Why You Can Trust CNET Steeped tea takes a step sideways
The Nesco TM-1 Tea Maker offers an easy way to automatically brew a pot of tea. However, for some, the appliance may be missing one important option.
Coffee drinkers have all the fun. That is not necessarily a bad thing as so many people drink coffee, but tea drinkers need their say, too. When it comes to gadgetry, there seems to be a disproportionate amount of coffee tools as there are tea-making tools. But with so many varieties of tea available both loose and bagged, tea drinkers deserve to have their teacake and eat it, too.
The Nesco TM-1 Tea Maker provides an easy method for brewing both loose and bagged tea. All that is required to make up to 1 liter of freshly brewed tea is to add tea to the steeping chamber, pour water in from the top, and then select the desired brewing time. That's it. When the time is up, the device automatically delivers hot tea into the waiting serving carafe.
As easy as it is to brew a fresh pot of tea, perhaps this tea-making gadget might be a little too easy to use. While the countertop appliance does allow for the user to select a brewing time of 2 to 16 minutes, savvy tea drinkers may notice there is no option to select temperature. At a price of around $70, that exclusion may be a deal breaker to some. Of course if that price seems a little steep (ahem), then one could always switch to coffee.