Request recommendation: temp controlled teapot
Hello, as the title implies, I am looking for a temp controlled teapot.
I own an ember mug and have to say, it is one of my favorite purchases/splurges. For those that do not want to click on the link, this is a temperature controlled mug that holds a hot temp for liquids in a mug wirelessly. It does this with quite good precision IMO, have not whipped out a thermometer to check accuracy.
I have been looking for some time for a teapot that could do the same. The requirements I have are that no plastic or otherwise health adverse heat volatile materials come into contact with the heated water, and I would like it to be a teapot, because I like the ritual of pouring the tea out of the pot. I want to be able to steep and pour the tea from the same temp controlled vessel(I don't mind heating water and then pouring it into the temp controlled teapot), so I'm not looking for a temp controlled kettle, necessarily.
I think last time I looked I ended up on pages showing things like this set up, which I'm open to, but would like some guidance or reviews, if possible.
Thank you!
Bonus, what are your favorite mint teas or other teas that have a sensory experience outside of temp?
EDIT: On the same website I linked, I forgot to direct people here. Has anyone ever used a teapot warmer like the ones on that website?
Honest question, why not a Thermos/Vacuum flask of sorts? I use one that takes 1.5 liters of fluid (Roughly 50 ounces I think?) and it keeps tea warm the entire day.
I know my explanation will sound - picky ? Lol. But here it is.
Basically because of the Ember(or rather, the ember enabled me to fulfill a desire I already had), I have become accustomed to drinking every last drop of the tea at the exact best temperature (to my tastes) for as long as I would like the event to last.
It’s like drinking a soda that is perfectly carbonated and cold the whole time, at whatever pace you want. It’s like eating French fries that stay crisp and hot for as long as you want to prolong the activity.
With a thermos, the temperature changes as the volume of liquid changes. As well as a function of time. Less annoyingly, but still kinda annoying, to maximize a thermos often you have to have the tea at slightly hotter than what you want it to be, because it will lose temperature over time (that one is just a feature of my “just right” OCD to be honest).
I will say as an in between, I will sometimes use a thermos to pour into the Ember, and that fulfills some of the experience I’m looking for, but, not exactly. I do like using a teapot just for the experience and aesthetics.
Fair enough, I admire the passion for the perfect cup of tea :D
I only had a quick look at the ember website, but they have what looks like bigger closeable mugs, would one of those be an option? Very expensive, though.
Alternatively, a really good, larger thermos? You can get ones that are very tea-kettle like.
This was going to be my suggestion as well. I think that a normal kettle that is poured into a temperature controlled thermos will be the best option.
It takes a lot of energy to get water up to tea temperature, but not so much to keep it there in an insulated vessel. I imagine the ember mug can be so precise because it heats very slowly, allowing the software to not run past a temperature target. If it had a 3kW heating element, it would fly by any temperature targets and unevenly heat your beverages.
I would be interested in large thermoses that are tea-kettle like. Any specific recommendations?
Something like this:
Dreamhigh® Thermos Flask 1L with Tea Strainer, Insulated Jug with Temperature Display, Well Sealed Coffee Pot (no leak, no drips), for coffee, tea and milk
https://amzn.eu/d/9XPFGHD
Or something even more kettle-like, but I think the temperature loss through the spout means it will not keep hot as long
WALDWERK Teapot with Strainer Insert – Teapot Thermal Double Walled – Teapot with Strainer Made of 304 Stainless Steel – Tea Maker with Real Oak Wood Handles – Tea Pot 100% Drip-Free
https://amzn.eu/d/8WAwkZk
I have a normal thermos myself, some random no-name brand and it works great for having hot tea (pre-brewed, it's not good enough to keep water boiling hot for hours) throughout the day
Ok so you're looking for something more precise than a traditional teapot warmer or even like the teapot version of a typical electric mug warmer? That's tricky I think. Most use a tealight.
I found a few induction teapot warmers with control knobs, but they're not in English. I'm intrigued what folks can find.
Basically yes, a digital version of a tealight warmed teapot.
I ended up in the same space of seeing induction warmers, but not being confident enough to pull the trigger.
On the website you linked, I think one of their electric teapot warmers might be your best bet (or even just a mug warmer).
I received a temperature controlled (with 4 temp settings and a selectable auto-shut off time) mug warmer for Christmas (that also claims to work for soup), and it works quite well for all of the mugs I’ve used. I imagine it would work quite well for a teapot as well, as long as it made good contact with the flat base of the glass teapot. The one I received was this one, or one very similar
Really not what you're asking for but the Zojirushi VE water boilers are a solution to a similar problem. I brew single cups - either bags or loose leaf with a single cup strainer. Brewing at the temperature I like but light on ceremony.
I've never used this brand so I can't comment on quality, but is something like this what you're looking for? Has the infuser built in, contains temp control (this one is present notches but you get the idea), and can pour the tea out of this?
I was trying to find others that seem to be more known brands or build quality, but haven't really found many. Most temperature control ones I find don't have the infuser built in and are moreso just regular electric kettles with temp control.
That linked object could work, I'd be curious to know how much plastic is in the lid, I know that my chances of finding 0 plastic or heat volatile chemicals is low, but it's still a desire of mine.
Check this out
https://fellowproducts.com/products/stagg-ekg-electric-pour-over-kettle
Exact temperature, holds it at that temp for 60 minutes.
It's funny, because I actually own that Kettle and do not recommend it for my purposes lol. I'm really looking for a teapot that holds its own temperature, basically.
If anyone is interested in a mini-review of the Stagg:
Things I like:
Things I don't like:
I had to have the wooden knob replaced within the first few months of having it, because it cracked. Customer service was great, the second knob has been doing okay, but in general, it's not of the same quality as the rest of the kettle.
Because it is for pour over coffee, it's actually really annoying to use for tea, because the flow is extremely slow. Again, I understand this is by design, but I mention it for anyone who is trying to make tea, or anyone that wants to pour quickly. If you try to pour quickly, it will sputter or just not increase its flow rate. So, wonderful for pour over ;p.
The lid is designed poorly. I'm not a machinist or kettle designer so my wording may be wrong, but the lid itself is made of three pieces. One is entirely metal, it is the seal between the kettle body holding the water and the outside air, it has three holes drilled into it to allow steam to escape. The second piece is actually a plastic inset/inlay that is for aesthetic purposes only(maybe a slight amount of insulation), it has three holes that need to line up with the three holes in the metal part perfectly to let the steam actually escape. The last part is the wooden knob I was telling you about. This screws through both the metal sealed lid, and the plastic one. In my experience, the plastic lid and the metal lid were not exactly lined up, so condensation would form between the metal and plastic part. It would cause dripping that took me a while to figure out where it came from. I eventually removed the plastic part because it's just aesthetic, and I recommend that to anyone who is having issues with it.
Overall, the kettle is really pretty, and perhaps someone would really like it for pour-over coffee, but I don't think it justifies its pricetag.
I do love mine (I use it for pour over coffee). I have the non-wood-accented one though, and maybe that’s a plus in this case.
I had a cheap $30-$50 Gooseneck electric that functioned much the same. The only real improvement over it with the Fellow Stagg is the aesthetics and the temp knob and temp holding feature (and the fact that it doesn’t beep annoyingly). I still probably would not have bought the Stagg (the price is hard to justify) but I did ask for it as a wedding gift.
I have noticed some dripping so maybe I’ll have to check my lid to see if it’s lined up properly or not- hah
The fix was really easy, unscrewing the knob and removing the plastic inlay, and the aesthetic change didn't really bother me, in fact I kinda like it, because the plastic lid lost its allure once I knew it was plastic lol.