R.I.P. triniTea, & Christmas Gifts

Yes, you read that right. My Adagio triniTea has officially given up the ghost. It started yesterday morning when it wouldn't decant all the water from the heating chamber to the steeping chamber, and ended last night when the steeping chamber refused, despite all coaxing, to give up it's brew into the carafe. Ironically, it's been two years to the month since I bought this handy little machine, and it's served me well with no complaints all that time (including twice daily use for the past several months). So while I'm somewhat sad to see it go, I don't feel like it was a waste of time or counter space at all. It might be fixable, but I'm not really sure I want to spend the time/effort on it. And while the space was well-used, I'd like those few inches on my counter back to do other things with now.


I've decided not to replace it either. Despite the convenience factor, it still never brewed tea as well as other, non-plastic vessels. If ever there comes another tea machine that steeps without plastic coming in contact with the water or leaves, I'll consider trying it. But for now, I'm going back to steeping in teapots and cups. Granted, this takes a little more planning, but I've been "training" myself to make tea before work and at lunch (instead of at work) for the past few months, so this morning when I got up, and knew I had to put the kettle on, it wasn't really any big deal. I just planned accordingly for more involvement in the tea-making process. As you can see above, I just steeped my tea this morning (Harney & Son's "Florence") in my trusty stainless-steel lined travel mug with a metal basket, and while it was a bit strong (I'm out of practice with this method, apparently), it worked just fine. I'll repeat the process at lunch (maybe even squeeze in a cup of Matcha, since I'm heating up the kettle anyways).

I considered buying an electric kettle, and may still at some point. But for now, this works just fine, and doesn't take up any more counter space.

In other news, I ordered my tea gifts last week - Harney & Son's tins of Holiday (black tea) and White Christmas (white tea). Everyone seems to like H&S teas, even if they aren't "connoisseurs", so they're usually a safe bet for stocking stuffers & small gifts. I have a couple of the small "tag-a-long" tins coming too, just in case something pops up that I need a gift for.

What tea gifts are you giving for Christmas this year?

On Tap:

Yesterday, it was Adagio's Chestnut black all day, which I actually prefer brewed with tap water. Filtered water makes it too astringent and bitter...the extra minerals and such in tap water make it naturally sweet and not so drying.

On tap today is Adagio's Yunnan Jig - which ironically, I also prefer with tap water.

Note that these are both brewed in plastic (my triniTea maker), and results are different when brewing in a glass or ceramic pot. Probably the chemicals leaching out of the plastic...

Yes, I still really, really want an automatic tea maker with a *glass* brewing chamber (hint?)...

Teaware & Storage

First, a quick administrative note to the anon. poster who asked after AOT’s Fucha tea. I did indeed get it, and must have forgotten to post a review! So I’ll get that review up on Wednesday, and I hope it will be helpful to you in time to make a decision.

On to our topic du jour: Teaware. I cleaned out several of my kitchen cupboards this weekend, and it was quite a chore. I had to get rid of tableware and reorganize because things just weren’t fitting anymore. Part of the reason was my ever-growing teaware collection, which was cleverly trying to push all of my tableware out of the cupboards and take over the whole thing. This called for drastic measures to get the problem under control.

In the end, I ended up removing my collectable knick knacks from the curio cabinet in the dining room, and shelving the bulk of my teapots there instead, along with the puerh cakes that have been floating around my house trying to find a home for a good long while now. It’s not the ideal place for tea to age, but better than in a cardboard box collecting dust. And my teapots look quite nice there, if a little cluttered.

Unfortunately, I was taking the picture last night, so no matter where I stood, the flash was in the way. My Yixing pots are on the top two shelves of the curio, the ones you can’t see. The rest of my porcelain pots are below, along with my gaiwans and small tasting cups. The glass teapots didn’t fit (and due to all the mirroring would have disappeared anyways) and neither did my Japanese style set, so they are in my dining room cupboard, on a shelf specifically for them and my tea trays. So for now, my troublesome teapots are tamed, and there’s room in my kitchen cupboards for tableware once again (and my teacups, of course).

Obviously, I can’t part with any of my teaware - that would be sacrilege! But I do find myself wondering whatever I’ll do the next time I just have to have a piece…or two…
So where/how do you store your teaware? Do you have enough room? Or are you of superhuman strength, and able to withstand the temptation to buy lovely wares to complement your tea?

Feeling Foofy

Among tea drinkers, there are a great many who are tea purists – those who believe that the leaf is sacred, and should not be adulterated with any additives or flavorings, but taken on its own merit, enjoyed simply for what it is in the here and now.

Obviously, I am not one of those tea drinkers. I enjoy tea on it's own merit most of the time, but I fully admit to enjoying "playing" with my drinks...what can I say, I get bored easily.

I’ve been enjoying a bowl of Matcha almost every day at lunch, and enjoying far greater productivity at work in the afternoons (I know, weird and wild stuff!). This past weekend, I made what amounts to a Matcha Latte – in essence, strongly brewed matcha, milk, and sweetener (honey or sugar – I tried both). And seriously, both cups were completely yummy, the honey cup being slightly more subtle than the sugared cup.

Now I want a milk steamer. To make tea lattes with. Because hey, if Matcha is good “latte-d”, why wouldn’t chai be? Or Keemun, or even my Sichuan Gungfu? Perhaps a smoky Lapsong, for cold, rainy days. Only as a once or twice a week treat, mind you – but I’d really love to have them occasionally, and I’d dearly enjoy having a milk steamer/frother to make them with, rather than just heating up the milk in a saucepan. All the pictures online looked much “frothier” than mine, so I have a hankering to recreate that for myself.

But then today, while I was searching online for milk steamers/frothers, and trying to reconcile myself to the fact that an electric wand would probably work just as well as a steamer (even though I love the “gadget factor” of a steamer), I came across something new. Well, new to me. And fascinating, because it could just possibly become my justification for buying an espresso machine.

Yes, you read that right. An espresso machine, for a tea drinker.

Apparently, South Africa is now exporting Rooibos that has been ground up specifically to use in espresso machines, just like ground coffee. And supposedly, it creates a creamy layer on top of the brew just like a coffee espresso would. From what I’ve read, this is really amplifies the taste of the rooibos, and is quite “tasty” too, creating the basis for rooibos lattes, cappuccinos, and other coffee-style drinks.

I realize that rooibos is a tisane, but I still enjoy it quite a lot, and a decaffeinated, super-healthy tisane-based espresso really appeals to both my gadget-lover side and my rebels-against-the-coffee-world side. And buying an espresso machine would solve my milk steamer desire too…so I could have my weekly tea lattes without lusting after the frothy pictures I see splashed across the ‘net (tea lattes in tea shops here consist of a liquid concentrate to start…not really tea, and while they’re good, it’s all flavoring, no tea taste at all, and not worth the $3.50 for a small cup that they charge).

So yeah – I’ll have to think on that. But I’m definitely interested…anyone out there tried one of these “Red Espressos”?

Inventory and Traveling

Maybe I’m the only one who finds herself in this position, but I’ve recently realized that an inventory of my tea would be a very handy thing indeed, what with trying to decide what I have reviewed, and what I should review or revisit next. I think at this point I’ve tried and reviewed just about everything in my tea cupboard, and since I didn’t have the opportunity to buy any tea at all last month (it was a bad financial month), I actually don’t have any new tea in the house at all! This is a good thing, in that I’ve actually been “drinking down” my stash, and clearing out leftover bits of this and that from my cupboard to make room for fresh buys. But it’s a bad thing for…oh…say…tea reviews. It wouldn’t be so bad if I could remember which teas I possibly haven’t reviewed yet though. An amusing situation to find myself in, for sure.

This weekend I’m going to do something I haven’t done in ages. I’m actually going to buy some tea locally. I’m attending a writer’s meet-up on Saturday evening, at a bookstore that sells Harney & Son’s tea. It also happens to be near a store that has a wall of Republic of Tea, as well as a few other obscure brands, so I may see if I can find anything interesting there to try out. Then next week (payday), I’m planning to order some replenishments for favorite teas I’m low on, and a few new teas to try as well. Needless to say, I’m quite giddy about the prospect of some new teas to try in the next couple of weeks.

In the meantime, it’s been about 6 months since I last did the puerh tastings with my meager collection of cakes. So the next four reviews or so will be revisiting several of my badly mistreated puerh cakes to see if any changes have occurred in the taste in that time. I’ve done nothing special to store them, in fact, they’ve been moved around quite a lot as I haven’t found a good place for them yet, so it’s anyone’s guess as to what they may have absorbed as far as smells go in that time. Let’s just hope it’s nothing too terribly nasty…

And finally, I’ll be taking a trip Nov. 4-7th to Las Vegas, Nevada. And I’m desperately trying to figure out what to take along to heat water for tea, since hotel coffeepots just don’t work at all (I’ve tried). I need to find a small, 12oz maximum type hot pot or electric kettle that I can pack in my luggage…something that will bring water to a boil for black teas. I have my travel gaiwan set, I just need something to boil water in. Any suggestions are more than welcome, obviously – I’ll be looking around here in town to see if I can find anything too.

Also, if there's a fun tea shop I should visit in Vegas, let me know. I can't guarantee I'll make it, since we're traveling with my in-laws, but I'll certainly do my best!

So that’s what’s “up” here at Tea on Tap. Friday is the first puerh review – unfortunately, I can’t say which one, because I haven’t decided yet, but it will include pictures!

Tea Maker Showdown: TriniTEA Electric Maker vs. Zarafina Tea Maker Suite

Another long-post…get comfy with a cup of tea. Without further ado, let the showdown begin!

On the left (as you see it) we have the TriniTEA Electric Maker, sold for $99 from Adagio Teas. Disguised as a large coffee-maker, it has a serious presence on the counter, and sports just three buttons on the front – one for steeping time, one for temperature choice, and one for power. It’s a simple machine to use: just add water to the top chamber between the minimum and maximum fill lines, replace the top, add tea to the second steeping chamber, choose the water temperature and steeping time, and flip the power switch. An audible “beep” lets you know the machine is on, and subsequent beeps signal the start of each part of the process (it will beep before the water is released to the steeping chamber, and again before the steeped tea is decanted to the warm carafe below). Three beeps means the process is complete, and a warming plate will keep the tea hot until you turn the unit off. The TriniTEA will brew up to 32 oz (4 cups) of tea at a time.

And on the right sits the sleek, European style Zarafina Tea Maker Suite, which retails for $149.99. Small and petite, it’s anything but dainty as you can feel when you take the steeping chamber out of the main machine to rinse out. It boasts a whopping 10 silver buttons on the side for you to choose tea type, style (loose or bagged) and steeping time), as well as another button on the other side to power up the machine. It is also simple to use: you simply add your tea to the steeping basket, fill the chamber with water to one of two fill lines, float the steeping basket in the water, put the top on, use the selector buttons to reflect your choices, and flip the power button up to turn the machine on (the button will slide back down). When the tea is done, the machine will decant the tea automatically into the included teapot, and turn itself off. The Zarafina will brew up to 2 cups at a time (about 16oz).
For this showdown, I’ve chosen three teas: Black Rose from Teas, Etc, Gyokuro (Japanese green) from Adagio, and Rooibos Creamy Caramel from Dragonwater. As you can see, I’ve pre-measured them using a teaspoon for the TriniTEA, and the included scoop for the Zarafina. For purposes of this test, I’m brewing just one cup at a time per machine. And I brought in a “blind taster” for the green and rooibos teas, my husband, who came home and was interested in what I was up to. For the record, his favorite teas are English or Irish breakfast blends, brewed hot and strong, no additives. I had him sample the teas without knowing which came from what machine and give his opinion. He wasn’t home for the black tea tasting, unfortunately.

Black Rose: Both machines were clean and ready to go when I started. I put the tea in the steeping chambers of each machine, added water, and set the TriniTEA parameters at II (for boiling water) and the timer to 5 min. I set the Zarafina parameters to “black tea, loose, and medium steeping”. Then I flipped both power buttons to “on” simultaneously, and stood at the ready with paper and pen. The TriniTEA took 4 minutes to heat the water, and 5 minutes to steep the tea. Zarafina took 2 minutes to heat the water until the basket “sunk”, and 3 minutes to steep. The tea in the Zarafina was foaming a bit during the occasional bursts of heat through the steeping process. The flavor, color and scent of the two cups were basically the same, with the Zarafina tea being slightly weaker (perhaps the “strong” setting might have been better). I rinsed out all main parts of both machines using a small amount of baking soda, as suggested by Mary R., which seemed to work well.

Gyokuro: I followed the same set-up procedure as before, this time setting the TriniTEA parameters to “I” for lower heat, and the timer to 3 minutes. I set the Zarafina to “green, loose, and medium” settings. The TriniTEA again took about 4 minutes to heat, and 3 minutes to steep, the Zarafina took 2 minutes to heat and 4 minutes to steep. At that time, I was talking with my husband who had just gotten home, so the tea sat in the two pots for around 5 minutes after the brew cycles were completed. This is when he decided to join me, and see if he could guess which cup came from which tea maker.

When I poured the cups, I was shocked at how cloudy the Zarafina tea was. In contrast the TriniTEA tea was clear and crisp. I did my own tasting, and thought the TriniTEA cup was much better…not only was the color clearer, but the flavor was crisp and sweet as it should be. The Zarafina cup was flatter, and more vegetal.
I handed the clear cup to my hubby first, and he tasted thoughtfully, then took the other cup. He is not normally a green tea drinker – he prefers strong, bitter, black teas. But he pronounced the clearer cup the “winner”, as it was not only sweeter and flavorful, but also warmer (a function of the TriniTEA pot warmer). The cloudier Zarafina tea was more “alfalpha-y” in his words, and too cool as well. I did let him know which had come from which machine then.

Rooibos Creamy Caramel: After another baking soda rinse of both machines, I poured the rooibos into the steeping chambers, and set the steeping parameters. TriniTEA: 5 min. at temperature “II”, and Zarafina settings: “herbal, loose, strong”. The TriniTEA took 4 minutes to heat, and 5 minutes to steep, while the Zarafina took 2 minutes to heat, and 5 minutes to steep. I poured the cups right away, and both brews were dark red and very clear, as they should be.

Interestingly, the TriniTEA Rooibos was too hot this time, bringing out the sharp, biting notes rather than the mellow sweetness that the Zarafina showcased. We both preferred the Zarafina-brewed rooibos, my husband not knowing until after he’d made his choice.

After finishing up the tastings, there’s only one thing left to do – cleaning. The TriniTEA’s steeping chamber, basket, lid, carafe, and lid all simply go into the dishwasher with the rest of the day’s dishes (including the two mugs I used for tasting) after I dump the used leaves down the garbage disposal. Mission accomplished. The Zarafina’s pieces and parts must all be washed by hand…and I decided to leave them for the next day rather than spend the time at the sink just then.

The Breakdown (one point each):

Heating time: Zarafina wins – 2 minutes compared to TriniTEA’s 4 minutes per session.
Steeping times: A tie, since both machines are “adjustable” to different brewing times.
Taste: Each machine wins 1.5 out of three (black nearly equal, green to TriniTEA and herbal to Zarafina), so a tie (point to each).
Quantity: TriniTEA wins – able to make from 1 cup to 4 cups, vs. Zarafina’s 2 cup max.
Ease of use: Tie - both are simple to use – follow the directions, and adjust for personal taste (point to each).
Ease of cleaning: TriniTEA wins big – everything pops in the dishwasher for no fuss cleaning.
Cost: TriniTEA wins - $99 for a great machine, very affordable vs. $149.99 for the higher maintenance Zarafina.

Total Points - TriniTEA: 7, Zarafina: 4

Winner of my Tea Maker Showdown is the TriniTEA Electric Maker! Congratulations, Adagio!

Teaware: Zarafina Tea Maker Suite

As I mentioned earlier, this “suite” was sent to me by the company free as a “sample”. When I asked what was expected of me should I accept, the answer was basically that nothing was “expected”, they just wanted me to try it and let them know what I thought. Easy enough, I figured, and a few weeks later, a tea maker suite was delivered to my door. I didn’t pay for this machine or any shipping, but I approached the review as if I had, to be fair. It’s a long review, to be thorough, so pour yourself a cuppa and settle in for a bit.

The packaging is very colorful and sturdy – I don’t see how anything could possibly be broken or even jostled in shipment. There was a packet of information included as well, and while I appreciated the instruction book and coupon for tea, I thought the full-color illustrated booklet with no real information included was just sort of a waste of space and money. But overall, it was fun to open up all the packing and slowly reveal the new tea machine, piece by piece. It’s a very sleek looking machine, with smoky-colored heavy plastic pieces overall. It is much smaller than I expected it would be, but very European-looking, in my opinion.

The first thing I noticed when examining the steeping chamber was that the heating element is all one piece with the steeping chamber, much like an electric kettle. This explains why that particular piece isn’t dishwasher safe (and the instruction not to immerse the chamber is noted in boldface type all through the instructions as well as printed right on the back of the chamber). A plastic cap is included to place over the connector when washing, to avoid getting water in that area. The steeping basket is comprised of four pieces that all snap together and then there is the lid for the steeping chamber, a measuring spoon, a ceramic tray, teapot and two cups. It is noted throughout all instructions that none of this should be washed in the dishwasher or with abrasive cleaners – all must be hand washed. I rinsed all the pieces before the first use in soap and warm water.

I chose all teas that I am very familiar with and enjoy on a regular basis to test the machine with, so that I could focus on the machine and it’s method of brewing instead of whether I actually liked the tea or not. In order: Florence (black, Harney & Sons), Silver Tip Darjeeling (black, Dragonwater), Golden Dragon Oolong (Teas, Etc), White Pear (Adagio), Foxtrot (herbal, adagio), and Jasmine #12 (scented green, Adagio).

I started with the black teas, since black is what I drink most often. I measured out two scoops of Florence into the steeping basket, filled the chamber to the max fill line with cold tap water (which is what I normally brew with), and floated the basket on top the cold water. I put the lid on, and turned to the buttons on the side of the machine.

There are several setting choices – one for tea type, one for loose or bagged, and one for steeping preference (strong, medium or mild). Since I had no idea which setting would steep it for around 5 minutes, I picked medium, and the other settings were black and loose, obviously. I timed the steep, and it was right at 5 minutes for the medium setting.

As I watched, the water came up to a low boil, and then the basket slipped under the water to steep. An intriguing part of the process is how the machine sends short bursts of heat up into the steeping chamber at intervals while the tea is steeping, keeping the water temperature very steady throughout the steeping time. Ingenious, really. When the steep time was complete, a nozzle came out over the teapot, and decanted the tea into the pot. The instructions say that it’s normal for some tea to be left in the chamber, but every time it’s decanted all but a very thin film into the pot. I let it sit for a few minutes, poured it into a large mug, and enjoyed my cup. The tea tasted as it normally does, rich and chocolaty, and I was quite happy with the results.

Being lazy and not wanting to actually wash all the components again so soon, I simply rinsed out the steeping chamber, teapot, basket, and lid, and replaced them to brew a cup of darjeeling. This time I set the steeping time to mild, which I timed at approximately 3.5 minutes. That turned out to be perfect for the darjeeling, but since I hadn’t completely washed the components, my darjeeling had a hint of chocolate flavor left. Bummer. It turns out that all of these components *must* be completely cleaned between each different tea to avoid the flavors mingling (an unfortunate result of using plastic). I tried to just rinse again between the minty Foxtrot and the lovely Jasmine teas, and got the same results. So soap and water every time when changing tea flavors.

The oolong tea also brewed up quite nicely in this little machine – I used the “mild” setting for the first cup, and medium for the second. Both cups were perfect, and tasted just as they should. As an added bonus, since I was merely resteeping the leaves, I didn’t have to wash the machine out that day either.

The more delicate teas didn’t work out as well. When brewing the White Pear, I set the machine for “medium” as the white pear tends to be rather light, but it was too much, and the tea came out bitter and astringent, obviously overcooked. So white teas are probably better steeped on the “mild” setting for this machine, though I didn’t try it. I used Foxtrot, a blend of rooibos, chamomile and mint for the herbal setting, and set it to “strong”, as rooibos likes long, hot steeps. But the water didn’t heat up enough, nor did it steep long enough, and I ended up with a rather weak brew. Next time I’d set the machine for “black” and either medium or strong for a rooibos tisane. And I used the “green, medium” settings for the Jasmine, which was fine, though lighter than I would have liked for a medium setting. It probably would have been fine though had I thoroughly washed the parts with soap/water before brewing…my jasmine had a distinct minty aftertaste clearly leftover from the Foxtrot. Regardless, a look at the jasmine pearls after revealed that they hadn't even had enough time to unfurl when steeping.

You may have guessed by now that my biggest problem with the Zarafina Suite is the cleaning. All told, there are 8 pieces to be washed by hand with soap and water (the steeping basket is comprised of four which have to be separated, washed, and snapped back together). In the time it takes me to wash all of those, I could have tossed a teapot, infuser or strainer and cup into the dishwasher, and been done with it. I consider tea makers a “convenience” item, so they need to be at least *as* convenient to use than conventional methods in order to make them worthwhile for me. So far, this tea maker is not.

Other things I dislike about this tea “suite” is the fact that you have to choose “strong, med. or mild”, rather than being able to pick an actual time (even a simple chart in the instructions would help solve this); and the fact that there is no audible signal when the tea is done, and no warming mechanism to keep the tea warm in the pot until you’re ready to pour. And the size is definitely too small – it brews two “normal” cups or one large one, which would be fine if it was indeed easier to use than a teapot (which it’s not). The size just isn’t worth the trouble, in my opinion – if I’m going to spend time hand washing every piece, I want more than one good-sized cup of tea for my trouble.

All told, in my opinion the Zarafina Tea Maker Suite isn’t worth the hefty price tag of $149.99 for anyone. If it were less than $100, I would probably recommend it for the occasional tea drinker who prepares only one type of tea in a day and doesn’t mind spending 15 minutes washing everything afterwards by hand. People like my mom, who doesn’t own a dishwasher, and isn’t picky about how her green tea tastes as long as it’s not bitter. I’m giving the Zarafina to my mom as soon as I’m done with the reviews.

Until they make some improvements to the suite, I wouldn’t recommend it at any price to the serious tea drinker…it’s not any more convenient than making tea in a conventional manner, and that’s really the only reason anyone needs a tea maker to begin with, since nothing with plastic steeping parts can really compete with the taste of tea prepared conventionally in a teapot or gaiwan. The gadget factor is cool, sure, but here in the states, a gaiwan is just as “gadget-y” to show your buddies, and you’ll get better tasting tea (because it’s not plastic).

As a last disclaimer, please remember these are only my personal observations & experiences, and not an expert opinion in any way.

On Friday, I’ll post a side-by-side comparison of the Zarafina Tea Maker Suite and Adagio’s triniTEA maker for anyone interested…though at this point I will admit being biased in favor of the triniTEA. Tune in Friday for the Tea-Maker Showdown...

Upcoming Teaware Review and a Short Break

Several weeks ago I was contacted by a public relations specialist about the Zarafina Tea Suite (automatic tea maker). They offered to send me one free, and after a little waffling about the ethics of accepting free stuff for review, I decided that the opportunity to try and review the product was worth more than the $150 I would never actually spend to buy the suite to review for you all. So I accepted, and Friday night, the tea suite was on my doorstep. I’m in the process of reviewing the machine now (I’m on my second cup), and I should have my full review ready to post (with pictures) by next Monday. So you can decide for yourself how much weight to give my review since this particular machine was free. I would like to assure you that I’ve never been afraid to give the straight scoop on anything, and will not hesitate to give my honest opinion on this either. I am using only teas that I’ve tried and enjoyed before, so that my opinion won’t be biased due to the flavor or type of tea used.

After I have fully tried out the Zarafina and completed my review of it independently, I’ll be putting it up against my Adagio triniTEA maker (which I did purchase myself). It seems like many people out there are constantly asking “which machine is better”? Hopefully, I’ll be able to answer that question, and figure out if one really is better than the other, or if they are better for different uses, etc. We shall see. I'm not using the Adagio machine at all this week just so I don't bias my opinion of the Zarafina by doing so. Obviously neither machine will be able to compete with traditionally made tea, so I’m not comparing them to tea from a teapot or infuser at all. Tea machines are convenience items, and must be viewed in that light.

This week, I’m also on vacation, with a semi-full schedule of things to accomplish. So I may or may not have time to complete many tea reviews, though I will try to get a couple posted here and there. Be patient, and normal daily reviews will continue next week.

Until then, I wish you many happy cuppas.

Teaware: The Secret of the Saucer

I like to have a lot of different cups at my disposal. I choose a cup for its function, but I’m big on looks too – I want it to be aesthetically pleasing to look at while I’m sipping out of it, whether it’s a big mug, dainty teacup, or a tiny tasting cup. At work, I use a fairly heavy café mug, to keep my tea warm over an hour or so as I sip at it. For black tea at home, I prefer a really big heavy mug, for the same reason (I’m generally a sipper, which means tea gets cold quickly without the insulating properties of a heavy mug). I have heavy ceramic travel mugs for insulation and the ability to toss them in the dishwasher for cleaning. In the evenings though, I use a glass mug because it cools more quickly & I like to watch the color of the tea. And lately, I’ve been turning to my lovely Lenox teacup and saucer set (pictured above) in the late nights for green, oolongs or rooibos tisanes. Teacups are generally wide and squat, to allow for good cooling and easy drinking.

It’s taken me awhile to come to terms with the traditional teacup and saucer set. When you’re not used to using the set, it seems like a lot to keep track of. It’s not always easy to juggle two pieces of dishware when one might fit better (in which case I use a glass mug). I’ve always sort of wondered what the saucer was for – a spoon, perhaps? But I don’t add anything to my tea, so that’s not needed. Or the teabag? Again, I drink mostly loose leaf tea, and when I do put something in a bag, I have teabag holders by my normal chairs and by the bed for holding teabags, though I normally just let the tea brew in the kitchen and leave the tea/teabag there. I have no need to carry a teabag holder with me.

But lately, I’ve been finding that the handiest use for the saucer is simply to hold the cup. Nothing balances on the arm of my big reading chair like a saucer/cup set…my big mugs wouldn’t stay there, nor would my delicate glass cups. But the saucer creates its own hard surface for the cup to balance on, so if I don’t want to reach all the way to the end table for a sip, I don’t have to. It also makes it possible for me to take my tea to bed without a full tea tray, as I did last night. I had a lovely rooibos blend right before bed, and could sit the cup and saucer right beside me on the bed as I sipped and read without worrying about leaning it against my leg for stability, or keeping it in hand at all times (as I do with mugs).

So finally, I think I’ve discovered the secret of the saucer – and that is simply to hold the cup. Amazing that it took so many years to come to such a revelation, but there it is. The shape & size of the saucer are much more important when you consider this particular use for it. My Lenox saucers are nice and large, and curved upwards to catch any dribbles (another good use for a saucer, though I don’t often have that problem either). I’ll have to use some of my other cup/saucer sets to see if they work as well when they’re smaller too.

In keeping with that train of thought though, people used to actually take their teacup and saucer set with them when visiting friends if the hostess didn’t have enough sets for everyone. What a great idea, really – you’d always use your own set, and I assume everyone would have a different pattern, so you’d always know whose cup was whose as well. Ingenious, when you think about it. I’ve considered buying a tote for my favorite teacup and saucer…perhaps one of these days I’ll splurge. I really like the totes from Sweet Necessi-Teas – a bit expensive, perhaps, but certainly elegant and luxurious.

So find yourself a teacup and saucer set. Don’t get just any set, pick out one that you really like the look and feel of when it’s in your hand. That’s what got me to finally start using (and musing about) mine. I wouldn’t want to be without it now (but I’m not getting rid of my nice big cozy mugs, either!).

Glass Kettle from Adagio

I splurged last week, and ordered an all-glass kettle for my stovetop. I've always been a bit wary of doing that, due to the risk of breakage, etc, but I've gotten tired of looking at my trusty stainless steel kettle, and trying to keep it clean with my messier cooking habits (it's not easy to get grease off stainless steel). And my SS kettle doesn't have a flat bottom, so with my ceramic stovetop that means I have to set it on a larger burner. So when I read that this one could withstand high heat, and was dishwasher safe (the magic words), I thought what the heck? Might as well give it a try...

The first time I used it, I was afraid to put too much heat under it. So I set the temperature at slightly more than medium, and waited as it took *forever* to start boiling. It did boil though, and without trouble too. It's very relaxing watching the water start to swirl around through the pot, heating and bubbling gradually. This kettle can take flame too, and I think it would be lovely to watch it on a gas stovetop.

The second time I used it, I started a bit higher, and had moved up the temperature almost all the way to high by the time I was done, to get the water boiling sooner. I figured the worst that would happen is glass shards and hot water everywhere...I still have my SS kettle in case. But nothing happened, and all was well.

I do notice that you can't fill it all the way - it needs some air in the top to get to a full boil, for some reason, and if it does start boiling hard, the water and steam tend to shoot out of the spout quite jerkily, which could be dangerous. But even filled just three quarters full, it still makes plenty of water to fill a nice sized teapot, and when it gets dirty, I just stick it right in the dishwasher, and it comes out nice and clean. My SS kettle has hard water stains that I've not been able to scrub out...not a problem with the glass kettle in the dishwasher. I've also noticed a difference in water quality...perhaps the SS was contributing more of a metallic taste to the water than I had noticed previously.

It's a bit spendy at $29...and definately a "luxury" item, but I do really like the way it doesn't take up so much space on my stove, and is so easily cleaned that I don't have to look at a constantly dirty kettle on the stovetop.

One downside though - I have to keep the stovetop cleaner, because you can see right through the kettle to whatever is behind (and under) it! That's not necessarily a bad thing though...

Anyways, if you're wanting something pretty, dainty, and still very functional & easy to clean for your stove, splurge on one of these kettles. You won't be disappointed, and there's the added bonus of no metallic taste added to the tea water (if you currently have a metal kettle).

Clay Day

I’m playing hooky from work today, so since I’m home with no real plans, I decided it was a good day to dedicate my last two unused yixing pots to their respective teas. So while I’m at it, I took some pictures of my small yixing collection to share as well. This post is long and picture-intensive, but I kept the pictures fairly small, and you’ll have all weekend to read it.

This was one of my first yixing pots – my “Irish Breakfast/Assam” pot. I bought it here in town at a little tea shop, and spent a long time waffling over the money (I think it was $45 if I recall correctly). I loved it though, the symmetry, the stump-like aspects, the color…it just seemed like I had to have it. I dedicated it to my favorite black tea blend, Irish Breakfast. After figuring out that the malty Assam tea in Irish Breakfast blends is what I really craved from them, I started using the pot for Assam as well, and even in this short amount of time (a year or two?), I can tell a definite difference (for the better) between both Irish Breakfast and Assam teas made in this little pot as opposed to the same tea made in a filter bag, ceramic teapot, or my triniTEA. The flavor is deeper and richer when made in my yixing pot, and while I don’t use it often, it’s a special treat when I do.

This second pot was used once for oolong, but now is my “raw puerh” pot. I use a gaiwan for initial tastings, but any young raw puerh that I’m saving to age will be brewed in this little pot. I’ve only used it a couple of times, but again, I can tell the difference in flavor and depth almost immediately, even though I haven’t used this pot often.

My third pot is my cooked puerh pot. I use it for my favorite cooked puerh teas, and I bought it mainly because I loved the shape. It’s a very simple pot, but is very relaxing and beautiful to me.


The fourth pot is my Formosa oolong pot…dedicated to one of my favorite oolong teas. It’s larger, and suitable for serving several people, though it hasn’t been used for that yet. As you can see, I have matching yixing cups, but they get so hot I prefer to use other cups with it. It brews a lovely cup of oolong too, when I have the time for more than one infusion.

This fifth pot is going to be dedicated to pouching tea – I’m going to do that this afternoon. It’s big, but I loved it for the plump, round shape, and beautiful leaves on the side. It will also serve a crowd, and pouching would be lovely to serve to guests in several infusions. It’s taken me months to decide which tea to dedicate this pot to, but once it popped into my head, I knew it was perfect.

And finally, my last pot, a carved yellow crane pot. This morning I dedicated this pot to one of my absolute favorite teas, Yunnan Gold. I love the intricate artwork on this pot, and it just seems perfect for my super-yummy Yunnan gold tea.

I’ve read a couple different methods of dedicating yixing to their respective teas, but I simply brew the tea in it’s pot after rinsing it well with boiling water (to get rid of any clay grit), giving careful rinses over and around the pot with each infusion brewed. When I’m done with the tea, I let the leaves sit in the pot in hot water and “marinate” for 20 minutes or so, then rinse everything out with hot water, and let air dry. Then I just use the pot whenever I can, and eventually, the flavors start deepening and I know that they have been absorbing into the clay.




So there you have it – my yixing collection on this lovely Friday afternoon.

Planning Tea Purchases

I get paid tomorrow. Sometimes it seems like my life hinges on paydays, but hey, gotta have something to look forward to! July will be an expensive month for various non-tea-related reasons, but I’m still making a shopping list for tea, and thought it might be interesting to post, in case anyone wants to compare notes (or see what will be up for review later in July).

So this is my post for today – my list of tea/teaware purchases I hope to make in July.

Adagio: New carafe for my triniTEA (you don’t realize how much you need something until it’s gone!) I’m just going to pay for them to send me a new carafe if possible – I hate shopping, and don’t feel like running around town to find one that fits.

Art of Tea: 2003 Fucha Vintage Dark Tea, if I can get some before they run out (the way they’ve been advertising it, I expect it will be quite popular when it goes on sale July 1st). It sounds and looks intriguing, something different. Depending on the cost, I may get some of the other TNT’s as well. I also need more Garden of Eden for icing, and Chocolate Monkey Rooibos. I need more filter bags too, might as well order them at the same time.

Teacuppa: 2005 CNNP Big Blue Mark Puerh cake

Dragonwater: whatever 3 samples I get with my monthly tea club purchase. For those who don't already know, Dragonwater has the only tea club I've found where you can pay by the month, and suspend your membership when you need to. If you like trying new teas every month, head over there and sign up! It's the only tea tasting club I'm in, simply because you have to pay for all the others in advance. Do check it out if you have a minute.

And that’s it for July. A few new things to try, and one to store…other than that, I need to keep drinking down the stash I already have. That includes plenty of teas to review, never fear. Lots of whites and greens yet to try. I may have to have a tea party soon, to clean out some of my extras.

Anyone else planning any tea purchases in the near future?

Standards and Tea Reviews

I was afraid this would happen. I started doing reviews with pictures, and they do look better than reviews without pics, but since I drink most of my teas at work, and don't have a lot of time in the evenings, I don't have time to do a "proper" illustrated review very often. This means less reviews posted, because I don't have a way to do an illustrated review when I'm drinking at work. I kind of thought that once I started posting photos, it would get harder to keep up with (more work equals less output).

So we have two options. #1 - less reviews, fully illustrated. #2 - daily reviews, with only the occasional illustrated review thrown in. Any comments on reader preferences would be appreciated...unfortunately, I just can't do a review with photos every single day.

And I broke the carafe to my triniTea Sunday morning...slipped right off the counter after I washed it. *sigh* Now I have to order a replacement. But my long-awaited order from Teacuppa should be left at the door today, so I guess it evens out (teaware in the box).

Wako Thin Grade Matcha from In Pursuit of Tea

Scent: sweet green, not at all like a Chinese green tea…hard to describe, but very fresh scent.
Brewed in: Ceramic matcha bowl
Steeped: No steeping, just whisking.

I know I’m not the only one who watched the movie “The Karate Kid” as a youngster and immediately wanted to try the Japanese Tea Ceremony featured in one of the scenes. It was lovely, mysterious, and so very different than anything I’d experienced to that point, but at that stage in my life, I wasn’t really in any position to go out and buy the necessary things to try it myself (and I’ve never seen matcha here, though one of the tea shops might carry it now).

So many years later, I finally decided it was time. I scraped my pennies together – this tea is very expensive due to the processing it goes through – and ordered a matcha Starter Kit from In Pursuit of Tea. It was about the best deal I could find where the bowl, whisk and tea were all included, and the price was still $56.00. I went ahead and ordered a screen to sift the matcha through as well to get the free shipping (the sifter was $6, shipping would have been about the same, so I broke even there). It showed up on my doorstep last night, and I was eager to try it. But I waited until this morning, since matcha has a high caffeine content, and I thought it might be a good drink to get the day started with (I fully admit to being a caffeine addict).

So before work this morning, I got out my new tools, and followed the directions carefully. I didn’t have time to sift the entire can at once, but I sifted 1/3 teaspoon for one bowl (the directions say 1 teaspoon, but I’ve read online that you should start with less, and work your way up, as it is quite strong…and I’m glad I didn’t start with more). You can see from the picture the difference in the tea on the wax paper (just sifted) and the tea still in the can, with lumps here and there. I probably should have re-measured after sifting, and I’ll sift the whole can before I drink it again.

You’re supposed to pour a little boiling water into the bowl, and soak the whisk (chasen) for a minute or so to soften up the bamboo. So I did that, then poured the water out and dried the bowl with a paper towel, as instructed. Next, you add the sifted powder to the bowl, along with 1/3 to ½ cup of hot water just under boiling. Then you whisk the mixture in a “W” pattern until the top is frothy. Then you drink it, right from the bowl.

Having completed those steps in short order, I raised the bowl, catching a somewhat bitter, very green scent wafting toward me. I knew then I’d made a mistake…as I’d read that matcha is strong, and somewhat bitter, but also sweet tasting at the same time. I sensed mostly bitterness, and when I took a sip, confirmed that it was indeed, very strong, and very bitter. I think my error was in not re-measuring after I sifted the powder…I think I used more tea than I should have.
Even so, there was definitely a strong, sweet aftertaste, a hint of what I think it will taste like when brewed with the correct amount of tea. I gulped the rest down, and rinsed the bowl and chasen before heading out the door for work. The aftertaste stuck with me all the way to work, until I “washed it down” with my morning cup here at work. It wasn’t a bad aftertaste, just much different than what I’m used to. While I was drinking the tea this morning, I remember thinking to myself that it wouldn’t take long to “acquire” a taste for this particular tea…because there is something about the bitter and sweet notes that blend together in a fascinating way. It’s very complex, and while I can’t say I enjoyed it, I found it most interesting (when I wasn’t wincing from the bitterness).

I’ll try it again tomorrow morning – I did feel more alert when I got to work this morning than I normally do, and not in a jittery sort of way, just more awake and ready to start working. So if I can master the proper brewing technique, and acquire the taste, it will be a very nice addition to my morning routine (healthy too – matcha is supposed to be the healthiest of all tea, since you are not just drinking what steeps out of the leaves, but the leaves themselves). This is the “thin” version, which is for everyday drinking…the actual tea ceremony version is referred to as “thick”, and I look forward to trying that as well someday – it’s prepared slightly differently.

All in all, I highly recommend trying it, at least once, because it is a very interesting experience. This starter matcha kit would make a great birthday or Christmas gift, I think, though you may have better luck than I did finding all the necessary accoutrements cheaper if you keep looking.

Odds n’ Ends

I apologize for the long absence…I’ve been finishing up some of my tea stash, and drinking teas already reviewed to clear out my cupboard a bit and make way for new things. So now that I’m making headway with that goal, the new reviews will begin again tomorrow. I also have a few new teas on order that should arrive sometime this week, which will be fun. I’ve ordered a Black Rose from Teas, Etc. (to compare to the other rose teas I’ve tried lately), and Frost, another oolong from Art of Tea (I love the Mandarin Silk from them, and was ordering more White Summer Rain as a gift for my mom next month).

I'm very exited to receive the new teaware I ordered from Art of Tea as well…a Pearl Dragon Travel Set (pictured). It includes a gaiwan, pitcher, six cups and a set of tongs, all in a handy little travel case for less than $20. Believe it or not, I don’t have a gaiwan yet, and I’ve wanted a set for awhile. This little set will be perfect for my own personal tastings, as well as tastings for friends, as I assume it’s somewhat small. I doubt I’ll actually travel much with it, but you never know. I’m definitely looking forward to getting it.

Next week (May 20 – 25) is Puerh Week here at Tea on Tap. I have my teas all ready to go, and I plan to post pictures of my adventures in breaking up tea cakes and the complete brewing process for each tea, such as it is in my humble kitchen. All I need is a letter opener (or an actual puerh knife, if I can find one this week), and I think I’m good to go. It should be an interesting and hopefully enlightening journey, even with my inexpensive puerhs.

So that’s the story – stay tuned for more tea!

Tea Parties and Teaware

I'm drinking a couple of new teas today, and will post a review of Hojicha de la creme from Art of Tea later this afternoon, after I have a chance to brew another cup (jury is still "out"). Yesterday was a big day for deliveries, and aside from my order of 9 teas to try from AOT (yeah, I went a little crazy), I also received two packages with teaware I ordered for my tea party.

From the Republic of Tea, I ordered two teapot warmers - one porcelain, and one made of silver wire (pictured to the left). The porcelain one wasn't as large as I'd hoped, so I'll keep it to use with my smaller ceramic pots, but won't be using it for my party. It's a nice piece though, and packaged very handily in a fabric covered box that keeps it quite safe and snug...would be a nice gift item with a small personal sized teapot.

The silver wire one, however, is absolutely stunning, and large enough for even my biggest teapots. I'm very impressed with it, and ordered another one today to take the place of the porcelain warmer that's too small on my tea party table. I ordered the glass teapot you see in the picture as well, because of what happened with my Adagio shipment.

I knew something was wrong the minute I picked up the box from Adagio. It's never a good sign when you hear glass pieces rattling around in there. I opened everything up carefully, and took out the tea I'd ordered (Jasmine green blooming tea - perfect display tea for a party), and a box of filters, then opened the box my 42 oz. glass teapot was in. Unfortunately, the lid had come lose from it's packaging, and cracked. It was at the side of the teapot, next to a nice round chunk of glass that had been knocked neatly out of the side of the pot, I assume when the metal infuser knocked against it. I was pretty bummed - I'd ordered the smaller version of the same teapot months ago, and it got here with no trouble at all, but I'll have to return this one now for a replacement.

Needless to say, I didn't even take it out of the box (didn't want to damage it more, though I'm not sure why - it's completely unusable). I took a few pictures in case Adagio needed them, and just closed the box back up to get it ready for shipping. I went to the Adagio site this morning, and printed out a return label - I'll send it back on it's way this afternoon, but I doubt my replacement will be sent out to get here in time for my party on the 15th, allowing time for the damaged one to get to them, and another one to be sent to me. So I ordered the other pot from ROT, and it should be here by Thursday of next week, at least. I can't serve a display tea without a clear pot to display it in!

As for the rest of the party - I've finalized the menu of scones, tea sandwiches, and sweets (mostly a traditional English tea menu), the 3-teired server was delivered this week (and I *love* it - it will be well-used around here), I have two of the three teapots needed, and I'll be serving Jasmine green blooming tea from Adagio, Earl Grey de la creme from Dragonwater, and White Pear from Adagio (unless the white tea I got from AOT really impresses me...we'll see). I thought about serving a rooibos too, but decided that three teas are enough - if someone needs an herbal, I'll make up a filter bag for them. I'll serve iced tea as well - Cranberry Blood Orange from ROT in a lovely hand-blown glass pitcher I got from Dillards (it's gorgeous - I'm using it to serve iced tea for Easter lunch this weekend too).

I'll have a second pot of the Earl grey made up in my triniTea for refilling the serving pot, and I'll keep a kettle warm on my stovetop for refreshing the green tea, and resteeping the white. The blooming tea will be served from the glass pot, of course, the Earl Grey from my standard white English teapot (brown betty style), and the white will be served from my Lenox Butterfly Meadow pot. My mom and sister are bringing some english style teacups we can use, and I'll use mine as well...might go thrift store shopping and see if I can find a few more cup/saucer sets for a reasonable price. The table will be quite bright with spring placemats and a couple of african violets in bloom, not to mention the teaware, overflowing server with the goodies, and clear glass plates for the guests to use. I'll try to remember to get a picture to post when I get it all set up.

This is kind of a trial run for me - I'd like to do a tea party once a month or so for friends...just a time to get together, hang out, talk, watch movies, whatever. So we'll see how this goes. It will probably be a little skewed, since it's paired with a Home & Garden Party, but mostly I just want comments from my guests on the tea, food, etc. If it seems like a success, I'll set up another one in a month or two just for tea & chatting. :-)

Formosa Oolong by Dragonwater Tea Co.

Scent in package: Unremarkable, really…just your average “tea” scent.
Brewed in: new Yixing pot (blue plum)
Steeped: 30 sec, 30 sec, 45 sec, 1 min.
Cup: small matching blue Yixing teacups, clear glass mug

I wanted to at least try to do justice to this particular tea, since I’m notorious for “overcooking” oolongs, and steeping them too long/too hot. So I really tried to follow proper protocols for brewing and drinking this particular tea, and I was well rewarded for my efforts, except for one minor complaint of the Yixing cups not letting the tea cool quickly enough.

I don’t have an electric kettle at home, just my stainless steel stovetop kettle, and my triniTEA, which won’t work at all for the quasi-gong fu brewing I wanted to try (besides the brew basket is plastic – see my earlier rant about teaware). So I have to stand in the kitchen by the stove the whole time, brewing multiple infusions at the counter. This makes me rushed, as I get tired of standing there, waiting for the tea to cool before tasting it, and I learned that with Yixing cups, the tea stays rather warm for a long time, thus requiring either long periods of time standing in my kitchen, or taking the cup with me somewhere else, and returning to the kitchen multiple times for new infusions. Needless to say, I’m lazy, and after the first couple of infusions (and a rather burnt tongue to interfere with proper tasting), I ended up using the glass mug for the last two, and combining them together after tasting each so I could take my mug out to the living room and relax with the tea as it cooled more quickly in glass. Yes, I am the quintessential American, it seems, too lazy to spend an afternoon brewing tea in the kitchen. I need a tea tray, and an electric kettle at the very least, I think, to be able to sit in the dining room for brewing multiple infusions. A serving pitcher would be nice too, since the teapot is large enough for a couple servings, and I can’t just let the “extra” tea steep while I’m waiting for the cup I’ve poured to cool.

But I can assure you, with just the few infusions I made of this tea, paying close attention to heat & time, and using the lovely new Yixing teapot, that this tea is worth the effort (or it was for me). It is thick in the mouth, with a sublime honey taste and texture. It’s bold, smooth, and not bitter in the least. Even the color is honey-like, and each progressive infusion was sweeter and lighter than the last. After it was done, I found myself wanting more, and had I not had another appointment, I would have gladly sacrificed more time in the kitchen by the stove for a few more infusions.

In any case, it’s a reasonably priced tea at around $20 per pound, and truly a lovely way to spend an afternoon, even if your gong fu brewing style is “hit and miss” like mine is. I’d highly recommend sampling it at least – samples are $1.25 for half an ounce. I'll be ordering a half pound bag next time I'm stocking up, without fail.

Teaware: Plastic vs. Stoneware

I’ve noticed something startling lately about the taste of tea when prepared in plastic verses a stoneware or glass container. I’m not sure why I never noticed it before. Possibly because I used to drink tea either at work or home, but rarely the same tea in both places (laziness on my part – not wanting to divide packages for both places). In any case, the difference truly is startling, to say the least.

I’ll admit to being lazy at work (due to the lack of a convenient sink). I rarely do more than rinse out my teaware daily, with no scrubbing and only an occasional trip home to the dishwasher. After teas that should be flavorful and strong started tasting “flat” when brewed at work in my ingenuiTEA pot, I began to think that perhaps better cleaning was needed, in order to keep the tea flavors from getting jumbled together. So I started rinsing out the teapot after each use (rather than just dumping the old leaves, wiping it out with a paper towel and starting over). That still didn’t help, so I took the teapot home over a weekend and ran it through the dishwasher. Monday I was looking forward to a more flavorful cup of tea, but it tasted the same as it had on Friday before the dishwasher cleaning. I was very disappointed, to say the least. The same tea brewed at home in a stoneware teapot tasted completely different (better).

So I bought a For Life brand Tea for One set from Harney & Son’s last week. It got here yesterday, and I used it at work this morning. And wouldn’t you know it – the Yunnan jig I brewed up was flavorful and smooth, just as it should be, with none of the odd, flat taste I’d been experiencing with the ingenuiTEA. It has proven what I didn’t really want to prove – that the plastic brewing container just wasn’t working as well as stoneware, glass or Yixing would.

I hate to admit it, but I’ve noticed this to a lesser degree with my triniTEA pot at home too. The difference isn’t quite as great, but I think that might be because the system is more “closed”, so less heat can escape from the plastic brewing chamber while the tea is brewing. The tea definitely tastes different from a stoneware-brewed pot though, and that odd aftertaste is the same that I was getting with the ingenuiTEA at work, just to a lesser extent. I’m convinced that it’s the plastic that is causing the odd taste.
So at least for now, I’m retiring my plastic ingenuiTEA pot from Adagio. It’s a handy little thing, true, but the taste difference is too huge to ignore any longer. I’ll use the tea for one set at work. I’ll still use my triniTEA pot at home on the weekends for basic tea (mostly flavored teas, since the “tea flavor” isn’t as important as the added flavoring for those), but I’ll definitely use stoneware, glass or Yixing pots for my better quality teas from now on.

Tea Spree

Friday is a good day for confessions, is it not? Regardless, I must confess to my most recent indiscretion – a tea shopping spree.

Here’s the thing – Yixingware is expensive, or expensive to me, anyways. If you could get a nice Yixing pot normally priced at $36.95 for $18.47 (yes - a full 50% off), wouldn’t you go for that? And if you found two Yixing pots for $18.47 each, thus getting two pots for the price of one, wouldn’t you take advantage of that? Yep, so that’s what I did. It was a three-day only sale through the Teas, Etc. newsletter (for subscribers only – go sign up!), so it’s not like I could just wait, either. A sale like that doesn’t come along often, so I felt I had to jump on it right then. So I went to their site, and nabbed a large black plum pot, and a smaller yellow cranes pot for myself.

But wait! There’s more!

Along with that sale, another offer allowed me free shipping with an order of $50 or more. So rather than just pay for priority mail on my $36.95 order, I had to order a couple of teas as well, to take advantage of the free shipping offer. Teas that I will never use in my Yixing pots, because they are flavored. Teas that should be rather tasty: Raspberry Twist, and Ginger Peach. Unfortunately, had I just paid for the shipping, I’d have gotten my order much more quickly – it won’t be here until next week, because apparently their free shipping equals FedEx rather than priority mail. But I can live, I suppose.

Of course, after I ordered those two fabulous Yixing pots, I had to take stock of what I had, and decide which teas the new pots would be seasoned for. I already have 3 Yixing pots seasoned for Irish Breakfast, raw puerh and cooked puerh. So I decided that the black plum pot will be seasoned for my organic bohea, and the yellow cranes will be seasoned for Yunnan (gold/jig).

With that decided, I concluded that since I was ordering *anyways*, I may as well order a refill for my recently depleted stock of Yunnan Jig. So I placed an order from Adagio for that, as well as a sample of their Mambo blend and a lapsong sample. I figure I like the Bohea, may as well try some newer lapsongs now. Perhaps my tastes have changed to enjoy them? And Adagio’s teas are more subtle than many, so I figured it would be a good place to start.

I also noticed that my container of Irish Breakfast was getting low. Can’t have that with such a good, everyday tea! But I’ve decided I prefer Stash’s IB to Adagio (Stash’s blend is a bit stronger), so I placed an order from Stash as well, for 100g Irish Breakfast and a nice tin for it, and a smaller amount of Doomni Est. Golden Tipped Assam (which just sounded yummy and malty, though we’ll see). And as I was looking through the site, I spotted a lovely Cobalt Blue Yixing set consisting of one teapot and two cups. In a fit of impulsiveness, I added it to my shopping cart, and quickly checked out. I haven’t decided what tea the cobalt set will be seasoned for yet. Possibly the Organic Nilgiri that I really enjoy.

So now I have three new Yixing pots on their way, and several more teas. I think I may have a little problem…though I’ve managed to stop there this time, and not go…uh…overboard.

Tomorrow’s project: I need to rearrange the tea cabinet again, and the teaware cupboard to make room for these new additions.

Teaware: triniTEA Electric Maker by Adagio

Still stuck with tea “in the bag” because it’s just too much work to get out the teapot, heat the water, brew the tea and strain it into a cup? This little machine is exactly what you need. By the name, you can guess that it is a three-part system, and it does everything for you except measure out the tea leaves. It even keeps your tea warm after it’s brewed on a hotplate just like a standard coffee pot!

Using the triniTEA is easy, which is probably why it only comes with two small square instruction sheets. The top chamber heats the water, and you can set the temperature to either 180 or 212 degrees, depending on the type of tea you’re making. Once the water is hot enough, it is released into the second chamber with the brewing basket, which holds the tea leaves. At this point, the timer kicks in, and it steeps the leaves for the amount of time you choose. After that time has passed, the tea is released into the carafe below, and held warm until you turn the machine off.

A series of beeps will alert you to each change in the cycle, so you can walk away and do other things while your tea is brewing. You don’t have to worry about being called to the door or phone and forgetting your tea, so as long as you set the timer on the machine to the correct steeping time. And your tea will be warm even if you forget it’s out there, waiting patiently for you to return at your convenience.

That being said, I love to watch the water being released into the brewing chamber from the heating area – the steam and oxygen bubbles filling the chamber and the water streaming out of the brew basket into the container is just enjoyable to watch.

I did have a few problems the first few times I used this machine. The first time, I filled the heating chamber too full, and had steam and water streaming out of the top as it reached the boiling point. Not good. The second time the machine worked just fine, but the third time I put water in it, the lever from the heating chamber to the brewing basket had not shut, so the water went straight through the machine, causing a huge mess on the counter. So be aware that these problems can happen. I think it just took a few uses for the seals to settle in and expand correctly, because since then, it’s worked perfectly every time.

I’ve made black teas (flavored and plain) in it with great success, and it did a good job with rooibos, darjeeling and a dark oolong as well. The flavored white tea I tried the other day came out bitter, but I’m not sure if the water was too hot or if the steeping time was just too long, since I put it at 7 minutes for steeping (that particular white is prone to bitterness anyways). I’ll try another white in it this weekend and see how it turns out. I’m not normally a fan of green tea, but I do have one in the cupboard that I’ll try in it, just to say that I did, and see if it improves the flavor any.

Either way, for $100 (okay, $99), this little machine is completely handy and nice to have around, especially when you don't have that 5 minutes to stay close to the kitchen so you can hear the tea timer, or when you're entertaining guests who might like tea as well. Don't toss your traditional teapots, of course, but this is a great new option to have in your kitchen for "everyday" brewing.