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.
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.
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):