PerfecTea by Teavana

The second best purchase for tea I have ever made. Does a great job steeping and filtering out tea leaves. Only problem is that is rather difficult to clean, at least for me.

My very first tea maker besides a basic bamboo strainer. From what I can see, this is virtually the same design as Adagio’s IngenuiTea maker and numerous other nearly identical products from other companies. I must say the design is very cool and works well. It’s very easy to brew, just put the leaves inside along with your hot water and when you’re ready to pour, simply place the device on top of your cup. I love the simplicity. I haven’t noticed any “notes of plastic” in my tea when using this, the tea still maintains it’s pure and natural flavor. The only problem is that it sometimes leaks a little bit which can be annoying. But overall, I’m happy with it.

I have had the small version for about 3 months, and the large version for 5/6 months. I absolutely love this product! It allows me to do what i think would be called a “modified gungfu” type steeping. Basically do exactly what you would do with a yixing pot or gaiwan (1g/1oz of water, multiple short steeps) Its so much easier than using a yixing pot!

I will warn about making chai, the spice seems to linger longer than any other type of tea i have tried. Other than that, its perfect!

I’ve had mine for about 6 months, and it does not leak, nor does it clog. I have had no trouble cleaning it, and it seems durable. It’s plastic, and does show smudging/fingerprints unless you clean it thoroughly with soap and water after use, and if you use the device with too small a cup you will have an overflow (I haven’t measured, but it holds more than a teacup… more like a travel mug), but those are my only complaints. I’ve tried it with finings (taken out of a tea bag) and with whole leaf tea, and either work very well — although the loose tea looks nicer when it is brewing. I have seen a similar device at both Distinctly Tea and at DAVIDsTEA in Canada, and I also saw a larger version at Teavana. This one is just perfect for my uses — a full container results in a nearly-full travel mug.

I love this steeper. Use it everyday. If it starts to get tea stains, I use a scrub brush and some rubbing alcohol and then soak with soapy water. It is well worth the price.

I have this in both sizes: 16 oz and 32 oz. I love these and use them repeatedly throughout the day. Both of mine have been getting a thorough work out of over 3 months and are showing no signs of wear and tear. They work as well today as when I first bought them. This is what made tea workable again for me given the convenience of use and no more tea leaves in my cup (like I get with tea balls and other methods).

I used a gift card I received as a prize from work to purchase this, because I wanted something easy to use at my desk to brew loose tea, and tea balls/tea eggs just do not cut it for brewing a decent cuppa (not to mention, they are a pain to clean, especially at work). After I left that job, this item was relegated to the back of my cabinet at home. I’ve once again gotten into tea and have been brewing quite a few single mugs worth over the course of a day. This gadget is perfect for that task.

How I use it: 2 Teaspoons (I happen to have a measuring spoon that is 2tsp) and boiling water (I drink mostly black teas or fruit tisanes), set a timer, and when the timer goes off, place this over my prepared mug of choice.

I found that if I do not fill the Teamaker up all the way with water, but just over 3/4 full, I do not end up with excess liquid leftover in the Teamaker after straining into a mug, nor do I have a tea spill from overfilling a cup.

I’ve misplaced the little plastic “coaster” thing that came with the Teamaker, but I usually do not experience any little drips or leaking, even after straining the tea into a cup and setting the Teamaker back on the counter.

Clean up is a snap with this strainer, unlike tea balls, tea eggs, or infuser baskets. Rinse with warm water and pour the spent leaves out into the sink, and place – lid open – on a towel to air dry. I probably should be washing this with dish soap or at least washing the filter mesh after each tea, but as far as I can tell I have not had any flavor crossover from brewing two different teas nearly back to back.

The one and only drawback I have found is that the plastic does not hold heat well, nor is it easy or effective to “warm the pot” first. But, for tasting a new tea without brewing an entire pot, allowing the leaves plenty of room to circulate and unfurl, and easy as pie brewing and clean up, this gadget can not be beat! I’m also looking forward to picking up the Ingenuitea from Adagio, a similar product, to compare (and have one at home and at work).

I’m just as happy with this guy, who I got as a gift several years ago, as I am with the cousins that I use at work every day.

Simple and easy to use; when it gets dirty I just soak the plastic in vinegar and hot water.

I’ve used a cajillion steepers, but this is the best one I’ve ever used. It can steep multiple servings at once and combined with a timer, you dump in your tea leaves and water and just walk away. I was afraid I’d have to use Teavana’s wide-mouth glass mug for this to fit, but it fits all the mugs I have with no drips or spills. Cleaning is tricky, but I just fill it up with water and toss the whole mess out the kitchen window or in the toilet.