Review: The God-Emperor of All Tea Pots

+Robert Peterson and +Pam McDermott  went to Las Vegas on vacation and brought me back a collection of excellent teas from Teavana, as well as a tea kettle that I have dubbed The God-Emperor of All Tea Pots, or the Tea-1000 for short. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T-1000)  It is pictured below after its inaugural use, with a steaming cup of Black Dragon Pearl tea beside it.

It is made by Breville (www.breville.com).  Note that the Breville people do not call it the Tea-1000, which is truly a missed opportunity.

Inside the glass carafe is a basket that holds the tea leaves (or tisane components).  The basket attaches to a bar that allows it to slide up and down within the carafe; the basket is removable for cleaning.  I can program the Tea-1000 based on the type of tea (black, green, white, oolong, herbal or "custom") and the desired strength of the brew.  The Tea-1000 will then heat the water to the optimal temperature based on the type of tea and desired strength, then automatically lower the basket into the water to steep for the optimal time for the type of tea and the desired strength.

The sheer coolness of this contraption cannot be expressed in mere words.   I have been using it for four days now, both for the new Teavana blends and for some of my existing loose tea.  The combination of the right water temperature and brewing time has awakened new subtleties in the old, familiar teas.

The Tea-1000's idea of strong is STRONG.  Not quite "take the paint off cars" strong, but definitely a bracing cuppa.  I am experimenting with exactly what strength level is right for which blends.  Medium seems to work quite nicely for my good flavored blacks (Mighty Leaf's Pear Caramel primarily, on which more will be said another day).

I am quickly going to be irrevocably spoiled for mere hot water and tea bags.

Another option available with the Tea-1000, which I haven't yet had occasion to use because I've got nothing but time on my hands at the moment, is the pre-programming.  As with the newer coffee makers, I can set up the water and tea leaves the night before and program the brewing to commence at a specific time in the morning, allowing me to walk out of the bedroom to a steaming cup of tea first thing in the morning.

So far, my only "complaint" about the Tea-1000 is that the basket is a little annoying to clean.  By "a little annoying" I mean only slightly more difficult than cleaning a mesh tea ball.  The carafe must be hand-washed on the inside only; there are very detailed care and handling instructions included with the device.  Given my current state of abundant free time, the careful cleaning required is not an issue, but it does give me cause to wonder whether I'll still be using it when I'm once again working 60 hour weeks.