(Part 3) Reddit mentions: The best serverware

Sorry, generic tea copypasta coming though here.

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New to Tea? New to loose leaf? Let me help.

Hello, new friend. So you've stumbled your way into /r/tea, you probably though this was a subreddit for the Mr. T, but no worries you're here and you're in good hands. We're all tea fiends and we're all eager to share our fifteen minutes of meditation, our hobby and our little slice of heaven. So why should you consider switching from Lipton to something crazy like leaves some Chinese person picked off a tea bush?

• Loose Leaf tea is often higher quality than your traditional tea bags.
  
  
• Less preservatives or additives.
  
  
• A greater variety of teas that are too delicate for tea bags or can't be effectively brewed that way.
  
  
• Greater access to fine teas, you can't find good premium teas in tea bags.
  
  
• It's more cost effective. You can pick up Twinning's Irish Breakfast tea (20 tea bags) for $2.99 at your local supermarket and that'll make you 20 cups of tea. With loose leaf tea you can buy 125 grams of Irish Breakfast from Upton Tea for $5.60, which will make you 100-150 cups of tea. You can re-brew the same tea leaves two or three times when it comes to loose leaf, but with a tea bag all the water penetrates the "tea dust" the first go.
  
  
• It tastes better. That's 100-150 cups of far better tea than Twinnings. Not to say you can't get good tea out of a tea bag, but you'll get better tea with more control/flexibility when it come to loose leaf.
  
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  So, Where To Start??
  
  ^^buy ^^theses ^^teas ^^first!!!!!!!!!!!!
  
  Where | Why?
  ---|---
  GoodLife Tea's $7 for 7 Sampler | Free Shipping! Robb has a fantastic variety of tasty high quality tea important for building up your tea pallet.
  Verdant's Five Teas for $5 | Free Shipping! Again, Verdant sells some premium quality tea. Think of their sampler as a crash course into the rich people's side of tea. But the catch with tea is that it's a lot more affordable than wine could ever hope to be. The sampler is great for building up your tea preferences and giving you a kickstart in the right direction.
  Upton Tea | My personal favorite store, they send a nice little paperback catalog every quater. They sell a huge variety of teas, from traditional English Breakfast to Tie-Guan-Yin. Not only that but they sell their teas in different grades meaning you can dabble in what is traditionally an expensive tea by trying a lower quality (but still delicious and tasty) grade of tea. You can find the grade and variety of tea that matches your wallet and taste. They also sell cheap samplers, if you wish you can take $20 and order around 15 samples and see where your cuppa takes you.
  Adagio | A personal favorite of /r/tea if you can find a store nearby! But don't fret, most of us buy our tea online so no worries if you're in Kodiak, Alaska and can't get down to an Adagio. They sell nice quality tea, their stores people are incredibly informed and helpful (unlike a certain Starbucks owned tea store). They also have Adagio XL which sells tea in bulk.
  Harney & Sons | Amazon Prime Shipping. I love my Amazon account, that's usually by go to place online shopping and being able to two-day ship a simple tin of Harney & Sons tea without the shipping cost is fantastic. They sell lots of teas and they're all very good. Maybe not the premium tea you'll see Chinese diplomats drinking but they in my opinion sell tea that all tastes great.
  Coffee Bean Direct | Who knew a place called Coffee Bean Direct* sold tea too? Again, with Amazon Prime Shipping this seems to be the place to buy tea in bulk. They're well reviewed and their tea seems to be good. If you're like me and cold brew ice tea frequently then this might be the best place to pick up some bulkier tea to last you the season.
  Crimson Lotus | Owned by a frequenter of /r/tea, Puerh_Lover stocks a great store with lots of neat little stuff. Be warned, he caters to pu'er which is a type of fermented tea pressed into bricks or pellets. In other words this is a special variety of tea that needs special equipment and special knowledge to brew. Don't fret if you're not walking out of /r/tea after a day brewing in a gaiwan.
  White2Tea | More lovely pu'er.
  Yunnan Sourcing | Again, more pu'er, but also lots of green and white teas too. They sell teaware for good prices too so if you're looking to pick up a traditional china teacup or gaiwan this is a good place to get that.
  What-Cha | Another beloved store on /r/tea, but they're pretty pricey at times. But you can always expect good quality tea and a looser wallet from here.
  
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  Just How Do You Make Tea?
  
  Traditional Western | Gongfu | Cold Brew
  ---|---|----
  The way you're probably familiar with when it comes to brewing tea, all it requires is a teapot like this one (I highly recommend this teapot). Western or Traditional works well with every kind of tea. It's the universal method of making tea and the best place to start. | This kind of brewing is very specific as it only works with Chinese type teas like pu'er. This method of making tea is hands down the best way to make a Chinese styled tea and does wonders to enhance and bring out the best in the leaves. But this method wont work for a cuppa English Breakfast or Japanese Sencha. To brew Gongfu style you use a gaiwan which is fancy talk for a tiny cup with a lid. The idea behind Gongfu is more leaves, less water and time. You use micro-infusions instead of waiting minutes like Western or hours like Cold Brewing. | Cold Brewing is for those of us who just love iced tea. It's simple to cold brew, a vessel like this will brew a mean pitcher of ice tea. All you have to do is leave the leaves in the filter and wait 5-12 hours for the tea to brew, perfect for leaving overnight. Fair Warning: tea can go bad, the kind of stuff you'd buy at the store has a massive amount of preservatives in it. Keep your cold brewing tea out of the sunlight and don't let it sit for more than 48 hours.
  
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  On Kettles
  
  So you're going to need a way to keep your water hot. A stovetop kettle is probably the most accessible and the biggest no brainer out of everything here. A microwave heats water inconsistently, can leave an odd taste if your microwave isn't properly clean, and you really don't have a good way of knowing how hot the water is. Temperature is important. Brewing a cuppa green tea in boiling water will result in a pretty shitty cup of tea, and brewing some black tea in the water appropriate for green tea will result in a disappointing cuppa.
  
  You also have electric kettles like the Cuisinart CPK-17 which is going to cost as much as a decent coffee machine but if tea is your caffeine fix then it might be worth it. The Cuisinart is a variable temperature kettle meaning you just have to press a button and it makes the water the appropriate temperature for whatever kind of tea you're drinking.
  
  
  Tea | Temperature
  ---|---
  Black | 212
  Green | 175
  White | 190
  Oolong | 185
  Pu'er | 212
  Herbal | 212
  
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  Where To Buy Tea Equipment? What Equipment Might You Want To Buy?
  
  Umi Tea Sets sells lots of cute tea sets. They also sell pretty much any kind of vessel you can brew tea in, from Yixing to Japanese tea sets.
  
  Mr. Coffee Tea Kettle A simple, $10 stovetop kettle to boil some water. It seems to have a little hole in it for a thermometer to go in if you need to measure your water temperature.
  
  Glass Whistling Kettle I have one of these, you can tell water temperature from the bubbles if you learn to read them well. It’s pretty handy but if I could I would exchange it for the Mr. Coffee.
  
  CPK-17 Electronic Kettle probably the device that makes most of /r/tea’s mouths water (that might just be the tea). This is pretty much the best electronic kettle you can buy, cheaper than a K-Cup Coffee machine. It has temperatures for making all kinds of tea labeled nicely. I have one and I love it.
  
  OTHER
  
  Want to find the right kind of tea for you? Here’s a tea discovery wheel! Try it out here.

To add to this; it's not that metal gets colder or hotter, but that is conducts heat more efficiently. So it gets cold faster and translates that to the surrounding area.

This is why your seatbelt feels scorching hot in a hot car, it's not hotter than, say, the upholstery next to it. But it conducts the heat into your hand faster so you feel the heat instantly. Same thing with cold metal, it's not any colder than the surrounding area, but it conducts the heat from your hand away more efficiently, giving the sensation that it's cool to the touch.

Actually it's this efficient conducting that would make metal cubes in your drink less effective as well. The conductive property of metal works best when there are two extremes, and it just works too move heat from one place to another. But putting cold cubes of metal into a warm drink would just mean the cold dissipates faster, and the metal wouldn't retain enough cold to make a big difference in drink temperature.

This property of metal is actually useful in another way though; metal thawing plates are used to defrost and thaw frozen meat, and they work remarkably well. They work by conducting efficiently and bringing the frozen slab into equilibrium with the room temperature faster than waiting for the frozen chunk of meat to reach equilibrium on it's own.

So in short, metal isn't a very good temperature storage device, but it's an excellent temperature transference device.

TL;DR : Tea.

Long version :

Tea is not a beverage. It is a ritual. When done right, tea is a god damn spiritual experience.

How to do tea right on the cheap.

• Tea bags. No. Just...no. No no no 10000 times no. Loose leaf tea is essential to making this the ritual it deserves to be. I can't recommend Adagio enough. Good service, quick shipping, and good quality for not much $. if you're totally new to the whole "tea as an experience" thing, I highly suggest one of the sampler packs. $10-$15 for several blends of various varieties!
  
• Get a glass pot with a glass infuser. Lots to be said about ceramic as well, and yes glass teaware must be handled with great care...but part of the magic is watching things happen. Whatever you do, avoid metal teaware, as it can alter the taste, especially of "less stable" blends. MANY glass teapots are sold with metal infusers, so be careful. My personal favorite is Grosche teaware, and a very nice little glass pot/glass infuser set can be had from Amazon for $30.
  
• Warm up your teaware before steeping. While the kettle is boiling, fill the pot (with infuser in it) with hot tap water and let it sit. Bring the teaware up to a warm temperature first, so you don't lose heat during the steeping process to warming the cold teaware.
  
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  The suggestions above aren't meant to turn you into a highly experienced tea connoisseur overnight (or even at all...though if they start you on your way, the more's the better)
  
  What they WILL do, however, is turn tea into a ritualistic relaxation experience of epic proportions.
  
  You'll open a new container of a new blend, and you won't smell the tea...you'll TASTE it with your entire olfactory system.
  
  You'll putter around measuring out the right amount of leaf...you'll carefully handle your glass teaware...you'll take the time to prepare carefully...and you'll realize that this is all part of the experience. it's your own time to do something with patience and attention and craftsmanship.
  
  You'll set the infuser of tea into the teapot of hot water, and a whole new set of scents and flavors will greet you.
  
  You'll watch as some leaves open up, others close, some float, some sink, as the entire blend is alive, and moves around, and this very action is part of what mixes flavors and oils and leaves.
  
  You'll savor the anticipation of the few minutes you allow things to steep, as you watch the color change from clear to light to dark to whatever color you prefer.
  
  Days and weeks and months and years spent steeping different blends at different temps for different times will reward you with an entirely new palette.
  
  And all it takes is a few bucks, and the willingness to devote 10 minutes of your day to learning a new skill. :)
  
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  Don't bash me, other tea snobs. :) Yes, there's LOTS of superior sources for high end blends and high grade leaf, and LOTS of different ways to steep and prep and enjoy, and a ZILLION arguments about the best materials and so on.
  
  The above is simply an introduction designed to open the door for someone whose tea experience to date has been Lipton bags in a microwaved mug of water. :)
  
  
  

Wanted to contribute to the thread, so I did a quick pass on amazon for "glass beverage dispensers", with the following parameters:

• 1 Gallon minimum
  
• Cheap(ish) like the price of the original; ~$25
  
• Clear Glass (not hammered or ribbed or whatever)
  
• Simple Shape (Circle, Square, Hex, or Octa shape; dont want to be too distracting)
  
• Minimal beveling/ornamentation (don't want to distract, or weaken glass (?) )
  
  
  Basic Jars
  
  Anchor Hocking #1
  Anchor Hocking #2
  
  These two are the same brand, I used the non-spigoted version of this brand for my low-tech shrimp tank. This is a known and respected homewares brand so I kinda trust it. Also, for the second one:
  
  > The extra metal spigot is a must. The one it comes with is useless plastic.
  
  Everyone replaces the spigot it seems. That's a recurring theme in the comments for most of these that come with plastic spigots. Keep that in mind for whatever you purchase.
  
  
  [Circleware] (https://www.amazon.com/Circleware-Dispenser-Glassware-Serveware-Drinkware/dp/B01HOUE874/)
  
  Has wording on the front, maybe that doesn't bother you though. Drillable lid, goes up to 2 gallons, and has a 4 star rating despite 647 reviews. I saw this brand a lot so I assume it's good quality.
  
  
  
  
  Good but more expensive jars
  
  [Artland 1 Gal] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00C40TXYI)
  [Artland 2 Gal] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DSC998Q)
  [Artland 3 Gal] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00QNI2XIK/)
  
  Come in 1-3 Gallons. The 1 Gal has a (likely) drillable top, although the lid is loosely threaded according to some users. Apparently someone had the same idea to make a tank out of a jar... with a Betta shudders
  
  > I purchased this as a betta fish tank for my kitchen(easy clean with spigot). It not only is adorable, but it works wonderfully and does not leak one bit. I would definately recommend this product.
  
  To be clear, I was shuddering at her spelling AND the cramped tank. Many people recommend changing the spigot, and I would use the space under the stand to hold / hide extra fish stuff.
  
  2 and 3 both have an infuser, and stand. The infuser could be useful
  as a place for fry to hide maybe? I'm new, but maybe there are other uses for it that would justify the price.
  
  
  
  [Emenest Glass] (https://www.amazon.com/Emenest-Glass-Beverage-Dispenser-Spigot/dp/B01JK1VSHS)
  
  The major note for this one is that it has especially thick glass, which is supposed to help maintain temperature. Comes with a nifty chalkboard, useful for reminding your snails to clean up. The lid might make wiring a hassle but I'm including it nonetheless.
  
  
  Farmstand
  
  Costly, but comes with a handle to pick up the tank for water changes to your desired water source. I would use the inverted bucket to hide fish stuff. TONS of reviews and it maintains a 4.5 rating.
  
  
  The above is just a starting point, you can use the same search string to find your own, if you haven't made an irl purchase already.
  
  If it isn't clear by now, I really like this idea. I did something similar with a plain glass jar after reading Diana Walstad's Ecology of the Planted Aquarium and tried my hand at a low tech dirt tank. It smelled awful but the red cherries loved it -- so I might do it again someday.
  
  edit: sigh formatting

Maybe you could have an assortment of teaware so people could pick? Call the 100ml a "small" for 1-2 people, and call the 200ml a "large" for 2-4 people.

I'm not familiar with those exact pots, but I like that style. They're great for beginners or people not familiar with a gaiwan. I started out with a very similar pot made by Hario (this one) and have been very happy with it. Maybe you could also keep around a couple gaiwans just in case someone wants to try one?

This sounds like a great idea, though. I wish there was a shop near me that served tea gongfu style like this!

Like most anything else, there's no less than a bazillion options, and everyone will have their own take on which ones you should begin with.

If you can find a tea shop reasonably close, I recommend buying an ounce or two of several teas. Any reasonably large city should have a tea shop, you may have one near you. Take note of how to properly brew each one and give it a try. Experiment with the steep time and temperature a little if it's not quite to your liking, or if you're just feeling adventurous.

If buying in person isn't feasible, try a sample pack or similar from a reputable online vendor. There are some links in the sidebar that will help with that.

Get a tea kettle for boiling your water, good ones can be had from a variety of online retailers, like teas, but home goods stores will usually have a decent kettle. Electric or stovetop doesn't really matter much, I use a stovetop kettle myself.

With a kettle and tea in hand, you have a couple options for brewing. The best (IMO) is a proper tea pot, and there are many styles available. I have this one, and it's pretty foolproof and sturdy:
Bodum Assam Teapot

Alternatively, you can just use tea filters, like this:
Tea Filters
It's basically a DIY tea bag.

That is my recommendation for equipment, and only based on what I have personally used. I will let others offer suggestions for specific teas to order online, as I make all my purchases locally and can't recommend anything in particular.

Get a tea pot.

http://www.amazon.com/FORLIFE-Stump-18-Ounce-Teapot-Infuser/dp/B000FLG8XC

This is a good one, it holds about 16 oz of tea and comes with an infuser.

You'll also need tea, which you can find from nearly anywhere. I like ordering from Adagio, their tea is good. Get loose leaf if that's what you're wanting to do. I recommend starting with a black, green, white, and oolong tea. If you like flavors, great, I prefer just the pure tea. I would start with just pure tea to get a baseline for what they're like.

You can take the hobby as deep as you'd like. I would really recommend you get an electric kettle as well because you can easily heat water at an exact temperature, they're very useful because each type of tea steeps at a different temp and time.

My ritual includes the following items which make tea at work for me:

• The electric kettle
  
• The personal tea mug
  
• The meeting tea pot
  
  This is the best $60 I ever spent. These are my favorite teas I can recommend:
  
  
• Ahmad Barooti Assam - for the mornings
  
• Rooibos - A root tea popular in Africa, also called "bush tea" for the afternoons
  
  Boil water, steep and drink! I usually load up on the tea and steep for about 5 minutes because I like my tea strong. The Nissan Thermos is the best insulated mug I've ever owned. It has kept my tea hot for about 4 hours with the lid on. Absolutely amazing.

I love sencha (and I often add a slice or two of fresh ginger-- which also helps with nausea, by the way, if she will be undergoing chemo) and jasmine pearls. They're best in looseleaf form so I would also gift her a small pot with a steeper, something like this.

I like these teas for their soothing aroma and taste-- they don't have any magical, cure-all benefits.

I just recently got the V60 for myself and I love it. I'm not by any means a perfectionist when it comes to my techniques, but I can most definitely notice the difference between this and my old brew methods (French Press / Drip).

I got the all glass setup with an all stainless steel electric kettle. It doesn't have variable temp, but I can guess well enough. I was going to go with a metal filter but decided against it. Natural filter papers are fine IMO.

Cleanup requires you to simply ditch the filter with grounds and then follow that up by rinsing out the containers. Not bad at all. In regards to your worry about knocking your current setup over, this setup (dripper and pot), are just set one on top of another. Just be weary of that as well.

Links if you're interested:

• Dripper
  
• Kettle
  
• Filters
  
• Pot
  
  Hope this helps!

-Brie Baker with all the ingredients to get started (Brie cheese, fruit, nuts, honey)

-Butter Bell with a loaf of locally made bread

-Mariposa Napkin Box with Weights and Cocktail Napkins

-Cocktail Shaker Set with Bitters, Stirrers, and a nice bottle of liquor

-Cool coffee table book (esp. if it matches a gift set mentioned above (The Art of Mixology or Magnolia Table) or it's hostess-themed, such as Kate Spade's All In Good Taste or Emily Post's Manners for Today)

-Guest Book for house/bathroom/guest room (and this is always fun because you can be the first one to sign it and everyone at the housewarming party can sign it/write a message). Look around Etsy for these...I'm not crazy about the ones on Amazon.

Hope this helps! Happy housewarming to your friend!

search for an "ice tea maker" on amazon from mr.coffee, hamilton beach, west bend. they all make models that brew 2L-3L properly every time. i still use an old mr.coffee TM3 model which is cheap and works great even after 1,000 brew cycles. trust me, i know what i'm talking about - i drink 2-3L each DAY. I use standard dirt cheap 8-12cup coffee filters when brewing loose tea in the TM3. once you find the model you like, double check pricing at walmart.com as they often sell kitchen gadgets at a deeper discount with cheap ground shipping.

be mindful of your sweetener since you drink so much. years ago i switch from sugar to cheap kirkland(costco) sucralose(splenda) which helps keep weight off and my teeth from rotting, but if you don't want artificial, then your only choice is Stevia which may take a while to get used to it's leafy aftertaste. I suggest cheaper bulk Stevioside 90% powder, not any commercial brand. i flavor my tea with an extra ounce per cup of milk, pink grapefruit juice, cranberry juice, or peach nectar, whenever I find them on sale, so no need to buy exotic tea blends, as any robust black or green will do.

one additional suggestion is to be mindful of your tap water quality. i use a counter top canister filter for under $30 that will last for years, and totally removes the chloramines(ammonia taste) from my NYC tap water.

I recommend brewing with broken piece loose teas, not full leaves, since broken pieces will agitate better in a 8-12 cup filter and give you a deeper richer full tea brew flavor and color. my favorite high volume best value black tea brewing would be Dilmah http://www.amazon.com/Dilmah-Ceylon-Loose-4-41-Ounce-Boxes/dp/B00112GBO0 or for a wide flavor blend try Taylors; http://www.amazon.com/Taylors-Harrogate-Yorkshire-8-8-Ounce-Packages/dp/B001E5DXY0 and you only need 1 gram per 8oz cup while measuring i recommend using a cheap $10 digital postage scale since you need to measure by weight not volume(spoons). if you don't want to deal with filters and weighing, use http://www.amazon.com/PG-Tips-160-Bags-17-6/dp/B000YB7XQ4 at a ratio of 1 bag per pint, so for a gallon or 2L-3L i use 8 bags - these are large cotton bags that leave the tea room to agitate - unlike most commercial paper tea bags that can only seep.

in my daily ritual the way my TM3 works is the pitcher is double the capacity of the brew water hopper (presumably so you can add ice cubes to the pitcher). so I double cycle brew the same leaves till my 3L pitcher is nearly full, then I transfer it to any 2L-3L size liquid serving or storage container and add my sweetener there. I use gallon plastic screw cap jugs, but you can go with glass by using http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000DE9B5 to keep the brewed tea liquid from new air exposure. by using air sealed containers you can stock up to a weeks worth of tea in your fridge before a fermentation taste is noticeable on pre-sweetened with splenda or stevia - with sugar the fermentation taste is noticeable by the forth day.

First of all, something you will need: This isn't amazon, but it's the website you should pay attention to. Draw attention to your location and really bring in the guests! I can't tell you how many places I go just because they have Groupons, or really, just how many places I learn about because they have a Groupon.

What I would like is this amazing glass pitcher for summer!

Thirdly, MAZEL TOV ON THE JOB. I know this is a huge change for you, and I wish you the best.

That setup looks mighty fine to me except i would like the gaiwan and coups to be dark though, like yours... But that's alot of stuff for 99.

Aaaand the puer might be good starter puer together with one of crimson lotus teapots :> If only I had 1000 dollors to spend on tea...

I found this tea set on ebay, seems alright to me and I do like the color of it. I think I like the more earthy feeling from the darker colors then the white one you linked me. But all this is fairly new to me so maybe i shouldn't be focusing on the aesthetics this much and just get a decent gaiwan, like you said, and take it from there.

A mattress topper will make your bed feel ten times more comfortable

As for me I would like this tea pot

Congrats on the job and good luck!

I just started playing LoL. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

These are basically amazing.

And I am absolutely in love with this stuff.

1. Electric Kettle - recommend Hamilton Beach Var. Temp Kettle
   
   
2. Infuser/Teapot, your choice
   

• Basket infuser, fits in any mug or cup - recommend Finium Brewing Basket
  
• Standard teapot with infuser - recommend Adagio PersonaliTea
  
• Gravity steeper - recommend Adagio IngenuiTea
  
• Gaiwan with decanter and tasting cups
  

1. Tea. Spend most of your budget on good tea and research on ideal steep and temperature times, and read up on different types of tea

Really, on a Monday? I'd love this pitcher cause it's getting to be iced tea season. :D

Thanks for the contest, and happy birthday!

Edited to fix parenthesis.

I still have my "Original Miracle Thaw Defrosting Tray" as seen on TV. Works great, it's aluminum with feet to allow for airflow under the platter. I put mine over the grate on an unused, unlit burner to really get some warm air flowing around it.

Can someone point me in the right direction of a website that I can get affordable fresh loose leaf tea? I am an avid coffee drinker and I'm looking into tea when I want a hot drink to enjoy and relax with. I am a college student so budget is an issue. Also, what kind of gear should I start off with to brew my own loose leaf tea? I have a gooseneck kettle for coffee so boiling water is not an issue. I found this teapot on Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ZOLU1VI/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A288LJKUH48CHC&psc=1), is it good quality?

1.Cake Related. Gotta have that butter!


3 [A book I am eager to read!](http://www.amazon.com/The-Lobotomist-Maverick-Medical-Illness/dp/0470098309/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=2ECIJJQQ9NLB8&
coliid=I3C6N0VUIQEABZ)

4 Eating Utinsils

5 Animal

6 Purple

7 A game

8 A guilty pleasure

9 A tool. Have you ever seen this movie? All these dudes are MASSIVE tools. It's amazing.

10 Something from my childhood

11 An organizational item. Can't have bottles scattered about!

12 Hobby

13 Nerdy/Geeky. I mean, PBS Home video... that's properly nerdy.

14 Natural Book are made from trees, and trees are au natural!

15 Green

16 Something you wear

17 Funny

18 This could work for rinsing dried beans

19 Gardening

20 Mine broke, I'm gutted without it. Luckily, I have a birthday coming up, and I plan on getting this bad boy asap.

This was fun! Thanks for the contest!!!

It's not being sold by Big Hit or anything so no money goes to them tho lmao

But here's the Amazon link to it It's about $16 and has Prime Shipping~ but it doesn't come with a dome top so unless you buy something for it, it will be "Squirrel Freed From a Garden." Please if anyone buys it tell me lololol I wanna know there are other ridiculous individuals like me and what you're gonna do w it. It's in my shopping cart but I haven't purchased it yet.


Edit: I'm fairly certain this is the exact bowl but I might be wrong, as there have been multiple places cited. Lolol but what's the chances someone would copy this bowl and sell it somewhere else

I have one of these:

http://www.amazon.com/Hamilton-Beach-40515-42-Cup-Coffee/dp/B00008IH9R/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1396557056&sr=1-1&keywords=coffee+urn

The sides are very hot, so if you have children make sure it's out of their reach. Also, the top gets nice and warm so it's convenient if you want to warm up some challah for shabbos lunch ;)

So if it's in a fridge and it doesn't take you more than a few hours to get to work, you do not need a thermos. I use this and it's awesome. My Soylent lasts longer than when in individual blender bottles and it is so easy to clean. Plus with 2 litres, it's easy to measure calories as 1ml is 1 calorie

I love coffee and couldn't imagine not serving coffee! I want people wired and energized at my wedding lol. I bought one of these to serve coffee, and have asked my coordinator to refill when it's empty: https://www.amazon.com/Hamilton-Beach-40515-42-Cup-Coffee/dp/B00008IH9R/ref=lp_289745_1_14?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1465408096&sr=1-14

I'll probably purchase another one for tea.

My mother always asks me for a Christmas list and I put this guy on it this year.

I use a large mason jar to brew into with my V60 generally, and it's fine (wrapped in the thermal sleeve from our French Press it usually works out decently), but something dedicated / with a handle will be really nice to have.

It's sold out on the Hario link above, but you can get it on Amazon too.

Hahaha! Luckily I have a gas stove and do a Japanese paper drip for my coffee, so coffee is available even in a power outage! If you have a gas stove, it may be worth considering:

https://www.amazon.com/Hario-Glass-Coffee-Server-700ml/dp/B001V7DBMA/ref=sr_1_21?ie=UTF8&qid=1499865398&sr=8-21&keywords=hario+coffee+maker

Bought it on Amazon :) Very happy with it! https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0756ZQX42/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Amazon. Hiware Good Glass Teapot with... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ZOLU1VI?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

I like it. It's stovetop safe, so I've used it to brew Chai in milk, but mostly I like being able to see the different colors of teas I drink.

I love my BODUM Assam tea press. It works like a French press but keeps the tea from continuing to brew. Plus you can get it almost entirely plastic free so it looks fancy despite being fairly affordable.
https://www.amazon.com/Bodum-Assam-Medium-Plastic-Filter/dp/B00005LM0Z

It's always bugged me that you can only display one side of a set when there's usually interesting details on the back or other side. So, I found a pretty cheap motorized display turntable on Amazon. Completely silent (to my ears) and really adds a cool element to my UCS display. I'll add LED's to it someday...

I've seen a few different styles of spout-style filters that come with pots but I have never seen them sold separately. The most common are the "spring filters" and look like this. They also have fancy ones like this. Dragon Tea House's glass pots all have the spout filter but they never sell them seprately!

You can buy a big ole coffeemaker for like 30 bucks and make whatever kind of fancy pants coffee you and your friends like

People seem to really like the Bonavita gooseneck variable temp kettle. I wouldn't recommend brewing tea in your kettle. It's better to have a separate teapot for brewing. Something like this or this maybe.

1. V8 is not tomato juice, it's vegetable juice. Plain old tomato juice is preferable. Or even Clamato for Bloody Caesars.
   
   
2. You could add a piece of horseradish and a small microplane, and maybe a little bottle of Worcestershire sauce.
   
   
3. Some lemons would be nice too, and some kosher or celery salt to rim the glass. Oh! Or some super-easy preserved lemons.
   
   
4. Skip the Siracha. Besides being clichéd, it's also very garlicky, and while garlic is delicious, it overpowers other subtler flavors in a delicious Bloody Mary.
   
   
5. Might be tricky to stay under $20, but some highball glasses, a simple glass pitcher and a bar spoon would also be good additions.

I guess they don't make miracle thaw anymore. But you can still buy it on amazon. http://www.amazon.com/Original-Miracle-Thaw-Defrosting-Tray/dp/B00DU5ARH8

Works better than the cold water method especially for large chunks of meat or ground meats. I leave the meat in the freezer bag and lay it directly on the metal. Easier clean up that way.

And, I get the whole don't know what I want until I get home thing. I'm the same way.

Really only matters for cakes and cookies. Melted butter will bake greasier and unevenly.

Also, Butter Crocks are awesome for buttering toast. 5/7 recommend.

I just got a Forlife Stump 16-Ounce that I've been pretty happy with. It's probably a bit smaller than what you're looking for though.

What you are describing is 2 bags every 3 days, so 20 bags a month. Start out with a one time purchase of 7 bags (28 meals) and try it out, you may not like it right away, so eat it for a week. If you don't like it, you can easily sell the remaining bags for what you paid for them and just walk away. If you like it and still want to do like you describe, go with the 21 bag subscription which they call 84 meals.

If you do like it, buy this and one of these to make your life a million times easier and to make the Soylent taste better IMO.

Remember that once you mix up a bag of it, you have 3 days to finish it if it is refrigerated. I would also suggest getting a couple of 1 liter blender bottles, but that is not necessary just more convenient.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00E58AU2Q/ref=dp_cerb_1

and the upgraded spigot

https://www.amazon.com/Stainless-Works-SSS010-Dispenser-Replacement/dp/B00IX87W1Q/ref=pd_bxgy_79_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00IX87W1Q&pd_rd_r=PHD3PQHTJ8DCN27WQFT4&pd_rd_w=jvTjE&pd_rd_wg=JrLUy&psc=1&refRID=PHD3PQHTJ8DCN27WQFT4

i signed up for the free trial of prime to get free shipping

I have this. Dirt cheap, ceramic, Amazon prime, I use it every day.

Perfect for two mugs. Sometimes when I brew something really fluffy like silver needles, I have to pour a little extra water over top and stir a bit to cover everything.

I got one like this at one of those TJMaxx-type discount stores. It's not completely air-tight, I don't think, but it keeps funky smells out, which is really all I cared about. You don't want garlic scented Kool-Aid. ;)

About the butter: whoever told you that might be thinking of something like this. For some crazy awesome scientific reason you don't have to refrigerate the butter - has something to do with the water creating an airtight seal.

Bought it separately. Here's the link the to the one I got, but there is a pretty decent selection on Amazon.

1 X Stainless WorksTM Stainless Steel Beverage Dispenser Replacement Spigot(Polished Finish) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IX87W1Q/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apap_uBiUYY3aaLXgU

Are you specifically looking for cast iron? Most do better with a tea-warmer, as cast iron can lose heat quickly. Also, it doesn't come with a infuser basket.

If you are just looking for a nice teapot, you should check out the Stump teapot. It comes with an infuser basket. I have one and love it. My only complaint is that the basket can be hard to get out, since it doesn't have a handle. I think the Curve teapots do have handles on the basket, although that's a bit more expensive than the Stump.

Yeah, but its claim to fame is that you don't let the butter "sit out", but it's kept 'safe' with an airtight seal of water.

Look at the video in the picture list here to see how it works;
https://www.amazon.com/Original-Butter-Bell-Tremain-Collection/dp/B004Q9U4KM

I can imagine it works well in dirtier environments, but I live in South Texas and let my butter sit out (little regular butter dish with a cover, not air tight) and the butter doesn't go bad. We probably use it up within a month or six weeks, so no need to seal it or anything.

Try a French Butter Crock.

The Original Butter Bell Crock by L. Tremain, Antique Rouge Red https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004Q9U4KM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_uJOzyb1TH3S43

I just got these 2 sets to get into tea, and they work great!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00G1MZD4O/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IA8R3RC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Yep! Actually got it on Amazon :)

You might like Music City Tea. They have some good tea sets and tea trays.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00G1MZD4O/ref=psdcmw_367228011_t1_B00Q5DTJQM

Wish list: BT21xHunt Innerwear pajamas (but they're difficult to acquire TT)

Practical: BT21 merch such as plushies are available at Amazon's Line Friends Global Store

//

[Ceramic squirrel bowl](https://www.amazon.com/JOLIE-MUSE-Serving-Dessert-Squirrel/dp/B01GJD5BOG?ref=fsclp_pl_dp_1) from a Run!BTS episode for the funsies! (Like a gag gift before you give her the real one haha)

Yup, I have the same one as u/Kom_bu_cha, this same model is offered under a variety of names, probably all made in the same factory in Asia lol. I'm happy with it, I have no leakings at all.


For example this one is the same: https://www.amazon.com/Stainless-Works-SSS010-Beverage-Dispenser/dp/B00IX87W1Q


The model I have is this one: Amazon germany

it's on clearance on [amazon] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01GJD5BOG/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) if you're interested in becoming trash^TM like me

I bought two of these from LCI, the same design from sceptor. With the cheapest price that I've been able to find. Free shipping over $50 and I bought two cans for $26 each. I also have a 2.5 gallon one I bought off a buddy.

They are a hassle to pour out though if you are camping and need only a bit. I bought this spout last spring and drilled a hole in the bottom of one of the cans and installed it. It works so well and doesn't leak at all.

You can find this in local stores for like $24. http://amzn.com/B00E58AU2Q edit: FYI lid comes off, spigot is plastic.

I had one of these but it was a bit too fragile for cleaning out daily in the office, so I got a cheap version at a local market for like $5 with a plastic handle and covering.

I love my Butter Cutter. Yeah, it seems a little goofy, but it's so easy to put a little pat of butter on anything. It's now a quick, one-handed job instead of having to put a butter dish on the counter and get out a knife.

Better yet, get a butter bell, keeping your butter fresh and creamy soft. The salt in butter also acts as a preservative, so you really don't need to be paranoid about it spoiling.

I like my [glass Bodum teapot] (https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00005LM0Z/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_3?pf_rd_p=569136327&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B0009VF4V0&pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_r=5E48DC1YZBEKJVNYJX5W). It makes enough for two and a bit of the huge mugs we use and stops the tea stewing once it's done.

Thanks

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0756ZQX42

Ive put down a large cardboard piece and thrown quite a few dudes on it so can handle a bit of weight.

i agree!

https://www.amazon.com/Original-Butter-Bell-Tremain-Collection/dp/B000H47H0A

$11 on Amazon, Thank you!

i use this, unless that's still too small. gl!

I have Bodum 17oz It fills about 2 mugs and looks like it works the same way as your larger pot. It does the job.

OP you sound like my sister. She's a butter Nazi. I bought her this for her birthday one year. She's ceased to be a butter Nazi ever since.

We use a butter bell and as long as you remember to change out the water fairly frequently when it's hot out, it works quite well.

Check out some of Hario's stuff on Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IM42AZ4/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002LW0HVM/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Butter is spreadable butter if it's not refrigerated. One stick in a covered butter dish on the counter will not go bad before it's used up. Just leave it out all the time.

If you're super paranoid about leaving your butter out, use a butter bell AKA french butter crock. The water seal will keep out whatever your phobia is.

I would guess it was a big coffee urn, like people rent for weddings. Something like this but just on a larger (and maybe home/custom manufactured) scale.

I found it on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/RSA-BUTTER-CUTTER-ONE-CLICK/dp/B000Q9YXXK/ref=pd_sim_sbs_k_1

This is all you need:

https://www.amazon.com/Inventions-Market-Butter-Cutter-Stainless/dp/B000Q9YXXK

Also, LPT: just leave your butter out. It'll be fine for a few days at room temperature, and it spreads so nicely.

OP just needs to buy this for her roommate to use. She can cut the butter like an adult. Sadly I own one of these things lol.

Is that similar to this

So ceramic? I think I got what you need then.

http://www.amazon.com/Adagio-Teas-PersonaliTea-24-Ounce-Ceramic/dp/B000I21K18

I believe it's this set. I have that set my self.

I have Tae's squirrel nut bowl. No rl pics since I'm not home but you can get it on Amazon. I have long given up that all disposable income will be used for such ridiculous Bangtan things 😂

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IX87W1Q/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apap_uBiUYY3aaLXgU

Coffee urn looks right, didn't know that.

http://www.amazon.com/Hamilton-Beach-40515-42-Cup-Coffee/dp/B00008IH9R

https://www.amazon.com/Hario-Glass-Coffee-Server-700ml/dp/B001V7DBMA is 13 bucks
https://www.amazon.com/Hario-Ceramic-Coffee-Dripper-White/dp/B001RBTSMM is 8 bucks
https://www.amazon.com/Hario-Paper-Coffee-Filters-Count/dp/B001U7EOYA is 6 bucks

​

you can always buy it separately.

A butter bell for $7. Also, cheap picture frames.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00QFKXHZO/ref=mp_s_a_1_7_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1487175397&sr=8-7&keywords=moyishi+gaiwan

This turntable

and with this mirror on top

I have not. Sounds like a good idea though. Something like this maybe? (Edit: I looked a little deeper, and there seem to be multiple options, many at lower price. I think I'll get this one

dont really need to risk anything