Woah! Hello Again! Been a Long Time... Qi Aerista?

[NateHevens]

How is everyone? I haven't posted here in... well... a really long time. Sorry about that!

Anyways... yeah, I'm asking your opinions about something I'm just now hearing about again. It's another fancy tea-maker, although this one actually has my interest, as opposed to just making me laugh...

I'm listening to the most recent episode of World Tea Podcast right now. He's talking about this product called "Qi Aerista". It does seem expensive, but if what they're offering is honest, I can see why it might be that expensive?

After all... the Breville One Touch is $249.99 US, and that doesn't offer everything this one does.

But then again, I know to be skeptical... that the traditional methods are usually preferred.

So what do y'all think? Interesting? Over-priced?

[pedant]

at ~1:38 in the video at the top of the kickstarter, when they said "A cup of tea made with the Qi Aerista says simplicity", i laughed uncontrollably

calming down... that thing will definitely make tea
i think it's an interesting design -- similar to a soxhlet extractor except fully continuous process (and that fresh solvent isn't continuously hitting the leaf).
it also says min capacity of 275mL which i guess is pretty reasonable if you are shooting for getting everything out of a few grams of tea in one go -- it could work for a single person.

also, i assumed it used a pump to push water up that tube and into the leaf basket, but...

The beauty of our innovation is that it does not use a water pump or mechanical agitator to create the necessary water flow for an effective brewing process

Even though there is quite a bit of science and engineering behind how our patented brewing mechanism, it is relatively simple in construction. Since part of our design is still patent-pending, we won’t reveal any more technical information about it until we get closer to our actual shipping date. Thanks for understanding.

i wonder if it's something to do with a valve... expanding gas to provide the pressure head needed to drive the liquid upwards... idk maybe the secret will come to me in my sleep. gn

[ethan]

If the photograph of the man in a pirate hat is you, you are young enough to wait until the price comes down from that company or competition--if it works.

While you are waiting for that to happen, you can spend the $ you will save on some good tea. It's easier to direct you to good tea than guess about the value of new technology.

Good to see you back, Nate.

[NateHevens]

If the photograph of the man in a pirate hat is you, you are young enough to wait until the price comes down from that company or competition--if it works.

That is me, yes. I'm 29, but yeah, of course. I'm not actually planning on dropping money on it right now (I work at Teavana... I don't make enough). I'm just curious about the opinions of long-time tea drinkers.

While you are waiting for that to happen, you can spend the $ you will save on some good tea. It's easier to direct you to good tea than guess about the value of new technology.

That's a very good point.

Good to see you back, Nate.

Thanks!

[Bok]

This kind of machine is for people who do not care about or understand tea. There are already similar machines on the market in Taiwan. The people who use them who I know, are totally clueless about good tea.

Similar to all those Nespresso whatever machines… more plastic, more waste, more electricity, less flavour – no thanks!

[Emily@Adagio]

Wow, they really crushed their goal!

I think this device definitely appeals to young people who are constantly hungry for the next cool gadget, but it certainly won't help you make a better cup of tea unless you already understand tea and know what you're doing. There's a lot to be said for self-educating and you won't really learn anything about tea by using one of these machines.

I personally especially dislike that the temperature choices are named for the tea types but don't list the temperature you are using. Sure, some green teas brew really well at 175F, but there are others that should ideally be brewed at a higher or lower temperature.

I personally think investing in a good temperature controlled kettle is all you really need to make a great cup of tea. Just my two cents though

[NateHevens]

Wow, they really crushed their goal!

Yeah they did. By a lot.

I think this device definitely appeals to young people who are constantly hungry for the next cool gadget, but it certainly won't help you make a better cup of tea unless you already understand tea and know what you're doing. There's a lot to be said for self-educating and you won't really learn anything about tea by using one of these machines.

I personally especially dislike that the temperature choices are named for the tea types but don't list the temperature you are using. Sure, some green teas brew really well at 175F, but there are others that should ideally be brewed at a higher or lower temperature.

I personally think investing in a good temperature controlled kettle is all you really need to make a great cup of tea. Just my two cents though

I definitely agree here, and especially with your last point. I got a great one on Amazon for $99. I've never had any of the problems with it that the negative reviewers say they have. It's wonderful. I just wish it could cooler than 145*F.