I really really wanted this product and was given it as a Christmas gift in 2012. Love at first steep. The appliance is so easy to use and the instructions were really clear and easy to understand. I am a tea girl. My boyfriend knows it, my girlfriends know it and my family knows it. I love how you can make any type of tea with this tea maker and it keeps it warm, you can automatically set it. I started working from home at the end of 2012, so this was a perfect gift to get in my beverages throughout the day. So much less hassle, don’t have to worry about forgetting you brewed a cup of tea, it keeps the tea warm for you, it allows you to brew it to your liking.
In April, my tea makers handle was loose and I called Breville and they dealt with it right away. I boxed up my tea maker and sent it to them and they sent me a new one within 2 weeks of me reporting the issue. Great customer service, fast quick. I did have tea depression for the 2 weeks without it, but it made me appreciate it all the more and when I got it back, I will never be without it again. This is the perfect gift for the tea drinker, especially if they don’t drink coffee (like me.)
Pros:
- beautiful to look at
- doesn’t take up a whole lot of space on the counter
- easy to use
- doubles as a kettle as well for other things you might need boiling water for
- works with many different kinds of teas
- I drink more tea because of this
- easy company to deal with for warranty issues
Cons:
- expensive, get it on sale to ease yourself with the price – but do know it is worth every penny
- it’s somewhat easy to clean but not as easy as it could be – because of the base not being able to be submerged in water
- makes minimum 500ML so sometimes you want just a quick small cup, but have to make at least 2 cups of tea
What others have mentioned and what I have to say about that:
The Plastic issue:
Mine was labelled that it is BPA free and for the most part none of the tea comes in contact with any of the plastic pieces. The carafe is made of glass and German glass at that, the handle is acrylic, the lid is combination of metal and plastic. Again, the only thing that comes in contact is the basket which is part metal, and a little plastic. The basket lid is acrylic plastic. For those that have said it’s a deal breaker for them, I’d like to know if they eat canned food, use aluminum water bottles (which are coated with a plastic inside,) etc. For me it is not a deal breaker. I have never had tea taste like plastic, and basically I think if they get tea that tastes like plastic they aren’t using the product correctly.
Customer service:
AMAZING. Great to deal with, didn’t have an issue.
Cleaning:
I will say that at first I felt that my tea was starting to taste like other teas I had brewed in there. However, I have since become more diligent with rinsing it out after each use and emptying the tea leaves and not letting them sit overnight, or for extended periods of time (like it says in the manual.) I also clean it with baking soda only, which does wonders. I put a generous amount of baking soda and boil over the max hot water limit with the basket and more baking soda in it. I let this side for an hour. I empty out the carafe and then take a cloth/old clean sock/paper towel and wipe. The unit still has to be hot for this to work as well. When you wipe it, you will see all the tannin from the tea that has been previously steeped come off. It makes your tea maker look like new and the brown tinge that develops over time is eliminated from the tannin being removed. This goes for the basket. the carafe and the lids. Then I reboil with clean water. Let stand. Rinse and voila. I do this once a month to once every two times a month.
Never had an issue with different “smells or tastes.”
All in all I recommend this to ANYONE that has even one canister of loose leaf tea. You will increase your consumption of tea and it will be a joy to drink. One of my friends has bought one and I give them as gifts when I see them on sale for bridal/baby showers. Tea is a very calming and relaxing thing and I believe what better than the gift of relaxation and convenience.
Try to take reviews with a grain of salt, whether positive or negative. Try it, if you don’t like it, take it back :) But I doubt you will once you use it :D
