ingenuitea help

[Deleted User #7842]

Here's my problem. For the first infusion I can pour hot water into the ingenuitea to preheat it, then drain the water into my mug to preheat that. Add the tea to the ingenuitea, add hot water, brew, drink, good times.

When I come back to do a 2nd infusion, generally 30min-1hr later, the ingenuitea has cooled to basically room temperature. Since the tea leaves are already in the ingenuitea, I can't preheat it for the 2nd infusion. I've measured basically a 15F temperature loss pouring hot water into a room temperature ingenuitea.

What should I do to compensate for the temperature loss on subsequent infusions?

I could pour hot water in, wait a couple seconds, drain it, then fill it again. But I think that would take away from my 2nd infusion since I would be throwing out partially brewed tea water. I could heat my water 15F hotter than what I actually want it to be, but I worry that the leaves would be affected by the hotter temperature while the water slowly lowers 15F as it heats the room temperature ingenuitea. Plus, if I was already trying to use boiling water this would mean I would never have a temperature of 212F since I can't get the water 15F higher than 212F.

What to do?

[rhpot1991]

Well isn't 212 the highest you can hit??? So therefor cooling will naturally occur. I normally don't worry about heating my teaware unless its my tokoname pot and only then cause the green tea looses too much heat by the time I am done with it.

[jpetty421]

Do a lot of people re-use their tea for 2nd infusions?? I understand that on a 2nd infusion you lose the antioxidant, caffeine and/or vitamins in the teas???

[DethChef]

I always reinfuse my loose tea. I'm not sure about nutrient loss, but it still has flavor.

As far as pre-heating goes, i'm sure it helps, but really once you have your tea infused you have a lot more working against brew temp besides the container. You have the wet, cold tea itself to cool it. I'd just compensate a little with hotter water.

[Space Samurai]

Do a lot of people re-use their tea for 2nd infusions?? I understand that on a 2nd infusion you lose the antioxidant, caffeine and/or vitamins in the teas???

I think many of us aren't particularly concerned with the antioxidants or health value of tea. Sure its an added bonus, but flavor and enjoyment are much more important. And tossing the leaves after the first infusion can often be a waste of some perfectly good tea.

[skywarrior]

Do a lot of people re-use their tea for 2nd infusions?? I understand that on a 2nd infusion you lose the antioxidant, caffeine and/or vitamins in the teas???

I generally don't because I feel the tea gets too weak. But I just tried the pumpkin tea and found the first infusion very strong. The second was about right. I suspect I will use less tea with it.