It’s not every day we have the opportunity to watch a shootout. Thankfully the ones we like are usually produced by Hollywood as no-one is usually hurt in those.

Today we’re going to have an accessory showdown. This one is for brewing vessels. That is, mugs which have an infuser built in for brewing loose or bagged teas and strain through the bottom when placed atop your mug. Nice for the office or friend’s house!

Essentially all three devices work the same way. Place your loose leaves in the pitcher, fill it with water at the desired temperature, let steep the requisite amount of time then place the brewer atop your mug and allow it to drain to fill your mug.

Adagio Teas’ ingenuiTEA – http://www.adagio.com

The ingenuiTEA from Adagio is in a special place. So far as I know it’s the original device of this kind. That’s not to say it’s immediately better or worse than the other accessories in the category.

The ingenuiTEA appears to be the smallest of the three in this showdown. However it holds just as much as the Brewts device, a full 16 fluid ounces (2 cups).

Adagio Teas' ingenuiTEA Tea Maker

The ingenuiTEA is the only brewer to lack a ‘drip plate’ or ‘coaster.’ Whether the device needs one is completely up to whether or not you have spillage from yours. Apparently some older models had issues with the strainer coming loose and leaking a bit. My model did not have this problem.

Of all the devices the ingenuiTEA has the most grip able handle. The wavy grips prevent finger slippage while holding the accessory.

I did have issues with the strainer though. While I didn’t have issues with it becoming loose… I had the exact opposite issue. It was way too tight. I couldn’t get the strainer out in order to wash the device properly. This was a shame for an otherwise notable tool.

I also noticed the ingenuiTEA happened to stain fairly quickly when I brewed some Lapsang Souchong and some of Ten Ren’s King’s Tea.

Teavana’s Perfect TeaMaker II – http://www.teavana.com

I was honestly surprised when I opened the box for Teavana’s PerfecTEA Tea Maker II. The device is MUCH larger than the other two in this shootout, weighing in at 32 fluid ounces (4 cups).

If you have loose Guayusa from Runa or another herbal tea which doesn’t grow bitter or astringent after brewing too long this size is great. It’s also a great fit if you’re brewing the same tea for several people.

Teavana's Perfect Tea Maker II

The handle on the Perfect TEaMaker II is kind of interesting. It almost seems like it could be used for volume measurement, but there are no volume counts on the device. Just straight lines similar to what you might see on a measuring cup.

Because of the sheer size of the PerfecTEA Tea Maker II, the strainer is very easy to take out. It could be that unlike Adagio’s device, I was simply able to fit my hand inside and get enough leverage to remove it.

The drip plate was a nice addition to the Perfect TeaMaker II. The device tends to drip a few milliliters after it seems it’s been fully drained into the mug.

I didn’t find this particular brewer a good fit for someone making tea for themselves. Even with a large 20 ounce mug there’s no really easy way for me to tell when my mug is getting full other than judging volume siphoned from the unit as I’m loading up my mug. It should be noted that Teavana does offer a 16 ounce model, but I needed to test for differentiation.

On the plus side this brewer was the only one which could adequately cover the lip of my mug completely as recommended by all the manufacturers. The video above illustrates the issue I have with the ingenuiTEA and the Brewt as it concerns covering my mug to provide stability for the device as it empties.

Brewt Brewer – http://www.brewts.com

The Brewt is an interesting looking device. The design has more shape and curve to it making it look ‘cooler’ or more fun. The line I was given at the 2011 World Tea Expo was that the Brewt was designed so big man-hands could get into the device and remove the strainer for cleaning. I certainly found this to be the case.

The Brewt Tea Brewer

The Brewt also has a drip plate with it. Labeled a ‘coaster,’ I hadn’t had much call to use it even after a month of three to five brews a day with the device.

Since the Brewt is sold only as wholesale to tea shops and other companies it’s difficult to get any direct information from their website related to price or features. But it does have some differentiation from the other units besides man-hand room.

I love the fact that the lid for this unit pops off and on so easily. It makes cleaning the accessory so much simpler. The lid for the ingenuiTEA does come off, but requires more force and the Perfect Tea Maker II’s lid may be removable but it always feels like I’ll break it when I try.

An unfortunate side effect of the easy lid is that the Brewt tends to leak air out. This is a great tease when you really want your tea to finish brewing, but it diffuses the flavor and aroma which would be better if contained. So that’s kind of a draw.

Conclusion

Unlike last year’s infuser showdown, there’s only one unified method of brewing for these devices. You either enjoy the brew, or you don’t. I happened to gravitate most to the Bret due to its unit size and because it was easier to clean than the ingenuiTEA.

Overall, which unit is right for you is based on your preferences, needs and usage. The Brewt worked best for me, but the ingenuiTEA or the Perfect Tea Maker II could very well be a better fit depending on your consumption habits.

To say the ingenuiTEA is a poorly constructed unit would be wrong. I probably received one of the first revised units with the new metallic strainer and there very well may have been some issues with that run. Poke around online to see how other people’s experiences have gone.

The Perfect Tea Maker II is a nice unit. It’s opaque bottom makes it difficult to see how much tea has been drained into my mug and I came very close to having it overflow on several occasions because of this. If your vessel is big enough to hold 32 fluid ounces of tea then this might be your brewer. If not, just be careful as you allow it to drain. Don’t walk away from it. Or, fill it half way.

This cute, colorful little accessory allows you to use a tea bag without all the mess.

Typically when we use bagged teas we’re left squeezing the extra tea with our bare hands. Well… not anymore! This little squeezer not only holds the tea bag after you’ve infused it, you can use it to squeeze the un-dripped tea from the bag as well.

Little touches on this accessory make it worthwhile if you happen to drink tea from teabags commonly. The divet at the back of the Tea Squeeze makes it cleaner and less messy to pick the bag back up if you need to. The spout at the front of the device makes it rather drip-free to dispense your squeezed tea.

Overall, if you happen to use tea bags from time to time, or frequently, this little tool is a keeper.

Pros

• Keeps your table
• Removes unsightly tea bags
• Divet for the string to rest
• Spout for drip-less dispensing
• Squeezes tea from bag without getting any on yourself
• Preserves better flavor for future steeps
• Dishwasher safe

Cons

• Means you’re using tea bags instead of drinking loose tea

In this installment I’m grading three infuser mugs. One of these, I’ve reviewed before. The others are made by Teas Etc. and Lucha.

Read on for more.

It’s not every day we have the opportunity to watch a shootout. Thankfully the ones we like are usually produced by Hollywood as no-one is usually hurt in those.

Today we’re going to have an accessory showdown. This one is for steeping mugs. That is, mugs which have an infuser built in for brewing loose or bagged teas.

Infuser Mug Showdown (Infuser mugs were used in the making of this post.)

Libre Tea Glass

My opinion on the Libre Tea unit has already been heard, but I’m going to put it through its paces again more than six months later here for everyone’s benefit.

The Libre glass has three pieces. The primary compartment, like the other two units reviewed here is where your water goes. The capacity is 9oz/260mL which is just more than a cup. The other two pieces are an infuser cap and a top cap so no liquid escapes.

Libre suggests two methods of infusing your tea in their glass. First, place the tea in the primary compartment, add water, allow to steep, drink and refill. This feels odd to me because the tea can become extra strong and/or lose its flavor more quickly. However, this is the way the Chinese have traditionally steeped their teas in mobile mugs.

The second recommendation is more logical to me. Fill the primary compartment with water at the desired temperature, place your loose tea or tea-bag in the infuser compartment, add the top cap and then flip the entire unit upside down to allow the tea to steep. Simply flip the unit back over when the correct amount of time lapses, drain any residual infusion from the lids into the primary… drink and repeat!

I found the Libre unit to not be dishwasher safe. It’s best to clean it by hand with unscented soap. The mesh infuser is easier to clean than freestanding mesh infusers I’ve used.

While visually a little less interesting than the other units, the Libre has something special going for it. The primary compartment is made of two materials, polyurethane and glass with the glass being the interior material. The two materials are separated by an air pocket. This air pocket provides an insulation layer preventing the container from becoming too hot to hold, and it works quite nicely.

Teas Etc. Traveler Mug

I received this mug as a unit for review from Newman Johnston of Teas Etc.

My first impression was that this mug is nicely styled. A bright green cap with a silver infuser section just like the Libre unit. It’s a little shorter, but definitely wider.

From the visual styling this unit appears high quality. And the materials indeed seem to be plenty sturdy. The unit even has similar design to the Libre unit in that is has three pieces. However, the unit appears to lack some of the design refinements of the Libre unit.

This traveler mug, easily resembles a tumbler with an infuser in it. It holds nearly 13oz/381mL of liquid which amounts to just about 1.5 cups of tea.

The instructions on the box indicate this unit to be made of BFA free plastics and to not be dishwasher safe. It also recommends the Chinese style of brewing which I haven’t personally become accustomed to.

The recommendation again is to place the tea in the primary container, add the water, place both caps on while brewing, remove the top cap, and drink your tea unencumbered by leaves as the liquid filters through the mesh infuser compartment.

I found it more comfortable to use this unit’s infuser just like I use the Libre. Filling the primary compartment with water at the right temperature, adding the leaves to the infuser compartment and placing both caps atop the liquid filled cylinder.

This unit ends up getting extremely hot if brewing with boiling water or anything above 175 degrees fahrenheit. I found the infuser cap to be very squeaky when screwing it on or off. It leaks if bumped and the top cap is rounded on its crown which makes it difficult to infuse upside down as the Libre does.

The result is that the Traveler Mug works, but it almost forces you into following it’s recommendations on how it should be used. This is probably great if you’re comfy using it that way. Regardless, the lack of heat insulation, squeaky cap and leakiness makes it unlikely I’ll be using this unit frequently.

Lucha Tea Mug

The Lucha mug is interesting. It has three parts like the others, but the infuser piece isn’t provided its own compartment. Instead, it inserts snugly into the primary chamber while the top cap is off. I received this unit for review from Mark Chau and the fine folks at Lucha.

The Lucha mug is made from BPA free plastics, and is considered dishwasher safe on the top rack only. I have not tested this faculty of the unit as I wanted to get this review out in a rather timely manner.

This unit is the least stylish of the three. There’s no real color to speak of. The top cap is silver, but is made of plastic, not aluminum. The leaf design on the outside seems a bit ‘girly’ for my tastes, but I guess that could be a personal issue.

The unit holds 12oz/350mL which is 1.5 cups of tea. The recommended procedure is to place the leaves in the unit, fill with water at the desired temperature and let steep. The plastic infuser tray appears to be more of a catch trap to keep the leaves from going into your mouth when drinking. I have found when the device holds relatively little liquid, that the leaves have tendency to hold that little bit of liquid back from your attempt to imbibe it. Your mileage may vary.

The catch tray is very easy to remove and the unit certainly seems easier to clean than either of the other devices given its claim of dishwasher safe. The plastic catch tray also has slots on the sides which aid in removing the tray and in cleaning it. The unit does get hot when hot water is used, much like the Teas Etc. Traveler. So be careful.

Overall, if you like the Chinese method of infusion in a mug, the Lucha is a pretty nice solution.

Conclusion

While I don’t prefer the Chinese method of infusing in a travel mug, you certainly might. So take my opinions with a grain or two of salt when deciding if any of these mugs is right for you.

I’ve been using my Libre for more than six months. During that time I’ve grown to rely on its sturdy construction. Design details such as air pocket heat diffusion aren’t missed by me, they’re completely appreciated. The thoughtful engineering, simple design and multiple steep options make this the best mug for me.

The Teas Etc. Traveler clearly lost here. It certainly could be the specific unit I was provided, but I can’t be sure without trying another one. It concerns me that the unit was prone to leaking, and that the infuser piece required significant energy to remove once tea has been steeped in it. I wouldn’t recommend this mug until such time as I can verify whether my specific unit is defective.

The Lucha mug seems like a great option if you enjoy the Chinese method of portable brewing. However, you can also follow this same method with the Libre is you so desire.

Unless you already know you prefer the Chinese method, I would say the Libre is the best of breed in this showdown.

Thursday is Teahouse/Tea Room, Accessory and Brand Review Day!

I don’t know about you… but I love playing with new toys. They could be gadgets or widgets or software or a tea accessory. The LibreTea Glass ‘n Poly tea glass is nothing short of awesome!

To be honest, I was a little trepedatious about reviewing this particular product. As much excitement as I always have when reviewing tea stuff, this particular product has a mesh infuser. Anyone familiar with some of my earlier reviews knows I’m not a fan.

LibreTea Glass 'n Poly

The LibreTea Glass ‘n Poly tea glass however is a ‘break-the-mold’ fantastic accessory. But before I gush about the product too much, let’s look at its construction.

The Glass ‘n Poly has three parts: a top cap (far right in photo), an infuser cap (middle) and the glass itself. The thing which worried me the most about the LibreTea is that it had these multiple pieces. “Wouldn’t that be too complicated?” I asked myself.

To find out, I put the LibreTea through its paces for two weeks at the office and at home. I tested with white teas, black teas, green teas and herbals. Teas of all different liquor hue.

After filling my LibreTea with water of the desired temperature I attached the infuser cap. Then added the type of tea I wanted, put the top cap on and flipped the unit upside down to allow for proper infusion. Of course, I allowed the tea to steep for the requisite amount of time.

What I found was that the LibreTea has replaced my standard infusers. I’m not really sure when this happened… but I’ve mostly stopped using standard mugs or cups for my loose tea. The LibreTea also has enough space in the infuser cap for a teabag, if that’s your thing. Loose tea, as is usually the case, does come out more flavorful.

The LibreTea seems to keep my tea drinkably warm for between thirty and forty minutes depending on what temperature the water was when I put it in. Of course, since I use my trusty Zojirushi water boiler/warmer unit, I always know what temperature that is!

During the course of using the LibreTea I noted a few things which detracted from the experience.

First, was the lack of a “spout” or “straw” with which to drink the tea. Instead, you’re left with having to expose your tea to spills as both caps are required to be removed to drink. I understand this limitation in a 1.0 release, but could easily envision some extra plastic in the infuser cap with a channel for the liquid to flow to a flip straw.

Second, when drinking black teas, pu’erhs and darker herbals some staining is left on the ring at the top of the glass itself. This is easy enough to clean, and the entire unit is dishwasher safe, but it’s a mild inconvenience I haven’t had to deal with before.

Finally, while I don’t consider it a safety issue… it’s a bit disconcerting that some  of the olive green plastic in the infuser cap seems to have faded. I’m not sure if it’s an issue with the materials or if it’s natural wear and tear… but I didn’t anticipate discoloration after only a couple weeks or regular use.

These three quibbles aren’t large enough to keep me from giving this accessory a full five out of five stars. In fact, I’m still so jazzed about the LibreTea several weeks after receiving my review unit that I wrote to the company asking for a couple extra units I could give away in a contest. Which consequently starts today as well!

Obviously, those who drink their teas “gong fu” style or in a more traditional atmosphere wouldn’t use this accessory. But for anyone who enjoys tea everyday using a mug and an infuser or even just teabags, this is pretty much the perfect accessory!

Pros

• Keeps your tea warm for up to forty minutes in practice
• Easiest to clean mesh infuser I’ve ever encountered
• Will replace your standard infuser & mug combo
• Loose tea on the go
• Tea bags work fine as well
• Dishwasher safe

Cons

• Occasional staining on the glass lid
• Some discoloration of the plastics occurs
• Could use a spout or “straw” for drinking on the go

Thursday is Teahouse/Tea Room, Accessory and Brand Review Day!

Pop quiz hot shot! What could be more awesome than a great teapot? Or even a great kettle? How about a 4 liter water boiler which uses little energy and has variable temperature for use with different teas!?! Resplendent. That’s the word I’ll use to describe this device. If I could give this a 4.5, I would seriously think about doing it.

Quick Info
Rating	4/5
Manufacturer	Zojirushi
Accessory	VE Hybrid Water Boiler & Warmer
Classification	Machine
Price	$199.99 USD Via Amazon.com

Zojirushi makes some mighty fine products. From rice cookers to lunch boxes and thermoses I’ve owned a number of their products over the years. This water boiler unit is quite possibly the finest of them all.

With a 4 liter capacity the VE Hybrid Water Boiler & Warmer unit holds enough water for your average enthusiast. Some of us who drink more liquid than we should… might prefer a more industrial 8 or 10 liters. It’s not a quibble. It’s actually just about the perfect capacity.

Initially I set this unit up at home. I quickly realized that being at the office during the day wouldn’t give me the most time to use and review this product. So I took it to work. And there… well… it’s flourished! It grew a little community about it. In the two months it’s been in our break room, I’ve noticed dozens of people using the device for everything from hot cocoa to the Lipton tea the company provides to making hot oatmeal in the morning. It really is neat to watch it all take life.

Zojirushi at Work

Once in the office I began using the temperature selections to help me brew a better cup of tea throughout the day. It’s also where I take a lot of my notes from tastings for the reviews here on Tea-Guy. It’s a simple environment where the device gets used frequently. I have noticed a great deal of additional nuance in my teas given that straight tap water has quite a few minerals and chemicals in it, including fluoride. Regardless the device offers a much happier option when compared to water pushed through a a coffee maker without grounds in it where it sits for hours in a yellow tinged pot.

The temperature options on this unit are 175, 195 and 208 degrees Fahrenheit. These are best for Japanese green teas, Oolong teas and Black teas respectively. Some might disagree in that darker greens might like a slightly higher temperature with lighter greens (like a Chinese green) might actually prefer lower than 175. Regardless, it doesn’t hit the best range for white teas and that should be noted and it’s the only reason why this unit isn’t a 5 on a 5 scale.

The Timer

I particularly like the auto-sealing vacuum. You need to manually unlock the vacuum before you can dispense any water. This is a great way to conserve energy since this unit uses the vacuum to keep the water warm and only re-boils once the water cools to more than 5 degrees Fahrenheit below the selected target. You can always re-boil manually if you like, but I’ve found letting the unit handle it is really the best way to go.

The unit plays a little tune when the water is finished boiling. It’s nice to not have to check back every minute or two to see if the water is ready. There’s also a nice water level indicator running up the front side of the unit. It’s pretty accurate until you get to the bottom of the barrel. But at that point the unit has probably played its little tune again so you know it’s time for a refill.

The power connector on the unit is magnetic, like the ones on Apple’s MacBook lineup. It comes off easily enough when you try to remove it, but it’s snug enough that it doesn’t become disconnected under normal use. This unit gets refilled maybe three times a day during the week, so it sees a lot of regular use and is obviously easy enough to operate… as I haven’t heard anyone ask me yet.

I have not had to clean the unit, but the instructions indicate it to be fairly straight forward. Wipe it down, run some vinegar water through the unit, run clean water through the unit, you’re good to go. I haven’t had any issues with it either. Very promising.

Pros

• 4 liters is just enough water for your average tea enthusiast.
• Automatic re-boil is a life saving feature!
• Front-side water-level indicator is extremely handy.
• Vacuum sealed temperature control saves energy.
• Doesn’t break under heavy use.
• Decently stylish for an office break room.

Cons

• Doesn’t offer temperature option suitable for white teas
• A larger storage tank would be a nice-to-have.
• The tune that’s played can be a little loud in a quiet workplace.

I’ve quickly found this device an indispensable member of my team at work. It puts in hours, never complains, and let’s you know the water is ready by playing a little classical music jingle. I can’t recommend this unit enough. You can pick one up over at Amazon for less than $200.00 USD now. It’s a pretty great deal!

Help a good cause: CharityWater.org