Breville One Touch Tea Maker

Got it! YAY! Happy dance!
So I bought mine on ebay from a seller who seems to have the inside link on how to get these and resell them cheap!
Mine was 180ish I don’t remember exactly how much but it was under 190 including shipping!
It got here in TWO days! I know this is not an ebay seller review LOL but I was FLOORED to have it here on my counter SO FAST!
WOO HOOO

So now – thus far here are my thoughts:

PRO: SUPER easy to work. I figured I would have to have my husband show me at least a few times how to run it but I understood it right away and even setting the custom brew is idiot proof!

CON: You have to brew at least 2 cups of tea at a time. Thats okay when I only want one small cup I can use my regular kettle.

PRO: HUGE brew basket! Allows the leaves to really unfold but then again I have only brewed two cups at a time. I suppose if you made a whole pot and added the right amount of leaves they could get a little smushed in there – I will let you know when I do this.

PRO: Its not as big as I thought it would be over all – far smaller than my obnoxious Keurig coffee maker! So it does not take too much space on my counter! Yay! I don’t have enough space as it is!

PRO: IT looks PRETTY! I like shiny things – its shiny! LOL

PRO: Sturdy!

PRO: Keeps tea warm!

PRO: DOES in fact have a sound when tea is ready! I could not live without that feature!

MOre to come but those are my initial thoughts!

I am back at home from my NYC trip, and… My brand new BREVILLE made it all the way back to Ecuador and through customs with my in one intact piece!!! Oooohhhh I am soooo happy! Yes, I did receive an odd look from my boyfriend and mom when they saw me arrive carrying the box, and yes they are shocked at how much it costs, but it is completely and totally worth it!

I bought it in William Sonoma, my heart was set on it. I walked in and zoned in on it. Sadly they told me they had run out of them. I almost cried! I had saved up for it and even psychologically prepared to carry it home on the long trip… But I hadn’t even considered the idea that they might be out of it! Thankfully, I decided to ask if I could buy the one on display, and I could in fact, and even got a discount!!!! So, I was happy once again!

I have used it every day since I got home. I set the timer and in the morning my kitchen smells like tea and it makes getting ready for work 100 times more enjoyable. Also, when I get home late at night, it heats the water and my tea in a jiffy!

I was a tiny bit worried that the altitude of Quito and the change in air pressure that it causes would make the temperature fiction not work right… Surprisingly, I have had no problems. My tea tastes better than ever with the right temperate water! Usually water boils at a lower temperature here, so when it attempts to get the water to boiling temp it goes a bit crazy and bubbles extremely, but it manages!

So far I have not had any terrible issues with leaves sneaking through the basket, though I will not even try to make rooibos because I am sure that will be a mess! Also, I have to make sure to wipe it between flavored steeps because the flavor does tend to hang around for a while afterword and you can’t submerge it in water to wash thoroughly… Really, those are the only cons…

As for pros… There are sooo many! Waking up to freshly brewed tea, having your tea stay warm, having tea make it self and not worry about over brewing… I can go on and on! I have gotten in the habit of making enough of my morning tea to have a cup with breakfast and take a thermos of it to work with me. Delicious tea habit! Yay!

I have given myself the best early Christmas present ever!!!

I am so excited – hubby finally gave me the green light to order my Breville this Friday! Can’t wait! happy dance

Why can’t I stop thinking about buying this beautiful machine? Why must it haunt my dreams? I think I may need it … N E E D it!!!!

Update: I now own this this glorious machine and I love it! I don’t have a single complaint.

First use to make Long Life Oolong (oolong with peaches, apricots and almonds) from DavidsTea at medium strength.

I received the Breville for a birthday gift, and I am freakin delighted with it. One extremely important note: when you’re taking everything out of the box, DO NOT PUT THE CARAFE UNDER RUNNING WATER for a rinse and clean. The base has electronics in it.
The Breville demands a light wipe to clean it.

But I’ll happily put up with some diva behaviour. I have never tasted such exquisute oolong before. The constant temperature during steeping is an enormously good touch. And, of course, the water was at the best temp for oolong; with my kettle, I have to guess by how much steam is rising … not terribly accurate.

My one suggestion is to try oolong on the “weak” setting first. I did find the medium setting brought out a slight soapiness in the first few sips of the Long Life; I blame the dried fruit for that, though, not the Breville. I can’t wait to try a milk oolong in this today.

Everything worked beautifully — and silently.

And it’s shiny.

This is so great. I’ve had mine for a little over a month now and I use it multiple times a day. I now drink MUCH more tea thanks to the convenience of this appliance. Definitely worth the money.

At first I was a bit irked by the short cord but then I read that it’s a safety precaution so children don’t pull it by the cord off of the counter while water is boiling and harm themselves. So that’s actually a great idea.

The holes do let very small leaves through but you can easily solve this problem by placing this in your cup while you pour your tea – http://www.amazon.com/FORLIFE-Extra-fine-Infuser-Porcelain-Dish/dp/B001JP1KPO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1312356616&sr=8-1 – I searched high and low to find the infuser with the smallest holes out there – and THIS is it folks, I’ve ordered several of these for myself, friends and family.

Best tea maker out there!

Please be gentle this is my first ever video that I have made with the intent of sharing with all my tea friends. It is a little long and a little boring but still I hope it captures my excitement I was feeling when I finally got my first chance to use this lovely Christmas gift I received from my dear husband Ralph.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D08-Gu4CDAw&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Enjoy!

As for the tea – The Milk Oolong I used turned out amazing. I absolutely enjoyed this just as I would have if I had made it the traditional way.

I wrote a very long review of this earlier. It got truncated, so I tried again and again. It posted the first and the last line, and chopped out the middle. And, so I start again.

I love, Love, LOVE this product. It was well worth the purchase price.

The best part is the ease with which it is programmed. Most teas, press a button or two, and off it goes. Perfect every time.

The downside is the mesh in the steeping basket is pretty fine, so most of my rooibos end up all over the place. However, the mesh when you actually pour the tea is fine enough to catch most of it.

Not going to write out all the pros and cons again. Maybe later.

In the event I haven’t mentioned this already, I love this thing.

You know how sometimes you hear the question if you could take one thing with you on a deserted island what would it be? Well the Breville one touch would be my answer.
Although I was a little apprehensive about the price I am so glad we made the purchase! I use it multiple times during the day and absolutely love setting the autostart feature to have tea ready for me in the morning!!!

I LOVE mine

http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/05/breville-one-touch-tea-maker-btm800xl.html

http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/05/update-breville-one-touch-tea-maker.html

One Touch = One AMAZING product. Pricey, but if you are borderline get it! High quality and great tea brewing. Customizable temp with custom brewing time. I have it brew and keep warm so on the way out the door to work, tea brewing is as easy as coffee!

Do yourself a favor if you want automatic, you drink lots of tea, and you want a great experience, it is worth it. Nothing like keeping a kettle hot for an hour and serving to friends.

I was border line… splurged, and don’t regret it. If you get it from William Sonoma, they have a 90 day return w/receipt policy I believe. Try it out and return it if you don’t like it. I’m pretty sure THAT won’t be a problem.

I received the Breville One Touch Tea Maker as a birthday present last year from my then girlfriend and now wife. (That alone was a good reason to marry her!)

With this tea maker, you get a perfect cup of tea every time. It also keeps your tea warm after brewing for up to an hour.

You can choose pre-selected brewing times and temperatures based on the type of tea (black, green, etc.) or you can customize them according to your individual taste (no pun intended).

If you leave your house early in the morning and don’t have time to brew the tea before you leave, you can set the automatic timer so that the tea is ready and waiting for you when you rise.

Being a gadget kind of guy, I also enjoy observing this great machine at work. Over a year later, it’s still fun for me to watch the infusion basket automatically drop and rise.

Cleaning is extremely fast and easy. This is also important to me. Most of the parts can be run through the dishwasher.

I just have three minor complaints:

1. You have to make a minimum of two cups of tea. This isn’t a big deal, but every now and then I only have time or desire for one cup.

2. The maximum warming time after the tea is brewed is one hour. When I make a full pot of tea (five cups), occasionally I don’t drink it all within an hour. I can nuke it, which also isn’t a huge inconvenience, but it would be nice to have more warming time in the machine. I talked to Breville about this issue and they said that tea warmed for over an hour can lose quality and become bitter. Why did I get the feeling that I was being pacified?

3. This one can potentially be major. As of the last time I checked, you could not buy a replacement teapot from Breville if the glass pot should break. A lot of the electronics are contained in the base of the pot. Perhaps this complicates a replacement. However, glass does break and the French glass used for the pot is not extraordinarily thick. I did read in Breville’s question and answer forum that you can call them if your pot breaks. Hopefully they have some kind of resolution. This machine is not cheap or what I would consider to be a disposable item.

Those three issues aside, I absolutely love this machine. There is no doubt in my mind that it has also increased and enhanced my appreciation of tea. I wish I could figure out a way to smuggle it into the office so I could have great tea every day!

I am a casual tea drinker recently introduced to loose leaf tea. I had been using a hot water dispenser and tea ball, but wanted to have a way to enjoy multiple cups at one time. That would require the purchase of both a tea pot and tea kettle, and a lot of trial and error on my part. This machine was perfect (although expensive) for my needs- it combined both pieces of equipment and preset times for different tea types, with the ability to customize both temperature and steep time depending on preference, and program tea making to any specific time of day (as you would set a coffeemaker).
Anyway, I’m sure you know all about the features of the device. Performance wise, it works wonderfully, and is quite sturdy so far. I love being able to have a gadget dedicated to making tea – it makes the process so easy and has really upped my tea consumption. It is no small expense, however, if you are someone who a.) likes gadgetry, b.)wants to streamline their tea making equipment, and/or c.) wants the luxury of being able to program tea as you would a cup of coffee, I think it is well worth the money spent.

I’ve had my Breville tea maker for about a month, and I absolutely adore it. I have made black, green, and herbal teas, as well as chai, and it does a great job with everything. For iced tea, just make it a little more concentrated, and pour over ice when it’s done.

This certainly isn’t an appliance I would have bought for myself, but since I got it as a gift, it has been indispensable. Before I got this tea maker, I would struggle to drink any tea on work days because I wouldn’t have time to make tea and drink it before I left the house, and once I got in to work I would hardly have time to drink from my travel mug. Now I set the auto timer the night before, and my tea is ready when I get up, plus it keeps warm so I can put some in a travel mug just before I leave.

One thing that surprised me about this tea maker it its small size. It is really quite slim. The maximum amount of tea you can make in it is 1250ml, which is about 5 8-oz cups, and the minimum is 500ml, which is about 2 8-oz cups or approximately one large mug. This is a good range for me, but if you were making tea for a crowd or used to drinking tea in daintier amounts, you might take these limitations into account.

As far as maintaining the tea maker, it’s pretty easy. After I’m finished with my tea, I just rinse out the pot and shake and rinse the tea out of the basket. For easier cleanup, or to keep fine particles like rooibos contained, you can put the tea in a tea sac and tie off the end. You can also easily place tea bags in the basket — I just tear off the tag so it doesn’t get soggy and weird.

The tea maker does retain the flavor of the previous tea you steeped — the same as if you used a teapot. I’m use to drinking tea by the cup, so I do clean the pot by just soaking for a minute or two with a splash of vinegar and warm water after making flavored teas. There are instructions for cleaning in the manual, but the pot doesn’t need a thorough cleaning every day — just a rinse and wiping dry with a cloth is fine.

All in all, this is a great appliance. It only does one thing, but it does it very well. It is easy to use and maintain, and doesn’t take up much counter space. I would highly recommend this for busy tea lovers.

This is the best thing since sliced bread! Worth every single penny.

just got this in the mail today…
i’m in love.

brewed a white with rose and jasmine and it came out perfect. it screams quality in the design! love it love it love it!

bye bye, tea bags, hello tastier way of life <3
thanks tax return!

One day with this machine and I am so glad I splurged. I am a beginner and this helps me make sense of adjustments I need to make when brewing.

I am in love with this appliance. When you’re very serious about a sensitive tea, the process can involve a teapot, an infuser, a strainer, a thermometer, a timer; preheating the water to the right temperature, warming the infuser, decanting the infuser, steeping the tea, hoping that you don’t forget the time and overbrew your cup (!), taking care of all those dishes (!!), and repeating the process all over again when you want to rebrew (!!!).

This baby takes care of all of that for you. If you’re not a coffee person, it can even make you hot fresh tea in the morning – and if you are a coffee person, you could probably rig something up. I even boil my eggs in it. (Just don’t use anything big and metal to get them out, it’ll get stuck to the basket’s magnetic strip!) Cleanup is very easy, most of the time you can get away with just rinsing everything a bit. The keep warm function is great, and even adjusts to your original brewing temperature – so your greens won’t get uncomfortably hot, but your blacks won’t turn lukewarm with a splash of milk. But that’s all besides the point, which is: Perfect tea! Every time! Hot and ready! Drink some, drink some more, add water and press the button to make another perfect batch! Did I mention how fast this thing heats up? Really, really fast. Much faster than an electric stovetop and rivaling the microwave (with a whole lot more precision). Great for a quick batch of miso soup or anything else you’d want hot or warm water for.

Okay, gloating aside, a couple of caveats. The cord is comically short and the plug is three-pronged. You may need to get an extension cord. I never had any problems with it shutting itself off though, and I drive this thing pretty hard. The holes in the strainer may also be too large for very fine leaves like Gyokuro, or anything that includes very small pieces/powder. For those cases, I suggest using finium filter bags. Personally, I don’t mind the size of the holes because they work out for the vast majority of my teas; and they’re also really easy to clean since stuff doesn’t get stuck in them like in finer metal filters.

Lastly, you do have to make at least two cups at a time for at least a 30 second steep. This machine is not appropriate for gongfu style brewing. You may still want to make your most valuable and resteep-heavy teas manually. The other option is to keep making several 2-cup batches and storing the teas in your fridge. They may not be quite as good as fresh, but it’s not bad, and you can turn them into iced tea.

Overall, even these minor shortcomings do not keep me from giving this a perfect score, because it is easily one of my most-used and favorite appliances.

I would make another lengthy review to say how absolutely awesome it is, but the other reviews pretty much say it all! In my opinion, a must for all heavy tea drinkers, or those who simply can afford it. Not regretting any dollar I spent on mine!

The best machine ever! I’ve used it daily for 3 months. If it broke tomorrow, I would run out and get another one!!