Tea Emperor

This tipping teacup has been designed in Finland and it has gotten the prestigious Red Dot Design prize – but what a horrible trinket! I can’t see how any of the promised benefits would materialize. It’s definately not easier to clean when you compare to traditional ball. The ball you can pick up from the cup, open and rinse. With this tilted cup you end up with an awkward corner that is difficult to keep clean. Ok, now that this is out of my system I can say that it probably makes a nice gift.

IMPORTANT NOTICE

After reading what I wrote, my dear Empress asked me why on earth I slammed the tilting teacup. I must admit that it is an opinion of mine purely based on these few images and video. I have not held the cup in my hands, so I take it all back. But when I’ll get one then I’m surely going to write an user’s review on it. Until then, consider the cup as a gift item at very least.

I can be slightly experimental with my tea tasting, but I get nowhere near the level of the Empress or what would you say about drinking pork rib tea? I’d put it to the same category as liver tea or kidney tea both of which get a baffled expression on my face. How about you, would you like to take a sip of pork rib tea?

NO SURE?

Well, let me tell you more about pork rib tea. It is not as bad as it sounds. In fact the pork rib tea is just pork rib soup served along with a cup of tea and cup of rice and just to make sure there is no tea in the soup. Chinese culture really knows how to balance the food and you can read more about the pork rib tea over here.

THE GOOD OLD TEA MAKER
I have been using my own tea maker for years now. It must be one of the most productive items in our house and has earned its value many times over. The funny thing is that is not especially flashy or trendy and the whole process of buying was so everyday and ordinary that I can’t even remember its name. Nevertheless, this tea maker without a brand name has been working just beautifully. Now, I wonder if it’s true what they say about the positive effect of green tea on one’s memory… Good luck finding it!

OF PLASTIC AND GLASS
As you can see from the photoes, this tea maker is made of plastic and glass, which is a good combination for a tea maker as it becomes very light. Now, light objects are easy to handle plus you don’t need to worry about pre-heating the equipment as it doesn’t tap too much of the water heat just load it up and pour in the hot water and you are good to go. On the negative side is that the pot itself can’t reserve much heat and tea will cool much faster than in a traditional tea maker or tea pot.

HOW IT HANDLES IN CORNERS?
The use of this tea maker couldn’t be easier or it could, but that would require a servant or an au pair. You load it up with your favourite tea leaves and pour some boiling hot water over them. Give it a minute or two and then it is ready to be generously offered for tea starving friends. Better not fill it to the brim because pouring out might be slightly too wet (what I mean is that the nook and the lid could have been designed a tad better). But it is good for about half a liter of ready tea, which is well enough for couple or for chain drinker.

RELATIVELY EASY TO CLEAN
The design is modular as the glass pot can be detached from the plastic frame making the tea maker a relatively easy to clean. However plastic as a material has some drawbacks what comes to ease of maintenance. From the pure durability point of view I still might go for the traditional alternative. But never mind the functionality, just look at the photoes and you’ll see that it is streamlined easy to lay your eye on it.

INFUSER CUP IS EASY TO STAIN THOUGH
The plastic infuser cup for tea leaves can hold enough tea leaves for making strong enough flavour, but the lightness comes with a down side. Plastic is easy to gain stains that are difficult to remove, furthermore preparing tea from two different varieties can leave a distinct side taste to the latter if the cup is not washed well between the uses. The design of the cup also comes with the old problem of keeping all the infuser holes open for faster infusion. This one is difficult to solve, so I’ll let it slide. Hey, now that you are reading, do you happen to know a good tea maker, just let me know down in the comments and I’ll check it out.

THE SUBLIME DESIGNER

Naoto Fukusawa is a designer who can simplify until his designs have only the essence of the function that they need to perform. As a lover of Scandinavian design, I have always enjoyed Mr. Fukusawa’s work. This combined coffee and tea maker is no exception.

Naoto Fukusawa's tea maker design for Plus Minus Zero Co., Ltd.

THE TEA MAKER

First of all, this tea maker is very compact and therefore easily fits into any kitchen. Secondly, the overall style is just absolutely sublime you have to line up a number of tea makers to find one that comes even close to this one. The compact size makes this the tea maker of choice for singles and couples with no kids.

What’s notable is that the water passes through a double activated charcoal filter from the top and into either tea leaves or coffee grounds. For a person who wants to brew some quick tea the traditional tea bag and hot water is still the way to go. However if you enjoy the occasional tea ceremony without all that complicated waving and whisking then this tea maker is a nice compromise for you.