Tea Review: Iced Teas by Salada

It's time to chill out with some refreshing iced tea, an innovation that goes back to 1904, when a tea vendor decided to help people cool off at the St Louis Worlds Fair.  This truly American invention is now one of the most popular ways to drink tea, thanks to the RTD bottled industry.  And every June is National Iced Tea Month.

There are numerous way to make iced tea.  Either you can use cold water and steep your tea for an extended period of time or you can brew hot tea and then ice it down.  There are a bevy of iced tea makers - machines dedicated to the sole practice of making tea, often with convenient pitchers, which in its self can be a handy item to own.

So when I was asked to try Salada Tea's Iced Tea Line, what with it being the National month-long celebration of icy camellia sinensis, I was more than happy to oblige.

Now there's nothing that differentiates their tea from any other tea that you could use to create iced tea, if you were using tea bags, although their iced tea bags are indeed bigger. I tried to show the difference in this photo. And while the instructions say to use 2 of these "Family Sized" bags, I found that using 3-4 tea bags was better because the taste of the green tea is fairly washed out.

This fairly washed out taste is common with "naturally decaffeinated" teas because to decaffeinate them they must be soaked (twice) in the processing - leaving you with a less robust taste.  This process also diminishes the antioxidants that people prize green tea for having, which means any supportive health claims having to do with "decaffeinated green tea" are grossly over-exaggerated.

I tried all 3 of the iced teas (Raspberry, Tropical and Peach Nectarine), only to find them to be rather similar.  A weak iced tea accented by a touch of fruit flavoring.

I wish I had something more to say besides "hey, I like the super-sized tea bags" but I am now the owner of 3 big boxes of 18 mega-tea bags.....and as they say, "That's Salada Tea".

3 Little Tea Pots

The teapot is as much fashion as it is form and function. Decorative styling is a natural extension of one’s own personality. While some tea lovers will fawn over antique china tea sets with the gold leaf and floral designs, others will stand by their iron testubin pots. Sometimes a tea pot is chosen for its look or perhaps their sentimental value. Other tea pots are better suited for a specific type of tea. There are a myriad of designs that you may already own, and pots you prefer to use. However, there are 3 tea pots every tea lover should think about owning.

Click here to continue...

Spotlight: Copco Tea Thermal

Finally! A travel mug for the tea lover on the go.

I travel for my job, so I need a travel mug that allows me to make my tea anywhere I am. If only I could boil the water and steep it on the way, and also not need to be concerned with dealing with wet leaves or over steeped tea, that would be great.

So, imagine my delight to have found such a product!

The good folks at Copco have designed an entire Total Tea line, which includes the Travel Tea Thermal and I couldn't be happier. Not to say that this product is perfect, but it is by far the most innovative product I've seen for the traveling tea lover.

Read the rest of the review on the English Tea Store Blog.

BONUS: one of the few places to buy this mug is @ The English Tea Store: Here

The Big Steep

Often I am asked about the best way to steep tea. And what’s best depends on what type of tea you are drinking, what kind of equipment you own (or are willing to buy) and what fits most into your lifestyle.

I've written an extensive article on this subject as a guest post on The English Tea Store blog.

Read More here: "The Big Steep"

That "Green" Tea

You probably haven't thought about it, but you could be wasting electricity (and money) by boiling too much water when you make tea. I know I never thought about it, but the good people at EcoKettle have.

In fact this UK company contends that "...if everyone stopped overfilling their kettles, we'd save enough electricity to power the nation's street lights for seven months." I love how they figure out kilowatts into practical terms such as a nation's average running capacity for all street lights -- I'm glad that's not my job to unearth these bizarre comparisons, but it has made me take a step back and think about my own tea-brewing practices.

It's a good thing the planet-friendly folk at EcoKettle have us covered. Their water brewing devise has 2 chambers, one to brew the correct amount of water, the other as a resevoir. The user's score is signifgantly lower than the editor's score. As I don't have one, I can't really give you my own review. I would however like to remind my readers that they should be able to enjoy their tea without creating a lot of waste.

Did you know? Boiling a kettle uses far more power than leaving a computer on overnight. Your tea can cost you less with the Ecokettle though, which thanks to sensible shaping and wiring uses an average of 31 per cent less power than your ordinary pot, and Ecokettle claims it’s even helped cut carbon emissions by 500 tons.

Other Tips for Greening your Tea:
- only boil as much water as you need
- use loose tea (less packaging!)
- never use paper or disposable cups
- compost your used tea leaves
- too much tea? not enough time? water your plants with any lukewarm/cold tea!

Sip Madly - and Responsibly!
Mdm Potts

Mad Kettles of Tea!

There's something about a tea kettle that exudes a certain sense of "hearth and home" -- a warmth shared by friends and family, coming together. No other kitchen appliance sends the same message. Not coffee pots, not bread makers, not blenders.

The tea kettle is nurturing. Even if only ever used when sick, the sight of a tea kettle boiling water makes the body and spirit feel a sense of relief - that help is on the way...

It's no wonder why then, the World Kitchen, in coordination with The Industrial Designers Society of America, is holding a Tea Kettle Design Competition called Tea Off!

From their site:
The functions of a kettle are manifold. First, it must hold a dangerous substance-boiling water. It must operate safely and reliably. It must communicate its status instantly. When well designed, it elevates the experience of preparing, sharing, and consuming tea. No small task....
What is the place of this icon in the context of the 21st century home and life experience? Is it the communal magnet or the microwavable drink-and-dash all-in-one? Through this competition, we invite you to celebrate with us the rich heritage of tea, and explore the future place of the tea kettle.

This is just an excerpt from their Invitation to Enter, which explains their philosophy and their regard for all that ever has been and will be the art of brewing. and for a moment in time, it gave me pause...to appreciate with true gratitude the function and purpose of my tea kettle. I use a glass kettle. Strong and Massive. Able to handle the voracious demands of the Madam of the Pot. I like to see my water as it comes to a boil. I like knowing the approximate temperature by the agitation of the water and the bubbles , instead of using a thermometer... I feel my tea kettle is unique..a word that filters into my entire tea philosophy. I inherited it from my grandmother. A relic of the 50's or 60's, when entertaining in the home was far more common place than it is these days.

So, as I sit here, sipping my genmaicha...I wish you all warmth, in your hearts and in your homes.

And if you are feeling a bit Tea-d Off, you have until January 9th, 2009 to submit your entry.

Happy Mad Designing!

Spotlight: Zarafina Tea Maker

I received a Zarafina Tea Maker a few months back -- which is an appliance dedicated to making the perfect cup (or 2) of tea. Using the Zarafina, has changed my tea-making habits forever.

The process is simple:
- Fill the water chamber for either one or two cups.

- Put in either one or two scoops of tea in the filter chamber.

- Place the filter chamber in the water chamber

- Adjust the settings

by Type: green, black, white, oolong, herbal teas
and by Strength: mild, medium, strong

- Flip the On switch and.....Voila! Minutes later you have a perfectly brewed cuppa tea, properly decanted in a tea pot - ready to go.

So after my own test run, I researched what other people were saying about the Zarafina. A great review with pix is also listed here: Review

The Pros stated: "Easy to use! Fast! No-Fuss Tea Making! Consistent Brewing! Gorgeous packaging! Sleek Design!"

The Cons: The biggest complaint was that it was too costly. It was $150, but recently has in fact come down to $100, which may have been in response to their feedback.

I mention them here for the reasons that I fully agree with both the positive and the negative feedback from these reviews. Packaging & Design -- award-winning in my book, rivals the people at Apple. The Use and Functionality: A+ - which is why appliances exist - to make tings faster and easier.

But I wanted to say something more to my readers...about WHY I use the Zarafina Tea Maker Suite, and HOW it has changed my tea-making habits. To do this, I had to live with this machine for months, which furthered the delay in writing this review. So, how has Zarafina influenced the Tea Drinking Habits of Madam Potts?

Ok, so by combining the brewing, steeping and decanting into one effieicent step, the Zarafina Tea Maker Suite has actually increased my tea consumption. If you drink as much tea as I do, then you know that tea time is not always a ritual of relaxation and calm. There are occasions where the focus is on other things besides water temperature and steeping times.

Mornings before work are an excellent example. If I start up my Zarafina, I can then proceed making breakfast, doing dishes, packing a lunch and then turn and pour myself a perfectly brewed cuppa tea without having lost a moment for what would have been a multistep process. I can have that morning cup or pour it in my thermos and I'm ready to start my day. That effiency is invaluable....and I prize that.

Other times, I might be cleaning the house or such, and I want tea, but I'm not in the kitchen. I go and start up the Zarafina, walk away and 10 minutes later I can come into the kitchen and walk back out 10 seconds later with my tea. Did I mention that the Tea Maker automatically shuts itself off! They realize in the world that buzzes and moves at a pace that encourages ADD, the added feature of automatic shut-down is both a safety measure and one more step that you needn't worry about.

I feel that by being able to walk out of the kitchen while tea is being made, that the people at Zarafina offer a liberation, a freedom of movement within one's own dwelling, that then rewards you with a cup of tea at a perfect drinkable temperature!

They've taken the guess work out of how much water or how much tea to use. They've taken the obligation out of watching the kettle. They offer the quick and easy cup (or two) of tea. They offer one more option in the tea-making world which is comparable to any other option.

Using my Zarafina doesn't replace but adds to the options. I continue to use my gaiwan. When I have time, I enjoy the multiple steeps with my testubin. I still use the glass kettle when I want a full pot of tea (sadly the Zarafina makes 2 cups tops). And beautifully so, each of these choices are perfect in their own way, based on desired tea experience and the availability of time.

If you drink tea everyday, then it is fully worth every penny. It's not unheard of to have an automatic coffee maker, so why not an automatic tea maker?

Thank you Zarafina for bringing more ways to enjoy tea as part of my lifestyle!

Spotlight: The Mad Potter

Part of the joy of this blog, and about having gotten into tea at all, is the many marvelous and random encounters you have with other tea lovers. And so I felt particularly special to have met a man who exhibits the spirit of the Mad Pots blog....the mad potter himself, Andy Titcomb.

Andy's been making teapots of all sorts and sizes for over 30 years in North Cornwall, England. He designs, creates and decorates all of his teapots. Many are limited editions.
Take a look - shopping for tea pots was never so much fun!

Please be sure to check him out : The Mad Potter I have added the moniker, The Mad Potter, as a show of my utmost respect. It will be my pleasure to meet him at his studio one day....and have a mad tea party with him!

He also has a fun blog that you may be interested in reading: here

no stuffy rigid tea sipper here....no..Mr. Titcomb is a real novelTEA!

A Higher Class of Tea

There are so many teas and many methods of preparing tea. So why then are we still using either a tea cup (English or Asian) or the utilitarian mug?

I like boiling my water in a glass kettle, and often I use a glass tea pot to steep my tea. But rarely is my choice of drinkware made of glass. They do make glass tea cups, but I don't happen to own any. But being the MAD tea lady that I am, I decided I would experiment in employing some of my more stylish barware as a substitute to my usual teacups.

It can be said that the appreciation of tea is similar to that of wine -- the unlimited varieties, growing regions, complexities, descriptions are all very similar - which makes it accessible for people to understand. So, with that, I tried using a wine glass with a Lapsang Souchong the other day. I loved the way in which the wine glass offered me the ability to inspect the the color and liquor of the tea, the shape of the vessel allowed for true olfactory stimulation, allowing me to take in the full smokiness of the tea.

*Suggestion: Please make sure your glassware is made of tempered glass or is not "too delicate". To mitigate cracking, prep the glasses as one would with a teapot (that is to run and fill with hot water. Also, I would insist that the water temp not be above 180 degrees.

Surely, this was a successful experiment in sensory experience.

So then I tried a different type of tea in a different type of glass.

I took a more delicate floral Jasmine Green. I brewed it in my gaiwan set, and then sipped it out of a martini glass. An inspired pause took hold of the moment. The delicate nature of the glass and the tea. Really, you must try it - I'm not saying I'd start off my morning sipping from a martini glass, but I would jazz up my evening pots with a touch of class or when the occasion called for it...

Ideas are most certainly brewing....

In the BAG

Regardless of what type of tea you enjoy, and how you prefer making it, tea bags have their own niche in the convenience they offer. So Naturally....I too have all of my blends available in convenient, bleach-free tea bags.

With herbal tisanes, which are the Madam Potts specialty, they don't need to "unfurl" so the tea bag is that much more practical. One cannot argue that the taste is diminished.

Because I drink most of my herbals on a special needs basis, it is important to me to have the herbal tea when I need it - and I rarely am home.

Drinking a cup of scullcap tea 3 times a day becomes a WHOLE lot easier with the use of the tea bag.

Tea bags get such a bad rap...hey they're not alllll bad!