Do you have a “hot pot”?
It makes life SO much easier if you have high quality tea and you are refilling the pot and re-steeping.
Today I had a “tea party” with moon cakes in my office at work.
Da Hong Pao tea, and a very elegant Pearl Jasmine.
We nibbled the cakes and refilled the pots again and again.
Impossible without a water boiler. No stove, cranky microwave, small pot.
If you don’t have one – why not? If you do, how much do you love it?
Who are you trying to BS. This is what you used:
I really want to get one of those, but they are so expensive. Right now I just have a cheap electric kettle that I use at work. I stick a thermometer in it so I can turn it off when it reaches the right temp. Maybe someday…
Randy, several years ago, yeah, could have happened. Now the regulations are so tight about no food in labs etc. it would be unwise to try and have a tea party with lab equipment…
Linda – you are right, I think this Panasonic lists for about $89, and I had put it up in the attic because for my own daily use I didn’t need it. But in a context where you have a group of people, and good quality Chinese teas, and little Yixing teapots, it was just so obviously right to have a good quantity of water being held just at the right temperature for a couple of hours at a time. Made me feel pretty enthusiastic about owning this. And it was someone online who had given me advice about tea – I don’t know if it was here or maybe back in the land of squirrels – who told me to buy one of these, which I did.
$89? Most of the units I have seen which hold your water at a specific temp are up around $150. I’ll have to look into that one.
Just looked on Amazon.com (amazing what they sell there!!)
The Panasonic is around $70. Zojirushi, more expensive.
Since I quit drinking coffee and started drinking tea over a year ago, I’ve made tea in this wonderful machine every day that I’ve been home. Fully programmable, it keeps tea at the correct temperature for up to one hour after brewing. It makes better tea than anything else I’ve tried.
Zojirushi is the one Alice at Red Blossom tea in SF recommends.
What’s the brand, what is that called?
Breville One Touch. Expensive, but worth it, in my opinion. Preset and fully customizable temps and brew times. The basket immerses at the proper temp and raises when brewing complete. For stronger brewing, the immersion can be cycled throughout brewing time. Keeps hot at the proper temp after brewing for up to one hour (I remove the basket after brewing to avoid over-steeping).
A YouTube infomercial here (there are others, as well):
Man I miss coffee, but the tummy says no mo!
Does anyone have an online source for fine artisan teas (I quite like green teas) … and/or any recommendations?
Thanks!
Eric-
My favorite in the US (which, after a pretty wide search, turns out to be close to my home) http://www.americantearoom.com
My favorite of all is Mariage Freres in Paris: MARIAGE FRÈRES - Thé Français depuis 1854
Both ship
Beat me to it. Wonderful place to find tea. Astonishing selection from ALL over the world.
For the best Pearl Jasmine go here. They also sell Da Hong Pao. Sometimes orders take a long time to arrive…
If you are ever in the city, go to Red Blossom Tea in Chinatown (Grant st.). They are awesome. They sell online too.
I am often in SF, and will certainly go there. Thanks for all the tips.
3L Zojirushi is on clearance at Mrs Lins Kitchen
