Bodum Canteen 6-Ounce (0.18-Liter) Double Wall Glass Thermal Tea Infuser Set
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Bodum Canteen 6-Ounce (0.18-Liter) Double Wall Glass Thermal Tea Infuser Set
Customer Review: Too small and easily breakable
Summary: 3 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
I love tea, and I find brewing tea from loose tea leaves to be particularly satisfying. In the past, I've used a mesh strainer inside a mug, and -- after using this bodum tea canteen, I think I'm going right back to that.
Before I express my disappointment in this item, let me first mention the good things:
- It looks classy.
- It feels good in your hands. Smooth and -- due to the double hull -- cool to the touch even when filled with hot water.
- It's a pleasure to drink from.
But alas, that's not enough to redeem this tea infuser set. I found it to be problematic for three reasons... one of which I was warned about, two of which were a surprise.
- It's darn small! I'd be surprised if you can even brew a full six ounces of tea from this thing, and who drinks just six ounces of tea at a time? But I knew about the size going in, given that it's advertised as a 6-ounce infuser set, so I can't really blame Bodum for that.
- Even with the lid on, if you fill it just a bit too much (towards the top), you'll spill hot water on yourself as you walk with it. No seal :(
- The dang thing is fragile! I accidentally bumped it off my desk onto the (admittedly short and somewhat hard) carpet and BAM, the infuser shattered into tiny pieces. I know (and appreciate) that it's glass, but that's some pretty darn weak glass.
So alas, I got just three uses out of the thing. And, given my criticisms above, I don't plan to buy a replacement.
If you like just small spots of tea and are willing to treat this item gingerly, then you may want to consider it. Otherwise, I frankly recommend my still-preferred brewing method of choice: a trusty ol' mug and a light (unshatterable!) mesh infuser.
Customer Review: Insert fits a regular coffee mug perfectly for a larger cup of tea!
Summary: 5 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
(Added 10/27/08) After using this set for a few months I just realized that the infuser insert fits a regular large coffee cup perfectly! Now when I want a big cup of tea I just use a bigger cup.
I will start by telling you that if you like your TEA IN A GIANT COFFEE MUG THIS IS NOT FOR YOU! This makes a small 6 ounce dainty cup of tea. It does leave a very slight particle residue when using loose tea so if that bothers you then avoid this item.
I however loved this set and if you prefer a smaller cup of tea then you will enjoy this beautiful set as I have. It is made out of the kind of glass used in labs so it is super light and crystal clear but very durable. I use loose green tea and this infuser made the perfect cup of tea and the clear glass lets you see when the desired color is achieved.
One thing I'll CAUTION you of is not to go with your instincts and try to bob the infuser up and down in the hot water! It will pour out over the cup and burn you! The little slots on the infuser are very thin and can't flow enough water inside and out for bobbing, so just cover and let it rest and then after a few minutes just slowly lift the infuser up and let it fully drain into the cup and then you can set it inside the handy lid that is also a coaster.
This tea set makes tea time a look forward to pleasurable event. This would make a very beautiful gift for someone special along with some loose tea! You of course can just use the cup with a tea bag which works just as well and the lid inverted holds the used bag.
I give it an A+ for design, quality, ease of use, and functionality!
Customer Review: Attractive, functional, but a bit small...
Summary: 4 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
It's a three-piece set consisting of a small cup, lid, and infuser. It's functional with a simple and clean appearance for those that like the minimal look. The lid doubles as a coaster to hold the infuser after it's been removed from the cup as well as preventing too much heat from escaping as the tea brews. The cup has a double-wall layer of glass to keep the tea warm while keeping the outside cool enough to hold comfortably. The glass supposedly keeps the tea warm longer, but I have no idea how long the heat from the tea will be retained since I don't leave my drink out for very long. It does, however, do a nice job of keeping the glass outside at a temperature that's comfortable to hold.
The wide mouth of the infuser makes the cup look larger than it really is so I misjudged the amount of water to pour in, resulting in a slight overflow. That leads me to the main downside of this set: the cup is tiny and holds about the equivalent of a China teacup rather than a regular coffee mug. It's a minor inconvenience to rebrew and refill, I suppose; casual tea drinkers might be satisfied with the size.
The infuser has four sets of slits, rather than holes, on the bottom to allow the liquid to seep through though the slits are large enough that it doesn't catch all the tea leaves. You won't get giant clumps sifting through, but the production description is a bit misleading because leaves will escape to the cup. If you're finicky about stray tea leaves, then a mesh tea ball might be better. But otherwise, despite the size, the cup and infuser is an attractive set that works well.
Customer Review: Now that's my cup of tea!
Summary: 5 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
I received my package just a day before Hurricane Dolly made landfall. The Bodum Canteen 6-Ounce (0.18-Liter) Double Wall Glass Thermal Tea Infuser Set came in handy for making a couple of small, individual servings of relaxing tea.
I had been looking at the various tea infusers available to make the switch to loose tea, and am very happy with this product for single servings. The Borosilicate Glass is nicely designed and very light. The double wall design helps keep the tea warm while protecting your hands. Making tea in this way adds some ritual to the experience.
It is small at 6 ounces, so those who prefer to make tea by the pot will want to look at a larger vessel for their brewing. Despite the strength of the glass, I still find myself being particularly careful with the cover and infuser. The base of the infuser is just narrow enough to make me anxious when setting it in the lid, which also serves as a coaster to hold the infuser and contain any dripping from the loose tea.
The packaging is nicely designed, with a molded paper interior "cup holder" to protect the separate pieces during shipping and storage. This would be a nice gift for a tea drinker.
I will look for a larger Bodum product to compliment this item when making tea for more than one.
Customer Review: Elegant way to brew one cup of loose tea
Summary: 5 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
If you have a source of hot water at work (I have a hot pot for visitors, for example, to make a cup of tea) and if you like loose tea but not teapots and all the other impedimentia, the Bodum cup is an elegant way to make tea.
The infuser consists of a tempered glass insert with slits (very like the infuser in the original Jena teapot), a lid and a double-walled tempered glass handle-less mug.
You put tea into the infuser, pour on hot water, then steep the tea (1-3 minutes for green tea, 5-6 for black tea.) Then remove the infuser and set it on the lid, which doubles as a saucer to catch the drips, and drink from the double-walled mug. The mug stays cool on the outside and the tea stays very hot inside. I just made a cup of chai tea and it has stayed hot all the way through drinking the entire cup.
This is a 6 ounce cup, so you would need to refill it with more hot water and tea if you want a second cup. For green tea, sometimes the second brewing is even better.
If you like green tea, this is especially nice, as I have yet to find green tea bags that equal the quality of loose green tea.
This is a very simple, elegant cup and could even work in a cubicle if you have a small hot water electric pot or a thermos of hot water at your disposal. This would make a gorgeous gift (with some top quality tea) for a tea-drinking friend.