I drink a lot of tea and I have to agree with the notion that loose tea is better. There’s no need to start arguing about it; I’ve done the necessary research and it’s simply the truth. The problem with loose tea versus tea bags is that tea bags are just so darn convenient. I mean, you can reach for a tea bag and you’re in business whereas loose tea involves measurements and contraptions. It can be a bit daunting at first.
My least favorite thing about loose tea is cleaning out my infuser afterwards. No matter what, tiny specs of tea leaves always get stuck inside it and it seems like I spend an eternity trying to get them out. Meanwhile, my tea has gone cold. The Paper Tea Filters (Not On The High Street, £4.50) allow you the luxury of loose tea living without the hassle of fine mesh infuser cleaning. Because these paper filters are disposable, all you need to do is fill one with your tea of choice (I’m currently into oolong), slide the wood stick through the notches, and place the whole thing in your cup. The wood stick keeps the filter upright and provides a burn-free extraction. Each set of 40 even comes packaged in its own reusable cotton bag!
Tea: the other breakfast beverage.
5 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Set of 40 filters and wood sticks
-Loose leaf tea infusers
-Disposable
-Made of non chlorine bleached pulp fibers
Now that the holidays are over, it’s time to get back to work. This is never an easy thing to do after a long weekend, much less an extended holiday break. Whether the break is long or short, I think the key to productivity is caffeine. I can safely assume that I’m not alone on this one.
The appeal of caffeine is that it perks you up when you’re feeling less than perky, so it should go without saying that anything that can give your morning a jump start is a good thing. The Morning Mug (Generate Design, $29.00) manages to brighten your day without being overly cutesy or in-your-face about it. At first glance, this ordinary black mug has a white sleeping face printed on it, but that all changes once you pour your hot beverage of choice into it. Coffee or tea (it doesn’t matter as long as it’s hot) will change this black mug to a white one with a new facial expression printed on it. Much like yourself after getting a caffeine jolt, the mug will display a look that can only be described as serene alertness.
Isn’t it nice to have someone to wake up? Especially when that someone know not to disturb you until you’ve had your coffee.
5 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 3.75″ x 3.25″
-Mug changes color when hot
-Cold mug is black
-Hot mug is white
Are you ever in the car thinking, “Gee, I’d love a cup of coffee right now” but there’s not a Starbucks in sight? Probably not because Starbucks is everywhere, but it would still be nice to be able to have a piping hot cup o’ joe whenever, wherever you wanted.
Although I’m not sure about the safety issues here, I’m still totally down with the Car Kettle (Latest Buy, $17.95) because it is the epitome of mobile brewing. Yes, there are a plethora of coffee shops, but why pay a bundle for one cup of java when you could make four cups yourself? This electric kettle plugs into your car’s cigarette lighter and takes just a little bit longer than your standard tea kettle to heat up a pot of hot water. If you’re not a coffee drinker, you can also use this baby to make tea or even soup! The set includes two cups and a strainer (for coffee grounds or loose tea) so you can even use this kettle to entertain via automobile.
Please please please don’t kettle and drive – it’ll be just like when that woman spilled McDonald’s coffee in her lap except you’ll have no one to sue but yourself.
5 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
- -Dimensions: 10″ x 3.7″ x 3.7″
- -Make hot beverages in your car
- -Includes kettle, 2 cups, strainer, and mounting bracket
- -Plugs into cigarette lighter
- -12V DC suitable for automotive application
- -Makes 4 cups (up to 550ml of water)
- -Ideal for hot water, instant coffee, tea, or soup
When you’re in college, it seems like just about every night is spent out at the bar. Sometimes, it can get a little out of hand and before you know it, you’re stranded out in the middle of town without a way home. What’s to do then but call a cab, right? Well yeah, that would work if you could remember where you lived. I mean, it’s pretty hard to get home in one piece if you can’t communicate coherently to the driver. So you could either live at the bar (trust me, you don’t want to do that) or you could figure something else out.
That “something else” option will most likely be the Dear Cab Driver Cocktail Bar Napkins (Kegworks, $8.95), as it doesn’t interfere with your unhealthy habit of drinking until dawn. Arm yourself with this handy fill-in-the-blank napkin, and you’re sure to get home safe (as long as you have an understanding cab driver, that is). I’d recommend filling out the pertinent information before you get to the bar, or at the very least before you start drinking. This napkin has it all – your address, payment location, and even an expression of gratitude. Do your cab driver a favor though and don’t put your money in your boxer shorts or thong because that’s mega gross for everyone.
The key here is not losing this napkin before you call the cab, and that’s a pretty big hurdle.
4 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 5″ x 5″
-Includes 100 informative napkins
-Made of paper
I am super busy this week! Blame it on Irene, but it seems like everything I was planning on doing for the month of September has managed to squeeze itself into the upcoming week. Ok, so maybe it’s less the hurricane’s fault and more like time mismanagement, but I don’t think Irene will mind taking one for the team. In times of chaos, I find it helps to jot down a few notes about the tasks at hand. A to-do list, if you will.
To-do lists are great, if you can manage to keep track of them. I mean, what frazzled person hasn’t attempted organization only to lose the very thing holding it all together? To save yourself from this maddening frustration, why not just write your list on your morning cup of coffee? The Memo Mug (Perpetual Kid, $14.99) helps keep your notes with something you’ll be hard-pressed to misplace – your caffeine fix. One side of the mug is curved like a normal coffee cup, while the other is flat to allow for maximum writing space. The side of the mug even has a slot for the included pen so as long as you can keep a hand on your java, you won’t be without your notes or special writing utensil. Once you’re done with your list, wipe it off and your mug is back to square one.
Some of you might set down your coffee in the morning and then be unable to find it later, rendering this gadget totally useless to you. Not me, though. My coffee cup is glued to my hand until the last drop has been consumed. In fact, the only issue here is that I might guzzle up all that caffeinated goodness before I start in on my to-do list.
4 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Capacity: 8oz
-Mug doubles as message board
-Includes pen
-Pen holder integrated into mug
-Wipe clean to start over
-Ceramic
