So I move to Seattle, the coffee capital of the country and what do I do? I really get into tea. Yeah, I know it's crazy, but I've never really been into coffee and believe it or not tea in this town will give coffee a run for its money.
Now I have nothing against coffee, it's just not my cup of tea (hardy har har). But really, since I dove into the world of tea somehow new accessories keep finding their way into my home. So for all the tea lovers out there I thought I would share the findings of my obsession with you just in time for the cold weather to seep in.
Top Row
1. These glass tumbler travel mugs from Blue Q are a staple for me. You can brew your tea and toss them in your bag and they stay piping hot for hours, literally.
2. Remedy Tea is my favorite Tea Cafe in Seattle. They have over 150 loose leaf teas to drool over, and the best part is that you don't have to live in Seattle to enjoy them, they're all available online.
3. This beautiful tea kettle designed by Michael Graves and is available at Target.
4. This Bodum tea glass has an insulated double wall that keeps your tea warm while keeping your hands cool. The fact that they are easy on the eyes doesn't hurt either. Via Caffe Forte.
5. Since my tea adventure began, the one thing that I find I'm always trying to get on top of is how to keep my pot of tea hot over time. I was just introduced to this insulated tea pot this weekend by a friend and found it available at William Sonoma. It brews your loose leaf tea and keeps it nice and hot for a good hour.
Bottom Row
1. This glass tea cup by CLARO is equipped with its own brewing infuser and comes in lots of great colors.
2. Now when it comes to temperature I never really paid attention to how hot the water was supposed to be for different teas until my friend got me a temperature controlled tea kettle and woah did it change everything. I always wondered why the teas always tasted so different from the tea shop to when I got them home. Now I know. Temperature makes all the difference. This lovely temperature controlled kettle is made by Cuisinart.
3. I love this portable floating tea infuser because it comes with its own little caddy to catch the drips. Via Amazon.
Images: As linked above.
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Oooh tea porn! These are lovely, particularly the Blue Q tumblers.
Great stuff! I love espresso based drinks, but I am getting into tea too. Particularly green tea. You can buy some really nice green teas in Chinatown here in NYC.
A friend gave me the perfect 2 cup teapot. But it's tall and narrow and I could not find a good cozy for it. I came across a nice wool ski hat that was too small for me and voila', the perfect cozy.
Tea is the main thing I drink every day -- at least half a gallon. (Decaf, or else I'd be insanely hopped up...) One of the best gifts I have ever gotten was for the holidays last year: a Breville tea maker. http://www.brevilleusa.com/tea/one-touch-tea-maker.html I LOVE this, although I couldn't have afforded to buy it for myself. I wouldn't say it is a must-have for the average tea drinker, but if you are serious about tea and will use it every day, I can tell you that it makes perfect tea no matter what variety you brew. Different temperature settings for black tea, green tea, etc. It is insanely easy to use, can brew about 40 ounces at a time quickly and keep the tea warm for an hour. There is supposed to also be a setting that allows you to program the tea in advance so that it is waiting for you when you wake up, though I have not tested that function yet.
@jplee I can't even get over that Breville tea maker, it's incredible. I so want one now. Thanx for sharing :)
yes! I'm from seattle and i'm an avid tea (mostly green) drinker!!!!!
I love Tea hot or cold. The Bodum Pavina double wall glass is perfect for a cup of hot tea. I also like the Bodum Ceylon Iced Tea Maker to brew hot or cold tea.
I recommend anyone getting into loose tea to get the PerfecTea Maker from Teavana... throw a scoop or two of tea in, fill with hot water and let it steep! Once its done, just sit it on top of the mug and it drains out! (Pressure on the bottom from the rim of the mug opens it up) No pouring, no tiny tea bits floating around in your mug! Plus, its clear so you can watch you tea steep (which is fascinating)
http://www.teavana.com/akers-infusers/p/teavana-perfect-teamaker
I have this teapot and I love it more than all the others I own. Its really great looking and it is very well designed. This pot has a built- in strainer and you place your thumb on the knobbed lid so its a one hand pour.
I use good loose green tea that allows me to get about three- four brews from two tablespoons.
This site shows it but I bought mine on Clement street in SF-
http://www.chatchada.com/index.php/coffee-tea/teapots/tenmon-teapot.html
Does anyone else find the use of a homeless person in the "my account", "view cart" and "check out" pages of the Blue Q website to be a little disturbing? I was going to purchase a yellow thermos for my wife for her birthday - but didn't feel quite right buying from a company that makes light of homelessness, or poverty. The tone of the website, like their products are cheeky - but I could not, in good conscience, condone the use of a homeless woman pushing a cart as a joke.
I am not trying to imply that anyone SHOULD have a problem with this - only to draw your attention to it in case you are a person who feels a responsibility as a consumer. In case anyone else feels weird about this - I did send the company an email asking that they remove the image. I will post when the image has been removed.
For single-plantation teas, try Upton Teas I love their selection of Keemuns and the variety of Nepalese teas. However, Upton is not great for flavored or chai-style teas such as the ones shown in the graphics above.
JML3000,
Just wondering... How do you know that this person is homeless? All I'm seeing is a generic old lady (though perhaps frumpily dressed) pushing an empty shopping cart. Is it not offensive that you automatically assume that a person pushing a shopping cart is homeless?
@JML3000,
Just wondering... How do you know that this person is homeless? All I'm seeing is a generic old lady (though perhaps frumpily dressed) pushing an empty shopping cart. Is it not offensive that you automatically assume that a person pushing a shopping cart is homeless?
Anyone know what the name of t he mugs offered by Blue Q is? Blue Q no longer has and I would LOVE to get my hands on this :)
Thanks for any info!
G