Hot Tea Maker
Automatic Electric Review

Want an automatic electric hot tea maker? I review the two most popular brands in the market - Adagio and Zarafina - which do you think will come out on top?

For centuries, tea aficionados have been on a quest to create the perfect cup of hot tea. These days, there are various and sundry gadgets on the market that aim to help you do just that.

When looking for a tea maker, you need to consider three factors: ease of use, functionality, and expense.

Ease of use - A hot tea maker should be easy to use. Remember, the whole point of technology is to make your life easier, not harder!
Functionality - Stay away from hot tea makers designed to make coffee. Remember, tea and coffee have different brewing requirements, so using a filter basket for tea leaves in a coffee pot is not going to give you the best results. The exception to this rule is French-press style coffee pots. With these, you control the water temperature and the steeping time, and can adjust it accordingly depending on what you are brewing.
Expense - Make sure that the model you choose not only fits into your budget, but that it offers a good value for the money you are spending. It might be worth it to spend a little more and get a better product that will last longer.

Also, you’ll need to decide whether you are looking for a high-tech hot tea maker that does everything for you, or a low-tech high tea maker that makes brewing the perfect cup easier but still requires you to do a little of the work.

Hot Tea Maker #1:
Adagio’s TriniTEA

If you want a high-tech hot tea maker, Adagio’s is one of the most highly regarded.

The TriniTEA looks like a double-decker coffee maker. The pot on top is really a steeping chamber - you fill the filter basket with your tea leaves, select the type of leaf you are brewing and the desired brew strength, and the machine does the rest.

The tea steeps in the steeping chamber on top and then flows into the coffee-pot style glass carafe below.

The main drawback is that the glass components of the machine are fragile. Fortunately, Adagio does sell replacements. At $99, though, this machine is an investment - it’s not cheap!

Hot Tea Maker #2:
Zarafina Tea Maker Suite
With Ceramic Tea Pots, Cups and Serving Tray

A similar product, the Zarafina TH1000 Tea Maker Suite with Ceramic Tea Pots, Cups, and Serving Tray, may provide a better value for the same price, however.

For one thing, the Adagio has more basic controls - just a switch for black vs. green and knob to control steeping temperature.

The Zarafina Tea Maker Suite has more settings, with temperature controls for white, green, oolong and black tea. You can also select the appropriate steeping time by selecting strength.

The Zarafina Tea Maker Suite makes two cups at a time, and comes with its own ceramic tea pot and two teacups. However, it won’t keep your tea warm for you for hours like the Adagio model will.

Which model is best? It depends on what you want.

If you want to brew more tea at once and keep it warm for drinking throughout the day, you should probably go with the Adagio model, which holds 32 ounces and has a warmer.

If you want to make a perfect cup of tea for two and you like the idea of getting a free tea pot and teacups, the Zarafina model might be a better choice.

Both models are backed by excellent customer service support should any problems arise.

Hot Tea Maker #3:
Adagio’s IngenuiTEA

What if you don’t want another countertop appliance, and are content doing more of the tea-making yourself? In that case, Adagio Teas 16 oz. ingenuiTEA Bottom-Dispensing Teapot might be more your style.

With this device, you load tea and hot water and let it steep until it’s just right. Then, simply place the IngenuiTEA on top of your mug, and a valve releases in the bottom to let the tea fill your cup.

A mesh filter in the IngenuiTEA catches even the smallest of tea leaves. Most people who have used the IngenuiTEA love it.

IngenuiTEA is made from food grade plastic - so it’s microwaveable. Now I know plastic is not everyone's cup of tea, but if you are drinking tea that’s not finicky about temperature, you can stick it in the microwave to heat the water. This product is great to take to work!