Being the gadget freak that I am, I like to have gadgets in the kitchen almost as much as I do in the office or on the go. I am a big fan of drinking tea (both hot and cold), but often I only want one mug of tea at a time, not a whole pot. I was looking around at tea flavors I wanted to try when I happened upon the Perfect Teamaker from Teavana. It seemed like the perfect solution, so I promptly added it to my Christmas list.
A bit about the 16 oz. Perfect Teamaker from the Teavana website:
The Teavana Perfect Teamaker creates the perfect cup of tea for tea lovers on the go. Just add loose tea, 16oz of hot water and steep. Drain the tea by placing it onto your favorite mug. Prepares two 8oz cups of tea.
My awesome mother-in-law gifted me with the Teavana Perfect Teamaker, Perfect Tea Mug, and an assortment of yummy teas as part of my Christmas present. I also ordered tea samples from Adagio Teas and some Coconut Cream Pie flavored black tea from 52teas, so I couldn’t wait to try it all out in my new teamaker.
For my review, I busted out the 52teas Coconut Cream Pie black tea. It smelled amazing in the package and I was excited about brewing it up–reviews said it tasted like liquid pie! Who doesn’t love low-cal liquid pie? I sure do!
First, you measure out your tea and dump it in. I always use a tiny bit more than the prescribed amount because I like my tea (especially black teas) strong. I use a scoop that came with my french press (which I also use for tea) to measure out about a scoop and a half of tea.
After that, I poured in some boiling water and let the tea steep. One thing I didn’t know is that different kinds of teas steep at different temperatures. Black tea takes hot hot water, so I had the tea kettle fired up and getting ready while I was taking pictures and preparing my teamaker. The Perfect Teamaker sits on a small coaster-like disc of plastic while it steeps that catches any errant drips or spills from the bottom of the teamaker (where the tea actually comes out). It is a nice way to protect my counter from a tea disaster!
Once the tea was done steeping (I found that around 6 and a half minutes was perfect for this particular tea), I poured it into my Perfect Tea Mug by putting the Teamaker directly over the top of the mug. It presses down on some small feet around the bottom of the teamaker and drains the tea directly into the mug, while the mesh infuser catches all the tea leaves and other things and prevents them from getting into your drink. This worked perfectly! No spills, no drips, no fuss. Then I mixed in some Sugar in the Raw (otherwise known as turbinado sugar) and some sweet Italian creme non-dairy creamer.
Not only was the resulting tea absolutely delicious, but the Teavana Perfect Teamaker could not be easier to use! I loved how it was not as fussy as my tea pot or a tea ball, and it actually made making my tea kind of fun. Now if I want tea in the morning, I will load up my teamaker the night before and have the kettle ready to go as soon as I wake up in the morning. For someone who loves a mug of loose leaf tea every now and then, I think this is a great tool.
The Teavana Perfect Teamaker was also easy to clean–everything just pops in the dishwasher for a cycle. I used the top rack just to be on the safe side. The only downside I can see is that the filter on the bottom has no way of being taken out or replaced. I’m given to understand that the Adagio Teas version of the Perfect Teamaker has a removable filter, and I can definitely see how that would come in handy for cleaning or replacement.
Overall, I think the Teavana Perfect Teamaker is a great gadget for the tea lover! It comes in both 16 oz and 32 oz versions and is available on Teavana’s website.
MSRP: 17.99 for 16 oz., 29.99 for 32 oz.
What I Like: Easy to use, easy to clean, keeps tea leaves out of mug, affordable
What Needs Improvement: Filter and bottom need to be removable for better cleaning or filter replacement