The Tea Scoop

Michael Graves

If you love design and you love Target, then you probably are aware of the design work of Michael Graves. I certainly have admired his work for years, particularly his Alessi teapot:

It's delightfully whimsical. Originally sold for $65 in 1985, today they retail for $159. Graves says that the pot ranks among favorite things that he has designed, and he has even autographed it using a special etching machine, comparing it to a baseball player autographing a baseball.

His later designs are just as whimsical, including one with a spinning whistle.

That particular model retails on Amazon.com for around $25, a much more affordable price for those of who enjoy shopping at Target.

As I have said many times, the world of tea is a perfect place to combine form and function, and Michael Graves is the epitomy of that concept.

Native American Tea Company Part II

While in South Dakota on a trip recently, I had been talking a great deal about my tea blog. One of my fellow travelers therefore made a gift of Native American Tea Company’s “Teepee Dreams” on the stipulation that I write a review of it. While I was not impressed with the company’s “Good Medicine” tea, I thought I would give this flavor a shot.

My favorite part so far about this brand is the packaging, including a little story (that may lack somewhat in accuracy).

“Native American Indians learned long ago how to make life enjoyable, to listen to the birds sing and to appreciate the harmony of nature. At the end of the day it was always a special time to wrap up in buffalo robes and sit next to the fire to eat and tell stories while relaxing with a cup of herbal tea. It was during these special times when old-time stories were told. Stories of the creations of mankind, prophecies and dreams, as well as other traditional stories designed to teach Indian youths of the good in the world.”

The ingredients of this particular tea include peppermint, chamomile, catnip, valerian root, passion flower, strawberry leaf, and scullcap. Steeped for three minutes, the liquor is a bright yellow color that then fades to a rather honeyed color. It definitely smells like a nighttime tea with a strong chamomile odor. The first flavor that hits is definitely the peppermint, which is to be expected as no one can compete with peppermint. Mostly, it just tastes like peppermint and chamomile. The peppermint definitely comes in a bit stronger than the spearmint did in the other tea, but not quite strongly enough to make it a good mint infusion. My conclusion? Better than “Good Medicine” but not my dream tea.

Zarafina Tea Maker Suite

I am very excited to present to you this review, for I finally have been able to experience the Zarafina Tea Maker Suite for myself, after ogling it on-line for months. Retailing at $149.99, it is not for those who simply dabble in the world of tea but for those who drink it on a daily basis.

Imagine the ease of a coffee machine. You simply add water and ground beans, and it produces a cup for you. The Zarafina works in a similar fashion, finally giving tea drinkers the same convenience that has been available to coffee drinkers for years.

The Zarafina provides a high level of customization with options for black, green, oolong, white, and herbal infusions, a choice of bagged or loose leaf tea, and a choice of strength: mild, medium, and strong. You fill the steeping chamber with cold water, put in the infuser basket, and turn it on. One of my favorite features is in fact the infuser, which floats until the water reaches the desired temperature, in order to keep the leaves from coming into contact with too-cool water. After the water reaches the appropriate temperature for the type of infusion, the infuser basket drops. When the steeping time is finished, it automatically pours into the included pot. As I explained this to my mother, she declared that I would need a chemistry degree to work the thing. But once it was put into use, we were in agreement that in fact the Zarafina was the one with the chemistry degree.

Determined to give it a fair and balanced review, I have decided to experiment with various methods of testing. I plan on comparing the results with tea prepared in my cast iron teapot, the most traditional method of tea preparation that I have. However, my impatience this afternoon interfered. When I desired a cup of Darjeeling (Adagio), I just had to try it out. I toggled it to black, loose leaf, and medium. Filling the steeping chamber was simple enough, as lines are marked for one cup and two cups. I did not use the included scoop, which holds one and a half teaspoons, but used my own teaspoon sized tea scoop, and put two scoops in for two cups of tea. Sure enough, the basket floated as it was supposed to. After a few minutes of gurgling, the water heated, the tea steeped, and my tea was dispensed with no further steps. It was absolutely the easiest cuppa I have ever made.

So, how did this gadget turn out? Delightful. My only complaint was that the tea came out more mild than medium strength, for which there is a possible explanation other than machine error: I didn’t use the recommended amount of tea. It was still delicious. Cleanup was easy as well. The infuser basket was easy to rinse out, and the steeping chamber also removes for easy cleaning.

Look for further experimentation over the next few episodes of The Tea Scoop!