Tea Gadgets?

[flightless]

Originally Posted by raymondlin

Tea needs no gadgets, unlike coffee where you need to have the water just below boiling, certain bar of pressure and grind the beans to certain size grind to extract it in 30 seconds...etc

Tea just like hot water and let it brew, the Chinese/Japanese have been drinking it for centuries without gadgets and its still best just put it in a pot and let it brew. You can be lazy and add milk if you like.

I have a set of tea cups and pot at home, will take a photo later, i got it in Hong Kong earlier this year.

NO WAY tea has no gadgets! Especially not for the Chinese/Japanese!

I've only ever experienced one method of Chinese tea ceremony, wikied here for convenience: Gongfu tea ceremony - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. I've heard that the Japanese have their own elaborate ceremony as well. Not just as a decorative function, either. The people who do this can spend years perfecting the technique of making tea. Most important is, of course the tea leaves, but also the type of pot and temperature of water.

...And I should probably just answer the OP, right? *cough*

I use two types of pots, a standard Chinese porcelain pot like the type you find in Chinese restaurants, and a glass pot with a removable metal sift like Monolith's. The first one I bought cause it's cheap from Chinese stores. The second one was for the sake of a flowering tea ball I bought on impulse. The glass pot's not as great for keeping heat, but that's what tea cozies are for. Another thing about the glass pot, I worry that the metal sift gives off a metal taste in hot water. However, I've seen all-glass pots with glass sifts. Very cool, but not cheap. On a side note, I've been looking at purple clay pots, which you can buy from Chinese stores that specialize in tea. They're said to absorb the flavour of the tea leaf you use over time, and should only be used with one type of tea because of it.

I also have something like a plastic tea ball (I wish I could find a picture. It looks a bit like an onion bulb/melon baller that clamps around your tea.) I got it as a gift, but have also seen it sold in specialty kitchenware stores. I don't use it much, instead favouring my lo-fi way of tea leaves in a mug of hot water, and waiting til they all sink to the bottom. Good low-fuss for work.

As for buying tea leaves, you can search for places that specialize in selling tea and teaware. Or Chinese tea and medicine stores, which is where I get my stuff.

[vagarach]

I think no gadgets means you can't by a $6000 automatic 'tea maker' from some european company that will take 2 weeks just to learn how to use.

That's the good thing about tea, if you get good water heated to the right temperature, and brew good tea in it, you are done. After that is only enjoying the tea.

[Gatto]

these look pretty cool, I'm considering picking one up to replace my disposable tea bag thingies

Gems Teastick

[flightless]

Originally Posted by vagarach

I think no gadgets means you can't by a $6000 automatic 'tea maker' from some european company that will take 2 weeks just to learn how to use.

That's the good thing about tea, if you get good water heated to the right temperature, and brew good tea in it, you are done. After that is only enjoying the tea.

...True. I wonder what a $6000 tea maker would look like *heheh*

edit: Just found my onion bulb infuser, btw: http://www.kaboodle.com/reviews/kozi...ea-tea-infuser (I guess it looks more like a fresh sprout than a melon baller.)

[nolocus]

Breville Variable Temperature Kettle | Gear Patrol



This.

[revolink24]

That looks nice, they make great coffee makers

[wanderman]

does anyone use a french press for tea?

[cheemo]

I bring this gadget to work and it does the trick for loose leaves of genmaicha.

[ingwe]

Work rig:

* Cast-iron, ceramic interior teapot from teavana.
* Digital scale from Upton.
* Zojirushi CD-LCC30 Micom 3.0-Liter Electric Dispensing Pot.
* A couple nice teacups.
* Various oolong teas from Upton.
* Timer on my iPhone.

Home rig:

Pretty much the same as work rig. Except I use a Zojirushi CD-WBC40 Micom 4-Liter Electric Water Boiler and Warmer.

No sugar, milk, or cream; thank you.

[Zodduska]

Sounds like you have a pretty sweet rig there ingwe.
If you're a fan of oolong teas make sure to take a look at Hou De Asian Art & Fine Teas sometime.

[Rav]

You don't need any gadgets to make a good cuppa, just a battered old teapot that's never been washed in its life, PG Tips teabags and some boiling water. Brew for 4 minutes, sugar and milk to taste.

Puts hairs on yer teeth

[some1x]

I like matcha tea, so ...



Actually, I'm not using a real matcha bowl, but its close enough

[Born2bwire]

For home, I have a Gongfu tea set. For the office, I use a French Press, I use a Moka Pot at home if I want coffee.

[Donald North]

I'm a tea junkie - I don't drink coffee or sodas. A couple years ago on a business trip in Taiwan, I went tea tasting at a shop in Taipei. The saleswoman brewed up a variety of green and red teas. It's amusing to watch them brew tea, always throwing out the first pot. I learned that I'm not much of a green tea person. I prefer red, black (which has a smokey/peaty taste), and jasmine teas.

I also found some good tea at IKEA, being flavored with rhubarb and vanilla.

I brew loose leaf and strain it with this neat little strainer made from perforated gold that fits in the top of your cup.

In China and Taiwan, I also love their flavored milk teas.

Anyone in So Cal should visit their nearest Tea Station restaurant. Their menu has several pages of tea drinks. Food is authentic Taiwanese taste.

[DanielCox]

A tea bag - the traditional British way.