So, I don't have very many appliances in my house. I live in a 500 square foot apartment with my husband, and the only appliance that lives on the counter is the microwave, and only because I can't figure out how to get it in a cupboard. The toaster, the rice cooker, and the magic bullet all live in the cupboards and are put away after every use. And I simply don't buy appliances unless I have tried them somewhere else and know they're really worth the cupboard real estate.

But I have one more appliance that has earned a coveted spot on my desk, and can have all the space it wants (which isn't much, if you don't count the entire cupboard of teas stashed right above it). What is it?

My Tea Maker.



I love this thing.

The serious tea drinkers out there (most of you reading this, I'm assuming) will know that some teas want lower temperatures or different steeping times than others. I used to use a kettle and a thermometer, and wait for the water to cool to 80 Celsius before pouring it over my hand rolled jasmine green tea. Then I'd use a timer to make sure I didn't oversteep (because I am TERRIBLE at forgetting about tea I've left steeping) and would usually end up with bitter tea anyway.

This thing is brilliant. You put the tea in the steeper part, put the amount of water you want in, then pick the time and temperature (or pick the tea type and strength you want), and it does everything. It heats up the water, then lowers in the tea (and agitates/dips it a bit if you want, which I sometimes use for second steepings), then lifts the tea out after the right amount of time, beeps, and keeps it warm for you.

It also boils water SUPER fast. Like, less than 2 minutes fast I think. I can stand in front of it until it boils without getting annoyed.

The downsides? First, it's expensive (although not as much as the website says - that's the MSR price so usually the stores have it for quite a bit less. My husband, parents, and sister all got together to buy me mine for Christmas last year so I didn't have to buy it for myself, but after using my sister's at her place I would have eventually saved up for one anyway.

Also, it does consume a lot of power in order to get the water up to temperature so quickly. We only have about 2 electrical breakers in our place (well, there are a lot more switches than that in the panel but when I blow one, everything but the stove goes out at once), so if the air conditioner is running the tea maker will blow the breaker every time. It doesn't take long to make tea, so I just turn off the AC for a couple minutes during the initial boil (that's the only time it uses that much power), but it's annoying to have to do that. With all of that said, though, I do live in a really old low-rise apartment building so I don't think our electrical is really that great. Most of you probably have more breakers in your houses.

Anyway, it's probably not for everybody, but if you're a serious tea drinker I'd definitely recommend looking into it. I wished I'd found out about it years earlier!

And no, I have no connection to or financial interest in Breville. I just really love my tea maker.

My husband likes the 'always hot' method so we use an asian style hot water maker which means the water is available at the moment you want it. The only thing with those is that you have to descale them every once in a while, which I utilize citric acid to do so.

We have a counter top electric pot, I can't rememer the brand, I think a Hamilton Beach, it's red, plastic and sits on a red ring. It takes about 5 to 6 minutes to boil water. And at times depending on what I have going at the same time it can blow the breaker, then I have to wait until the husband gets home because our stairs to the basement as absoultly scary steep and the first step is deep.

I can't use the pot while the breadmaker is going, or the dryer,. I love this pot as I like tea and instant coffee.

our house is over 100 years old and I also can't use the micro wave and a rottisere at the same time.

You Brevile looks awesome.

Faiora, that appliance is gorgeous and seems so pampering and luxurious!! I have made lots of bad tea from forgetting it in a mug somewhere.

And CatNa9, my house is much younger than yours and has similar electrical problems.

Oh, I do have one suggestion for countertop appliances that aren't out all the time, like maybe your breadmaker and the electric kettle (I have one of those too) :

Plug them into the stove. Most stoves have an outlet somewhere on the front and I've never been able to blow a breaker that way, because the stove is usually on its own breaker with a 240V connection... pretty much impossible to blow that with a 120V appliance.

Luckily our breaker box is in the hallway (well, of course it is, I don't know where else they'd put it in our little apartment) - I can't imagine having to walk down a scary dark staircase to switch the lights back on!

Although, my granny has this great nightlight in her place. You plug it in and you can switch it on as a nightlight, but if the power goes off it automatically turns on using a battery inside it that stays charged. I have no idea what it's called, but it's an awesome little emergency light.

Hi, sorry, I didn't know there were any replies, and i'm still trying to figure the site out AND get used to the new computer!

I'm love tea but am probably not what you call a purist, as I'm so cheap that if I ruin a cuppa, by over steeping I divide it and add fresh hot water,
ummm Delicious! I tell myself.. lol
But then I've been known to sweeten my tea and coffee with cough drops.

I used to have a stove, in fact I've had 2 that were equipped with plug ins on the back panel of the stove. Not the one I have now.
Both of my old stoves had a bar light built into the back. They were awesome. I have several times mourned those old ranges. now mine is just a cheap glass top kenmore. but it serves the purpose.