ingenuiTEA

After quietly scoffing at the husband of a friend who had one of these little gadgets (except that his was glass) a couple of years ago, the potential benefit finally hit home this past week. When I first saw one I thought it was silly – I have infusers and strainers and teapots and mugs and what do I need a fancy dump-it-into-your-cup infuser? Sure, it’s a cool mechanism but that’s it, right? I mean, I can watch tea steep in a glass teapot. So what does this do that I don’t already do?

Well, after using it for a whole evening of steeping, I get it. I can steep, see the leaves swirling around, use one less piece of equipment and still be able to use a pretty teacup. It takes up less room than one of my normal teapots and still holds enough for at least 2 full cups so I don’t have to get up often. :)

I didn’t realize when I bought it that it was plastic. This was the only kind the local tea market had and I probably could have shopped around but I tend to get in an immediate gratification mode when I have a target in mind. :) I don’t avoid plastic, but I probably would have gotten glass if they had one.

I’m glad they didn’t have glass. I can see enormous potential for taking this with me on trips and I don’t have to worry about it shattering in my luggage. Sure, it would be easier if it were still the microwavable version, but even if I have to heat water in the cup I steep in or in a hotel room coffee pot (blech), I can see this getting a lot of use.

Total Klutz Update: Be very, very careful where you set this down. I forgot it drains when the aperture is pressed upwards. I sat it down on a cluttered table while gathering some laundry. I soon had more laundry to do in addition to blotting the carpet dry. When I realized what that running water sound was, I picked up the pitcher and sat it down on a dresser that had an empty plastic shipping envelope on it. Apparently the plastic had ridges just high enough to trigger another flood. Sigh. Ah, well, there are worse things for a carpet to smell like than Santa’s Secret tea. :)

I’m about fed up with this thing. My ingenuiTea looks sparkling clear with no stains on the body (thanks to baking soda) with a little staining on the filter, but whatever.
However, this thing leaks everywhere! While it is steeping tea it is fine. However once I dispense the tea, any liquid inside leaks quite heavily all over the place. It has gotten worse and worse over the course of a year. Rating drop!

UGGGGG, next DavidsTea order I’m ordering their Steeper, or maybe try Teavana’s.
(see previous note for comparison between this one and the DavidsTea Steeper)

It is in the mail. I can’t explain how excited I am.

I like mine, it works well for oolongs and pu-erh (easy and quick resteeps) – it also works well on rooibos / honeybush because of it’s fine filter

So I mostly use a teapot with a removable filter whenever I make tea since I like to make at least two cups, then drink it over a period of time. Unfortunately this isn’t a good practice if you’re wanting to go through multiple teas in relatively short period of time. Mostly ‘cause my teapot’s filter doesn’t reach all the way down to the bottom so the leaves expand out of the water while brewing. And I wasn’t about to just dump the leaves in the pot and brew it that way since it defeated the purpose of being able to have a pot of tea sitting there since it would continue to brew and get bitter.

Enter this little gadget. I had wanted one since seeing it on Adagio’s website and after seeing it used in one of their stores, but it had always been out of stock and really I never saw the need since my teapot worked so well. To me it was just a gimmick that looked like fun to have. It was by chance that I was finally able to pick up a used one a few months ago. It had to be heavy duty cleaned ‘cause it smelled like Chai and the plastic was all stained. But it was surprisingly easy to clean. Everything comes apart pretty easily, though you have to be careful not to lose anything or it’ll all be pretty useless. Lol.
I used straight baking soda made into a thick paste and a paper towel to scrub all the discoloration on the plastic away. The little filter was a bit harder to clean, but after a soak in baking soda water and more scrubbing, that finally came clean too. Washed everything in soapy water and let it dry completely before putting it all back together. Then it got stuck in with my tea stuff to sit in lonely disuse for awhile.

When I finally had a Saturday to myself, I wanted to give this Saturday/Sunday Sipdown thing I keep seeing people doing a shot. This little gadget was perfect for it. I used a rubber band around the outside to mark off one cup since I’m horrible at eyeing a measurement. Then I just put one cup’s worth of tea into it, poured the water in and let it brew. Then I just drain into my chosen mug and voila! I have one cup of tea. Afterward it’s very easy to scoop out the old leaves, rinse briefly (I let the water run through the valve at the bottom as well) and then reload with a new tea. I was able to quickly go through 3 or 4 teas before I got tea-ed out and went to bed. Lol. I made sure to pop the filter out and give the whole thing a quick scrub and rinse before letting it dry since I’m afraid of the plastic absorbing the smell if I let the tea sit in it for too long.

I haven’t used the full 2 cup capacity since I barely have a mug big enough for that much tea or else I’d have to let it drain into a teapot, which I then should’ve just made the tea in in the first place. Lol.

One warning when using it. The bottom release is very sensitive to being touched (at least mine is). I managed to scald my hand awfully and spill tea all over the place the first time I used it. I made the mistake of touching the bottom slightly on one edge before I had it over my cup (I think I wanted to watch the tea drain into the cup or something stupid. Lol!) instead of just picking it up and setting it on the cup. Definitely learned from that experience.

Overall I’d definitely recommend this as something to have around. I only wish I could find where to buy replacement filters if I ever need them.

I just purchased this at my local wegmans…it was on sale for a much lower price then online. I really DID NOT need any more tea toys. However, I love that I can see the leaves as they steep!!!

This works pretty well although lately I’ve opted for the infuser bags Adagio sells for $3 each.

The design is the same as others (like Teavana) but with a budget-friendly price. My favorite feature of this infuser is that it is microwave and dishwasher safe. I hate picking the little leaves teas like rooibos leave behind in the mesh strainer component. So while I wash the infuser thoroughly, I love that I can pop it in the dishwasher and get it really clean. Ricky pointed out that the scent of your last brewed tea is left behind, but after using the dishwasher I find the scent is gone.

While I wouldn’t try to brew teas in the microwave, it’s a nice touch that this is safe for microwave use. If I need to reheat, it’s easy. Me likey.

I rarely drink a cuppa the same tea twice in a row so I would have to constantly strain and dump out leaves…it gets to be a hassle to use. Instead I opt for the biodegradable infuser bags. Much easier for a tea chameleon like me! :P

A fun toy. Doesn’t brew any better or worse then my teapots, and not particularly easier or harder to use and clean. I like it, and use it when I want brew just a cup or two directly to a mug. I put 6oz and 12oz lines on it with a sharpie, and have a couple of saucers I use with it, since I lost the little tray it came with, and some sort of saucer or tray is necessity if you don’t want to accidentally spill tea.

I got back and forth between being deeply entertained and mildly disturbed that using it inevitably reminds me of one of those peeing baby dolls.

After not using this for a year or so because I couldn’t get the replacement filter to go in, I tried pouring boiling water in with the filter dropped in and let it sit for awhile. Then drained it, and the filter was pliable enough to pop in. I swear I had tried it back then, but it didn’t work. Oh well.

It worked well to get me into using loose teas back when I first picked it up, so I would say I got my money’s worth and it was useful for that. But these days, I don’t find it any harder to toss some leaves in the metal basket of one of my teapots and pouring in water. I am dirtying just as many items either way.

Plus, I’m trying to get away from plastic foodstuffs, so we will see how much I use it now that it has a new filter. I am contemplating taking it to work and leaving it there. We’ll see.

I cannot help but smile every time I use this. Its unique design brews a perfect cup of tea and it is dishwasher safe. I bought one as a gift as well. I almost wish I had more just for fun.