Review of the Breville One-Touch Tea Maker

Breville One-Touch Tea Maker

I come from a long line of tea drinkers, myself included. In fact, there's nothing better than curling up on my couch at the end of a long day with a cup of my favorite tea. But I'm used to just making that one cup, and it's often a challenge to make numerous cups for guests. That's why the Breville One-Touch Tea Maker has made such a difference in our house.

Forget the old kettle on the stove, the single cup brewed via my Keurig or even the dreaded microwaved cup of hot water.  It was time to step up my tea game.

The Breville One-Touch Tea Maker makes the whole process foolproof. Here's how it works.

Brewed to your taste

First, start with your favorite loose-leaf tea. Next, use the provided scoop to measure out the right amount. The enclosed conversion chart helps you figure out exactly how many scoops of tea to use per cup of water; in general, it's one scoop of tea per cup of water. The tea maker makes two to five 8-ounce cups at a time.

The One-Touch Tea Maker gives you two ways to brew your tea. Choose the preset options for the most commonly used tea types — oolong, black, green, herbal and white. Each option is preset to the recommended water temperature and steeping time for that type of tea.

Or you can use the custom option and take full control of your brewing your tea. The custom setting will override the pre-set options, allowing you to raise or lower the water temperature and adjust the brew strength to mild, medium or strong.

Then just press start. The water takes about one minute to heat. Unlike other tea makers, the Breville has a fully automated tea basket, so when the water reaches the correct temperature, the tea basket automatically lowers into the water. It then moves up and down, gently agitating the leaves to perfectly infuse your tea.

With other tea makers, you need to be on hand at the end of the cycle to prevent over-steeping. With the Breville, when the steeping time is over, the basket rises out of the water to give you a perfectly steeped cup of tea.

You can taste the difference in the first sip. While testing various teas, I found out that I actually like chai tea – the way the Breville makes it — correctly — not the way I made it before.

A perfect brew every time

What makes the Breville different from other tea makers is its moving tea basket. The motion allows water to circulate freely around the individual tea leaves for maximum infusion. 

Since the teapot automatically lowers the basket into the water once it reaches the correct temperature, you can set a timer so you can wake up to your favorite pot of tea. Oversleep? No problem. The Breville will raise the basket when it’s done steeping and keep your tea at the optimal temperature for up to 60 minutes.

Like other tea makers, the Breville is easy to clean. And like most high-end tea makers, it offers settings for different teas right on the control panel—something I appreciate after using my Keurig.

The bottom line

At $250, the Breville One-Touch Tea Maker is pricey and requires you to make at least two 8-ounce cups every time. But for tea lovers, it’s worth it. The unique steeping technology and easy-to-use controls assure you a perfect cup of tea every time.

Price: $249.95 at Amazon

[woman with mug via Shutterstock]

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