Newbie looking for teaware to fit lifestyle

[Tapar]

I have been enjoying tea for about a year now having switched from Mountain Dew. I have been sticking with the foil bagged teabag's and while I like that I have really felt the desire to expand my setup to loose tea. The main sticking point is that I have such a convenient system that I am not sure how to integrate loose tea into my lifestyle.

I would like to describe what I am doing now and hope that might lead to some suggestions about what might be a good way for me to go. I like to drink tea while using the computer or reading a book. I really disliked getting up to make tea a cup at a time and dedicated a small table next to my chair mostly to tea making supplies. I have a cheap plastic 'hot shot' that boils 16oz of water at a time, which is perfect for my 16oz TiVo mug. I have two 32oz plastic water bottles that I fill with water so I am not making constant trips to the sink. I don't mind getting up to refill and whatnot after going through 4 cups. That distributes the hassle enough that it doesn't dissuade me from making the tea.

I drink each cup fairly quickly but usually take a decent break between cups which made the "1 cup at a time" system so useful. I was looking at the 4 liter water warmers and while they look awesome and hold enough water to be less annoying, it seems like it would be wasteful to keep all 4 liters at temperature and then only make a cup every hour or two.

I have a vague plan of getting some sort of a water warmer/kettle device. Getting a bigger lazy-susan that will hold tea supplies, ie various flavors of Tea, sweetener, something like an IngenuiTEA infuser, spoon, ect. That should make it so I can reach everything and keep it handy and convenient. I am a bit lost about the water warmer/kettle device in particular as I know next to nothing about them. I also wondered if the IngenuiTEA infuser would work with my giant 16 oz cup as it has a really wide rim. I could buy a few cups to go with it, but I do like my 16oz cups.

I still have to do a bunch of research before I will know if my "tea station" can be outfitted the way I want. I have read that for some teas you apparently might want to toss the first quick infusion, and my current setup doesn't really allow for that. I also don't know much about how long tea lasts. I originally envisioned stocking up on a number of types to basically go with whatever mood strikes or what guests might prefer, I don't know if that is the way to go anymore, it might be better to plan to have a couple of favorites then cycle in small orders of experimental teas instead so they all stay fresh.

If anyone has any suggestions for what I might want to look at for my tea station, I would really love to hear them. I am not super worried about price, convenience is more the goal. Thanks so much, I really appreciate it!

[Victoria]

Well you definitely need a water kettle and I would suggest Adagio's. I have it and it's very good, plus you will get the points. Next since you into the convenience, I would suggest the IngenuiTEA for you. It has a pretty big base, I just measured mine and it will fit on a mug up to about 3 3/4" diameter. But if your mug is bigger you can "cheat" by holding it over the mug and using a spoon or even a pencil to depress the bottom to release the tea.

Welcome to the forum!

[kymidwife]

Ditto on what Victoria said... IngenuiTea is a great and convenient way to begin loose leaf brewing. I used mine for anything and everything before I expanded to more specialized brewing equipment. They work great, and I still use them often.

I used an automatic cordless kettle for a long time, similar to the one from Adagio... also a really convenient choice. I now have a Zoji which keeps water ready all the time... but wouldn't work as well in your current setup, as it takes up too much space.

Anyway... welcome to Teachat and I hope you hang around and talk Tea with us often.

Sarah

[Tapar]

Thanks for the tips! I really appreciate it. I have ordered the IngenuiTea and a glass mug in case it doesn't fit my current 16oz jumbo mug.

I have been debating between the Zojirushi CV-DSC40 4 liter and the UtiliTea 1 liter kettle. The way it works out, the size difference would not be a problem. They are about the same width, but the zojirushi unit is almost double the length. The length is less precious space-wise than width in my setup so they are almost a wash in that area.

I have been leaning towards the Zoji, because it holds so much water. I had not considered that it could be energy efficient and keep that much water hot. The UtiliTea looks like it would be easier to poor and it is certainly much less expensive. The good news is that even if loose tea doesn't end up being my thing either unit would still be a significant upgrade to my current setup and would still have value for me.

I am very much looking forward to experimenting with the IngenuiTea when it arrives! Thanks again!

[Victoria]

I used the IngenuiTea and that glass mug for quite some time when I was just starting out. It's a great set up for a newbie. The fact that the UtiliTea comes off its base for cleaning (and pouring) is a bonus.

[beachape]

I use a 2 liter electric water kettle and pour it directly into a zojirushi carafe. Its important that you only use the carafe for water though, otherwise it'll taste funny. That way you can get the speed of an electric kettle without having to reboil all the time. Just an idea.

[kymidwife]

I use the 3-liter Zoji and it dispenses really smoothly into my brewing vessel, so there is no "pouring" necessary. I really love it. I could go back to an electric cordless kettle if I had to, but I'd reallllly miss my Zoji.

Sarah

[Tapar]

I ended up going with the Zojirushi 4 liter. I have found through experimentation that if I can't make four 16oz cups I feel like I am spending too much time preparing to make drinks. The 1 liter capacity of the UtiliTea would mean that I would need to keep an refill handy to avoid being overly inconvenienced. That is not a large problem but it does add to the width issues of my setup as I would have to keep the bottle within reach. In the end that tipped me towards the Zoji though it was a close decision.

The 2 liter kettle and carafe was a great suggestion and could definitely work well for my situation. I still ended up with the zoji because it sounded like it was a kettle and insulated carafe in one unit. I think I am enamored with the idea of 4 liters and not having to constantly remember to refill the water bottles when I get up. I never seem to remember till just after I get comfortable. lol.

I have been attempting to learn more about Tea storage, everyone seems to agree that you want to keep it out of the light, at consistent temperatures, away from humidity, and away from odors. I like to keep myself under the same conditions so that works out fairly well. The approach I am considering is a dual lazy susan approach on the 20x33 table I am using primarily as my "tea station".

I am hoping the Zojirushi keeps it's humidity to itself enough to put a decent sized lazy susan next to the Zoji. Then I am planning to store the IngenuiTea and paraphernalia on that lazy susan. I will also put a second, smaller, two shelf lazy susan on the larger lazy susan. That is where I expect to store the loose tea, in either tins or opaque ceramic jars depending on how the research turns out.

The largest variable yet to be resolved is figuring out how much tea I want on hand at a given time. That will dictate the number of tea containers and the size of the containers needed. I figure I can hold off on that stuff till I am more experienced with the loose teas and my preferences.

[Seeker]

Welcome to the forum Tapar!

Sounds like you have an interesting and cool setup you're creating.
(love to see a photo when you get it setup).

Also, I've been starting to think about a Zoji - and would love to hear about your experience with it.

Cheers!

[Cinnamon Kitty]

I am hoping the Zojirushi keeps it's humidity to itself enough to put a decent sized lazy susan next to the Zoji. Then I am planning to store the IngenuiTea and paraphernalia on that lazy susan. I will also put a second, smaller, two shelf lazy susan on the larger lazy susan. That is where I expect to store the loose tea, in either tins or opaque ceramic jars depending on how the research turns out.

As long as you don't have a shelf or something directly covering the top of the Zoji where the steam vent is, you should be fine. I have my 3 liter Zoji on a kitchen cart with teas both next to the Zoji and stored nearby. As long as my tins are tightly sealed, I have not had any issues with the leaves getting wet before their time.

[icepinkdiamond]

I know I'm a tad late to this thread, but just wondering if you ever got your tea station set up?

Sounds like you have an interesting and cool setup you're creating.
(love to see a photo when you get it setup).

I'd also like to see how your setup came out!

[Tapar]

Thanks for the interest, I don't feel like my setup is complete yet but it is functional while I try to figure out what I want to do. I mentioned thinking about a second lazy susan but I have not yet committed to that. I am using a kitchen cart to hold everything right now.

There are a few aspects of the setup I am looking to change. The double decker lazy susan is somewhat useful but not big enough to hold enough tea. I have a mental image of a ferris-wheel like setup to hold lots of tea. I picture a bigger version of something like this spice rack: http://www.organize.com/20jarfewhspr.html I might end up just using a bigger lazy susan, but I would like to find something cool.

I have also been looking at tea tray's a bit too for waste water. Right now I am just using a big bowl. I also use it for dead tea leaves till I end up near a waste basket. I have not found a setup that combines the two well and would be easy to empty/clean so the bowl is going to be hard to replace.

I love the Zoji soooo much though! I don't know how I lived without it for so long. It is amazing that something so simple can prove to be so useful.

The setup isn't particularly interesting yet, but I will attach a photo anyway. Thanks!

[Chip]

Thanks for sharing with us Tapar, we were all newbs at some point and went through growing pains as you are now.

I remember going through a similar time as you are now with how to accomodate all my tea. I actually went the spice rack route, but did eventually abandon it as it had some downsides that the anal side of me could not get past, not the least of which is that they are generally glass jars and light is an enemy of tea.

But please do enjoy your own personal journey, but know there is always pretty solid advice at your fingertips here on TC.

[tenuki]

I'm a lazy person, which has eventually led me to be a minimalist about tea over the years. Let me share what I usually do during the workday.

1) Favorite cup.*
2) Throw tea leaves into it (yes no bag, no strainer, nothin')
3) Add hot water from my utilitea that sits on my desk.
4) drink, add more water, drink, repeat

I bet it's less effort than what you are doing, and I only get up to refill the 1 liter utilitea.

*