Bodum Canteen 6-Ounce (0.18-Liter) Double Wall Glass Thermal Tea Infuser Set

Bodum Canteen 6-Ounce (0.18-Liter) Double Wall Glass Thermal Tea Infuser Set | excellent insulated tea cup

kitchen:

Bodum Canteen 6-Ou...

	Bodum Canteen 6-Ounce (0.18-Liter) Double Wall Glass Thermal Tea Infuser Set Bodum Bodum average customer review:based on 47 reviews view larger image
	for more information click here

highly recommended

Get cozy with some tea

The problem with traditional tea balls is that tea leaves expand a lot when placed in water. The little tea balls aren't large enough to allow for this expansion and prevent the water from freely circulating around the leaves. Because of this, many tea lovers make tea by adding the leaves directly to the pot, then pouring it through a strainer into the individual cups. This works well, especially when making larger quantities, but can sometimes be a bit messy. If you are just making a single cup, you may want to consider trying this set.

This is a very elegant product. It includes a lid that doubles as a coaster, a double-walled cup, and an insert for the cup with thin slits cut out of the base. All the parts are made from very thin, lightweight glass that reminds me more of the glass from a chemistry beaker than a table setting. It is very clear, very light, and, presumably, very fragile.

Using it is very simple, though I did take a peek at the instructions (printed on the outside of the box) before trying it. The insert (with the slits) fits into the double-walled cup, the loose tea goes into the insert along with hot water, and the glass coaster is placed on top to hold in the heat while the tea steeps. After 4-5 minutes, I took the top off, flipped it over, and used it as a coaster to put the insert on. The tea flows out the slits and the tea (mostly) stays behind in the insert.

The double-wall construction of the cup keeps it from getting hot and therefore needs no handle. It looks really good with the tea in it. Because of the clarity of the glass, the tea almost appears to float above the surface of the table.

It is a very small cup, though. Think tea cup, not coffee mug. This is definitely for one serving at a time. Because making tea is sometimes a sociable occasion, I would have preferred to have two cups in the set instead of just one.

It is a great looking set, and would make a nice gift. It makes great tea (for one), and looks good while doing it. I enjoy using mine, and would definitely get it again.

Sean P. Logue, 2008

for more information click here

excellent insulated tea cup

This is a three piece set: a cup, an infuser/filter, and a lid/saucer. All pieces are made of glass. It is an attractive set.

The cup is particularly good. It looks stylish, and the double wall design works really well. In fact, I was impressed by how effective the insulation was - the outside stays cool enough to hold while the tea stays hot. Also, this design makes the cup very light - not heavy like a standard mug. I found the cup to be useful on its own for many other hot drinks too. Note though that this is a 6 oz cup, which is pretty small.

The infuser/filter works well too, for loose leaf tea. It gives the tea leaves plenty of space to expand while brewing (unlike a tea ball, where the leaves are often packed tightly). Both infuser and cup are clear, so you can see the tea - I like this.

The lid though was a bit of a problem. Unlike the cup, the lid does NOT stay cool to the touch. Actually, if you use it as directed, as a lid while brewing, it gets quite hot! I had trouble removing the lid with bare fingers. It works fine as a saucer for the filter though.

Overall, this is a good set for making a small cup of loose leaf tea for one, and the cup is especially nice.

for more information click here

Easy to use, fairly attractive

I am used to using a two-person tea-pot with infuser basket. The negative with that was always the large amount of tea that needed to be added. This is just the right size for a single cup of tea (I disagree with others that want a big size - to avoid the tea sitting and bitter tannins, this is preferable). Great tasting tea!

Pros: Hand-blown glass - nice, small slits filter all but finest debris, attractive, good sized reservoir handles larger loose leaf teas without crushing them into small bits and allowing leaves to float freely (oolong worked great), perfect for whole leaf teas, easy to clean

Cons: Poorly fitting lid (very loose), lid awkward as coaster (infuser bottom seems narrow and top heavy sitting on coaster), too much heat transference to outer glass for my taste, price point too high for product, may not work for finely ground loose leaf teas (e.g. like dried mint)

for more information click here

Does what it's supposed to do

Mrs. Rhodeymark says: I like this tea infuser. I found that the first cup of tea I made came out a little strong so I cut back on my usual portion of tea for the next cup and it was fine. The top became a little hot while steeping the tea; maybe if it was double walled like the cup it wouldn't be hot. I would use a tea towel when removing the cover. The overall design was nice, it was comfortable in my hands and easy to drink out of even with the double wall sides.
Rhodeymark adds: You certainly have to admire the hand blown craftsmanship, however, that also means that the slits in the infuser were hand cut with a saw. Ours was left with a slightly rough finish. Just an aesthetics nit, certainly not a hazard.

for more information click here

Good in theory, some flaws. However, great multitasking device, too.

First off, this is beautiful. The glass is even more exquisite than it looks in the box. It's really a work of art. It ships well too, and is in a paper carton that's form fitting to the cup.

The idea is pretty nice - a cup with it's own filter for lose teas, that is reusable. I like reusable stuff. I dig recycling. So, I was down with this idea.

As per the picture, this is merely a glass without a handle. I'm fond of japanese and chinese cups which generally have no handles either, so I figured, no big deal here. Again, while you can see this in the picture, some people in my house did not and complained when I gave it to them to use. So, just throwing it out there. It is thermal, and did not get unpleasantly warm during use.

There was one flaw which was a downer for me. The vents on the insert for the filter as reviewers noted, indeed do let finer tea leaves seep into your tea. Again, having drunk it "old school", a few leaves is no bother to me. However... this prompted my examination of the insert, especially for the review.

This appears to be made out of very lightweight glass, like pyrex but far thinner. If you're used to nice hefty porecelain or stoneware, you'll be disappointed. It's almost feather-light - good for people with hand troubles though, I suppose.

At any rate, staring at the filter, I wondered to myself, how precisely did they cut those holes in the bottom? Rather than being formed, they were indeed incised into the bottom. Not generally a big deal, but there are minute cracks and marks around the opening. No, I don't think you'll get glass chips in your tea, but it seems...well, sloppy. Here's this elegant glass, and they incised holes and left cracks there, although minute...the craftsman in me sort of did a double take. Might just be my tea cup in particular, but I've done some crafting with molten glass, and I only ever see flaws like that from cutting it when it's too brittle. I sometimes wonder looking at it, if the filter was actually an afterthought, and it had a metal one instead.

It's really not a bad tea cup. It's cute, has a lid, and looks pretty. Keeps your tea warm, but it's not optimal overall. When most of us die hard tea fans already have other options for lose tea that are reusable, I can't say I'd go out of my way to buy anything like this for myself again, to be really honest with you. I might for a gift, buy one with some swank loose tea. Overall though, it's in practice not as practical as you might think.

Consider that one of the main reasons you get a thermal reusable cup for your tea or coffee is that you are moving around a lot, or even driving. This is glass - durable glass, but glass nonetheless. This won't be the thermal cup you yank for car trips.

As an aside, one thing it works *great* for are tinctures of herbs and making flavored oils. Since it can hold up to heat, I made a flavored garlic and rosemary infused oil for cooking. The lid is great for storing, and the strainer gets rid of large herb chunks perfectly. Perhaps Bodum should make a version for that too? It actually is sort of useful in lots of ways around the kitchen if you're a foodie. It's perfect to keep small amounts of gravy or sauce warm but off heat, as well, like a hollandaise. The cup is great for eating soup, too, and I found it more useful for that since my tea rarely sits long enough to cool dramatically before it's gone. So, don't just limit it to tea if you get this.

If you enjoy getting unique toys for your tea, then this won't be bad for the collection. It will stand out, and get nice comments when you have company. Chances are though if you're looking for practical specialty tea wares, there are better in general. It really depends on your own tea habits, and what you are looking for. I'd suggest using another filter with it though for fine loose teas, or a tea ball, rather than relying on the glass filter alone if tea leaves bug you.

for more information click here