Every once in a while, the perks of being the editor-in-chief of the #2 tea blog are particularly sweet.  I saw the Capresso PerfecTea pot a few weeks ago and was eager to give it a try, so I contacted the company and they sent me one for my review.  As some of you may [...]

On Sunday, January 3, I signed onto Facebook and read the following post from Thunderbolt Tea:
“It’s time we announced our winner of the monthly lucky draw.  Congratulations Erika Cilengir.  Your teas will be shipped as soon as possible.  Happy New Year and enjoy the teas!!”
In mid-December, one of my tea friends on Facebook had suggested [...]

Before we begin, let me introduce myself.  I am a coffee-loving, tea-savoring Seattleite who knows a good latte when he tastes one.  Because of espresso’s unique properties when compared to brewed coffee, I have been especially skeptical of tea lattes in the past.  What makes espresso unique is that it is both similar, yet distinct [...]

Although originally considered the “peasant tea” of Japan, kukicha, or stem-and-twig tea, is growing in popularity in the Western world.  In Uji, Japan, tea farmers made this tea from parts of the tea plant that were left over after the expensive buds and leaves were sold.  The farmers drank these stems and twigs after sun-drying [...]

One of my favorite pastimes is to try different types of tea.  Recently, I discovered a set of tea bags in winter flavors.  The boxes advertised four types - Ginger Snappish, Pumpkin Spice, Eggnogg’n, and Apple Cider.
Unfortunately, the Apple Cider tea was nowhere to be found.  Apparently, there wasn’t any in stock, which was rather [...]

If you own a tea cafe or drink a lot of tea lattes and don’t want to invest in a decent (read: expensive) espresso machine, affordable options for heating and frothing your milk and chai lattes are, unfortunately, quite limited.  While I can’t speak to the adequacy and efficacy of the Froth au Lait Professional [...]

Think about it: you have spent time carefully steeping a pot of loose-leaf tea until it tastes perfect.  Your cup of tea is poured, and then your Blackberry alarm starts beeping.  You have forgotten that you have a doctor’s appointment.  So you grab your bag and very slowly make your way out to the car, [...]

Recently, I participated in an eleven-day tea-tasting event, sponsored by Lochan Tea Company.  I am grateful for this experiment as it was somewhat challenging to put words to every olfactory, tactile, and visual sensation I had while getting to know each of the teas.  In short, it was a wonderful challenge to my writing skills.
I [...]

This is a crazy time for Jin Junmei (Golden Junmei), a newborn black tea that sells for 100 dollars an ounce.  Similar to Pu-erh, Jin Junmei is hot and getting more and more popular, especially in Fuzhou and Xiamen (two cities in the Fujian province of China).  Most people buy it as a gift, despite [...]

Converting to tea in my middle fifties has been so much fun!  No matter how many coffee drinks Starbucks comes up with (Peppermint Mocha Latte, anyone?), the world of coffee will never outdo the world of tea.  So many beautiful names!  From “dragon balls” to “hairy crab” to “bird’s tongue”…the monikers are numerous and descriptive.  [...]