Zarafina Tea Maker Suite with Ceramic Tea Pots, Cups, and Serving Tray
by Zarafina
List Price:
Our Price: $130.00
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Category: Kitchen
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Product Summary
Manufacturer: ZarafinaBrand: Zarafina
Release Date: 2006-10-01
Model: TH1000
Color: Shale/Stainless
Product features:
- 16-ounce electric tea maker steeps a variety of loose or bagged tea
- Customizable tea strength from mild to strong; auto dispensing
- Attractively housed in a dark shale color with stainless-steel accents
- Includes ceramic teapot, 2 tea cups, and serving tray
- Measures 19-3/7 by 12-3/4 by 25 inches; 1-year limited warranty
Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Zarafina Tea Maker Suite with Ceramic Tea Pots, Cups, and Serving Tray
Customer Review: A savvy investment for the avid tea drinker
Summary: 5 Stars
This is the only tea maker currently available that allows for and automatically sets both the proper brewing temperature and time for the different tea varieties. The fact that you can select your desired strength is an added bonus that results in the perfect cuppa every time. It's also fun to stand and watch the process through the clear brewing chamber; this is a wonderful touch because it allows for the asthetic componant in the joy of brewing tea.
Yes, the price seems like a lot up front, particularly compared to coffee makers, but it's worth the investment. Just think of it as a per-use price. I received mine on November 16, 2006 and have used it daily since. Even calculating for only 2 cups brewed per day, I'm already under $1.50 per cup, and I know that I've actually used it more than that. After I've owned it a year, the cost will be closer to 1 cent per cup.
My favorite tea currently is white, but I've also used it for black, green, oolong, rooibos, herbal, and mate--both loose and bagged. It makes brewing loose teas so easy that I've switched over to them almost exclusively and reserve my bagged tea for the office. I've also found that it works well for double-brewing certain varieties of herbal and rooibos teas. If you want to prep your tea for the following morning, fill the Zarafina with water to the fill line, select the correct settings for your tea, and fill the infuser basket with tea but leave it sitting on the counter. In the morning just drop the infuser basket on top of the water, cover, and press the ON button.
I really like that the ON button has to be pressed upward, which prevents an accidental start. I also discovered that the tea maker will not dispense the tea if the teapot is not under the release spout--a wonderful safety feature.
One caveat that I do have is that the teapot is not dishwasher safe and replacement would cost somewhere around $30. I actually called the company to see if I could get a second teapot to rotate with the original, and as a back-up feature, but I found the cost prohibitive. I would love it if they would consider offering an online order option for replacement/extra teapots and cups.
The entire apparatus arrives superbly packaged with great attention to detail. This is a quality product. I also appreciated the added touch of the free tea sampler offer, which arrived promptly after I submitted the info (basically registering my Zarafina) through their website. So far, it has withstood heavy usage, and I look foward to using it for years to come.
Update 10/24/07: A few months ago my tea brewing chamber developed some very minor cracks around the heating plate. Concerned that this might eventually compromise the integrity and cause leaks, I contacted Zarafina. They sent me a free replacement promptly. I particularly appreciated that they didn't require me to return the defective part first, so that I did not have to be without my tea maker. I still enjoy my Zarafina Tea Maker Suite immensely; it gets more use than any other appliance in my kitchen.
Update 07/23/08: A few weeks ago I began to experience a leak of some sort that caused a puddle to form underneath the tea maker. When I lift the tea maker the water drips from the bottom of the unit. After some trouble-shooting that didn't yield a solution, I happened to fill the steeping chamber about 20 minutes before I started the brewing cycle, instead of almost immediately before as I usually do. The puddle was even bigger. I contacted Zarafina about the problem and they were unable to provide an answer via email but asked me to call. I then spoke with a very nice representative named Justin who asked me not to use my suite for safety reasons but immediately offered to ship me a new unit--without requiring me to go through the trouble of returning the current one! Now that's customer service! The new unit will not have a warranty, because my current model is already out of warranty (it's being replaced because of the safety issue), but they are still standing behind their product. I'm impressed!
More Zarafina Tea Maker Suite with Ceramic Tea Pots, Cups, and Serving Tray reviews:
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Description of Zarafina Tea Maker Suite with Ceramic Tea Pots, Cups, and Serving Tray
The Zarafina tea maker suite unlocks the art of tea making for a new generation. The 16-ounce-capacity tea maker comes in dark shale with stainless-steel accents--the finishing touches that embody fine design. Two ceramic tea cups, a tea pot, and a serving tray are included; 1-year limited warranty.Coffee, Tea & Espresso
Kitchen and Housewares
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