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Tea Gadgets? - Page 4

post #46 of 94
7/1/09 at 10:05pm
I'm a simple man with simple tastes. To wit, I have two of these:



...and one of the bigger ones for pots (the above is for [very large]cups). I've tried the Adagio Teas ingenuiTea (same thing as in the OP), and a couple others (ball infuser, one that is more tubular), but I keep going back to the SwissGold.
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post #47 of 94
7/1/09 at 11:37pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by jp11801 View Post
I'll second the gaiwan recommendation also if you want great tea stay away from Teavana. They sell ok accessories but the tea leaves a bit to be desired.

Try to find a local tea shop that can source low quantity/high grade teas. In NYC Porto Coffee has a decent selection. Out here in San Francisco, red blossom tea has the absolute best teas I have ever had, they blow away the other local tea shops and that is no easy feat. There early harvest dragonwells are to die for but $$.
How much do the higher end tea's cost per ounce?
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post #48 of 94
7/2/09 at 1:13am
Here are some of my suggestions for making great tea, two things:

A small digital thermometer (I find reading digital faster and easier). Many teas have a recommended temperature and a small thermometer will tell me when it is best to add the water to the tea leaves.



And a good strainer, like the Swissgold mentioned (I use one made by teeli). I use one of the larger ones, useful if I just want to make one cup/mug for myself or with a teapot.

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post #49 of 94
7/2/09 at 10:18pm
There are all sorts of different methods of brewing good tea, the most important thing is just to enjoy the finished product.

I finished off the last of my 2008 Da Yu Ling High Mountain Oolong tonight, a few pics to share some of my teagadgets..









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post #50 of 94
7/2/09 at 11:12pm
Ah yes, how could I forget the bodum double-walled glass, it really lets you see the colour of the leaves, and the outside stays relatively cool to the touch.

This is also super useful brewing strong everday teas like upton's black tea blends such as East Frisian, River Shannon, etc. It makes a difference not having to worry about burning your hand.

$8 a pop, and sort of delicate, but well worth it for the serious tea drinker, and a gadget too, if a glass even counts!
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post #51 of 94
7/3/09 at 12:22am
You know, topic material aside, those are some gorgeous pictures, I really like them. Maybe it's because I'm pre-disposed towards liking them, but I think not. Even the one leaf sticking out in the last one -- it's just perfectly random, like a fractal.
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post #52 of 94
7/3/09 at 1:03am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Zodduska View Post
There are all sorts of different methods of brewing good tea, the most important thing is just to enjoy the finished product.

I finished off the last of my 2008 Da Yu Ling High Mountain Oolong tonight, a few pics to share some of my teagadgets..
What kind of strainer does that tea pot have?
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post #53 of 94
7/3/09 at 1:30am
@vagarach; the design of the bodum cups is just perfect for tea imho.. I have a lot of other tea cups but it seems like these are the only ones that get used because they are just miles ahead for all the aspects you mentioned.

@Dusty Chalk; thank you! I'm glad you like the pictures, I had a lot of fun taking them in between infusions while I was waiting for the tea to cool off a bit.

@nolocus; It has a small glass strainer with a few holes where the spout meets the body of the teapot, most glass teapots like this have a small stainless steel spiral that clips on which works just as well if not as aesthetically pleasing. I bought this one from Tea Masters about a year ago. Small glass teapots like this work best for more delicate lightly oxidized teas like this Oolong because they dissipate heat rather quickly compared to a ceramic gaiwan.
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post #54 of 94
7/3/09 at 1:31am
I'm guessing since everybody here seems to love their coffee
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post #55 of 94
7/3/09 at 1:50am
here's another shot of the teapot hard at work.. you can kinda make out the strainer

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post #56 of 94
8/16/09 at 8:30pm
I use a Gamila teastick infuser on the go & T-sac diy teabags at home. The teastick is nice, but the holes are a bit too big for the finer leaved teas. I drink my tea from a Snowpeak brand Titanium mug (said to be made out of recycled japanese submarines). My favorite teas are indian massala chai and my own blend of Dragon Sparks herbal tea with Simon Levelt gunpowder tea... The genuine moroccan mint tea (very sweet gunpowder tea with mint leaves) is also very nice...
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post #57 of 94
8/21/09 at 7:15pm
I use the standard Teavana/Adagio gravity filter infuser. We have about 40 sample tins of tea from Adagio. My favorite tea is Mintastic (ok, there's not technically any tea in it, it's herbal), which is a blend of equal parts peppermint and spearmint with a dash of lemon grass. Refreshing hot or cold, makes an excellent iced tea.

We also have those loose-leaf teabags from Adagio - they work great for bringing tea somewhere where you won't have an infuser (work).
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post #58 of 94
9/13/09 at 7:09am
I stopped by the Lock Cha tea house here in Hong Kong. I had a few on my list near where I live but Lock Cha was the only one open on Sunday. I had not gone there before because they are always recommended in tourist books, I wasn't sure if the prices would be ok or not. But I ended up getting a new teapot for myself, a pot for my mother, some cakes of green Pu-er and some bags of loose Yunnan Pu-er. The Yunnan Pu-er is very different from the other Pu-er's that I have had at restaurants and have previously purchased. Most Pu-er's I have had have a very very earthy flavor, something that I absolutely love. This one is very subtle, not very earthy but has a smell and taste that I can only describe as being very similar to bread when it is baking. The teapots were much better than my previous set, thicker walls, finer craftsmanship, tighter fitting lids. All in all a fun day! Plus I picked up a Brita filter so that and my air pot complete the set. Joy!



Yeah, my camera sucks.
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post #59 of 94
9/13/09 at 7:33am
That is a very small teapot

I just got my first gaiwan and really like to brew/steep my tea in it. Works really well
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post #60 of 94
9/13/09 at 1:13pm
I'm currently trying out one of these:

Teaopia Tea Master

Gimmick being you pour the hot water and tea bag/loose tea into the Tea Master and let steep. Pressure trigger on the bottom paired with fine metal mesh filters the tea out the bottom into the mug when placed on top of the mug.

Absolutely requires a clear mug so you can take the gadget off before tea runs over the sides but otherwise it's not too bad.

For those interested, I'm pairing it with a Bodum Corona double walled 10oz mug.
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