SS Tea Ball infuser – Green $2.00 -$3.00
BKON100 Craft Brewer – $15,000
There are many tea making devices available on the market today. They range from the smallest stainless steel tea ball on a chain which you can pick up for a couple of dollars on up to elaborate state of the art tea brewers wholesale nba jerseys such as BKON100 BLK BKON which retails for around $15,000. In between there is a whole range of tea brewers – or tea infusers as they are often called including the Handy Brew Tea Maker (also bei known as the Smart Tea Maker) This product is also marketed under various individual company brand names.
As the demand and popularity for drinking higher grade, loose leaf teas has grown in recent years, so has the demand for new and different and more sophisticated tea brewing equipment. Dropping the of familiar tea bag in a cup of hot water is still a very common way to make tea, but the trend is moving towards higher grade and healthier loose leaf teas. And this calls for a tea maker or infuser.
Handy Brew Tea Maker (Smart Tea Maker)
One such infuser we want to review here is the Handy Brew Tea maker. This popular loose leaf tea infuser has been around for several years and was one of the first of its kind. It was developed and manufactured in Taiwan and is now exported all over the world. This tea maker is available in several different models (shapes and sizes) and is marketed under different brand names and company logos.
Handy Brew Model: C-70468
Hand Brew Model: C-50458SG
How does it work?
This loose tea maker features a patented ball valve mechanism in the base that is activated by placing the tea maker unit on a cup. The valve opens and the brewed tea “automatically” flows out into the cup. The flow can be stopped at any time by lifting the tea maker off the cup. It can then be placed it on a second cup to pour more tea or be placed on the accompanying coaster.
Step 1: Add loose leaf tea
Step 2: Add hot water
Step 3: After brewing time is complete, place the Handy Brew cheap nba jerseys on a cup to release the tea
Step 4: Lift to stop the tea pouring out
Quality and production methods have advanced over the years and it is now made from 100% BPA free, high grade tritan plastic. It’s a durable and flexible unit and features a removable and replaceable filter that is easy to clean and lightweight. It’s 500ml (17oz) capacity give it considerably more volume than a single cup tea infuser.
Main benefits
- Easy to control the steeping time and release the brewed tea – so as to not over steep the tea
- Easy to make second or third multiple infusions
- Clear and transparent – can watch the tea leaves unfurling and brewing
- Lightweight, Are durable and portable
- Easy to remove and clean the filter
- Inexpensive
- Decent size
Cautions
- The tea can stain the plastic after continued use over time (although in my case it has been several years)
- The valve can be opened unexpectedly and release the tea if you happen to accidentally place the base on something other than a flat surface
The Handy Brew Smart Tea Maker can be purchased online HERE for $19.00 at the Art of Tea store.
Do you know which one I want? Of course, I would like to have the 15000 tea brewer but for now is ok and the handy tea brewer(Smart tea maker)
I have a question, though…
There is a difference in the taste of tea if you make it with the stainless ball or with the 15000 tea brewer?
Thanks for sharing 🙂
Cristina
That is a good question, Cristina. You know the best tea I ever tasted was made and served to me by this old Chinese man way out in the boonies in central Taiwan. He used an old, well used and tea stained little Yi Xing tea pot and brewed some Shanlinxi High Mountain Oolong tea. I don’t know how he did it and I’ve tried to get my Shanlinxi Oolong tea to taste as good – even using higher grade more expensive teas, but nothing ever measures up to that tea tasting experience. Why is that? Certainly it was not because of his expensive tea making equipment. I believe in this case it was more a matter of him being in tune with the tea leaves and understanding and respecting the experience of brewing the leaves and getting it just right. That is the true Tao (Way) of Tea.
Of course we don’t all need to go as deep as that tea master did to enjoy a good cuppa. But all that to say I believe the biggest difference in making and enjoying good tea lies in hands of the person brewing the tea and not the equipment. Then again, if you having good tea making equipment that helps you get the brewing time, the amount of tea and the water temperature all correct, you will more likely of ending up with good tasting tea even if you are inexperienced.