Monocle Tea Products, Tea Infuser Tumbler

Monocle Tea Description:
Perfect for on the go tea drinkers.  This tumbler will keep 15.2 oz of your favorite tea hot on a cold day (or will also keep it cold on a hot day, funny how that works).

Sample provided by Monocle Tea Products

My Review:
I plan on having a few more pictures than normal in this post. The tumbler reviewed requires a bit more headroom than I usually deal with so I moved my operation on to my porch. I'm still learning my new camera and today's lesson learned is about too much back lighting. I will apologize in advance for the dark images.

Devin at Monocle Tea Products contacted The Everyday Tea Blog to see if I might like to try out their tumbler. It was ordered from Amazon and as usual with them arrived very quickly. It came in a box stuffed with air-filled pillows for protection.

Opening the actual product box I found the tumbler in a bubble wrap sleeve with a foam pad at top and bottom. The tumbler probably would ship safely if they just slapped a label on its box but I feel better knowing we didn't have to find out.

The tumbler is made of double-walled borosilicate glass. I have other products, including my French Press that I use daily, made from this glass. It is strong and holds up well under most daily usage. It is glass however so treat it as such.

The tumbler holds around 15 oz. The double-walled construction helps keep hot drinks hot and cold drinks cold.

The infuser is of two part construction. There is a basket to hold your tea leaf and a screw on cap. The assembled infuser rests on a lip inside the tumbler to hold it securely.

The tumbler can also be used without the basket. Using the infuser lid only works for fruit infusions or grandpa style sipping where the leaf floats freely in the water and additional water is added throughout the day. This is apparently a common practice used by average Chinese tea drinkers.

The exterior of the tumbler lid is bamboo. The interior is plastic.

A neat touch on the lid is the N.O. and mustache engraving. My first thought when seeing it was "No mustaches?" Why? Turns out Devin is all about the mustache. The NO actually stands for his home New Orleans.

Nothing says a proper cuppa like a monocle, a dapper mustache and New Orleans... I'm joking. In truth wherever you are is the perfect place for a cup, make that a tumbler, of tea.

Now taking the tumbler for a test drive I chose a sample of Nonpareil Te Gong Huang Shan Mao Feng Green Tea from Teavivre. It is a beautiful crisp green tea and always a pleasure to sip.  

The entire sample went into the basket. One comment here - Devin is aware of this typo error, but on the insert packed in the box it says to use one oz of tea per 8 oz of water. Anyone accustomed to loose leaf should know better, but just in case - Devin intended this to read one small scoop per 8 oz. The Teavivre sample is 10g or roughly two scoops by my measure.

I used water heated to 185 per sample instructions, secured the basket and lid in the tumbler, added water, and secured the lid.

The steep was not timed closely. Maybe it was 3-5 minutes maybe it might have been a little longer. It was entirely too gorgeous outside to be distracted by timers. Fortunately this tea can handle abusive brewing even by a tea barbarian like me.

I removed the lid and the basket. I had to sniff the leaf - it is kind of my thing. It was grassy and citrus with orchid notes. Simply awesome.

I probably should have sat the basket on the lid. I hadn't really planned ahead for it and I'm a guy, so on the table it goes. Just don't tell my wife. After a few sips the level was low enough to be below the basket so I put it back in.

The tea stayed hot long enough that I removed the lid so it would cool off. I am one of those weird people that prefer my tea warm. So I am not the most reliable person to ask but in my opinion the drink stayed very hot for a long time.

The tumbler presented no problems when sipping. The tea tasted great out of it.

I can't think of anything negative to say about the Monocle Tumbler. The closest to a complaint is that it is very tall and narrow. This is actually on purpose so that the tumbler will fit in a standard cup holder.

The overall look is sharp and in fact the logo and lid made me smile. The lid may say NO, but I say YES.
 
You can find the Monocle Tea Infuser Tumbler here on Amazon.

Tivelasi Pottery, Handmade Ceramic Teapot

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Tivelasi Description:
This piece is thrown on the wheel in stoneware in three pieces, the handle is added to the lid, and the spout is attached.

Our ceramic teapot is hand-brushed with food-safe, colorful glazes with Autumn decoration.

Each piece of our pottery teapot is handmade entirely by the hand of the craftsman who has manufactured it.

Sample provided by Tivelasi Pottery

My Review:

click to enlarge

This review will be a little more picture intensive than normal because teapot and mugs! Not just teapot and mugs but handcrafted in Bulgaria.

When Tivelasi Pottery contacted The Everyday Tea Blog, I couldn't say yes fast enough. Then I started looking over their teapots and found myself flipping pages trying to settle on one teapot. There are a lot of styles, colors, and sizes from which to choose.

Before I get too far along let me introduce Tivelasi Pottery. As you will see from the site they produce a wide range of products. I'll let them explain. From their About Us page:

TIVELASI Ltd was officially launched in 2014. Our aim is to promote the amazing handmade Bulgarian ceramic items. We provide a wide variety of handmade products: serving plates, bowls, beer mugs, coffee cups, milk creamers, wine cups, pitchers, teapots, salt pepper shakers, fruit bowls, and ashtrays. All of our products are available in different sizes, colors and patterns. 

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I finally settled on the 23 oz classic style from the Autumn collection. This one struck me for multiple reasons. First, I wanted something with color but not too out there, if you know what I mean. Then I wanted a smallish teapot as I seldom have the opportunity to share large quantities with others. A 2-3 cup pot would be sufficient. (For those who do need a big teapot, Tivelasi has teapots ranging from this 23 oz pot up to a 50 oz teapot. I narrowed it down to a couple favorite options. Next I looked at the different cups and mugs that were available with each style - they vary from style to style so look  around.

Now, I know almost zero about Bulgaria (I've watched their soccer team on TV), and even less about handcrafted pottery. So I did a little research. Some of the pottery is earthenware and some is stoneware.

What is the difference? If I understand correctly, earthenware is made from a clay that is porous. Unglazed earthenware easily absorbs moisture and can absorb the tea. With a Chinese Yixing pot for instance, this is a valued property but may require dedicating a single type tea to each pot. Stoneware is denser, impermeable, and more resistant to scratching.

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As far as the absorption properties of each ceramic type, it makes no real difference here as the teapots are fully glazed. The glazing is lead free and food safe by the way. Also, at this point I'll mention that according to Tivelasi all their handmade pottery items are Dishwasher, Microwave, Food Safe. Even so, I am certain this beautiful set will never see a dishwasher or microwave.

I decided upon the Autumn teapot because it is stoneware. It should therefor be more resistant to my less than graceful antics. Bonus for me is the mugs I chose are earthenware. I figured this would allow me to get a little feel for both ceramic types.

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The mugs I chose are 8.5 oz. Also available is a cute little 4.7 oz cup. The cup is stoneware.

The mug is lighter in weight than I expected. It is comfortable to hold and the lip is easy to sip from with no dribbles. Yeah, that stuff is important to me. Once filled the handle remains cool.

Turning the mug upside down, I get a look at the beautiful red clay which is exposed only here around the edges.

On the bottom is stamped Handmade and I'm assuming the craftsman's name.

Another interesting feature is the lighter colored areas on the mug and the teapot are recessed and rougher than the shiny glazed areas. It is obvious from looking at the bottom that the lighter areas are glazed and not exposed ceramic.

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As for the teapot, it feels substantial when you hold it, even while empty. I love the colors and the textures. It sort of looks old, slightly worn, and metallic, but of course it isn't.

The interior of the teapot is fully glazed.

The profile is low so there is no danger of tipping this over. It is the perfect size for my needs. So how does it work?

I noticed right away there are a couple things to think through if this is going to be a working pot and not just a beautiful addition to the decor. The opening in the top is very small. You are not going to put a hand inside this pot. Also the handle over the top seems like a concern for filling - but it turns out this really wasn't a big deal.

In order to test drive my teapot I chose to use my favorite comfort tea - Ahmad Earl Grey. I considered using teabags for a brief moment as it would be easy, but decided I would figure out how to use loose leaf. For a moment I considered just putting the leaf in the pot. I decided I don't have a proper flexible tiny bottle brush to reach down the spout later during clean up.

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Then I remembered I had these neat reusable fabric drawstring bag thingies. I added enough leaf for two mugs.

Next I warmed the teapot and mug while heating water in my kettle. Do not put your ceramic teapot on the stove to heat the water. It is not designed to be used this way.

When I poured the boiling water into the teapot, I quickly realized my concern over the handle was not an issue. Didn't spill a drop.

Put the drawstring bag of leaf in the pot and steeped my usual 3 minutes. The pot itself was quite warm when the timer beeped. The handles were more than comfortably cool.

The tea poured easily into the mug. I did have to be careful not to tip so much as to allow tea to overflow out the top. By the time I finished my first mug several minutes had passed. It was enough time for the mug to get near room temperature. Not the mugs fault. I type slowly. The point is, I poured my second cup and it was still warm - not hot - but much warmer than the end of my first cup.

I am quite happy with the beauty and utilitarian aspects of this teapot. I know I will treasure it for years.

You can find Tivelasi Pottery Autumn Handmade Ceramic Teapot here.

Lectric Cafe, Milk Frother

Lectric Cafe Frother, batteries included

Lectric Cafe Description:
The milk frother is an affordable kitchen tool that you can benefit from morning after morning. This frother packs a powerful punch - With a 15,000 RPM motor, it can effortlessly whisk up some milk (preferably warm), creating a nice frothy foam - which is the same thing you get with a latte or cappuccino.

My Review:
A little over 6 months ago I wrote a review for a MatchaDNA Milk Frother. Sadly it has quit working already. Asking around, 6 months to 2 years seems to be the lifespan of most of them. After it expired I took it apart to figure out what happened. I learned there is almost nothing to them. That explains why you can find one for $3 if you are near a bigger city. In my town, you can't find one for any amount of money. That leaves me having to order blindly online.

Blindly factors heavily here. The day I placed the order, I was researching for a few other items I needed after picking out the frother. However, I wasn't paying attention and put the wrong frother in my cart and hit order. This one is red. So was the one I meant to order. I didn't realize what I had done until I had already started using it. Oh well, it happens.

When I ordered it, I paid around $12-13. Today as I write the review it is showing $35 on Amazon. That's crazy. Don't pay that kind of money.

Current price gouging aside, let's look at this frother?

Inside the end cap

I use a frother every day with my morning matcha and cold milk latte. I am far too lazy to whisk by hand but I do like a creamy frothy cup. This is a perfect solution.

This model came with 2 AA batteries. The whisk is stainless steel. The handle is plastic. It has a chrome on/off button on the end cap. The cap easily slides off for battery access.

You can see the inside of the cap in this picture. The small electrical board switch feels solid and I expect it to hold up well. It may not be, but the switch feels a little more high tech than the sliding version on my older model.

I mentioned earlier that when dismantling the dead unit, I discovered there is not much to these things. The whisk and rod are one piece. The rod is part of the tiny motor. The little motors are fairly powerful but have one terrible design flaw. This new one appears to suffer the same design flaw.

Down the barrel of the battery compartment

Looking down the inside of the battery compartment, there are two metal contact points that the batteries push against. That is the way batteries work so it should be fine. Except it isn't.

Dismantling the machine, you would find the contact points are part of the motor. While that is fewer parts, it is also a weak point.

On my old frother, one of the contact points broke off. On a $3 frother you toss it and get a new one. With an $8 one, you snort a little and get a new one. As they start getting more expensive it starts becoming more of an issue.

I have no idea how long this will hold up. I want to believe longer than the last. The end cap goes on smoothly so maybe it isn't placing as much stress on the motor contacts.

In normal day to day operation this performs its frothing duties very well. Though it is not the particular frother I intended to order, I am relatively pleased with it so far. That said, shop around and do not pay anywhere near $35 for any handheld unit that doesn't have a multi-year warranty and a customer service department that take care of any repairs. My suspicion is such a thing does not exist.

You can find the Lectric Cafe Milk Frother here.

Teabook Subscription Service

Teabook Description:
Teabook answers the call for pure unadulterated loose leaf tea. Offering a monthly membership of seasonal loose leaf teas. Teabook is for tea drinkers and tea lovers keeping pace with modern life. Our wish is that tea drinkers enjoy and experience the clarity and wellness benefits that come with steeping pure loose leaf tea - conveniently and affordably.  It's great tea. Made easy.

Sample provided by Teabook

My Review:
Today's review will be a little more picture intensive than normal.

For an explanation of just what Teabook is, allow me to quote from their FAQ: Teabook is a loose leaf tea monthly subscription service. For $24.99 a month, Teabook sends you a delicious collection of the season's best loose leaf teas.

Now, what I think makes Teabook different from other subscriptions is not what Teabook lists in the FAQ linked above. For me, the huge difference is all the teas are packed in individual serving size envelopes. Rest assured there are no paper tea bags inside. This is loose leaf tea. I love this idea. It takes what is so convenient about a tea bag and turns it on its head.

You wake up all fuzzy headed. You're running late. You NEED tea. Grab a packet, pour the contents into the tumbler, add hot water, and go. Arrive at work, and more hot water, and continue to enjoy.

Each month's Teabook box contains 9 packets each of two select teas. My November box contains a Dragonwell green tea and a Dian Hong red (black) tea. Next month will be something different - maybe an oolong or white tea. In addition each month, the box contains a single packet from the special collection. This month the special collection tea was Honey Sweet Green / Xiang Ming. So each month you will receive 19 packets of tea. That is roughly $1.32 per packet. You should be able to steep the same leaf all day, making this a pretty good deal for the subscription member. (Click the pics below to enlarge)

A couple paragraphs back I mentioned a tumbler - your first box includes a double walled glass tumbler!

Twisting off the lid reveals is a metal filter screen. This can be removed for easy cleaning. To use, simply unscrew the filter section and add the leaves directly from the packet. Add hot water - the tumbler holds about 10oz - and let steep.

The leaves remain in the tumbler while drinking. This has become known as 'grandpa style' brewing. It is common practice in many parts of the world, especially by daily tea drinkers in China. This is a convenient way of having tea all day long. When the tea level drops, just add more hot water. Keep doing this until the leaves have given their all. This works best according to A Tea Addict's Journal, if the water level does not drop below halfway - and this link actually suggests 2/3.

Today I am having the Dragonwell green tea. The leaf smells fresh and grassy. I added water heated to 175F. I gave it a couple minutes. The longjing aroma through the strainer was pretty awesome. I actually was concerned I would loose the aroma. Instead the top seems to concentrate it. Tasting, I burnt my tongue. Double walled glass holds the heat. Safety tip - leave the lid off until it cools to a drinking safe level. Due to the double walled construction the outer glass remains relatively cool.

You might think leaving the leaf in the tumbler would produce a bitter drink. Apparently, that is the beauty of the individual serving packets. The flavor was bold without being bitter. I was very pleased with the result.

If leaving the leaf in the tea while you drink does not appeal to you, pour the tea into a mug, of course it defeats the convenience factor. You are also free to not use the tumble to steep in, but it is just so darned cute I can't help myself.

You can cancel at anytime. More details are available at Teabook

MatchaDNA Milk Frother

MatchaDNA Milk Frothier - Handheld Electric Milk Frothier - ... Powered by (2) AA batteries (not included), the Matcha DNA Milk Foamier quickly turns your milk or cream into a smooth frothy foam in seconds. This allows you to create fluffy and aerated milk based drinks (hot or cold) easily... Creates delicate foam for homemade lattes, cappuccinos, hot chocolates, and more! Stainless steel shaft and whip •... Easy to Operate and Clean...

(Description edited for content brevity - Amazon descriptions are more long winded than me!)

My Review:
After reviewing some 50+ different matcha teas, you begin to pick up on a few things. Like, all that whisking is hard work and I'm too lazy to whisk that hard before daylight. Since I start everyday with a cold latte (thanks to Starbucks for the green tea Frappuccino addiction), it seems that overcoming the lazy obstacle has become more of a priority.

I first started mixing matcha with a spoon. It works. Sort of. Not really. You cannot easily work up a solid foam this way. I later switched to using a small plastic kitchen whisk. It does work but it takes wrist muscles.

The traditional method is to use a bamboo whisk. I was almost ready to hit the send button on an order when I started noticing some reviewers mentioning a milk frother. This one has been reviewed over 700 times on Amazon and has 4 1/2 stars. At this time it is $7.49 on Amazon. That is cheaper than even the lowest quality bamboo whisk. So, lets see what happens. In the basket. Click. Ordered.

My first impression when I saw the box was - that's tiny. I've seen fancy ink pens come in bigger boxes. I noticed one note on the box that reads, "Made with love in China." Just gives you warm fuzzies doesn't it?

After opening the box, I realize the size makes sense for what this does. The AA batteries do not come with the unit. I included them as a size reference. Also in the box was a coupon for $5 off on a purchase of MatchaDNA tea. If you use the coupon that essentially reduces the cost of the frother to $2.49. The tip is stainless steel. The case is plastic. If you use an inexpensive battery operated toothbrush, then this has that same kind of feel to it. The batteries were easily installed and now I'm ready for a test drive.

 

I added one tsp of matcha powder to my mug. Then poured 4 oz of 160 F water into the mug.

I am a guy. I don't know much about kitchen gadgets. Fortunately, I had read up on the milk frother reviews a little. I knew enough to put the tip in the water before turning it on. This little thing has some serious rpm's going on when you flip the switch. Start it up, and then hit the water with it, and I pretty much guarantee, you, the walls, and maybe the ceiling, will be green.

I began with the tip low in the mug and along the edge before gently pulsing the switch on and off until I got the feel for it. Once I was comfortable I pushed the switch until it locked in the on position. I then worked slowly up and down the side for just a few seconds.

It doesn't take much effort at all, only a little courage the first time.

The result is a well mixed mug of green matcha with a mint colored foam:

The foam lasted just like it would have if I had hand whisked it. OK, traditionalists won't approve but the lazy among us will rejoice. This actually works.

Next, after taking a few delicious sips, I added a little sweetener, and a little cold milk, for a latte. I again used the frother to mix it all together:

The color needs adjusted on my picture a little to reduce the blue from my lights, but you can get the general feel. The foam is present but only a very thin layer. I am OK with that. The drink itself is nicely creamy. It just needs some crushed ice and it would be good to go.

I can't speak on how well this will hold up with use. I mentioned an inexpensive battery powered toothbrush earlier. Mine has lasted for years with only the brush needing replaced. I would venture to guess that if you keep this clean and take care of it, the unit will last a good while. Surely $7.49 worth of use. If I change my mind, I will come back and update this review. Right now, it seems worth the money and savings on my wrist muscles.

You can find the MatchaDNA Milk Frother here.

Starbucks, Teavana Loose-Leaf Tea Infuser

Starbucks Description:
Love loose-leaf? Brew your preferred tea easily in a favorite mug with this stainless steel infuser.

Simply scoop tea into this infuser, place in your mug and pour water directly over tea. Even the smallest tea leaves will steep perfectly through the tea infuser's fine mesh. Made of 18/8 stainless steel. "Teavana®" printed on handle. Dishwasher safe. Do not microwave.

My Review:
My wife bought this Teavana infuser basket for me at Starbucks, so I would stop stealing her Finum baskets. Now she wants one of her own. Since I have more teaware and gadgets than necessary (according to her), I don't see how I can complain. Besides, it is better than her stealing mine in retaliation.

OK,  besides our apparent sharing issues, what makes this one worthy of packing home?

First off, it is made entirely of stainless steel. There is no plastic housing, like on the Finum basket - that we have used for years and love.

Secondly, it has a wide flat steel lip around the top so that it rests nicely on top of a twelve ounce mug and still has space for water movement between the bottom and the mug.

The third selling point, for me, is the fine mesh of the infuser. I have not tried yet but fell absolutely confident that rooibos will present no issue preventing the leaf from making its way into the mug. On the other hand, and just as important, the water is able to flow freely around the mug.

And finally, the overall size of the basket is large enough to provide ample freedom for the leaf to expand. Leaving the leaf free in the pot would be preferred but there are times it just isn't convenient. This is an excellent compromise.

Clean up is no more difficult than with the Finum basket. Tapping the infuser over the spent leaf bowl takes care of most of it. A rinsing will finish the task..

The only complaint I can find is the lack of a lid to hold in the heat while steeping and serving as double duty as a stand after steeping.

Around $10 at Starbucks, Gets a thumbs up from me.

Numi, Teahouse Glass Teapot

Numi Description:
Our unique, hand-blown glass teapot is the best way to watch a Flowering Teas™ bloom. It serves up to 14 ounces (420 ml.) of tea. This teapot's dimensions: 4.25 in. (h) x 5.25 in. (w) x 4.25 in. (d)

My Review:
This is the latest addition to my teaware collection. Sometime back I broke my clear glass teapot. I loved the shape and pretty much everything about that teapot, except, from the beginning I was concerned about how delicate it felt. One day, while cleaning it, I accidentally bumped the sink faucet with it and cracked the spout. A short time later, same circumstances, except this time I broke the spout off. I was heartbroken.

I immediately started looking for a replacement. I wanted a small, single cup, clear, glass teapot for blooming teas and greens where I want to watch the leaf dance. Everything I found was either way too large or much too fragile. Then I found this one on Amazon.

It claims to hold 14 ounces. I think 12 is more realistic, if you actually want to pick the full pot up. I'm fine with that, as in fact 10 ounces is what I was looking to purchase, and what I used in the picture above. The handle on this is comfortable and solid. The spout is a pitcher type and I have to admit this reminds me of the Kool-Aid pitcher. So bonus for kid memories. The spout poured easily and drip free in my test. The glass is clear and relatively distortion free allowing for an excellent display of the test bloom - Sunshine by The Persimmon Tree.

I did find some things that I consider less that optimal. The lid fits a little loose. That is not a big issue with me, but you do need to be careful to keep a hand on the lid while pouring. That is true of most teapots. The bigger issue is the globe shape. It makes pouring a bit awkward. The teapot ends up nearly upside down to empty the contents. Holding the pot in one hand, the lid with the other, all while balancing over a strainer, is going to take a little practice to master.

While the earlier clear glass teapot was far more elegant, this one seems far more sturdy to put up with my real life clumsy activities. Until I find something practical that works better, I think this will serve my needs.    

My Little Green Teapot

Today's review will be a short one. I just wanted to introduce the newest member of my collection. I mentioned a short time back that I wanted to find a small teapot to brew my black teas. I love my press and use it almost all the time for greens, whites and oolongs. The clear glass of the press is awesome for watching the dance of the leaf during steeping.

The press has also served as my black tea brewing vessel but the time has come to adjust to something more appropriate. I just felt like something that holds the heat better would help bring more depth to my cup.

Today my wife was in Goodwill and found this little 12 ounce beauty on the shelf. There is no identifying markings on the bottom to tell me where it came from originally. The outside has not a scratch or chip on it anywhere. The interior looks pristine after a thorough cleaning.

This very gently used teapot was only $4, quite a bargain, I think. Waiting until the first Saturday of the month, it would have been half that price, if someone else didn't buy it first. I've missed out on a couple others with that tactic. Fortunately, my wife did not wait.

After cleaning and warming the teapot I grabbed some Golden Yunnan from RiverTea for the maiden session. Sadly RiverTea appears to have closed shop, which is a real shame. This slightly smoky Yunnan is an awesome tea. I poured through a steel strainer basket as there is no built in filter in this pot. The little green teapot did an amazing job. The tea did taste even better out of it. The smoke was nicely present in the aroma and it brought out leather notes in the sip I had not noticed before.

This was a well spent $4. Welcome to the collection. You will be used often.

Tea For One

In this post I am continuing to share more of my teaware collection. Here is my tea for one pot and mug. I bought this at an auction at our church. I wasn't looking for such an item and I didn't need one, but the opportunity presented itself and it was for a worthy cause. So, why not.

Tea For One 

What appears to be dark brown staining seems to actually be permanent. I scrubbed it several times and even took bleach cleanser to it but the darker area remains. Ah, it adds character.

Tea For One Pot And Mug

The pot looks smaller than the mug. It is not. The walls on the mug are very thick and the two hold about the same amount - roughly 12 ounces. That is my standard mug size though I usually only fill a mug to around 10 ounces. I find the thickness of this mug to be uncomfortable to sip from and find it better suited to soup or oatmeal. 

Crackled Interior

I have not used the teapot very many times. In fact I recently decided to retire this pot. The reason may not show up clearly, even if you click the picture above to expand it to full size. The glazing on the inside of the pot has a crackled appearance. The safety of such glazing seems to be cause for great debate on various pottery sites. It may be safe to use but I am not taking any chances. This one has been moved to display only mode.

My Gaiwan

My gaiwan with a mug for size reference

Teavivre Description:
This gongfu gaiwan is custom made by TeaVivre’s careful selection. The gaiwan looks exquisite, is comfortable to hold. It is well made, pour our water smoothly. The white color is elegant. The lid is printed with TeaVivre logo. On the body of the gaiwan, there is a representative icon of Chinese tea ceramany, (cha dao).

Capacity: 90ml / 3.04oz

This beautiful gaiwan was a gift from the awesome Teavivre team. Thanks!

My Review:
Things may be a little different today. I am going a lot more picture heavy with this post. I received this beautiful gaiwan some time ago from Teavivre and have never given it a proper review. Until very recently I have been content simply brewing all my teas in my clear glass Bodum French Press. It works super well for all types of tea. Why use anything else?

Well, one day I saw a really inexpensive Yixing teapot online and thought I'd have some fun. At the same time I ordered a clear glass teapot for flowering teas. Having never been a teapot person, I really didn't see the need, but proceeded to order anyway. Making this long story shorter - I got hooked. My press still gets a work out but not nearly as much as before the teapots arrived.

Adding Leaf

So now I am starting to bring the gaiwan into the rotation. I'll be honest, the reason I have not devoted more time to it already is my sweetener addiction. This gaiwan holds 90 ml, that is around 3 ounces - that and sweetener do not mix easily.

So the secret to using it is finding teas that I don't feel the need to sweeten. Now that I am getting into enjoying teapots and alternate brewing styles, the time is right.

For today's session I chose In Nature's White Moon Tea. The leaf looks like Bai Mu Dan (White Peony) but it is slightly oxidized (like White Monkey) under moonlight. Then it is post fermented like puerh - technically like a dark tea as this is not from the puerh area in China.

I used a very healthy scoop of leaf  that filled the gaiwan about a third of the way. It was slightly more than I would typically use with my press. My normal cup size generally runs about 10-12 oz. So here I am using around 1/4 the water per steep. As a point of reference a standard bathroom Dixie Cup comes in two sizes - 5 and 3 oz. We in the west are so used to supersizing everything. Truth is 3 oz is still a lot of liquid.

Check out how nice the leaf looks in the gaiwan.

White Moon Leaf

Some people drink from the gaiwan. Not me. I can't sip anything that is near boiling. I choose to pour into a cup (a pitcher should be used when sharing). Today I am using a very pretty little cup and saucer my wife bought for me at a local antique store. I know nothing about it other than it says Japan on the bottom and it holds 90 ml, or 3 oz. A perfect match. The reflections make it hard to see but the designs are all jade green with gold trim.

Pretty Little Cup From My Wife

The inside of the cup looks like a pearl with its various streaked tones of color. Once the tea had steeped for about 20 seconds, I poured it into the cup. With the shape of the inside and the pearlized finish, the resulting brew resembled a sunflower bloom. At least I thought so.

The Brew Looks Like A Sunflower Bloom

A word about pouring a gaiwan. What I read online said to grasp the rim with the thumb and middle finger while holding the top of the lid with the first finger. The lid is slightly lifted to pour while not allowing the leaf to get in the cup. The saucer stays on the table. Yep, that's the way most people do it. I get burned doing it this way. I found it easier to place my pinky, middle, and ring finger under the saucer and hold the lid with my thumb. The gaiwan gets very hot, very fast. So be careful. 

The wet leaf plumps up beautifully in the gaiwan. I have not tried oolong in my gaiwan yet, but I have seen pictures of the gaiwan being completely filled with huge leaves after they have unfurled.

The Wet Leaf

So now comes the big question - does using a gaiwan make the tea taste any different? Absolutely. Using a more leaf to water ratio and extremely short steeps, intensifies the flavors. The layers of flavor are released slowly so each cup tastes different. In my previous review of this tea, I noted how it tasted like white tea but more intense. The tea for that review was prepared in my press and poured into a 12 oz mug. Using the gaiwan the flavor of the early cup is apple wine, and that is with out any sweetener. With the gaiwan, a quality tea should resteep many times. Yep, I think I'm going to like brewing with this gaiwan.

If using a gaiwan sounds like something you would like to try, you can find one like mine at Teavivre.

My Clear Glass Teapot

Teapot with mug for size reference

Enjoying Tea Description:
This beautiful teapot made entirely of heat resistant borosilicate glass is the perfect tool for enjoying loose tea. The roomy removable filter allows tealeaves to expand and provide full infusion of the leaves. This is a good glass teapot to show off the beautiful color of your tea. It is also an excellent vessel to display the blossoming of art tea.

My Review:
Welcome to today's review of my new crystal teapot. This is the Calming Sea Filtering Glass Teapot by Vistabello Glassware. I bought it on sale from the Enjoying Tea website. I purchased this at the same time as my yixing teapot. Each were well wrapped in their own boxes inside a single larger shipping box.

I have wanted something like this for a while to properly prepare blooming teas. My French Press is short and wide, so either the blooms lack sufficient depth for a proper display or I am brewing more than I want to drink at one sitting. I have been afraid to use a dinner glass as I was concerned the shock of the near boiling water would cause it to shatter. Until now our best choice has been my wife's 4 cup Mr Coffee carafe but it is not very pretty to look at. This teapot is very nice looking.

Teapot with lid and glass infuser

The Calming Sea Teapot is made of borosilicate glass, just like my press, so I feel safe using it. The website says this is dishwasher and microwave safe. I'll take their word for it as I won't be doing either. It has a clear glass infuser for use with loose tea though I likely will not use the infuser and instead strain the tea as I pour.

The teapot is very lightweight. So much so, at first I checked to make sure it was glass. It is also very small. The website lists it as 450 ml or 15.3 oz. For ease of handling and pouring, I think 12 oz is more realistic leaving a little airspace at the top. This teapot is the perfect size for my needs.

The opening is just large enough that I can clean the interior will relative ease. The spout is nicely shaped. I spilled some the first time I used it as tilted it too quickly causing it to leak around the lid. If I pour slowly and evenly at first, not a drop is lost.

So far this has performed very well and I am quite pleased with the results.

A word about ordering - when you buy a teapot or teaset from Enjoying Tea they include a free sample of tea. It is randomly selected and placed in the shipping box. The box is filled with shipping peanuts. Don't be a doofus like me and not look through the box carefully. Fortunately I did not throw away the box full of peanuts. Once I realized there was supposed to be a sample (OK Enjoying Tea told me so in an email response to my query about the free tea offer) I was able to find the two neat little tins that came with my two teapot order. It is a good day when you find free tea in your order.

Grandmother's Teapot

Today is another post on my growing teapot assortment. Recently I shared the story of my mother's teapot collection. Thanks to my wife informing mom of my interest in the teapots, she asked if I wanted some of them. I asked for the one's that had a story. I wanted the one's that meant something to her. The first was a gift to mom from dad on their honeymoon. I covered this in my precious memories post.

The teapot, serving tray, sugar bowl, and creamer in the picture above, was the second mom took out of the china cabinet.  The creamer and sugar bowl appear to me to be different than the teapot. I am not sure they were intended to be a set. Whether originally a set or not these pieces have been together since 1956.

My mom's parents were married in 1906. In 1956 they celebrated their 50th anniversary. On their golden anniversary, one of the gifts was this golden tea set. Inside the teapot is a napkin with their names and the wedding and anniversary dates. Time has erased the memory of who gave the gift.

Time has also taken all but a few tiny memories I have of my grandparents. They died when I was a young boy. My grandfather I do remember sitting on his front porch at the family home. He sat in a metal chair and chewed tobacco. He would spit over the porch railing. He was really good at it. Gross you say? Yeah, but that was pretty awesome to a young boy. I also remember Grandma in the kitchen with her buttermilk biscuits. She would wipe her hands on her apron then give me one with a heavy portion of 'real cow butter' as I called it.

From the china cabinet, this teaset has comforted my mom with the memories of her parents through the years. Now that it has passed hands into my care, it will serve to help me hold on to and strengthen the few memories I have of them.

Precious Memories

For Mother's Day -

Mom has a collection of teapots. I have never seen her use any of them. I really don't recall ever seeing her drink hot tea. In our family, tea is prepared in a metal pot on the stove and iced. Lipton tea, iced, unsweetened, that is all I ever recall seeing growing up. It was served with lunch and dinner. You didn't have to ask, it was just there - always.

I digress. Since becoming a bit tea obsessed, I have admired mom's collection but never said anything, except to my wife. She of course told mom. Mom is in her 80's and at an age where she wants to give people things to make sure they go to those who will most enjoy and treasure them.

Mom asked me if I would like some of her teapots. I said I only want the one's that have a story. I want the teapots that mean something to you. So she looked them over and picked out two. One of them I'll tell you about on another day. The one in this picture was the first she took out of the glass cabinet.

Mom's Teapot and My Mug as Reference

The label on the bottom of the pot says Lefton China 911R-N. As best as I can tell it is a simple common teapot and doesn't have much value in and of itself, however to me it is priceless.

This particular teapot came from the hotel gift shop where mom and dad spent their honeymoon. Dad bought it for her to remember - as if she would forget. The hotel was in the town where they lived. Not having the money to travel, this was the best they could afford at the time. In fact for the time it was pretty extravagant in our community. When the 100 room hotel was built in 1923, it was considered one of the finest in Indiana. They were married in 1950. The hotel was demolished in 1994, but their love for each other and this teapot remain.

All the years I walked past the china cabinet full of tea pots, I never knew why this one was in the collection and how special it was (and is).

Mom, thank you for sharing this part of your's and dad's love story with me.

My First Yixing Teapot

I will be the first to admit I have not been a teapot person. I first used a Mr. Coffee to brew tea. Then I 'moved up' to a tea ball. It wasn't long afterwards that a co-worker started using a French Press with his tea. Seeing it was an awesome steeping device, allowing one to watch the leaves dance and unfurl as it brewed, kept the leaves out of the cup, and was super easy to wipe clean, I bought one for myself. In fact I now have two. They have been my main brewing vessels for more than a few years.

Teapots are neat to look at but never really interested me because I tend to brew only a single mug at a time. British style teapots are a way too large for my tea drinking style. I became kind of interested in the yixing teapot once I learned they are generally very small. An American sized mug is considered huge by yixing standards. Of course the price of a purple clay pot is usually quite high. I just could not justify the price on an unconfirmed promise that it would brew better tea.

Recently I ran across the yixing teapots on the Enjoying Tea website. Their regular prices were about half the lowest prices I had seen elsewhere. Low end pots tend to be $40 and up on other sites. Here several of their already low cost teapots were on sale. One of them was the Traditional Purple Clay Bamboo Gongfu Teapot and it was on sale for $6.98. What? That couldn't be correct. But it was.

I had been looking for a small crystal teapot for display teas. They also had one of them on sale at the time for a reasonable price. So I ordered both. Honestly, I was expecting very little from such an inexpensive pot, but ordered it for giggles anyway.

When the pots arrived, I pulled the yixing box out of the shipping box first. The only English on the box says Yixing Ceramics Art. I opened the box and removed the well wrapped lid and pot. It was twice as heavy as I expected. The look and the feel impressed me. This one is rated at 350 ml or 11.9 oz. The perfect size for me and yet huge by Chinese standards. You can see my mug and French press in the background for comparison.

This picture looking inside the pot at the spout, shows the filter holes that keep larger pieces of leaf out of the cup.

I am well aware this is a machine molded pot. The etching on each side may or may not be hand etched. I have no idea how such things are done. I am also aware this may or may not be actual yixing purple clay. Based on what I have read on various sites it appears to be a legit machine molded yixing. In truth I don't care. I love this little guy!

It is actually darker than it appears in the picture. When I first took it out of the box, I ran several hot pots of water through it, wiped with a soft cloth, and let it air dry. No soaps touched this pot. Then I took a low end puerh I've had for years (terrible when I bought it but has aged into a pleasant drinkable tea) and prepared it in the pot. I let it set and steep for a several hours. Then I poured it out, wiped, and let the pot air dry. 

I know there is a good chance this is just my imagination, but the very first pot I brewed for actual drinking seemed more flavorful and alive. Real or imagined, I don't care. Having never been a teapot person, I suddenly found myself unable to wait for the next opportunity to use it again. 

When using, the belly of the pot gets and stays hot, but the handle remains nicely cool. It feels easy to control when lifting and pouring. The spout does dribble a little at first and the pour is kind of slow compared to my French Press. I do sometimes have to wipe up a small amount of tea after pouring. I need to get a tea towel and/or a tea tray to catch the spills. The strainer does keep large leaf out of the cup but small pieces do pass through. If that annoys you, pouring through a mesh filter would solve it. I quickly learned to ignore the bits in the bottom of the cup.

I have used my first yixing several times now for puerh. What I have read recently suggests this shape pot is better suited to oolong. For puerh it was stated the pot should be taller rather than wide. Again, I don't care. This is now my official puerh brewing vessel.

An experienced yixing user could undoubtedly give you many reasons why a more expensive pot would be a better choice. That's fine. This is like my first bike. It was a red 16" bike with training wheels. I remember the day the training wheels feel off and what hill I was coasting down at the time. I didn't think, "Man, I wish I had a better bike." Nope. I just enjoyed the pleasure of the moment. 

Bottom line: For what I paid, I have already had a hundred times more fun out of this pot.

An Update: I knew when I ordered my teapots that Enjoying Tea stated a free tea sample was included with each pot. When I opened the box I didn't see it and promptly forgot about it. In writing a soon to be published review of the second teapot I remembered the offer. So today I wrote Enjoying Tea. I got a reply back very quickly - yes samples should have been included. I still had the box of peanuts in the garage, so a search party ensued. Yep, In my excitement over the teapots I had overlooked the samples. One little tin of tea for each teapot. So a word of caution, if you order a teapot or teaset make sure to thoroughly dig through the package.

Brita Filter Pitcher – Attempting To Fix Boring Flat Tea

I live in the country. Before I was downsized into retirement* I worked in town. My work tea was usually marvelous. In fact, I did almost all of my serious tasting at work.  At home I drank soda in aluminum cans because tea was boring. I blamed the microwave and it turns out it was only part of the problem. The bigger issue is our county water.

The wells the city and county pump their water from are only a few hundred feet apart. The taste is not so close. The waters are pumped in opposite directions to two different filtering plants. Our county water smells highly chlorinated and contains a lot of floating minerals. It tastes bad and it makes flat tasting boring tea.

My wife won’t drink our tap water. She switched to bottled water years ago. I am too stubborn and cheap to use expensive bottled water. There is also the concern of our landfills overflowing with those plastic bottles.

I have fought the battle of boring tea for years. It has become an especially important war to win now that I am at home. Enter the newest weapon in my arsenal – The Brita filter pitcher. This is the simple 5 cup version. It was $10 at Wal-Mart and came with one cartridge filter. The Brita replacement filters are $6. Cheap enough if it works. The Great Value cartridges that I have not tried yet are around $4.

Fresh cold tap water is poured into the top reservoir where it filters through the activated charcoal cartridge into the pitcher at the bottom. That's really all there is to it. You are supposed to change the cartridge every 40 gallons. That involves presoaking the cartridge for 15 minutes and then rinsing before loading it into the pitcher.

So far, I am very pleased. The water is clear with not floaters. The annoying bleach smell is brought under control. I would say it is gone but I really need to wait for one of our bad weeks to know for certain. Most importantly my tea has come alive. Seriously, the difference is day and night. The cup has more aroma. The sip is fuller and crisper. I should have bought this pitcher years ago.

I can’t guarantee you the same results but if you are not experiencing the subtleties of your cup a filter pitcher is an inexpensive possible solution.  I would be interested to hear your experience and solution to flat boring tea.


* On being downsized – at first I was very hurt, angry, and scared. You know what? I survived and learned to adjust rather quickly. Most people complain about their jobs. I did as well. Part of me warns you be careful what you wish for, you just might get it. Another part of me has become aware of what a destructive toxic environment I actually walked into each day. Turns out one of the best things the company ever did for me was to push me out the door. I am so much happier and content now. So, thank you!

Hamilton Beach Programmable Kettle

Hamiton Beach Programmable 1.7 L Kettle

Excitement is in the air. I have new teaware to review. Woo Hoo!

I have been looking at electric kettles for a really long time. A few years back I bought a Russell Hobbs kettle with a tea pot and warming tray. I still use it and like it. Well, there are a couple of things about it that I quickly decided aren't for me, like the tea pot and warming tray. I just don't make tea that way. I heat one mug of water at a time and steep in a Bodum French Press. The kettle itself is fine, but it is plastic and I have to guess at the water temperature.

Ideally, what I have been looking for is an all stainless steel interior (no plastic), cordless electric kettle, with adjustable water temperature. I hoped to find all this in a less than one liter size. 16 ounces would be perfect. How hard could that be to find? 

Oh silly me. Such things do not exist. At least not in the American market. To find something that small you have to settle for all plastic, no/or bad temperature control, and/or an exposed heating element. Forgetting the size, you can get plastic free and adjustable, but it is going to cost you. You want how much for that kettle? All I want to do is heat some water!

Not willing to pay as much for a kettle as I did for my first car - OK kidding, but not by much - I became determined to be content with my Russell Hobbs, yet continued to keep an eye out just the same. Recently, I set up a tea station in my den. I already had one in my living room. Struggling with using a coffee drip pot at one of the stations, I decided it was time to get serious and buy another kettle.

I was on my way to buy a simple, inexpensive, mostly stainless steel kettle, when I found this one at our Walmart. The basic, simple version, was about $30. This one was $40. List is around $50. It was $44 online when I checked.

I didn't impulse buy. I came home and read the reviews. They were mixed. Most loved it. A few said it broke almost immediately. Hmmm. I looked again. It has a one year warranty and our Walmart is real good about returns so...

Taking it out of the box, this is a nice looking kettle. The exterior has a brushed finish. The interior is stainless steel and the heating element is concealed. It is cordless and feels rugged when picked up by the handle. The lid is plastic but that really doesn't concern me. The lid push button on the handle works smoothly. The opening is large enough to reach down into the kettle for cleaning, some of the ones I've examined are not.

Immediately upon getting the base out of the box, I noticed a negative. Unless you have this on a kitchen counter with an outlet nearby, you will need a heavy duty extension chord. The one on the base is way too short.

With everything out of the box and set up, I added water and noted I will not be able to tell how much water is in this unless I add more than half a liter. I probably never will, so I'll have to pre-measure.

Plugging it in, to the extension chord, and hitting the on button brought it to life. The temperature of the kettle is easily readable. Some of the reviews said it was difficult to see. Maybe they have changed this feature, but mine is clearly visible. It started at room temp of 71F and swiftly climbed to 212F. The kettle is a little more noisy while heating than I am used to but it isn't annoyingly loud.

At this point it is supposed to automatically hold the water at the set temperature for the next hour. I chose to hit the off button so I could pour. There is an auto shut off feature to prevent damage from boiling dry. I am not going to intentionally test that feature. Pouring was smooth and mess free. The removable screen filter in the spout seems positioned in such a manner as to minimize splash over that typically happens with my Russell Hobbs kettle.

The temperature can be adjusted anywhere between 150F and 212F. There are five presets: 175°, 180°, 190°, 200°, 212°. Getting this feature to work was at first frustrating. Then I realized the program button catches and you have to push a little harder to make it click. If you don't like the presets, use the closest one and then tap the + - buttons to change it.

After using this several times, I realized the kettle remembered the last temperature I had set. If I am having a green tea day, I only need set the temperature once. That's a cool feature.

Some reviews reported the kettle drifted a bit (as much as 5 degrees) when in its 60 minute temperature holding mode. To test this I refilled and set the kettle to 180 degrees and fired it up. The temperature climbed quickly then settled in at 180. I am assuming the readout is accurate as I really don't have anyway of checking. At any rate, I did not get drift.

Honestly even if I did I would not have been that upset by a few degrees, but that is just me. In my experience, most tea really isn't that finicky, and in the cup I am getting excellent results. Other reviewers did note if they waited a few minutes the kettle did cool back down to the proper temperature. Not an issue with my kettle :)

You can also set the clock time and program the kettle to kick on at a specified time. Probably handy but I am not likely to use this feature, so I haven't tinkered with it.

Bottom line - I haven't had it long so I can't speak on the durability. It feels solid. It heats the water just like it is supposed to do. I detected no off odor or taste to the water. The price is very reasonable. Honestly, I don't know what else I would want from a $40 kettle - except contain no plastic and be only 16 ounces. Since that is not going to happen, this will do nicely.

Starbucks Double Wall Ceramic Traveler

Starbucks Description:
Starbucks® Double Wall Ceramic Traveler, 355 ml/12 fl oz

Our popular ceramic travel cup features our Siren logo and a new splash guard for an optimal drinking experience. The double wall construction helps keep hands cool and drinks warm, and the locking lid minimizes spills when secured properly. Grippy rubber pad on bottom. Holds up to 355 ml/12 fl oz of coffee or other favorite beverage. Handwash recommended, do not microwave.

Price Paid: $10.95

My Review:
No, I have not switched to coffee, but I am going to review this travel mug from Starbucks. We have several travel mugs in the cabinet. Some have handles. Most don't. All of them are stainless steel on the outside and plastic on the inside. My wife uses them for coffee. She likes them. I don't. Why? No, it's not because my wife nastied them up with coffee, even though she did - eeeewww. To me, the plastic sucks most of the flavor out of the cup. I asked other tea drinkers, and most told me they stopped using travel cups for this very reason. The flavor sucking is not as severe as drinking from a paper cup, but ceramic has spoiled me.

Try this experiment for yourself. Brew your favorite tea and pour into a paper cup, a plastic cup, and a ceramic one. Give each a taste and see if you agree - the ceramic just tastes fuller and richer.

So, I went shopping for a ceramic travel cup. I was surprised the best price I could find was this ceramic cup from Starbucks. With its double wall construction, the cup is heavier than I expected. It felt about twice as heavy as my favorite 12oz home mug. Many reviews I read thought this seemed flimsy. I have no idea why. Maybe they changed the design before I bought mine as it feels very solid to me. It should go without saying, this is ceramic so no matter how solid it is, if you drop it, it is probably toast. Or maybe that would be croutons!

The lid press fits into the cup. There is a ledge around the inside lip that acts as a seat for the lid. It does not screw into place and therefore could, and probably would, come out if the traveler gets knocked over. The center of the top slides and closes solidly enough to prevent splashing.

In using the cup, I found the outside stayed cool enough to hold comfortably. Yet, the top rim of the cup is very hot when the tea is first poured in to the cup. I guess the positive side of that is it serves to remind you near boiling tea is about to hit your tongue. My impression is the all ceramic traveler cooled more quickly than the stainless and plastic versions. That is not only fine with me, but preferred. I cannot drink really hot tea. It did remain nice and warm for quite a while, more so than my home mug. There is a version of this cup that has a stainless exterior. It is roughly $5 more. I suspect it would stay hotter longer, which I would not like.

Now to get to what is really important to me. First, the ceramic feels good on the lips. Second, this fits securely in my car cup holder. Third, I realize any time a lid is put on a mug you are going to muffle the flavor some, as your nose is restricted in catching the full bouquet, even so, this cup does not suck all the flavor out of the tea like the plastic versions.

Bottom line - whenever packing a standard mug is not practical, this ceramic travel cup works very well for me. The price was good. The taste is good. I am a happy sipper. You can find this traveler at your local Starbucks or in the online store.