(Part 2) Best teapots & coffee servers according to redditors

I like my [glass Bodum teapot] (https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00005LM0Z/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_3?pf_rd_p=569136327&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B0009VF4V0&pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_r=5E48DC1YZBEKJVNYJX5W). It makes enough for two and a bit of the huge mugs we use and stops the tea stewing once it's done.

New to Tea? New to loose leaf? Let me help.

Hello, new friend. So you've stumbled your way into /r/tea, you probably though this was a subreddit for the Mr. T, but no worries you're here and you're in good hands. We're all tea fiends and we're all eager to share our fifteen minutes of meditation, our hobby and our little slice of heaven. So why should you consider switching from Lipton to something crazy like leaves some Chinese person picked off a tea bush?

• Loose Leaf tea is often higher quality than your traditional tea bags.
  
  
• Less preservatives or additives.
  
  
• A greater variety of teas that are too delicate for tea bags or can't be effectively brewed that way.
  
  
• Greater access to fine teas, you can't find good premium teas in tea bags.
  
  
• It's more cost effective. You can pick up Twinning's Irish Breakfast tea (20 tea bags) for $2.99 at your local supermarket and that'll make you 20 cups of tea. With loose leaf tea you can buy 125 grams of Irish Breakfast from Upton Tea for $5.60, which will make you 100-150 cups of tea. You can re-brew the same tea leaves two or three times when it comes to loose leaf, but with a tea bag all the water penetrates the "tea dust" the first go.
  
  
• It tastes better. That's 100-150 cups of far better tea than Twinnings. Not to say you can't get good tea out of a tea bag, but you'll get better tea with more control/flexibility when it come to loose leaf.
  
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  So, Where To Start??
  
  ^^buy ^^theses ^^teas ^^first!!!!!!!!!!!!
  
  Where | Why?
  ---|---
  GoodLife Tea's $7 for 7 Sampler | Free Shipping! (for the sampler) Robb has a fantastic variety of tasty high quality tea important for building up your tea pallet.
  Verdant's Five Teas for $5 | Free Shipping! (for the sampler) Again, Verdant sells some premium quality tea. Think of their sampler as a crash course into the rich people's side of tea. But the catch with tea is that it's a lot more affordable than wine could ever hope to be. The sampler is great for building up your tea preferences and giving you a kickstart in the right direction.
  Upton Tea | My personal favorite store, they send a nice little paperback catalog every quater. They sell a huge variety of teas, from traditional English Breakfast to Tie-Guan-Yin. Not only that but they sell their teas in different grades meaning you can dabble in what is traditionally an expensive tea by trying a lower quality (but still delicious and tasty) grade of tea. You can find the grade and variety of tea that matches your wallet and taste. They also sell cheap samplers, if you wish you can take $20 and order around 15 samples and see where your cuppa takes you.
  Adagio | A personal favorite of /r/tea if you can find a store nearby! But don't fret, most of us buy our tea online so no worries if you're in Kodiak, Alaska and can't get down to an Adagio. They sell nice quality tea, their stores people are incredibly informed and helpful (unlike a certain Starbucks owned tea store). They also have Adagio XL which sells tea in bulk.
  Harney & Sons | Amazon Prime Shipping. I love my Amazon account, that's usually by go to place online shopping and being able to two-day ship a simple tin of Harney & Sons tea without the shipping cost is fantastic. They sell lots of teas and they're all very good. Maybe not the premium tea you'll see Chinese diplomats drinking but they in my opinion sell tea that all tastes great.
  Coffee Bean Direct | Who knew a place called Coffee Bean Direct* sold tea too? Again, with Amazon Prime Shipping this seems to be the place to buy tea in bulk. They're well reviewed and their tea seems to be good. If you're like me and cold brew ice tea frequently then this might be the best place to pick up some bulkier tea to last you the season.
  Crimson Lotus | Owned by a frequenter of /r/tea, Puerh_Lover stocks a great store with lots of neat little stuff. Be warned, he caters to pu'er which is a type of fermented tea pressed into bricks or pellets. In other words this is a special variety of tea that needs special equipment and special knowledge to brew. Don't fret if you're not walking out of /r/tea after a day brewing in a gaiwan.
  White2Tea | More lovely pu'er.
  Yunnan Sourcing | Again, more pu'er, but also lots of green and white teas too. They sell teaware for good prices too so if you're looking to pick up a traditional china teacup or gaiwan this is a good place to get that.
  What-Cha | Another beloved store on /r/tea, but they're pretty pricey at times. But you can always expect good quality tea and a looser wallet from here.
  
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  Just How Do You Make Tea?
  
  Traditional Western | Gongfu | Cold Brew
  ---|---|----
  The way you're probably familiar with when it comes to brewing tea, all it requires is a teapot like this one (I highly recommend this teapot). Western or Traditional works well with every kind of tea. It's the universal method of making tea and the best place to start. | This kind of brewing is very specific as it only works with Chinese type teas like pu'er. This method of making tea is hands down the best way to make a Chinese styled tea and does wonders to enhance and bring out the best in the leaves. But this method wont work for a cuppa English Breakfast or Japanese Sencha. To brew Gongfu style you use a gaiwan which is fancy talk for a tiny cup with a lid. The idea behind Gongfu is more leaves, less water and time. You use micro-infusions instead of waiting minutes like Western or hours like Cold Brewing. | Cold Brewing is for those of us who just love iced tea. It's simple to cold brew, a vessel like this will brew a mean pitcher of ice tea. All you have to do is leave the leaves in the filter and wait 5-12 hours for the tea to brew, perfect for leaving overnight. Fair Warning: tea can go bad, the kind of stuff you'd buy at the store has a massive amount of preservatives in it. Keep your cold brewing tea out of the sunlight and don't let it sit for more than 48 hours.
  
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  On Kettles
  
  So you're going to need a way to keep your water hot. A stovetop kettle is probably the most accessible and the biggest no brainer out of everything here. A microwave heats water inconsistently, can leave an odd taste if your microwave isn't properly clean, and you really don't have a good way of knowing how hot the water is. Temperature is important. Brewing a cuppa green tea in boiling water will result in a pretty shitty cup of tea, and brewing some black tea in the water appropriate for green tea will result in a disappointing cuppa.
  
  You also have electric kettles like the Cuisinart CPK-17 which is going to cost as much as a decent coffee machine but if tea is your caffeine fix then it might be worth it. The Cuisinart is a variable temperature kettle meaning you just have to press a button and it makes the water the appropriate temperature for whatever kind of tea you're drinking.
  
  
  Tea | Temperature
  ---|---
  Black | 212
  Green | 175
  White | 190
  Oolong | 185
  Pu'er | 212
  Herbal | 212
  
  ** Edit: I updated this list to be a bit more organized and informative. I've been meaning to put together a simple list so expect to see this copied and pasted as newbies arrive! :)

This pot by Hario is perfect for gongfu. I don't remember the exact capacity, but I know it's between 200ml and 250ml. It's awesome for rolled oolongs like TGY and Taiwanese because you can watch the leaves unfurl; kinda like a glass gaiwan except without the burnt fingers.

What you might be looking for is a gravity tea brewer. They are super convenient and quick as well as being really easy to use.

You boil water or heat it to the temperature for your tea, put the tea leaves in the gravity tea brewer, pour the hot water over the leaves, let it sit for the amount of time for the tea, and then set the gravity tea brewer on top of your mug and the tea comes out. Cleanup is as simple as dumping the leaves in the compost, a flowerbed, or trash, and rinsing out the brewer with water.

I don't know if you use amazon or not, but here are a few options:

https://www.amazon.com/Adagio-Teas-ingenuiTEA-Bottom-Dispensing-Teapot/dp/B000FPN8TK

https://www.amazon.com/Teavana-Black-Perfectea-Maker-16oz/dp/B004X7DIHI

https://www.amazon.com/GROSCHE-Aberdeen-Removable-BPA-Free-Food-safe/dp/B00KIW0T9C

Loose leaf tea can be purchased from one of the many sites in the sidebar or at a local store. I find loose tea at my local natural store in bulk so I can measure out my own.

I don't know what taste your dad likes, but this is kind of how I would put it together without knowing:

$15 https://www.amazon.com/PRESS-ART-TP-160-500ML-CAPACITY/dp/B00AIVMID8/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1465673803&sr=8-3&keywords=kamjove

$12 Sencha from Harney, https://www.amazon.com/Harney-Sons-Loose-Japanese-Sencha/dp/B008H7DO3S/ref=sr_1_3_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1465673892&sr=8-3&keywords=sencha+harney

$7 black Yunnan from Rishi, https://www.amazon.com/Rishi-Tea-Organic-Golden-Yunnan/dp/B00AR6M3Q6/ref=sr_1_3_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1465673914&sr=8-3&keywords=yunnan+black

$8 phoenix oolong from Tao of Tea, https://www.amazon.com/Royal-Phoenix-Oolong-Loose-Ounce/dp/B00E5F9WV4/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1465674135&sr=8-1&keywords=phoenix+oolong

$15 Darjeeling sampler, https://www.amazon.com/Darjeeling-Premium-Tea-Sampler-Spring/dp/B014WCN60M/ref=sr_1_42_a_it?rps=1&ie=UTF8&qid=1465674254&sr=8-42&keywords=tea+sampler&refinements=p_85%3A2470955011

$13 basic gaiwan setup, https://www.amazon.com/Travel-Tea-Set-Pure-White/dp/B00FNA9W0G/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1465674325&sr=8-11&keywords=travel+gongfu

Welcome! I've never used paper towel, but it could work. I fear it may tear after 1 or 2 infusions.

I've used this infuser and its worked well for me. It's a bit pricey @ $19 though.
http://www.amazon.com/FORLIFE-Stainless-Folding-Infuser-Carrying/dp/B00FOMKNSI/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1457753210&sr=8-9&keywords=for+life+tea+infuser

You could also invest in a gaiwan. Half the price at $8.
http://www.amazon.com/Purple-Clay-Tea-Pot-Gaiwan/dp/B00H98UGCS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1457753354&sr=8-1&keywords=gaiwan

This video helped me understand brewing process. It's a bit long, but hope it helps!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puldqGnW9P0

Like most anything else, there's no less than a bazillion options, and everyone will have their own take on which ones you should begin with.

If you can find a tea shop reasonably close, I recommend buying an ounce or two of several teas. Any reasonably large city should have a tea shop, you may have one near you. Take note of how to properly brew each one and give it a try. Experiment with the steep time and temperature a little if it's not quite to your liking, or if you're just feeling adventurous.

If buying in person isn't feasible, try a sample pack or similar from a reputable online vendor. There are some links in the sidebar that will help with that.

Get a tea kettle for boiling your water, good ones can be had from a variety of online retailers, like teas, but home goods stores will usually have a decent kettle. Electric or stovetop doesn't really matter much, I use a stovetop kettle myself.

With a kettle and tea in hand, you have a couple options for brewing. The best (IMO) is a proper tea pot, and there are many styles available. I have this one, and it's pretty foolproof and sturdy:
Bodum Assam Teapot

Alternatively, you can just use tea filters, like this:
Tea Filters
It's basically a DIY tea bag.

That is my recommendation for equipment, and only based on what I have personally used. I will let others offer suggestions for specific teas to order online, as I make all my purchases locally and can't recommend anything in particular.

I like this version of the hario range server. It's $10, comes with a cap, and I hear it's sturdier than the beehive variant.

Yess the good stuff!! This is the one in the video, but I'd actually recommend the IngenuiTea or IngenuiTea2 - they're a bit easier to clean IMO! Happy tea-making! 🍵🙏

Go for one of these big basket stainless steel infusers. https://www.amazon.com/FORLIFE-Brew-Mug-Extra-Fine-Infuser/dp/B001JPA3Y8/ (though the mug with infuser is close in price https://www.amazon.com/FORLIFE-Brew-Infuser-16-Ounce-Purple/dp/B00FONTSZG)

​

If you want to attempt to save your gravity infuser, maybe try a denture cleaner, PBW, or oxyclean soak.
There are also glass models which last longer like this https://www.amazon.com/PRESS-TP-200-1000ML-CAPACITY-Yeme/dp/B00654M0AI/

Hahaha! Luckily I have a gas stove and do a Japanese paper drip for my coffee, so coffee is available even in a power outage! If you have a gas stove, it may be worth considering:

https://www.amazon.com/Hario-Glass-Coffee-Server-700ml/dp/B001V7DBMA/ref=sr_1_21?ie=UTF8&qid=1499865398&sr=8-21&keywords=hario+coffee+maker

I have Bodum 17oz It fills about 2 mugs and looks like it works the same way as your larger pot. It does the job.

I just recently got the V60 for myself and I love it. I'm not by any means a perfectionist when it comes to my techniques, but I can most definitely notice the difference between this and my old brew methods (French Press / Drip).

I got the all glass setup with an all stainless steel electric kettle. It doesn't have variable temp, but I can guess well enough. I was going to go with a metal filter but decided against it. Natural filter papers are fine IMO.

Cleanup requires you to simply ditch the filter with grounds and then follow that up by rinsing out the containers. Not bad at all. In regards to your worry about knocking your current setup over, this setup (dripper and pot), are just set one on top of another. Just be weary of that as well.

Links if you're interested:

• Dripper
  
• Kettle
  
• Filters
  
• Pot
  
  Hope this helps!

I like the notNeutral Gino Server. It’s double-walled, so it retains heat better:

https://prima-coffee.com/equipment/notneutral/gino-server

However, that’s probably more than you want to spend.

There’s the other 600ml range server model for $12 on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Hario-Glass-Range-Server-600ml/dp/B001O0LCPW

Lol, as you can tell electric kettles are super popular. And something you guys may want to keep in mind for if your mom gets more forgetful later in life as they're safer. Or at least a whistling kettle, again for safety reasons.

If you want a stove top tea kettle that doesn't whistle, if it where me I'd probably go with something like this:

Gooseneck Kettle - Coffee Gator Pour Over Kettle - Precision-Flow Spout and Thermometer - Barista-Standard Hand Drip Tea and Coffee Kettle for Induction and all Stovetops - 40oz https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01E2O21NS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_.xu1DbQZWE8VF

Be aware I don't own this it's just something I would consider. Also I be aware I think the lid gets hot if you need to open it for some reason while it's on the stove.

People seem to really like the Bonavita gooseneck variable temp kettle. I wouldn't recommend brewing tea in your kettle. It's better to have a separate teapot for brewing. Something like this or this maybe.

You might like Music City Tea. They have some good tea sets and tea trays.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00G1MZD4O/ref=psdcmw_367228011_t1_B00Q5DTJQM

My ritual includes the following items which make tea at work for me:

• The electric kettle
  
• The personal tea mug
  
• The meeting tea pot
  
  This is the best $60 I ever spent. These are my favorite teas I can recommend:
  
  
• Ahmad Barooti Assam - for the mornings
  
• Rooibos - A root tea popular in Africa, also called "bush tea" for the afternoons
  
  Boil water, steep and drink! I usually load up on the tea and steep for about 5 minutes because I like my tea strong. The Nissan Thermos is the best insulated mug I've ever owned. It has kept my tea hot for about 4 hours with the lid on. Absolutely amazing.

Here is what I would do based off of this film:

1. 1000ml Press Art Pitcher
   
2. A couple sets of 60ml white tasting cups
   
3. Some Raw Puer from this guy

I believe it's this set. I have that set my self.

1. Electric Kettle - recommend Hamilton Beach Var. Temp Kettle
   
   
2. Infuser/Teapot, your choice
   

• Basket infuser, fits in any mug or cup - recommend Finium Brewing Basket
  
• Standard teapot with infuser - recommend Adagio PersonaliTea
  
• Gravity steeper - recommend Adagio IngenuiTea
  
• Gaiwan with decanter and tasting cups
  

1. Tea. Spend most of your budget on good tea and research on ideal steep and temperature times, and read up on different types of tea

My mother always asks me for a Christmas list and I put this guy on it this year.

I use a large mason jar to brew into with my V60 generally, and it's fine (wrapped in the thermal sleeve from our French Press it usually works out decently), but something dedicated / with a handle will be really nice to have.

It's sold out on the Hario link above, but you can get it on Amazon too.

im not sure if this is what you are looking for but I have used mine for over a year without any problems. It makes 4 cups of tea

http://www.amazon.com/Bodum-34-Ounce-Teapot-Stainless-Steel-Filter/dp/B0009VF4V0

Combined with a mug warmer and you have warm tea all day :)

http://www.amazon.com/Mr-Coffee-MWBLK-Mug-Warmer/dp/B000CO89T8/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1414736043&sr=1-1&keywords=mug+warmer

Get a tea pot.

http://www.amazon.com/FORLIFE-Stump-18-Ounce-Teapot-Infuser/dp/B000FLG8XC

This is a good one, it holds about 16 oz of tea and comes with an infuser.

You'll also need tea, which you can find from nearly anywhere. I like ordering from Adagio, their tea is good. Get loose leaf if that's what you're wanting to do. I recommend starting with a black, green, white, and oolong tea. If you like flavors, great, I prefer just the pure tea. I would start with just pure tea to get a baseline for what they're like.

You can take the hobby as deep as you'd like. I would really recommend you get an electric kettle as well because you can easily heat water at an exact temperature, they're very useful because each type of tea steeps at a different temp and time.

Sure!

I love sencha (and I often add a slice or two of fresh ginger-- which also helps with nausea, by the way, if she will be undergoing chemo) and jasmine pearls. They're best in looseleaf form so I would also gift her a small pot with a steeper, something like this.

I like these teas for their soothing aroma and taste-- they don't have any magical, cure-all benefits.

link!

Check out some of Hario's stuff on Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IM42AZ4/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002LW0HVM/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

1. Because they come out better that way generally. Green tea for example can get very bitter if steeped too hot or long
   
   
2. There are some very nice glass tea pots/kettles on Amazon that I think are great, especially to start. It is very convenient and less complicated. However as you get more into it you may find you get Better results with a dedicated pot and kettle
   
   Hiware 1000ml Glass Teapot with Removable Infuser, Stovetop Safe Teapot, Blooming and Loose Leaf Tea Pots https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LZSA84J/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_8Os3Bb6TJMFXW
   
   
3. Try ceylon, yunnan and fujian teas. Ceylon is often a little more prone to over steeping from my experience.

https://www.amazon.com/GROSCHE-Aberdeen-Removable-BPA-Free-Food-safe/dp/B00KIW0T9C

Bottom drain tea steeper.

This one works better based on my experience with both. https://www.amazon.com/Teaze-Tea-Infuser-Pot-Cup/dp/B0053YPXAA
My local tea shop starting using teaze instead because it pours more consistently.

I've seen a few different styles of spout-style filters that come with pots but I have never seen them sold separately. The most common are the "spring filters" and look like this. They also have fancy ones like this. Dragon Tea House's glass pots all have the spout filter but they never sell them seprately!

So ceramic? I think I got what you need then.

http://www.amazon.com/Adagio-Teas-PersonaliTea-24-Ounce-Ceramic/dp/B000I21K18

I find this to be excellent for straining Kratom when making tea!

That setup looks mighty fine to me except i would like the gaiwan and coups to be dark though, like yours... But that's alot of stuff for 99.

Aaaand the puer might be good starter puer together with one of crimson lotus teapots :> If only I had 1000 dollors to spend on tea...

I found this tea set on ebay, seems alright to me and I do like the color of it. I think I like the more earthy feeling from the darker colors then the white one you linked me. But all this is fairly new to me so maybe i shouldn't be focusing on the aesthetics this much and just get a decent gaiwan, like you said, and take it from there.

I highly recommend this! It's large enough to fill a couple cups of tea and works superbly! It's also fairly cheap right now as well, although the price fluctuates.

What I like about it is: the spout is sharply angled so there's never an issue with drippage, it's fairly slim (I fit mine into the side of the refrigerator), easy to clean, and the filter at the top makes it so you can put leaves in directly to brew without worrying about water levels since they'll sit at the bottom of the bottle rather than suspended midway.

Are you specifically looking for cast iron? Most do better with a tea-warmer, as cast iron can lose heat quickly. Also, it doesn't come with a infuser basket.

If you are just looking for a nice teapot, you should check out the Stump teapot. It comes with an infuser basket. I have one and love it. My only complaint is that the basket can be hard to get out, since it doesn't have a handle. I think the Curve teapots do have handles on the basket, although that's a bit more expensive than the Stump.

I kinda like this one: http://www.poshbananasdirect.co.uk/mr-t-lisenced-product-tea-for-one-teapot-and-cup-set---quirky-gift-idea-for-men---mr-t-merchandise-2108-p.asp

oh and this one:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Doctor-Who-Tardis-Tea-DR182/dp/B0083AR8LI/ref=sr_1_42?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1523432960&sr=1-42&keywords=teapot

Start with a gaiwan and some cups.

That gives you a lot of flexibility and a feel for the "ceremony" of it.

Additionally (or instead of), I highly recommend something with this sort of design. Its the most streamlined way to brew gong fu I know of, and will happily sit next to you on your desk without giving much danger of spills. Great for studying. I have this one, but the shipping might be an issue if you aren't in the UK.

I've been in the same boat as you and would say to steer clear of expensive clay pots for now. They're great, but you really get the most out of those sort of pots when you dedicate them to specific kinds of tea so they can season nicely. Whereas glass and glazed teaware can be used for everything with no issues. Meaning you don't need a plethora of gear.

This looks similar

It brews the tea then you press it above the mug and it drains and stains the tea. Great for loose leaf.

This is what I have:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00FNA9W0G/ref=psdcmw_367229011_t1_B01N4K6EMQ

You could get that Gaiwan for when you want to go through the ritual, and you'd have cups. And the gongfu pot for convenience, and still have some money left over for a gong fu tea tray or some leaves

I just got these 2 sets to get into tea, and they work great!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00G1MZD4O/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IA8R3RC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/Travel-Tea-Set-Pure-White/dp/B00FNA9W0G/

This is what I use when traveling, though I ditched the pouring vessel and tiny cups for one 60mL cup of my own. The gaiwan, filter, and case are worth the price, in my opinion. As a bonus, the pouring vessel works well as a filter holder when I'm at home.

The set is Mei Leaf De Hua blue porcelain: https://meileaf.com/teaware/blue-gaiwan/ The tea table is a simple one from THY via Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Bamboo-GongFu-Serving-Tray-H2-75/dp/B01CB70J00/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=THY+COLLECTIBLES&qid=1556721309&s=gateway&sr=8-3

Little late to this thread and new to the sub, but hopefully someone can still answer my questions! Before I start I'd like to say that I don't have $300 to spend on a good coffee set with a grinder, kettle and etc.

I've never been a huge coffee drinker but I'm really interested in going for it now. I've only ever had regular coffee brands made in an electric coffee maker and I always ended up adding a lot of sugar and milk because it was too strong. This being the case, my research has showed pour over coffee having a smoother taste than something like a french press, although french press is considerably cheaper!

My biggest question is, should I splurge a little for a decent kettle, grinder and pour over coffee maker to achieve what I think to be my preferred taste? Alternatively, I could easily grab a french press from Starbucks via a friend working there for fairly cheap.

That being said, I'm very interested in the art that is pour over coffee and fine tuning it to achieve better taste. The only problem is, everything I've looked at so far is incredibly expensive to start out and I'm not ready to spend that kind of money into this endeavor just yet. The $20-$30 for the coffee maker isn't the problem, it's the $50 hand grinder and $50 kettle that get me thinking that I shouldn't go down that rabbit hole.

Edit: I found a cheap and highly rated Grinder, an easy to use coffee dripper and a decent sized server but I'm unsure of if I'd need one if I'm only making 1-2 cups at a time. Thoughts on these selections and any recommendations for a kettle?

Unfortunately the cost is slowly racking up past the point of me being comfortable spending it all at once.

I have two of these in my fridge most of the time they're great.

OK, that's it. I'm going to order one, as well. Perhaps a smaller 450ml size, though.

Just the other day I got a Hario cold brew pitcher and I'm well pleased with it. This one here.

https://www.amazon.com/Hario-Glass-Coffee-Server-700ml/dp/B001V7DBMA is 13 bucks
https://www.amazon.com/Hario-Ceramic-Coffee-Dripper-White/dp/B001RBTSMM is 8 bucks
https://www.amazon.com/Hario-Paper-Coffee-Filters-Count/dp/B001U7EOYA is 6 bucks

​

you can always buy it separately.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00QFKXHZO/ref=mp_s_a_1_7_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1487175397&sr=8-7&keywords=moyishi+gaiwan

Please simplify that Amazon link; the spam filter doesn't like it.

(everything after /dp/B01E2O21NS/ can be removed).

Edit: Thanks!

Yep! Actually got it on Amazon :)

I have this one and I positively love it. It has a plastic tray underneathe, therefore there is no leaking.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01CB70J00/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1492184889&sr=8-5&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=tea+tray&dpPl=1&dpID=51i5wOjmK8L&ref=plSrch

Tea and mugs are always lovely, well-received gifts.

this one is a little cheaper http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001O0LCPW

I have this. Dirt cheap, ceramic, Amazon prime, I use it every day.

Perfect for two mugs. Sometimes when I brew something really fluffy like silver needles, I have to pour a little extra water over top and stir a bit to cover everything.

I got this one, very happy with it so far. Though going back in time, I might have gotten this one instead.

Great choices. My setup at home is the following and highly highly recommended. Also don’t forget to pick up the bleached white filters for your dripper, Grindz grinder cleaner, a brush for cleaning the grinder, and maybe some Third Wave Water. I also have a Zojirushi hot water pot with Third Wave Water in it so I can have shorter boiling times in the kettle.

• Baratza Virtuoso (heard too many grind issues with the Encore) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B006MLQHRG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_n8F1AbFH5Y4FE
  
• Bonavita 1.0L Digital Variable Temperature kettle https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005YR0F40/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_N7F1Ab7QVKWWP
  
• Acaia Pearl Black scale https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XP7PPF9/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_g7F1Ab8K1D9AT
  
• Kalita Wave 185 Lotto Ceramic (I used the Hario V60 02 for years and switched over... the V60 is way too finicky and difficult to consistently get it right) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004W5JHXU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_g6F1Ab67RC0M4
  
• Kalita Wave Series 500 “G” glass server (pours much easier than the Hario one) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004R0RFPC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_62F1AbWH67CS5
  
• Zojirushi America Corporation CV-DCC40XT VE Hybrid Water Boiler and Warmer, 4-Liter, Stainless Dark Brown https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00R4HKIV8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_k.F1AbMBTS3V5

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dr-Who-Tardis-Tea-Pot/dp/B0083AR8LI/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=2I041LAM33CUW&coliid=I1N7XD889I129L

This, well, I'd like to say saving up but with every spare pound or so I find spare I buy gifts for the redditgifts exchange >.<

But yes, this. Where I live I share a kitchen with others who tend to not fill the kettle up after they empty it, so a nice teapot would let me enjoy the tea in my room :D

And let's get Saving Private Ryan!

I posted it in my own response, but it's worth another mention..the Bodum Kenya, or the Bodum Assam are both great for steeping loose leaf tea. I brew most of my tea in a Kenya, including making stronger brews for iced tea. These pitchers/kettles/whatever are good at keeping leaves separate, so you can pour your tea over a full pitcher of ice from them and stick it in the fridge.

Also, any French Press does this job pretty handily.

I have this Bodum teapot at home which does stop the tea from steeping when the plunger is pressed down. A French press won't work in the same way. It sounds like you've figured out a pretty good solution for brewing tea with a French press though. It's either that or pour all the tea into a separate container once the steeping is done.

I love my BODUM Assam tea press. It works like a French press but keeps the tea from continuing to brew. Plus you can get it almost entirely plastic free so it looks fancy despite being fairly affordable.
https://www.amazon.com/Bodum-Assam-Medium-Plastic-Filter/dp/B00005LM0Z

Nothing wrong with a electric kettle. As for a tea pot, I'd look for one with a removable strainer. So you can remove the leaves easily when you've finished steeping, or do multiple steepings that way. To hold the heat look for a hefty ceramic one. Glass can be nice as well, I have https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LZSA84J and it's nice for large amounts of tea for several people, although it won't hold the heat for a long time straight up on its own. But alternatively, after steeping use one of the hydroflask style vaccum insulated bottles with a screw top. They'll hold it hot for hours.

Cast iron is nice to hold heat, but you need to pre-heat it with hot water before brewing with fresh hot water. And make sure it's glazed in the inside, or it'll interact with the tea and water. So overall I'd avoid cast iron, especially on a budget.

I had to show you two.

The one with the fish is smaller and I don't use it as much because I always reach for the big ones, but I have owned that thing for probably 25 years -- I bought it in Hawaii when we performed at the ProBowl halftime show when I was in high school.
The second is, admittedly, a Starbucks mug but it's so my taste and the colors are amazing and it does NOT say Starbucks on it.

Also included in the picture is the reason my husband has banned me from buying any more tea... and that's not all of it. I could open a store, I think.

As proof of my tea geekery, I have had this on my wishlist for ages. Of course, I could also replace my favorite mugs with something like this.

Of all the silly nonsense, this is the stupidest tea party I've ever been to in all my life.

I brew my 185 into a Hario Range server without any problem. Well, until last weak when the glass cracked. I think it lasted 2 years and I am going to replace with a Kalita just because I can now find them in Canada (finally).

Here: Purple Clay Tea Pot Yi Xing Clay Gaiwan Tea Cup, Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00H98UGCS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_JBUyyb6QGWTWY

I just got a Forlife Stump 16-Ounce that I've been pretty happy with. It's probably a bit smaller than what you're looking for though.

Put boiling water and kratom in the top of one of these https://www.amazon.com/Teaze-Tea-Infuser-Pot-Cup/dp/B0053YPXAA

Let it sit for about 10 minutes. Place the infuser on top of mug, add sweetener, done.

I haven't, but I think that would work; a future experiment.

just put like a bunch of AVB in the tank and cover with everclear. I bet the ultrasonic will potentially produce a similar result as just letting it sit to make a tincture

edit like I was looking at these carafes to set in the tank without getting it dirty and making it easy to get the stuff out. and you could even strain it directly with this

update so it's talked about in a few places, like here, so it's something I'm going to try with vegetable glycerin.

I bought this bottle that has a built-in filter. the idea is that I can put AVB in and cover it with vegetable glycerin, put the bottle into the ultrasonic cleaner, and simply pour the tincture into dropper bottles.