by Furnishly | Jan 17, 2023 | Design Inspiration, Style
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I drank a lot of tea as a kid, mostly during the cold, North Jersey winters. However, it was always just the low-quality English breakfast tea that we’d buy in the 100-count tea bag batches from Costco or another bulk store. I thought it was OK — I definitely hadn’t had anything better at the time — and for years, that was pretty much the extent of my foray into the world of tea. Years later, I went off to college in downtown New York City, where I worked a short, two-week gig at a specialty store in Manhattan during a summer, and got to try my first cup of delicious, loose-leaf chai made by one of the women who worked the counter. After my first sip, I was hooked, but my stint at the shop ended, and I went back to slamming burnt coffee, pre-packaged cold brew, and energy drinks, as a college kid is wont to do. Thankfully, though, I recently picked up some loose leaf tea at a nearby Christmas market, and I’m back on the good stuff. Unfortunately, I didn’t have any way to brew the tea, and was rigging a piece of cheesecloth as a makeshift bag to avoid drinking leaves and stems. (Pro Tip: Don’t do that.) After a few unsuccessful tries with that method, I picked up a super-popular tool from one of my favorite cookware companies that’s proved invaluable in my entrance into the tea game: the OXO Brew Tea Infuser Basket.
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The OXO Brew Tea Infuser Basket is designed to be an easy way to optimize your loose-leaf tea’s flavor, and the holes on the sides of the stainless-steel basket keep fine particles in your cup, and not in your mouth. It fits perfectly in every mug I’ve used it with, thanks to its extra-wide wings, which also serve as handles that never get too hot, thanks to their length. My favorite part, though, is that the heat-retaining lid also serves as a drip tray, meaning you don’t end up with drips all over your coffee table when you remove the basket. It also has a silicone ring on the bottom, so you won’t burn whatever you’re setting it on. Plus, since you can get several extractions from one serving of loose-leaf tea, the basket is right there if you want another cup.
With a 4.8-star average rating from over 5,400 reviews on Amazon, it’s clear this is a universally loved tool for tea drinkers around the globe. “The holes in the basket are smaller than other infusers I’ve looked at, which is great because it prevents too many particles from coming through,” one reviewer writes. “It’s [also] easy to clean. I typically let my leaves dry and then dump them out, but I have also just tapped the infuser along the trash bin and had no problems.”
So, if you’ve been wanting to get into loose-leaf tea, but don’t want to shell out for an expensive tea pot, there’s no better choice than the easy-to-use, affordable Brew Tea Infuser Basket from OXO.
by Furnishly | Oct 26, 2022 | DIY, Uncategorized
There are a lot of fall activities and flavors that I can take or leave, but one thing I get excited about when the summer heat subsides is tea. On a cool, rainy afternoon, drinking a hot cup of tea is wonderfully cozy. (I think I just realized why tea is so popular in the British Isles.) My growing tea collection was a mess until I figured out the best way to store tea. If you’re a fellow tea-lover with an unruly stack of boxes and tins of tea, here are some guidelines and ideas for how to keep your tea organized.
Tea Storage Guidelines
First, let’s go over the basics of how to store tea. The enemies of tea are light, heat, moisture, and oxygen. So that means the best place to store your tea is cool, dry, dark, and airtight. The airtight part might not be a concern if your teabags are individually-sealed, but it’s important for loose-leaf tea. Fortunately many teas come in their own airtight tins or resealable bags.
Even if you aren’t storing your bagged tea in an airtight container, you at least want to try to keep it away from strong smells. Nothing would ruin a good cup of tea than having it taste like the garlic and onions you cooked up last night for dinner.
Also, it won’t keep forever. Tea does degrade in quality over time, so if you haven’t touched that tea you don’t especially enjoy in months or years, it is unlikely to have improved in flavor. Go ahead and toss it out!
Tea Organization
I have to admit that while I love a nice cup of tea, I’m not a tea snob, and I like to try different kinds. Before I figured out my tea storage, I had a large collection of boxes of tea stacked on top and in front of one another in a cabinet, and I had to shuffle them around to get to the ones in the back.
My life improved when I discovered that the best way to store tea is in a drawer! With a drawer, there’s no perilous stacking, shuffling, or reaching on tip-toes to get to that tin on the top shelf in the back. Everything is flat in front of you, easy to see and access. And maybe I’m the only weirdo who feels this way, but there’s something strangely satisfying about neatly fitting all of your tea and tea-making accessories in a drawer.
Once you have a drawer picked out, the first choice you need to make is whether you want to keep your teas in their boxes, or take them out and only store the packets. If you’re taking the tea out of the boxes, you’ll need drawer organizers. Cutlery/silverware organizers often fit tea bags perfectly, or you can use something like these adjustable slotted drawer organizers to make custom-sized tea compartments in your drawer.
The other option, and the one I chose, involves Tetris-ing your boxes and tins into a drawer. You can also combine the two approaches, keeping some teas in the containers they came in, and sorting individual tea bags.
I also like to keep my tea-making tools and accessories in my tea drawer, so mine contains a matcha whisk, timer, strainers, a measuring spoon, and soy sauce dishes, which make perfect tiny plates for spent tea bags. My electric kettle is on the countertop above the drawer, and my mugs in the cupboard above, so everything I need for a cup of tea is all in one place. In general I consider myself “organizationally-challenged,” so my organized tea drawer makes my daily cups of tea even more satisfying.
Fellow tea-fans, how do you organize your tea?
by Furnishly | Feb 7, 2022 | Design Inspiration, Style
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For years, I have been trying to make the perfect cup of loose leaf tea. I’ve gone through silicone and stainless steel tea infusers, only to end up with cups that are too weak or have tiny particles that sneak through the holes. While I use tea bags regularly, there’s something about opening aromatic loose leaf tea and carefully making it yourself that feels even more special. I loved the idea of entering a tea shop and buying a unique blend to bring home and try myself. All of my tea-making woes were finally solved when I came across this small, sleek teapot that not only makes delicious tea but also looks super elegant whenever I’m using it.
Meet the Small Teapot from Firebelly Tea, a stylish stoneware teapot that makes the perfect cup of tea every time. The brand is the latest project from David Segal, the founder of DAVIDsTEA, so you know that you’re in the best hands for all things tea-related (we already love their winter-ready Cold War Tea Sampler, for instance!). The pot comes with just four simple parts, including the teapot, lid, stainless steel filter, and a drip-proof spout. While functionality is obviously an important aspect, style was also highly considered as Firebelly brought in a designer to ensure that the end product that looks beautiful when sitting on your countertop or kitchen table.
As soon as I opened my teapot, I knew it was the perfect time to finally use the giant box of loose leaf teas I’d gotten for Christmas. I started by trying a floral jasmine blend, and I was shocked by how well it turned out. The first tea I’d ever had in a tea shop in London when I lived there years ago was a delicate jasmine, and this cup tasted exactly like it. It had the perfect floral balance and wasn’t too weak like some other loose leaf teas I’d made before. Plus, it’s so easy to use: I typically scoop two teaspoons of loose leaf tea, then pour about 12 ounces of just off-boiling water inside, perfect for two small cups of tea. I also like that that I can keep the teapot on my desk until I’m ready for a refill.
Additionally, both the spout and mesh filter are easily removable and just require a quick wipe. For the teapot, I typically rinse it with a little soap and water. Because it has a wide surface area inside, there aren’t any hard-to-clean nooks, and it isn’t too narrow for my hand. Even if you don’t want to use loose leaf tea, this pot is great for bagged tea as well. Instead of having to get up and make two cups of tea, I like to steep two bags inside and then keep the pot on my desk and refill my cup as needed.
What I truly love most about this teapot is that a simple cup of tea in the afternoon can instantly become an entire occasion thanks to its sleek design and simplicity. At $50, it’s a great gift for yourself or a fellow tea lover to explore so many delicious flavors.
Erin Cavoto
Commerce Writer
Erin writes about all things shopping-related for The Kitchn, including highlighting small cookware brands, testing cool products, or scoping out need-to-know sales. She’s also a regular at the Trader Joe’s cheese section and has a never-ending supply of tea at home.
by Furnishly | Feb 2, 2022 | Design Inspiration, Style
Sarah M. Vazquez
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Sarah writes about all things shopping for Apartment Therapy, The Kitchn, and Cubby helping you find the best deals and the best products for you and your home. A Brooklyn-born Jersey Girl, she loves a good playlist, a good bagel, and her family (but not necessarily in that order).
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by Furnishly | Nov 9, 2021 | Design Inspiration, Style
We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission.
When I moved to London a few years ago for graduate school, I experienced the obvious culture shocks: keeping to the left instead of the right, buying rocket, courgette, and aubergine at the grocery store, and changing the way I spelled (ahem, spelt) several words as part of my writing-intensive program. Of all the modifications I made during the year I lived abroad, there is one that has stuck and truly transformed my everyday life: using an electric kettle.
Now, you might be thinking to yourself, why would I buy an electric kettle when I already have a perfectly fine kettle on my stove? I had the exact same thought until I started using one all day long, unlike the kettle I was used to. Purchasing this small appliance has hands-down been the best decision I’ve made for my kitchen, well beyond using it for tea!
My British roommates taught me how to use an electric kettle the right way — which is to say, all the time. While I would turn it on for tea and instant coffee, they would also use it whenever they had to boil water for cooking. For instance, if they were making pasta, they’d boil water in the kettle first, then pour that water into the saucepan for even speedier meal prep. Now that I use this method myself, I can confidently say it is much better (and faster!) than waiting for a pot of water to boil.
These days, especially while working from home, I use my kettle constantly. In the morning, I turn it on to make coffee in my French press. Then, I make a cup of tea in the afternoon and another one before bed. Not only does the water boil so much faster than on the stove, but it’s also easier to maneuver. Instead of dealing with steam and a hot handle and lid, all I need to do is pick up the kettle and pour.
Plus, without the earsplitting noise of a stovetop kettle whistling, you can use it no matter what time of day it is without disturbing anyone. I also love that I can turn it on and forget about it because it has an auto shut-off feature (and no stove burner to worry about). Then when I get back to the kettle, I just flick the switch back on and let the water take a few seconds to boil again before filling my cup.
No matter which style kettle you go for, I can guarantee that once you switch to an electric model, you won’t know how you lived so long without it!
