As noted earlier, making tea is simple. When the water reaches the designated temperature, the basket slowly moves down. As such, we elected not to test methods such as single-cup gaiwan brewing (see A note on free-float brewing and gaiwans if you want to know more about this). There are six teacups, six saucers, six teaspoons, a sugar bowl, cream pitcher, stainless steel filter, and, of course, a gleaming 28-ounce teapot. For the vast majority of tea drinkers, we recommend using some sort of brewing basket or strainer. To better understand the tea steepers market, I spoke with experts in the industry, including Tony Gebely of World of Tea and David Kosmider, the editor of 19 Lessons On Tea. This Japanese-inspired cast iron teapot is ideal for brewing up small batches of loose-leaf tea for yourself or a guest. According to the experts at Seattle Coffee Gear, it works well for steeping loose-leaf tea. Many customers say it's the best tea set they have ever owned. The absolute most versatile steeping device is the Finum Brewing Basket,” he told us. It’s a highly rated teapot, and ceramic is more durable than glass, but it holds only 18 ounces—not much more than a typical mug. Price can vary drastically depending on what you’re looking for. Still, the Breville is a great brewing option if you can justify the price for the extra features and convenience. Where do I begin? Wirecutter is reader-supported. ", "With 22 gorgeous pieces, this tea set has everything you need to entertain, and it makes a great gift. The writers at Teaviews.com have also reviewed many tea-steeping options. This classic-style teapot boasts contemporary features, like being dishwasher and oven safe (up to 250 degrees), all at a bargain price. Both are worthwhile options that provide value for your money, so the choice may come down to personal preference. Cons "The design is clunky, and we found it uncomfortable to hold and pour." Derek Rose is the Coffee and Tea Expert for The Spruce Eats. The Home Origins Ultra Fine Loose Leaf Tea Infuser is a new, popular item from a small retailer on Amazon. One of the many plus features of this best tea kettle is its handle. If you are looking for an everyday teapot that can hold a few mugs worth of warm brew, then this is your pick. Unlike other in-cup steepers, which have a less-fine mesh or small perforations in metal, the Finum doesn’t allow leaves or leaf particles to escape into your cup, and water flows freely through the infuser. Unfortunately, we could find almost no roundups comparing and reviewing all of the different types of tea-steeping options. For the most part, we tended to rinse the steepers with water and then washed with soap or the dishwasher only after several uses. To make the selection process easier, keep some of these factors in mind. We dropped in-cup baskets and infusers like the Tovolo In-Mug Tea Infuser from consideration after reading complaints about poor design, mainly in regard to leaves escaping into the cup and leaves getting stuck in the holes. Independent industrial designer Joey Roth says that he’s spent four years developing the Sorapot. This 27-ounce teapot is both elegant and adorable. The Cuisinum Glass Teapot, on the other hand, offers a more modern design and is stovetop safe. One teapot that looks a lot fancier than it performs is the Bodum Shin Cha. Thanks to its simple design, the Finum was also the least expensive steeping device we tested. It looks like a worthy contender with its glass-cylinder brew chamber—perfect for watching tea leaves do their dance—and cast-metal body. As mentioned above, we did notice a small amount of patina develop on the mesh, specifically on the bottom of the Finum Brewing Basket, after more than a year of use. Most of these steepers require basic care, namely washing or rinsing after a single use. No matter what, a perfect teapot exists for everyone, and this list looks to find it. If you’re looking for a pop of color, Pukka Home not only makes the set in Pure White but in Milk Purple and Young Pink as well. Instead of taking the tea out of the bag, as intended, Sullivan’s clients saved time and effort by simply dunking the bags into hot water. This collection has a nearly perfect five-star rating, with hundreds of reviews. The price is surprisingly affordable too, especially for a piece that will glisten for years to come in the kitchen, dining room, or cabinet. This happened when on several occasions we let the basket sit for a day with old tea leaves, which you shouldn’t do! The best product in the category is, far and away, the Fellow Stagg EKG Pour-Over Kettle. ", "This model holds three to four cups of tea in borosilicate glass so durable that you can put it directly on a gas stovetop. We narrowed that list down to eight final products to test, including one in-cup infuser, two over-the-cup steepers, four teapots, and the electric tea maker. An added bonus is that it's dishwasher safe, so you can easily clean it after a long day. We may receive commissions on purchases made from our chosen links. (The teapots, tumblers, and over-the-cup steepers we looked at cost between $14 and $250.) All of those tea bags you see packaged in boxes and tins on grocery store shelves are the tea equivalents of instant coffee. The technique involves steeping this kind of tea multiple times for varying lengths, first for as little as 20 to 25 seconds and then gradually up to several minutes. After we ran it through the dishwasher, most of the patina cleared. One nice feature is that the spout isn’t completely open to the pot; small holes in the wall of the pot let tea out of the spout, reducing the amount of leaf bits that land in your cup. What's great about the pot is you can use the lid with or without the infuser so you can switch it up daily depending on your personal preference. But if you want a teapot that makes more than one cup, we highly recommend the Hario Chacha. The Hario model brews three cups. It’s fairly similar to over-the-cup steepers except that it requires the use of a filter. Daily tea drinkers would benefit from using a good infuser, especially people who currently drink tea made from tea bags or tea balls. The steeper needs to be big enough for individual leaves to float and expand and dance on their own in the water during the given steeping time. Larger ones let you fit your whole hand into the pot for cleaning, while a smaller opening might require a brush. This model holds three to four cups of tea in borosilicate glass so durable that you can put it directly on a gas stovetop. This particular teapot is praised for its value for money and also makes an excellent gift. “Simplicity is the key when it comes to picking out a good basic teapot,” Brent Hughes of Tea Nerd states in his Newbie’s Guide to Teaware. Size and how much the steeping device lets tea leaves come in contact with water are the two most important factors that make a great infuser. That’s more than the Breville One-Touch, which automatically brews large amounts of tea. Mary Lou Heiss and Robert J. Heiss, The Tea Enthusiast’s Handbook, March 30, 2010, Tony Gebely, The Hacker's Guide to Tea, Lifehacker, November 23, 2010, Brent Hughes, Newbie’s Guide to Teaware, Tea Nerd, April 3, 2009, Brendan Waye, Discovering the best tea steeper, T Ching, December 18, 2009, Melissa Chua, Teaware 101: How to Choose the Right Teapot, Art of Tea, February 15, 2013, jesusapproves, I'm looking to start drinking tea properly. The round handle and slightly gooseneck spout give the item a classic silhouette, and it's available in a number of vibrant and glossy colorways, ranging from a timeless white to an eye-catching turquoise. *At the time of publishing, the price was $10. Tony Gebely of World of Tea has called the Finum Brewing Basket the only infuser you’ll ever need. Many tea forums, including those on TeaChat and Steepster, include numerous mentions and recommendations of the Finum Brewing Basket. Along with user reviews from Amazon. The IngenuiTea is very good at steeping tea, since the leaves float around through the water and have the entire vessel in which to expand. When I was growing up, we … After each infusion, we cleaned the vessels and checked how easily we could dump the leaves and whether any leaves got stuck in the infusers. ", "This Japanese-inspired cast iron teapot is ideal for brewing up small batches of loose-leaf tea for yourself or a guest. The major drawback: It costs $285. What makes it compatible with tea is the lever that allows the coffee—or in this case, tea—to steep. This gorgeous teapot, beautifully designed out of glass and stainless-steel accents, comes with a teapot stand that holds a candle to keep your tea warm. In our testing, we kept having to lift the infuser to make sure tea wouldn’t spill out. This every day, easy to clean, white teapot will fit right your kitchen. Aside from our own forgetfulness with regard to cleaning, the Finum Brewing Basket has held up extremely well to frequent use since 2014. It also needs to be durable and simple to use. If you want to give someone a food gift to show you care, consider cooking for them, ordering a gift basket or delivery, or organizing a meal train. It’s a somewhat makeshift version of drinking from a gaiwan or a yixing pot, two traditional Chinese brewing vessels that are very small and made for drinking tea with multiple steepings. When the stainless steel parts are removed it can also go in the microwave to warm up your tea when it cools down a little. Even the bottom of the basket has mesh (most steepers don’t offer this design), which further helps circulation. Tealyra's Daze Ceramic Teapot has all these wonderful traits, plus it's available in seven colors to match any personality or kitchen décor. Ceramic teapots are widely lauded for their excellent heat retention, easiness to clean, and timeless aesthetic. If you’re fascinated with teapot design, you may want to keep tabs on the Sorapot. The extra-fine stainless-steel strainer prevents the … He received an MFA in Creative Writing from Columbia University and a BA in Communications from Marist College. Another option is to brew right in a small cup, like my parents do, filling it back up with hot water as you finish. A certain pattern might throw you back to childhood. It's a piece that will glisten for years to come. The reason it makes a bit less tea is because it needs space for its infusing basket, which hangs above the water as it heats. Another high-end tea set that disappointed us in testing was the Berghoff Dorado. Weight: some teapots weigh several pounds when full, making the pouring process a nightmare. If you use soap to wash fine mesh, make sure to rinse thoroughly, as residue could lead to soapy-tasting tea. 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