Tea at work?

If you’ve got access to good water and an outlet, a kettle is the way to go. If you brew ahead and take to work it’s unlikely to stay hot throughout the day, and of course it won’t replace itself!

I also have tea-sacs and a perfect tea mug so I have two steeping options for loose leaf. Doesn’t take much space at all. The tea variety in the drawer takes up a bit more room…

I am lucky enough to have a water cooler that puts out hot water at work. Though it does limit me to teas that steep around 180 since that’s about the temperature of the hot water. But in terms of infusers I currently use the infuser basket from this mug/infuser set at work: http://www.amazon.com/FORLIFE-Curve-Infuser-15-Ounce-Purple/dp/B00H2U9TXK/ref=sr_1_4/176-1886538-1292000?ie=UTF8&qid=1405516651&sr=8-4&keywords=forlife+infuser

It’s lovely! Way easier to clean than the last one I used and not a lot of solid stuff gets through it.

We have a water heater here too, but I don’t think it’s that hot, maybe 80-90C. Those mugs look nice, seen some simlar ones here in New Zealand, but at nearly twice the price, cheaper to get one of those shipped over :P

Actually more like three times the price: http://www.thenile.co.nz/home-garden-pets/FORLIFE-Curve-Tall-Tea-Mug-with-Infuser-and-Lid-444ml-Lime/0874118002443/

I have a variable temperature electric kettle at my desk now. I went with Bonavita because people said it was quieter. (I have a Hamilton Beach one at home. It was less expensive, I find it louder, and it’s not very precise. I set it to 175°F and it stops heating at 180° and doesn’t start heating again until it’s about 168°. That said, I know how it works, and it is good enough.)

I have a ForLife Curve mug, which is what I started with.

Now I also have a couple of Finum hot glasses, the 5oz (http://smile.amazon.com/dp/B002HRZKTK/) and 8oz (http://smile.amazon.com/Finum-Hot-Glass-System-8oz/dp/B003IHUMF0/) that I just love.

Do you have an outlet nearby? I use a Keurig, personally. I know I’ve seen debate over the fact that it doesn’t get the temperature right or doesn’t allow leaves to steep long enough, etc. but I drink black teas in it all day every day and it works perfectly for me! I just have those refillable k-cups to put the tea in.

If having a kettle at your desk is not an option, you can invest in a a few Timolino travel mugs. I can put hot tea in it in the morning and it will still be warm by the time I finish work if I don’t open it. Same with iced tea, it will stay cold :) I have three and I use all three every day. I fill them up at home, drink one on the subway, and the other two right when I get to work. Then on my break I make tea at work and refill them and that lasts me until I leave :) I don’t like spending so much time on tea making (a lot, considering how many cups of tea I have in a day) when I work, so doing it this way solved that problem :)

I have a little kettle at work

Like lolainred, I have access to filtered water at about 185 degrees. I drink mainly oolongs and blacks, grandpa style. Maybe you know what that is, but if not:

I put some leaves in my mug. I don’t measure; I just eye it. I add the hot water to the mug and then drink when it’s cool enough. I don’t strain it; I just add more water when I am down to about 1/3 of the water remaining in the mug. Oolongs work best for this, but some black teas are also quite good.

I really should get an electric kettle of some sort, but we aren’t technically supposed to plug any of our own stuff in to the outlets, so I’d have to be covert about it.