The Tea Scoop

The End of the Adagio Saga

Well, I have extremely sad news. Upon only the second use of my new IngenuiTEA, I had the exact same problem as before with the infuser floating up to join the swimming leaves.

To recap: the same problem occured with one infuser, again with the same infuser but a replacement strainer, and again with the second infuser. This has convinced me that it is not a defective model, but it is in fact an inferior product.

As soon as I get a free moment, I'm heading out to Teavana to buy a Perfect Teamaker...with a nice permanent strainer.

The Ongoing Saga of Adagio

Well, I have to say, other than the one slight burp, I'm incredibly impressed with Adagio's customer service. A new IngenuiTEA and a new strainer for the broken one came today, only two days after I emailed them about the problem, thanks to the miracle of FedEx. (Tom Hanks of Castaway would be quite proud). Dad informs me that having FedEx deliver on a Saturday is twenty to thirty bucks, so Adagio really did their part to please me.

Thanks, Adagio!

Adagio

So, normally, I am a huge fan of Adagio, the on-line tea company. Their teas are sent out quickly, are of good quality, and they make samples available for a reasonable price. I also like the way they foster the tea community with things like TeaChat (forums), TeaChef (cooking contests), and TeaMap (teahouse locater).

But, my IngenuiTEA is really breaking my heart. This morning, new strainer in place, I pour my hot water in, and all the leaves float up...along with the strainer. Sighing heavily, I grab another basket-type strainer and strain it through that into my thermos...but if I was going to mess with that, I never would have shelled out the twenty bucks for the IngenuiTEA.

I wrote to Adagio as soon as I got the chance, and they reminded me that it was past the 30 day warranty, but luckily had it on record that I'd been having problems before that period was up, so hopefully they will send me a replacement. At this point, it seems like it's not the strainer, but the teamaker itself.

Since they use them regularly at the Whole Foods I frequent, I'm thinking that I just got a defective one. But all the same, it's a huge pain and not worth it for the cleaning convenience of the removable strainer. Teavana's Perfect Teamaker has a permanent strainer, and if you stay on top of keeping it clean, there is no need to remove the strainer. (They also make an Easy Tea Steeper with a removable strainer). All in all, I am extremely disappointed.

(From left to right: Adagio's IngenuiTEA, Teavana's Easy Tea Steeper, Teavana's Perfect Teamaker)

Tea Timer

While I have a digital tea timer, the Cuppa tea timer dock application for Macs is one of my favorite little toys. A little teacup icon sits in your dock, and with one right click, you can select your favorite tea and a timer will count down to let you know when your tea is ready.

I like it when I'm working on my laptop and don't want to forget tea steeping nearby. Plus, it's just so darn cute!

For Windows users, Adagio also has a downloadable tea timer. I'd love to hear from a Windows user on this item!

The Tea Test

The Tea Association of the United States of America has published a test for retailers and those in the industry to brush up on their tea knowledge. While somehat geared towards these inviduals, it is just a fun way to test your own tea knowledge.

You might be surprised at what you learn.

The Tea Association's Website is a great resource to learn about tea, with everything from articles about health and a glossary, to just basic introductory information about tea. If you're looking to pursue a career in the tea industry, this is definitely the website to keep an eye on.