Good tea brewer for someone in a college dorm?

[corban123]

Hey guys, so I live in a college dorm, and I was wondering if someone can recommend a good brewer for tea. All I really have in my room is a microwave and a sink, and I do have access to a stove from time to time, but it's not very often and not very easy to get to in the mornings. I'd really like your guys opinions on what you think is best! Thanks a lot!

[debunix]

In a dorm, you're a lot like many of us who set up to brew in the office. There's the really basic kamjove-type device, cheap and not easy to break, and I've brewed a lot of nice tea in one of these



You can get a lot of variations on these including mostly glass versions.

That plus a glass pitcher to heat the water in the microwave, and a thermometer, would be a bare-bones setup.

A little nicer & pricier is a temp-controlled electric kettle, and a glass or glazed teapot or shiboridashi that can brew most any tea.

[corban123]

I'm gonna need to find a cheap, good electric Kettle. :/

[futurebird]

Kettles are mostly the same. A $10 plastic kettle is as good as a $50 plastic kettle.



Stainless steel is a bit better, you can get a good one for $25.



Some kettles tell the temperature of the water-- this is a nice feature of you drink green or white tea.

The very best consumer kettle is this one:




It's not cheap, ($90... gag) but it's worth it.

Still, you can make great tea with either of the above. Some say plastic makes the water taste funny... I don't think it's THAT big of a deal.

[corban123]

I'm gonna have to look at my options I guess.

[debunix]

I've made lots if nice tea with the first electric kettle shown and the kamjove.

[yalokinh]

You can get very cheap electric kettles at any retail place, don't get the ones with the black plate inside.

[jayinhk]

Stainless steel kettle and porcelain or glass teapot with a ball filter (or none at all if you prefer). That's really all you need.

[corban123]

So far, what I've been using is a tea kettle, a filter, and my mug. Need something that will get me in and out of my dorm quickly when I have class in 30min.

[debunix]

In desperate times, it's good to have a few reliable teas that can take tossing into a thermos, covering with hot water, and still be tasty, even if not primo. I have a few shu puerhs and various oolongs I can trust with this.

[5am]

For on the go, I have a thermos. It keeps things hot for about 6 hours. It lets me carry 16oz of deliciousness wherever I go.

For speed brewing I use a hot water boiler like my Zojurushi, it has various temperature settings for 205, 195, & 175*F. It makes sure I can make a relatively great tea in the time it takes to steep it. Into a non-preheated teapot I can get almost exactly 160*F for a delicate sencha and once preheated I can get close to 173-74*F.

I recommend a couple implements that makes brewing tea so easy it tripled my tea intake and made tea a very important part of my life.

A water heater, a loose leaf infuser (teapot) and a thermos, of course, for home use, a trusty mug as well (with white walls so you can examine the color of the liquor.)

Happy brewing.