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94
reviewed Magic Tea Filter by Teaware
362 tasting notes

Dear reader, I feared this was a gimmick. I can not resist gimmicks even when I identify them correctly and had been craving this for, like ever, and never been on stock or available from any place with reasonable shipping. Till now, when thanks to a friend who spotted the very last one (obrigada!) I got one of my very own! Would it live up to expectations?

By the way this is theoretically Yumchaa´s Magic tea Filter http://www.yumchaa.com/produkty/tea-making-equipment/38/ though the box says this is Magic II by Cha Cult and patented to them though it seems there are tons of different versions of this. It´s a sort of good-plastic mug with a good silicone filter at bottom. You put the tea in, pour the water and after steeping, place over a mug which is smaller in diameter than the bottom of this infuser, the pression at bottom makes the water pour from the bottom. Gimmick or not?

At first, without figuring out how to remove the filter or lid for easier cleaning I very much feared it was a gimmick. Fun but so not easy to clean up. What would be the point of something much more difficult to clean than a regular teapot if it does not brew better than a regular teapot? But then I figured out how to remove the filter and lid for easier rinsing and cleaning, and OK that changes everything. Particularly for rooibos teas or for multiple steeps of the same tea – it really is more convenient while not being any more difficult to clean. I love seeing how the leaves expanded and opened during the infusion. I am pretty happy with it so far!

As drawbacks, well, you got to let the tea leaves cool a bit before removing them to clean the filter – I surprisingly more difficult to remember this than you would think. And for some reason this little .5 liter pot and the transparency of the pot I keep misjudging how much leaf to use – I suspect it will come with practice. But in all, more than a gimmick, a very nice well thought tool I am glad I got. BUT and there is a but, while really very convenient for a few brews (multiple steeps, rooibos), I am not sure this makes better tea than any old regular teapot with loose tea and a strainer.

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70

I like these infusers well enough. They’re fairly sturdy as glass infusers go. The bottom is perfectly flat though, which causes a bit of suction on most wet surfaces. I haven’t had this problem with other double-wall glass infusers like this, and I’ve owned quite a few. The upside is that this design makes them very stable.

I use both the small and large version, particularly with Longjing teas. I’ve begun using the smaller one more frequently in combination with my 5 oz Finum glass. Find they compliment each other very well, being a good size match when brewing and leaving a root.

Though not my favorite, I still end up buying these, as I can get them at a discount from my local tea shop, Wing Hop Fung. I break my glassware more often then I care to admit, so price and convenience is a consideration. The downside of buying from Wing Hop Fung is that it appears they often carry seconds, which usually translates into minor visual imperfection, or worse, the filter doesn’t fit properly and will push through. Often this can be corrected by bending the little tabs that help hold it in place, but better still is to just dig through all their boxes until you get one that’s in good shape.

If you find yourself in Los Angeles, it’d certainly be worth checking these out, especially if they’re having a sale! Otherwise, not being able to inspect them first, I’d be hesitant to order one online.

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92

In an office in Singapore, the temperature is usually very cool (and way below that of outside air); I’m not that sensitive to the cold and my friends in Europe can attest to that as some complained it was too cold in my home in winter. However I’m quite sensitive to strong temperature differences between places.
This sitting in a cold draft feeling explains why I drink more tea here than I used to, because sometimes I really need the hot cup to keep my fingers from getting blue and to warm my insides – environmental nonsense in a country where a very cool outside temperature stand around 27°C (around 80°F). Drinking tea also helped me compensate for my drastic cut in my daily espresso consumption (from 5 to 6 a day to 1)
At the office, the coffee is excellent, but the available teas are really average tea-bags, that I’ve all tried and drank once but either knew I had to avoid at all cost forever or could drink but did not feel like having again.
I decided then that life was too short to waste on drinking brewed dust, bitter and sometimes even vile-tasting brews which left me almost queasy after one cup.
I wanted something convenient, easy to clean, not fragile, as I can be a bit of a klutz and knew I would have to carry my cup back and forth between the kitchen and my desk. This last criteria definitely ruled out the Bodum Tea for one set, which I was already afraid to break when putting down on the store’s table, and for which the salesguy told me it was great because you could still use the filter (plastic mesh) with another cup, when the double-glass cup got broken by the clumsy customer.

After a while, I came across this set, which was on sale, and available in a nice fuchsia color.
I liked the design, the glass looked sturdy, easy to handle, without any risks thanks to the silicon wide ring. I also liked that the filter was a very fine mesh, through which rooibos could not go through. What I found a bit disappointing was the glass capacity (bigger than the Bodum though), especially as there was a larger glass with the same design available but without the strainer and cover.
It’s very convenient to use, rather easy to rinse, without having to use a sponge or brush to take the tea / rooibos leaves outside of the strainer. I usually manage not to have tea dripping on my desk when taking the filter out of the cup or back into it; the strainer handle fits really well, never gets hot. The filter is really stable once set onto the cover dish. The large silicon ring around the glass allows for a very comfortable walk with the glass full, the grip not feeling slippery at all even with clammy hands, unlike when holding a normal glass.
The glass and strainer get stained by tea (which I do not mind but some others might). However my main concern is that the plastic mesh is already quite crinkled, as if it could not completely stand boiling hot water temperature. I have trouble to believe this filter can be as long-lasting as a stainless steel one. I had not directly compared it with the Bodum, but both had seemed very similar.
As it is, I’m very happy with this set whose advantages are obvious everyday to my clumsy self.
Had I found before the Forlife strainer, I probably would have bought two of these, one for home, one for the office instead of this set.
Time will tell which one of the two (stainless steel vs. plastic mesh) strainers is the more long-lasting one…

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C
Barbara

And do you have a preferance by now for the steel or mesh strainer?

LaFleurBleue

The plastic is still in very good shape, though honey-colored. Not more crinkles than at first.
I like its lightness and the bright color which makes it quite fun for the office.
My only complaint would be that I have the feeling the plastic retains some flavors of the teaas when I pour hot water on top of it before putting new tea leaves, the water soon become slighty orange.
At the same time, I never wash it with detergent, just throw the leaves away, and a quick rinse. Rooibos I often drink late afternoon and I also leave it dry in the mesh as it gets easier to empty on the following morning.

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20
reviewed Piao i - Glass Tea Infuser by Teaware
639 tasting notes

I used to own a Piao I Teapot, but it broke. The stainless steel ball came loose, and I had no idea how to fix it. I couldn’t find pictures of what it was supposed to look like, and no one could tell me how to put it back together. Since I bought it when on vacation in Seattle but live in Maryland, I couldn’t just go back to the teashop where I purchased it. It took me forever to figure out how to fix it, and even then, it wasn’t a lasting solution.

In the end, it turns out that this product was not made to last. Apparently if the mesh strainer doesn’t stay down, the whole thing comes apart and the ball moves off the track. I tried super gluing the mesh strainer back in place so that it would stay down, but even that didn’t work. It kept popping up anyway any time I turned it upside down, which I had to do to clean it. Tea leaves really stick to that thing!

So while it was great while it lasted, I can’t recommend this infuser. Your money is better spent elsewhere.

Babble

Bleh. What site did you buy this from? Thepuritea sells something like this.

CHAroma

I didn’t buy it online. I bought it in a specialty tea shop in Seattle, WA. I think it was called Vital Tea Leaf.

teatortoise

Probably a cheaper imitation of Piao Yi.

Perry Enero

I discovered that I had an imitation pot, too. The real Piao Yi pots are made of glass, but the knock-off was polycarbonate. The new one works a lot better.

teatortoise

The beaker is glass but the infuser basket is food grade BPA free tested polycarbonate.

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100

This Eva Solo Tea Maker is my everyday tea brewer for 24-32 oz green and black teas. It is excellent, brews and filters perfectly, keeps the tea warm and is a perfect size for several cups. It also does not drip, at all! I love using this tea brewer every morning and actually look forward to getting up to fill it! Sounds crazy but its beautiful curvy shape and sexy zippered neoprene dress is quite alluring. The neoprene does keep the tea warm for an hour or so.

It is designed so you can either; let the loose tea leaves float in the glass vessel, which I love for green tea, insert the stainless filter and the leaves stay in the vessel when you pour. Or for teas that you want to brew for a shorter time frame you can spoon the leaves into the stainless filter instead, once brew time is chosen, fully depress the plunger to stop brewing and serve the tea, drip free.

I’ve read some other reviews on Amazon indicating that the plunger did not stop the tea from continuing to brew, this only happens to me if it takes me more than 1 hour to drink the carafe contents. When this occurs, I simply add a little warm water directly into my mug, no big deal. Like with any teapot each person needs to calibrate the amount of tea leaves to match their personal tea strength preferences. Cleaning it is very easy. My only reserve is the ABS rubber gasket that the tea has to pass through when using the plunger. I don’t like the idea of my tea going through a plastic even if safe. That being said, since I put my tea leaves into the glass vessel I find I don’t need to use the plunger at all. I love being able to carry my pet tea carafe around my home office and pour it into my mug with no spills or cleanup required. A great product, as are all the Eva Solo products I’ve purchased so far. They are very good Danish designers.

kdejaeger

It’s silicone rubber, not ABS plastic.

Victoria

Yes I see it is made of silicone. Possibly they changed from ABS to silicone over the years?

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94

An excellent product. This is my first of such a thing. Bought it back when Teaopia wasn’t Teavana. It works great, and is a perfect addition to my loose leaves collection. Easier to use when steeping tea for more than one cup. Also, pretty to watch the leaves float around and brew. I have never tried to wash it in the dishwasher, but so far it’s decent to wash by hand. Not sure if it comes apart completely to wash one by one pieces (been too nervous to even try that!)

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96

I only got my Libré Tea infuser mug a little over a week ago and no word of a lie, I’ve probably used it over 50 times. I love the clever idea and how it is very calming watching the loose tea leaves float around my glass. I haven’t had any problems with tea coming through the strainer and it hasn’t leaked at all for me. I keeps your tea quite warm as well. My only complaints is that when you turn it upside down, then put it right side up again, and the open it, there is still a large amount of liquid that stays above the strainer and takes a minute to strain back down. This isn’t anyone’s fault, but just a tip to everyone to give it a second so that you don’t spill on yourself. The other thing is that the little gold emblem on the lid, tends to move around under the plastic top. This doesn’t normally bother me but sometimes it gets really off-centre. Lastly, and this one is my fault, the outside has gotten quite a few little scratches because I usually carry the mug around in my purse. They are not overly noticeable, but if you want your glass staying in pristine condition, I suggest not tossing it in your bag.

All in all, great product. I recommend it to every person who drinks tea, coffee, hot chocolate, etc. When I’m finished with my tea, I rinse it out and use it as my water bottle for the day. And I don’t even taste the tea in my water.

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15

When I saw this silicone tea infuser and read the promises, I thought I had found a solution to the dripping of tea-balls all over my table or kitchen counter, a solution that would allow me to use only this “magic” spoon, instead of my measuring spoon, the tea ball in 2 parts and the small dish to put the tea-ball after infusing. I did not buy it straight away as I found it a bit expensive. But the colors were so nice.
After about one month, I finally bought it and brought it home very excited.
Then I started using it and reality quickly came back.
1. I mostly brew tea in a teapot (750 or 1000 ml); most of the tea infuser handle gets into the brewing water. It’s not so easy when taking it out to get a strong grip on the wet and hot handles to squeeze sufficiently the infuser, so that it does not drip
2. the silicone egg comes in 2 parts that get closed with the help of small magnets on both side of the egg. The egg can also slide along the metallic handle. As a result, I’ve noticed that both parts of the egg are sometimes not perfectly aligned and then do not close perfectly tight, which means some of the tea leaves end up in the teapot. Moreover, it seems to happen more often when I’m brewing small loose rooibos rather than jasmine pearls or large oolong leaves ;)
3. last thing, after maybe 5 uses, the silicone around one metallic bar out of 4 split vertically; this side of the egg probably tend to move more which probably increased the frequency of problem number 2.
4. the egg opens very largely; I’ve actually never managed to get loose tea from an aluminum tea bag out in the spoon and then close the spoon without spilling half of it over my counter. So I still use the measuring spoon as it’s more convenient.
Honestly I’ve actually come back to my basic tea-balls for most of the time.

In my opinion, his product is a nice-looking but expensive gadget, a bit fragile and not so convenient as promised. I do not recommend its purchase, though it might be somehow practical for use directly in a cup/mug at work, for instance.

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reviewed Cast iron tea pot by Teaware
49 tasting notes

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98
reviewed Steep & Go by Teaware
4843 tasting notes

I got mine from the Tea Spot.

I love this thing. It took me a failed first attempt to figure it out, though, as I put the leaves into the little tube (hey, it looked like a little steeping basket) instead of directly in the bottle. But, when used properly, this delivers some seriously delicious cold-brewed tea! And it’s SO easy to get from point A (no cold-brewed tea) to point B (cold-brewed tea happiness!)

I have had no problem with leakage – I was lucky to have a 16.9 oz Dasani bottle on hand as we tend to refill and reuse water bottles around here (I don’t like spending a dollar … usually more … for a 16 oz bottle of water, and since we filter our water anyway, it just makes more sense to me to refill the bottles). I let the leaves infuse for about 10 minutes before I started really drinking it, but, I did take a sip at about 5 minutes and it was a little light on flavor, but still really good. I’m using the Bolder Blues tea with this at the moment (which I’ll mention in the next tasting note)… I LOVE this item… so easy to use (when used properly).

Daisy Chubb

I definitely need one of these to add to the tea stuff collection. It’s quite brilliant!

Bonnie

Love it! I ran into Bo at the tea festival and told him I had one. He looked surprised! Then remembered he sold some to Happy Lucky’s at the World Tea Expo in Las Vegas…ah ha! So I got mine not even knowing the Tea Spot had invented it.

RachanaC (Rachel)-iHeartTeas

They are awesome! I’ve got the violet one. I’ve stocked in my Teashop online as well. :)

momo

I want one too after everyone’s reviews of it, ahh. Given none of my other bottles are good for tossing in a bag, I should get one soon before the fall semester starts up.

momo

As you could probably tell, soon was five minutes later lol

RachanaC (Rachel)-iHeartTeas

LOL :) Yes, I did notice. Thank you! Well, on the plus side at least you got it off your “To-Do” list.

Barb

It’s weird to see one “drank” a device used for steeping tea, innit? I just drank a Bodum Tea for One.

LiberTEAS

yes it is, I’m kind of used to it now, but the first few times I saw it was was laughing so hard. My family thought I was nuts.

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82

I found this at Bed, Bath, & Beyond; which is a household goods store in the US and Canada.

It looks like a tetsubin, but it’s enameled on the inside, which makes it a kyūsu, apparently. At least, according to Wikipedia, which we all know can never be wrong.

It’s very sturdy and retains heat well, though it can get quite warm on the outside – don’t try to open the lid until it cools down. The handle stays cool though.

It pours very, very well – better than my Brown Betty or plain white 16 oz pot. After my first pour, I figured out how it pours, and I can pour without spilling a single drop. It doesn’t run down the spout.

When filling the pot, it does go way up the spout, so do watch for that as you move it around.

The infuser basket is quite nice, and the trivet has rubbery feet to protect the table.

All in all, I’m quite happy with it!

Bonnie

Happy hot tea pot!

Skulleigh

Thank you, Bonnie!

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100
reviewed Steep & Go by Teaware
676 tasting notes

Here’s a new product that I picked up at Happy Lucky’s for $6.95 but also saw at the Boulder Tea Festival. It was Best New Product at the world tea expo this year and invented by The Tea Spot (also from Boulder). I ran into Bo at the Festival and he gave me a little brochure about this invention which comes in 4 colors.

I love this! Here’s how it works.

The infuser top screws onto Dasani, Evian and Volvic water bottles (probably others also). Then you put your tea leaves into the bottle and screw the top on. Put the bottle in the frig or take it with you and you’re all set to drink the brew out of the sipper top with no fear of leaves getting in the way or clogging. (There’s a 3 inch filter rod that extends down into the bottle keeping your tea leaf free.)

Genius! Easy!
Dishwasher safe too!

What a great invention! I would have put a photo of the invention but the item on the Tea Spot website could not be copied to fit into the Steepster format.

mrmopar

you got to send me a link to where i can get a couple of these. please please i will be nice.lol!

Bonnie

The Tea Spot Website (this is their product)

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100

For anyone looking for an excellent way to infuse their teas with the simplest of ease ….. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this infuser!!!! It works amazingly well for multiple infusions of green, white, and especially Pu-erh teas (the leaf stays in better/ more pristine condition, because the water is drained away from the tea leaf, keeping it in better condition for the next infusion)!! The plastic brewing chamber is made of a non-reactive BPA free plastic that doesn’t retain any aromas and does’t get “stained” with any color from repeated brewing sessions. I only use mine for more pure flavored teas and use my Teavana “Perfectea” (which is on it’s last legs) for more heavily flavored teas (chocolate,strawberry, etc)!! When I sweeten tea, I ONLY use “Stevia Clear” http://www.sweetleaf.com/products/sweet-drops-products to sweeten it and I put 5-10 drops in the bottom half (the glass part) of the “Piao” infuser before pressing the button to properly release the tea and mix the infusion/sweetener into the bottom chamber!! Being under $50.00,.. it makes tea of “cleaner/sharper” taste and better flavor quality (with ease of cleaning as well) than my $150+ Tetsubin (Cast Iron ) Very Highly Recommended

Hesper June

Oh! this does look nice!

Relmaster

Hesper June It only makes 8-12 Oz of tea at a time…But Ohhhh what a wonderful and tasty 8-12 Oz they are ;) !!!

Hesper June

Well, thats fine, I usually only make that amount anyhow.
Will keep this in mind for the future:)

Bonnie

I got mine on Amazon for about $32

Relmaster

Bonnie I LOVE mine sooo much…It works awesome!! (Amazon always has great prices) Do you like yours? what kind of teas do you use it for? How would you compare it to other infusers?

Relmaster

Hesper June Cool ;)

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100

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70
reviewed Libre Tea Travel Glass by Teaware
1271 tasting notes

This is a really pretty travel glass. Beautiful gold accents on the lid! My co-worker had one and I felt I needed to get one too. These clear travel glasses are great for showing off pretty teas with lots of colours and flower bits.

It came with an extra rubbery washer, which was nice. Lightweight too.
Keeps tea decently hot, but not as great as a stainless steel mug or a 100% double glass mug would. The mesh is pretty fine and kept even rooibos chips away.

Unfortunately my Libre leaks. If I get tea on the top past the strainer area it will leak. And once I tried the alternative steeping method (put tea in the lid and invert the glass) and it leaked and burnt my fingers in the process. My coworker went through 2 of these travel glasses and hasn’t had a problem with leaks, so maybe I got a dud.

I’m considering getting another one as there is a larger size. More tea capacity!!!!

Libre Tea

It’s good to hear that you like your Libre :) Not so great that it leaks. Have your tried the spare seal for the filter to see if this stops the leaking? Please email us at [email protected] and we will help.

Whiskey Buzz

mine leaks too!

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99

I bought a new toy today!

You may have seen these new Yixing tumblers (little portible thermos) in some of the chain tea stores (for more money).
I picked mine up for $16.95 at Happy Lucky’s today with a free fill of my favorite Puer to break it in.

Here’s how it works:
The interior is Yixing clay (perfect for Puer or Oolong dedicated use). Mine will be for Puer only ;)…so to begin seasoning, some nice Shu was put inside, then boiling water and the top was screwed on.
When the timer (3 min.) went off…the stainless strainer basket was placed on top of the tumbler and I sipped my tea from the edge (like a cool looking tall chocolate glass).
The outside of the Tumbler is coated with Teflon which protects my hands from heat and helps keep the interior hot. When the tea was gone, I just added more water and drank another 8oz of tea. Very handy.

I have something to add….

This is sharp looking…very cool and sleek!

It’s easy to use!

It’s inexpensive and I love this Yixing Tumbler!!!

(I also bought a screw on top for water bottles that has a built in filter for when you cold brew tea. YES, it fits on those nice big water bottles (2liter) so you can filter and drink out of them…and it costs $6) The World is listening to the tea community!

Daisy Chubb

What a great tumbler! I know you’ll put it to good use ;)

Daniel Scott

OMG a yixing tumbler? I must NOT look that up, I’m not that level of advanced. LOL.

Indigobloom

I want I want I want!!! :p

Skulleigh

That’s a cool little toy!

mrmopar

i have one from teavana.

Bonnie

But how much was Teavana’s? $16.95?

chadao

$29.95

Zacaria

anyway I could buy one online?

Bonnie

Don’t know where else you can buy one like mine. You can call Happy Lucky’s Tea Shop in Fort Collins, CO. They take phone orders. Or buy one from someone like Teavana for more and it’s a bit different.

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reviewed Rishi Koryo Cup by Teaware
59 tasting notes

I’ve had this cup for about a year and a half, now, and use it at work. Mine is the jade (green) rather than the pale blue pictured above.

It’s lovely to look at, and I enjoy the fact that the crackling glaze of the cup changes over time with prolonged use. It’s a great tool, and I’m glad I have it, but I’ve been realizing more and more that this cup could be improved upon.

PROs:
Cup has matching strainer and cover/saucer
Looks lovely (classier to have on my desk than other options)
The strainer has more holes than otherwise-similar “Italian Mugs” from World Market and the like.

CONs:
The cup heats up quickly and stays hot for a long time. This often means it is very difficult to carry the cup back to my desk or drink from the cup right away without feeling like I’m going to drop it or burn myself. A double-walled cup with insulating air or a handle would eliminate this issue.
The strainer’s holes allow small particles to fall into the cup, so it really only works best with large, full leaf unblended teas (or teas that can steep forever without going bitter). At the same time, there aren’t a ton of holes (like in a mesh brew basket), so it takes the water a while to drain out of the stainer section.
The curved saucer/lid, if left on top of the cup for several minutes while steeping, directs condensation down the sides of the cup, leaving you with a wet ring under your cup. If the saucer were not quite so big and curved and styalized, I don’t think this would be an issue. Then again, it wouldn’t look as pretty that way.

So in general, I prefer to use a brew basket if I’m steeping a big mug of tea (otherwise, I’ll use a gaiwan or yixing pot gong-fu-style). However, compared to other similar all-in-one options on the market, this is both functional and lovely and not ridiculously expensive. I would certainly recommend this over tea balls or “Italian Mugs” or bags any day. I enjoy and appreciate having this at work, and since I don’t mind little bits in my cup at all, it makes me good tea!

SIDE NOTE: I didn’t realize I wasn’t supposed to put this through the dishwasher, and I’ve definitely run it through the one at work many times. So far, no worse for ware and no signs of cracks or damage. So.. I don’t know?

CupofTree

I’ve been looking at this cup for a while. I’d love it in jade but rishi doesn’t seem to carry it in that color. Did you get yours somewhere else?

Spoonvonstup

I originally got mine at a local teahouse that used a lot of Rishi teas. It’s since gone out of business, unfortunately. It might be worth asking rishi if any local resellers have it in stock?

CupofTree

Found one! And such a pretty jade color too! I agree with your pros and cons.. and sort of feel like the cons outweigh the pros here but its just so pretty to look at.

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68

We have had this for probably a year now, and I use it constantly. It’s awesome except for one thing… the INFERNAL BEEPING. It makes the most annoying piercing beeps, whenever it can.

It has temperatures for different teas (and other beverages) on the side, which I like when a reminder is needed.

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36

Well, after quite some time and a lot of use, I threw this cup away yesterday.

The plastic absorbed the jasmine scent, and started releasing a plastic scent, so everything in the cup smelled and tasted like plastic jasmine.

I’ll miss it, it was about the perfect size and shape and form, but I am leery of heating plastic these days anyway. I brought my glass double-wall bottle from Adagio (the activiTEA) to work to replace it, we will see how we get along. It’s almost too skinny – I don’t like it when I can’t really comfortably get my hand in a glass to clean it thoroughly.

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36

This is my daily go-to at work for brewing tea to drink straight (no sugar or cream).

Pros:
Fits well in my hand
Doesn’t leak unless you turn it all the way over
I can brew one batch of leaves in the cup, and still have more in the lower compartment for being on the go on a long day
Fine mesh strainer doesn’t let anything through
Insulates very well – I don’t burn my hand, and it stays fairly warm for a decent period

Cons:
Can’t remove leaves from bottle after brewing
Small bottom interior means I can’t fit my hand down in for thorough cleaning
If you take it all the way apart for washing, it’s hard to get it dry, and you end up with moisture/steam between the walls

I’ve got a green one with leaves printed on it – there’s a blue one as well. I got mine on Amazon.

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100
reviewed Libre Tea Travel Glass by Teaware
169 tasting notes

I love my Libre.
I really, really do.
To be completely honest, I hardly use it as a travel glass.
I have had it about a year now, and its main usage is to brew my tea when I am at home.
It brews exactly the right amount of tea for my favorite mug.
I love the fact that you just add the tea right to the glass and when you pour the water in the leaves have lots of room to float around and be free.
Then when the leaves have been spent, just rinse with a little water and you are ready to brew again:)
I did a review earlier of the Bodum Tea for One, and I do very much like it, but the Libre will always be my favorite.

Libre Tea

Thanks for sharing the Libre Love :-)

Hesper June

You welcome! Thank you for creating a product that is so easy to love:)

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81
reviewed Kati loose tea system by Teaware
985 tasting notes

Like Azzrian, I got a few of these when Tea Forte had a FREE Kati cup with the purchase of a tin of tea. One will probably be a gift, this one is actually for my daughter (it is the one with the tree on it and a white background). I have a ForLife Curve Tall Tea Mug with a strainer, too. So really this is kind of a comparison of the two. I also ordered the orange Kati with the white flowers. The orange is a muted version of an orange crayola. I was hoping it would be a brighter orange, but it is still cute.

Volume on this is 12 oz. and it is supposed to be double walled. The ForLife is 15 oz. and is not double walled, but it has a handle. One thing that I don’t like about the Kati, it still gets pretty hot. I felt like I had to wait to drink my tea. I don’t think this will be much of an issue for my daughter because she will know when she can drink it if the cup is not too hot.

The strainers are completely different. It looks like the ForLife strainer will hold at least three times the volume of the Kati strainer. The ForLife mug uses the same strainer that goes in their 24 and 45 oz teapots. It is very handy when drinking large leaf teas. I also like that the ForLife strainer sits flat in the lid when you are done steeping, where the strainer in the Kati kind of wobbles when sitting in the lid. I do find the holes in the ForLife strainer to be much finer than the Kati, but if you need super-fine, I recommend the Finum basket strainers.

As far as looks, the ForLife one is pretty boring. It just comes in single colors. The Kati had some cute prints. For my daughter, having some kind of print on the cup is a bonus as she really enjoys decorated things.

For function, the ForLife wins hands down. But the Kati is so pretty!

I think I may also pick up a cup from David’s Tea so I can have a print, too! The ones at David’s look very similar to the ForLife, but not quite exact.

Daddyselephant

We have six of the DavidsTea ones, not counting the one that broke because I am an idiot. We love them. Seriously, we have enough mugs in this house to keep a small country well hydrated, but when we run out of perfect mugs, there’s always a moment of “Oh crap, we’re out of mugs….no, wait.” XD. I cannot recommend them enough and I think they’re well worth the price.

Dinosara

I’ve had a Kati cup for quite a long time now, and it’s my primary brewing method at work. The handle broke off my strainer a while back, and for a while I just pried it out of the cup with an implement. Finally I bought a ForLife infusion basket that also fits in the cup and I’m very pleased with it. I definitely understand prefering the ForLife baskets.

As far as the heat issue goes, in the end it works for me because I don’t like to drink my tea super hot so if I can pick it up, I can drink it. No more burning my mouth on too-hot tea!

TeaBrat

These do look so pretty – I do want one! (of course)
I just got a Finum yesterday though and I love it…

Dylan Oxford

I love my finum too.

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83
reviewed Kati loose tea system by Teaware
807 tasting notes

I got two of these (placed two separate orders) when they were offered FREE with purchase of one loose leaf tea canister! I got the bird song one with cucumber mint and a tree one with blueberry merlot. I am so happy to have them. I will probably gift one or keep the extra around for when my daughter or husband desires to share in some tea with me which is happening more often these days! Yay!
I really love the bird song one and glad I grabbed it up since it seems to have been the most popular choice when they offered this special!
Pros and Cons: Love the lid to keep steam in while steeping. Perfectly fitting mesh strainer and lid fits perfectly on top. Strainer is not as fine of mesh as it could be so some tiny particles get through leaving grainy texture at bottom of cup but it will be excellent with larger leaf teas! Double walled keeps tea warm long enough but not THAT long, and is too hot to hold when water is first poured. Although most people like to let tea cool for a minute or two before drinking so this should not be an issue for most.
Seems durable but too soon to tell.
Wonderful design – very pretty!
Would I BUY one? Yes if I had the extra money sure I like the convenience of being able to just pour the boiling water over the strainer, cover, and steep, not having to get back up to go to the tea kettle! I also like not having to clean the tea kettle after a steep! However knowing me, “extra” money would go to tea instead. I am really happy I was able to splurge and get these while they were free with tea purchase!!

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