Just like a clip-on tie, but different...

Yanko Designs featured yet another cool tea steeping gadget - The Clip-On Tea Infuser. As they explain, Paul Sukphisit, a senior at Massachusetts College of Art and Design, was given a Student Merit Award for this prototype design at the Industrial Design Society of America (IDSA) Northern District Conference. He'll be taking this design to the national conference this September.

It's adorable, like a tea brewing USB thumb drive, though I question the functionality.

Cool parts of this design:

• the limitless versatility of the outer clip-on design
• the clip-on doubles as a saucer/trough to catch the drips when done brewing
• it can clip onto any-sized mug or cup
  

Questionable parts of the design:

• the size of the infuser appears too small for loose leaf tea to unfurl
  
• the size & shape of the infuser looks like it will be difficult to clean out
  
• the size of the saucer/trough looks too small to actually catch the drips
  

Loose Leaf Tea: help a friend

It took at least 8 weeks into my employment at a loose leaf tea company before I brewed my first cup of tea. It was one of those deals where you try to hide the fact that you really have no idea what your doing by avoiding that thing at all costs. It was no small feat this constant dance I did around the break room. Had I entered, I risked the request called out from the CEO's office: "Will whoever's in the kitchen make me some tea?" I would have nightmares:

"Yikes! How can I get out of this with my dignity in tact? I was hired for my operational and organizational abilities, how should I know how to make a cup of tea? I'm a coffee drinker for crying out loud. OK settle down, all of the tools are here: hot water, ceramic mug, steeping mechanism, unlimited choices of tea. Uh oh, too many variables: what kind of tea; how much tea do I use; which water temperature works best; how long do I steep; why is this green tea brown; all tea comes from the same plant, what???? AAHHHHH!"

Gives me chills just thinking about it. Similar to the dream about walking into my high school English final and I haven't been to class in months. Finally, under the guise of "wanting to provide the best possible customer service," I asked a co-worker to explain to me how to make different types of tea as if I were an idiot, so that I could then pass along this process in layman's terms to beginners. Of course she had no idea that I really was this idiot. And of course I was only fooling myslf. Regardless, the bonehead seminar began and within 5 minutes, I was an expert in tea FAQ. Thus began the wild ride that is my affinity for loose leaf tea. But I would still be avoiding the break room and the possible nightmare-triggering request from the CEO had I not figured out a way to overcome the intimidation factor. So as I type these words, I vow to help one and all with the simple task of steeping loose leaf tea.

Your friends don't dislike tea. They just don't know how to make it, no matter what they tell you. Help them learn.

photo from: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikSZxDoH78ThnS-t7LcpvZHbuY51FOugn_aQfMQfixypdPujm5sDrLBXFfKoxHtFQtbxpFPBo9V-pDQRPHbZWyQJXLe7Knu1xx4CI3svw-YFXCKDRsmfaFoE4jEXKyflbVpuRfk-23h78/s320/scared-monkey.png

Steeping Cup Demo Video

I'm really excited that our Steeping Cup got featured in a video review on the tea-centric social networking site, Hot For Tea - Check it out!


Find more videos like this on Hot For Tea

Red Steeping Cup Steeps Red Clover Tea Loose!

Even with all the love and care we give our products, their packaging and presentation on our website, quite often, when we see our products presented on someone else's blog, they're described far more eloquently than we feel able to say ourselves... one such example is yesterday's post about our Red Steeping Cup on the fashionable "Well-Heeled Society's" blog, where the stylish Felicia Coley's saying is: Sometimes life's destiny does not include you being swept off your feet. Sometimes it's just standing in the light of your completeness... wearing fabulous shoes. She thanks us for our donation of a Red Steeping Cup and says "I am now able to get a warm hug with style every morning in red. I have since let my tea ball down easy, proving that it's best not to cry over spilled milk. Or tea... Lose that Ball & Chain! Modern Teaware for Loose Leaf Teas". Thank you Felicia, for understanding and articulating exactly what we want to communicate with our products!
Thank you to NY Post Fashion Blog for Photo

Do it your way... but pay attention.

I spend a lot of my time in grocery stores. My job requires it. And during that time I’m typically lucky enough to have any number of conversations with a wide variety of folks that range in topic from tea to politics, sports to literature, and even that other tea company that everyone knows about in Boulder. Inevitably I get a lot of questions about “rules” when it comes to tea. “How long should I steep my green tea?” “What’s the best temperature water to use for white tea?” “How many infusions should I get out of an oolong?”

My answer to all of these questions typically varies from one customer and one set of circumstances to the next. However, what I always seem to end up telling folks is simply to, “do what works best for you.”

All teas are different. As such, your methods of preparation from one tea to the next will obviously vary. At Tea Spot we recommend 3 minute infusions on our greens and whites and about 4 and a half on our black teas.

But I often tell folks that these guidelines are simply that… guidelines. And with that said, they are not necessarily what works best for all teas.

What’s important to consider is that you take the time to figure out what specific method of preparation works best for you and how that method effects the taste, quality, and overall experience from one cup to the next. Personally I find that many black teas (Pu’erh for instance) taste better to me with short, quick infusions < 2 minutes. And there are certain green teas that yield excellent results when infused for < 1 minute with water that never fully boils. So if you happen to find that boiling water, 6 minute infusions, and Chinese Dragonwell are the keys to unlocking your perfect cup… (ummmmmm… you didn’t hear it from me)… than say go for it!

In my eyes there aren’t any hard and fast rules when it comes to tea. The sheer fact that tea takes so many different forms and comes from so many different countries makes it one of the most customizable beverages that we consume. With time and experience what you’ll find is that tending to your tea and paying attention to the leaves as they unfurl in your cup or pot will ultimately yield a more satisfying experience… and hopefully a better tasting tea too!

I Know Why You Don't Like Green Tea

One of our major missions at the TeaSpot is education. We want our staff to be well-educated about tea and the process of making it, the different teas we offer, how to describe flavors, and of course the numerous health benefits of consuming premium, loose leaf teas. We also want to be able to share this knowledge with as many people that come through our door as possible. I have noticed that the majority of people ordering tea really aren’t sure what they want or what they like. I can totally relate to this conundrum, because before I was employed by the TeaSpot, my knowledge of tea was limited to the random selection of teabags that was offered at whatever restaurant where I was waiting tables at the time. Green, black, herbal…it was all the same to me.

In my 9-month tenure as the GM of the TeaSpot’s downtown retail location in Boulder, I have come across quite a few customers who, befuddled by the size and content of our tea list whilst trying to make a selection, look at me plaintively and say “I don’t like green tea, but what else can you recommend?”

One of the most important things to know about tea is that the water temperature that you use to steep your tea with is extremely important. Most customers that claim to have a mild or severe distaste for green tea had no idea that if boiling water is used to steep it, chances are it will turn out to be bitter and taste horrible. Considering most folks simply boil water then pour it over tea if they make it at home (which is what I do, albeit much more carefully now), it is not surprising that most people are making it incorrectly, and therefore not enjoying it. Using water that is cooler allows the tea to reach is perfect, peak flavor, as well as release the maximum amount of essential oils, vitamisn, and antioxidants. Using boiling water will scorch your tea; the taste will be bitter, and you will literally burn out those health benefits, which is probably why you’re attempting to drink the stuff in the first place, right?

So, for everyone’s education, here are the temperature guidelines that we use behind the counter to serve the perfect cup of tea:

Black and herbal teas: Boiling water (212˚F)
Green and white teas: 175˚
Mates and oolongs: 195˚

Since we don’t all have thermometers ready at hand to measure the temperature of our water (and if you do, well then use it), there are a few strategies one can use to bring water to an ideal temperature for brewing green tea. If you use an electric kettle like I do, the best thing to do is to plop a few ice cubes into the kettle after it has switched off. I have found that for one 16 ounce mug, one regular sized ice cube will do the trick perfectly; for mate or oolong just let the water sit for a few minutes before you pour it. For boiling water on the stove, simply cut the heat before the water shows signs of “dragon eyes,” when bubbles start to form and rise to the surface of the water. For mate or oolong tea, remove the water from the heat right after the water looks like a string of pearls; water bubbles following one another in a string to the surface of the water.

Making the perfect cup of a tea is a culinary challenge and delight. It’s a bit like yoga, sex, or running on the treadmill…it might not be perfect the first time, but the more you practice, the better it gets. Well, maybe not the treadmill, but you see what I’m saying: get in the kitchen and practice making that tea!