Teas Etc | Tea Traveler™

I’m always looking for new ways to enjoy tea.  Lately, I’ve been drinking more coffee on the go  than tea because my wife always has a pot ready in the morning and we have plenty of coffee travel mugs handy.  In order to get back into my usual tea consumption habits, I had to find a companion for my early morning travels.  Teas Etc offers a product called the Tea Traveler™.  There are pros and cons to this product, but the pros far out weigh the cons for me.  The issue some people will have with this product is it was designed to allow you to place your tea leaves in the container, add water, seal the strainer and lid, and go.  You drink the tea with the leaves in the Tea Traveler™.  The strainer separates the leaves from your mouth as you take a drink.  If you try to use your normal tea leaf to water heat ratio, you might be left with a bitter brew – no one wants that.  So, you need to apply some common sense.  Going with the suggestions from Teas Etc., the common sense approach was to use less tea.  I have been using approximately the same water temperatures I would normally use to steep tea.  To date, I’m very happy with this approach.  The Tea Traveler™ is a stylish and functional on-the-go tea container.  The product is 100% BPA free.

So far, I’ve tried Teas Etc.’s: Huang Jin Gui (oolong), Golden Monkey Superior Organic (black tea), and Bai Hao Silver Needle Organic (white tea).

Teas Etc | Bai Hao Silver Needle

Today, I want to focus on Bai Hao Organic Silver Needle (Yinzhen).  This tea has been a real treat.  As the name suggests, the dry tea leaves show the white “hairs” of the tea buds with a needle-like appearance.  As the tea steeps, the leaves take on more of a darker green color.  It has a very pure flavor,  and it is a refreshing tea to drink.  The natural sweetness mixed with a hint nature’s breeze gives this tea a very calming characteristic.  What I love about elegant white teas of this quality is the fact that not only is it organic, but it makes you feel grounded and healthy as you drink the tea.

Preparation: Steep the leaves for at least 2-3 minutes in water that has cooled from a boil (maybe 190 degrees) for about 3-4 minutes.  Filtered water definitely helps to bring out the subtle notes of the white tea.

Teas Etc.’s view of the tea: “A scrumptious all bud white tea from the world renowned Fujian province in central China – obviously a cut above. The pure clean character and woody tone stands out with a lingering, smooth finish, and makes this tea quite memorable.”

• Visit Teas Etc.

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If you are looking for an easy and efficient way to make tea, Zarafina has an innovative product to help you. As loose leaf tea continues to gain popularity in the U.S. due to the countless health benefits and superior natural flavor, a popular method for steeping tea needs to be established. Coffee drinkers have a plethora of coffee makers to choose from to prepare their beverage of choice. Tea drinkers have not been as fortunate. Zarafina is filling the void. If you are comfortable with your current tea making technique, this product may not appeal to you right now. However, I think the timing is right for Zarafina’s product to take-off. Most people I know have no idea how to make loose leaf tea. I know a lot of intelligent people, and when they see my “real” tea, they always ask, “how do you make it?” After I explain, they go off and… get a coffee.

Zarafina’s tea maker helps tea drinkers by standardizing the tea making process:

• Pick the type of tea you are drinking: black, oolong, green, white, herbal (the dry tea is held in a tea basket. It floats on the water until the water temperature is right for your tea type).



• Select a “brew strength” strong, medium, or mild.
• It knows how hot to make the water.
• The tea maker steeps the tea for the correct amount of time – every time. You no longer need to watch the pot like a hawk. It’s ok if you need to do another task while your favorite tea is steeping.
• The tea flows into a pot made for two – very similar to a coffee maker.
• The entire process takes about 7 minutes or so.

What I like most about the Zarafina tea maker is the noticeable quality of the product. I was impressed with the packaging of the product. Packaging is very important to me. It let’s me know that the company cares about the customer and the delivery and presentation of the product. The quality of the tea pot, cups, and various pieces of the tea maker suite all seem to be very durable. I’ve had the tea maker suite for about two weeks. Like any food or beverage appliance, a good washing is in order after you remove it from the box. I ran a few “test” brews through the tea maker to get all of the “newness” out of the hardware. So far, I’ve drank a few of my favorite black teas and an oolong, all made with the tea maker suite. After a little practice, my tea is tasting just as good as it did with my other brewing methods. With this tea maker, I don’t need to worry about water temperature and steeping time. Life is hectic enough. My practice time with this product was geared more toward how much tea I needed to use to get the brew strengths where I like them.

Last night was the moment of truth. I made the first “tea for two” using my Zarafina tea suite for my wife. Regardless of how you make your tea, there’s nothing better than enjoying it with someone you love.

• Visit Zarafina – check out this product

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If you’re not familiar with Adagio, you most likely do not order loose leaf tea online. This company combines great tea selections, style, customer service, and technology. Their website is by far one of the best-designed online tea stores I have seen. The site is easy to navigate, and purchasing tea online has never been easier. After you purchase a tea from Adagio, you can rate the tea. The feedback gives future buyers a wide range of feedback to help decide if the tea is right for their taste preference, and it gives the person leaving the feedback 50 cents off their current shopping cart total. So, if you are ordering twelve dollars worth of tea, and you reviewed 6 teas from a previous purchase, you’ll save three dollars to make the total nine dollars. I have ordered several teas from Adagio, and I have yet to be disappointed.

Now, above and beyond the tea selection and the ease of doing business with Adagio, I must discuss the ingenuiTEA. The ingenuiTEA is the greatest tea accessory on the planet (maybe a bit of a stretch). It’s a 16-ounce plastic pot with a removable filter in the bottom of the pot. The base of the pot uses gravity to its advantage. If you push the bottom of the base upward, the seal is broken and tea can escape to your cup. So, you put your tea leaves in the ingenuiTEA; add the correct amount of water; let the tea steep for the appropriate time; when it’s ready, rest the pot on top of a cup; and let gravity do the rest. It’s the perfect companion for the person wanting to make a quick cup or two of loose leave tea. The ingenuiTEA is dishwasher and microwave safe, and it is very durable. The filter is the only thing I’ve needed to replace since owning it. I had to replace the filter because after a million cups of tea, the filter had enough. Make sure you visit Adagio’s website – buy some tea and watch the video demo of the ingenuiTEA.

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