Adagio - ingenuiTEA

After quietly scoffing at the husband of a friend who had one of these little gadgets (except that his was glass) a couple of years ago, the potential benefit finally hit home this past week. When I first saw one I thought it was silly – I have infusers and strainers and teapots and mugs and what do I need a fancy dump-it-into-your-cup infuser? Sure, it’s a cool mechanism but that’s it, right? I mean, I can watch tea steep in a glass teapot. So what does this do that I don’t already do?

Well, after using it for a whole evening of steeping, I get it. I can steep, see the leaves swirling around, use one less piece of equipment and still be able to use a pretty teacup. It takes up less room than one of my normal teapots and still holds enough for at least 2 full cups so I don’t have to get up often. :)

I didn’t realize when I bought it that it was plastic. This was the only kind the local tea market had and I probably could have shopped around but I tend to get in an immediate gratification mode when I have a target in mind. :) I don’t avoid plastic, but I probably would have gotten glass if they had one.

I’m glad they didn’t have glass. I can see enormous potential for taking this with me on trips and I don’t have to worry about it shattering in my luggage. Sure, it would be easier if it were still the microwavable version, but even if I have to heat water in the cup I steep in or in a hotel room coffee pot (blech), I can see this getting a lot of use.

Total Klutz Update: Be very, very careful where you set this down. I forgot it drains when the aperture is pressed upwards. I sat it down on a cluttered table while gathering some laundry. I soon had more laundry to do in addition to blotting the carpet dry. When I realized what that running water sound was, I picked up the pitcher and sat it down on a dresser that had an empty plastic shipping envelope on it. Apparently the plastic had ridges just high enough to trigger another flood. Sigh. Ah, well, there are worse things for a carpet to smell like than Santa’s Secret tea. :)

It is in the mail. I can’t explain how excited I am.

I like mine, it works well for oolongs and pu-erh (easy and quick resteeps) – it also works well on rooibos / honeybush because of it’s fine filter

So I mostly use a teapot with a removable filter whenever I make tea since I like to make at least two cups, then drink it over a period of time. Unfortunately this isn’t a good practice if you’re wanting to go through multiple teas in relatively short period of time. Mostly ‘cause my teapot’s filter doesn’t reach all the way down to the bottom so the leaves expand out of the water while brewing. And I wasn’t about to just dump the leaves in the pot and brew it that way since it defeated the purpose of being able to have a pot of tea sitting there since it would continue to brew and get bitter.

Enter this little gadget. I had wanted one since seeing it on Adagio’s website and after seeing it used in one of their stores, but it had always been out of stock and really I never saw the need since my teapot worked so well. To me it was just a gimmick that looked like fun to have. It was by chance that I was finally able to pick up a used one a few months ago. It had to be heavy duty cleaned ‘cause it smelled like Chai and the plastic was all stained. But it was surprisingly easy to clean. Everything comes apart pretty easily, though you have to be careful not to lose anything or it’ll all be pretty useless. Lol.
I used straight baking soda made into a thick paste and a paper towel to scrub all the discoloration on the plastic away. The little filter was a bit harder to clean, but after a soak in baking soda water and more scrubbing, that finally came clean too. Washed everything in soapy water and let it dry completely before putting it all back together. Then it got stuck in with my tea stuff to sit in lonely disuse for awhile.

When I finally had a Saturday to myself, I wanted to give this Saturday/Sunday Sipdown thing I keep seeing people doing a shot. This little gadget was perfect for it. I used a rubber band around the outside to mark off one cup since I’m horrible at eyeing a measurement. Then I just put one cup’s worth of tea into it, poured the water in and let it brew. Then I just drain into my chosen mug and voila! I have one cup of tea. Afterward it’s very easy to scoop out the old leaves, rinse briefly (I let the water run through the valve at the bottom as well) and then reload with a new tea. I was able to quickly go through 3 or 4 teas before I got tea-ed out and went to bed. Lol. I made sure to pop the filter out and give the whole thing a quick scrub and rinse before letting it dry since I’m afraid of the plastic absorbing the smell if I let the tea sit in it for too long.

I haven’t used the full 2 cup capacity since I barely have a mug big enough for that much tea or else I’d have to let it drain into a teapot, which I then should’ve just made the tea in in the first place. Lol.

One warning when using it. The bottom release is very sensitive to being touched (at least mine is). I managed to scald my hand awfully and spill tea all over the place the first time I used it. I made the mistake of touching the bottom slightly on one edge before I had it over my cup (I think I wanted to watch the tea drain into the cup or something stupid. Lol!) instead of just picking it up and setting it on the cup. Definitely learned from that experience.

Overall I’d definitely recommend this as something to have around. I only wish I could find where to buy replacement filters if I ever need them.

Someone got this for me as a wedding present. I didn’t use it until my DavidsTea Steeper needed some serious cleaning and is MIA.

I’m gonna compare the ingenuiTEA to the Steeper

ingenuiTEA
narrower design – not for wide mugs compared to the Steeper, so you’ll have to reach under and press the drain trigger and hope to not get splashed with hot tea.
The narrow design makes it impossible to reach into the pot, if you are they type like me that likes to fish out fruit bits to sample.

Holds less than the Steeper. This puppy does 16oz as per website. It doesn’t actually make 16oz of tea, more like max output of 14 or 15ish of steeped tea. Empty, poured to the brim it’s 16oz, but if there is say 2 or 3t of tea in it, it takes up volume plus you don’t really want to fill it to the brim and risk a mess. Bit of a shock for me, as I was trying to make 16oz and ran out of room – I’m so used to an 18oz Steeper, and having some breathing room.

I do like the handle on the ingenuiTEA more, it’s easier to grab and more comfortable. The inside mechanics are the same as I can tell.

Overall – I like my Steeper more for the bigger size and wider design. I’ll end up using the ingenuiTEA for backup, travel or office use.

I just purchased this at my local wegmans…it was on sale for a much lower price then online. I really DID NOT need any more tea toys. However, I love that I can see the leaves as they steep!!!

This works pretty well although lately I’ve opted for the infuser bags Adagio sells for $3 each.

The design is the same as others (like Teavana) but with a budget-friendly price. My favorite feature of this infuser is that it is microwave and dishwasher safe. I hate picking the little leaves teas like rooibos leave behind in the mesh strainer component. So while I wash the infuser thoroughly, I love that I can pop it in the dishwasher and get it really clean. Ricky pointed out that the scent of your last brewed tea is left behind, but after using the dishwasher I find the scent is gone.

While I wouldn’t try to brew teas in the microwave, it’s a nice touch that this is safe for microwave use. If I need to reheat, it’s easy. Me likey.

I rarely drink a cuppa the same tea twice in a row so I would have to constantly strain and dump out leaves…it gets to be a hassle to use. Instead I opt for the biodegradable infuser bags. Much easier for a tea chameleon like me! :P

After not using this for a year or so because I couldn’t get the replacement filter to go in, I tried pouring boiling water in with the filter dropped in and let it sit for awhile. Then drained it, and the filter was pliable enough to pop in. I swear I had tried it back then, but it didn’t work. Oh well.

It worked well to get me into using loose teas back when I first picked it up, so I would say I got my money’s worth and it was useful for that. But these days, I don’t find it any harder to toss some leaves in the metal basket of one of my teapots and pouring in water. I am dirtying just as many items either way.

Plus, I’m trying to get away from plastic foodstuffs, so we will see how much I use it now that it has a new filter. I am contemplating taking it to work and leaving it there. We’ll see.

I cannot help but smile every time I use this. Its unique design brews a perfect cup of tea and it is dishwasher safe. I bought one as a gift as well. I almost wish I had more just for fun.

I got an Amazon gift card for my birthday and decided to use it to pick up one of these. I have a similar one from Teavana, but for some reason, I had to have this one too.

Pros:
• It is super easy – throw a scoop of tea in, add correct temp water, wait for tea to brew, set over cup to drain, remove, and drink. Depending on the type of tea, this gadget can then be stashed in the ‘fridge for a re-steep, or the leaves can be swished into the sink/bin/garden/compost bin.
• I have yet to encounter a tea that has particles small and fine enough to slip through the strainer into the cup.
• It is far easier to clean out bits of tea from this than from a tea ball.
• I don’t care that this is plastic. That means I can take it with me without worry on trips, picnics, and work.
• This thing will hold 16oz of liquid. I can brew up an entire travel cup of tea in one go, set this on top of the travel tumbler and not worry about spilling or even having to stand there and hold anything!

Cons:
• I have a few cups (a Tervis mug, some other ceramic/stoneware mugs) that this will not fit comfortably over the top of. I have to balance one side on the edge of the mug to engage the lift mechanism in the gadget.
• It holds 16oz of liquid. If I want to use a smaller (normal) sized cup that isn’t see-through, I have to constantly pick up this thing and check the level of the liquid in the drinking vessel.
• Occasionally, if I haven’t let it drip completely out, I might have a small drip on the counter when I set it down.

Overall, I really like it and find myself grabbing it from the cabinet more often than the Teavana one. The only actual drawback for me is that it doesn’t fit over certain mugs I have.

one of the best teaware items i own. everyone should own at least one or more of these

love this! I have been using mine for over a year and it has completely changed how I drink tea. My only suggestion is maybe to use two. Sometimes if I make a chai or other very flavorful tea in this, the flavors linger and my next tea is a bit flavored. This rarely happens though!

This is the first tea master/steeper I bought. I found it at a small store here in town and had to try it out ‘cause a friend of mine told me about it, and I was so interested to try it out.
This thing is amazing! I don’t know how I lived my tea life without it. This lets the tea leaves fully expand so you get the full flavour of the tea. Also, it’s beautiful to watch the tea steep. I love it. I have a total of three steepers and I love them. I will always have them in my house.

I love this! I had seen something similar at Teavana, but the pushy sales person there led me to look for other options. This is what I settled on and it is perfect and I don’t need to worry about my toddler getting ahold of it and breaking it. In the last week he’s managed to drop it several times on our tile floor and it bounces rather well.

The 16oz cup size is good for me and I like that there is also a 32oz option as well. I don’t have any serious complaints about it, but it doesn’t work with my 18oz stoneware mugs that I prefer to use for tea. Not a serious problem in my book, I’ve got a ton of other mugs that work just fine with it, they just don’t look as pretty.

It does drip a little on the counter after use, but I’ve solved this problem by setting the ingenuiTEA on top of a plastic lid from a 32oz gas station cup. It is the perfect size to fit down in the groves of the lid and it doesn’t depress the bottom and let tea go everywhere. I think I’m seriously channeling McGyver here :)

I love how easy clean up is and running a little vinegar water through it eliminates any lasting smell or taste from my stronger teas. I find that sometimes when I steep something with spices it tends to linger a bit and transfer to my next cup.

Love it

I got this little guy a few weeks ago and am very happy with the outcome. This is my first steeper and I have no problem with it so far. I got the small one and it is perfect for two! I have not used it in a dishwasher yet and I find rinsing it and giving it a little wipe with a soapy sponge does the trick.

I really like this gadget. Not too expensive and durable. I love being able to watch the leaves move as they steep. It makes it really easy to resteep leaves as well. Glad I bought this.

Just recently bought one of these, they’re awesome! You get to see your tea steep and it stays hot for quite a while. Plus it’s super easy to clean. You just have to be careful not to touch the bottom if you’re carrying it from room to room or your tea will spill!

I actually have the larger 4-cup size of this— even though it’s labeled as the “iced” version, it’s the same thing, works the same way, just in a larger size. Perfect for filling my boyfriend’s giant mugs or just when we both want an average mugful, and even (gasp) making iced tea! I marked out 8/16/24oz lines on it with a sharpie for when I need smaller servings.

I owned the regular-sized version for a long while and used it to death before it violently hit the floor one day. The smaller one had a permanent, unremovable filter (their new version if I’m not mistaken) which personally bothered me a little, since if the filter tears or is otherwise damaged, it seems you’d have to replace the whole unit. It also made my inner clean-freak twitch a little as areas of the pot were near-impossible to clean (I don’t own a dishwasher, that probably would have solved the problem).

The four cup size, however, still has the removable filter, which is great for easier cleaning. I’ve never had a problem with it floating away or falling out or had a hard time taking it out or putting it back in or anything. Maybe that was only a problem with the smaller versions.

This is certainly a bit of teaware that gets daily use in my house; I have a hard time imagining my mornings without it.

There is nothing cooler than this gadget for me right now. At least until I get the bigger size. I’m just too used to drinking a pot of tea (my fave pot holds three cups), especially at tea times. Getting a big mug all at once is enjoyable, but I think it might become frustrating at meal times.