoisseur, and you just know you're cooler than, like, 95 percent of the people you know. And if you serve your loose tea leaves in a reusable hemp tea bag, you skyrocket to entirely new levels of in the know.
Hemp is one of the strongest natural fibers available, and it's grown without pesticides. And no, it's not illegal, and it won't get you high.
Granted, at $8 a pop, these bags aren't cheap. But how many do you need? You can brew a pot of tea using just two or three, and then pour out cups for everyone at the table. So enjoy your cup of tea, dump your grounds out in the soil around your plants, and know you're doing something good for the world.
(Credit:
Hammacher Schlemmer)
One part of the country whose local fare I rarely have a chance to enjoy is the south. As it turns out, people in the northeast don't eat sweet potato pie and host crawfish boils, and if they do, they're usually lacking in authenticity. Thankfully, there's an invention that allows even big city dwellers to enjoy a southern staple: sweet tea.
This Authentic Southern Sweet Tea Brewer by Hammacher Schlemmer makes 2 quarts of the refreshing brew at a time, using any tea bags you have on hand. It brews the bags at a perfect 204-degree temperature, drawing out the best flavor, and it adds sugar while the water is hot so that it dissolves and sweetens your tea evenly. If you like your tea a little bit on the strong side, the brewer even has a dial that allows you to adjust the strength.
What's nice about the sweet tea machine is that it fits into your kitchen without taking up too much space. If you think about your appliances in terms of seasons, you can rotate your coffee pot in for the cold months and switch it out for the iced tea brewer when the months get sticky hot and muggy. It also comes fully accessorized, with a 2.5 quart pitcher and a removable stainless steel filter.
The Authentic Southern Sweet Tea Brewer is available for $49.95 on Hammacher Schlemmer's Web site.
The Iced Tea Maker
During hot weather, I drink iced tea by the gallon. I used to press my coffeemaker into service to brew enough iced tea during the summer, but between the odd after taste and the fact that I couldn't really control the strength of the tea, I decided I needed a dedicated tea maker. The Iced Tea Maker from Back to Basics is ideal for the purpose: it was designed with brewing tea in mind and offers several features that will help you to that end. One of my favorites is the tea brew-strength selector: I happen to like my iced tea quite strong, but with a coffeemaker, achieving that strength of flavor usually required using extra tea bags.
The Iced Tea Maker also has a sweetener chamber. You can add the sweetener of your choice during the brewing process, making sure that every drop of your iced tea is equally sweetened. You can also use the unit without sweetener. The iced tea is dispensed directly into a glass serving pitcher that comes with the Iced Tea Maker. The pitcher holds 2.5 quarts and fits on the top shelf of the refrigerator. The Iced Tea Maker costs about $30 at Target.
Move over, coffeemaker.
(Credit: Bed Bath & Beyond)Coffee lovers have it too easy. In order to enjoy their favorite brew, all they have to do is head down to the corner. Chances are there will be a café on one of those four corners (if not on the way). For those that prefer to make coffee at home, there are numerous ways to go from bean to brew, and once a method (drip, espresso, French press, etc.) is determined, usually all that is required is finding a consistent grind. Not so with tea lovers, the magic in tea is usually unlocked by temperature and steeping time. Since tea--even loose-leaf tea--is already prepared for brewing, finding this perfect combination can take some guesswork.
The BonJour FineT Gourmet Tea Machine brings the convenience of coffee makers to those who enjoy tea. The countertop appliance features seven different preset brewing options that dictate temperature and steeping time. A heated infusion chamber maintains the tea during the process, and when done, a hot plate keeps the tea warm for thirty minutes. The removable infusion basket and filter swing out for easy cleaning.
While anyone can brew tea with a little forethought, knowledge and patience, the Tea Machine brings simplicity to the (tea) party. Perhaps most important is the inclusion of a 24-hour programmable timer. Having a nice cup of properly steeped tea right upon waking sounds like a very pleasant morning indeed.
