I tend to drink a lot of tea and/or coffee throughout the day. Perhaps it’s not the best idea because that’s a lot of caffeine for one person to consume in a short period of time, but that’s not the issue here. My problem has to do with spoons. Spoons, innocent though they may seem, are quite the troublemakers. See, I try to use one spoon per day because otherwise I end up with a massive spoon shortage (totally not cool). The problem with using one spoon per day is that I either have to use it and then leave it on the counter between stirrings (which leaves a bit of a mess) or I have to keep it in my cup the whole time (which means a spoon hits me in the face every time I take a sip).
The Quirky MugStir (Gizoo, £12.95) doesn’t mess around. Committed to saving face, literally, this spoon set is designed to hang from the side of your cup or mug. Its rubber-coated handle keeps the spoon from sliding around so you can safely sip your beverage of choice without taking a spoon to the eye. Because you can now keep your drink accessory of choice inside your cup at all times, you no longer have to clean up messes on the counter or kill the environment by using a zillion disposable stirrers every day. Everybody wins!
If you or someone you love has been affected by spoon issues, don’t suffer in silence. Get help today.
4 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Spoon hangs on your mug
-Eco friendly alternative to disposable stirrers
-Spoon doesn’t slide while drinking
-Pack of 3
-Includes one of each color: purple, blue, and magenta
-Rubber coated handle
Tea is an incredibly underrated drink these days. If you’re gonna go for a hot bev, the most popular choice is coffee. If it’s cold, then it’s a good bet on soda or perhaps water (wishful thinking?). It seems like the only way people will even consider drinking tea nowadays is with about a gallon of sugar poured into each glass a la southern sweet tea. No offense to the south, but BLECK! That stuff is downright disgusting. I would sooner eat coffee grounds than drink that.
The key to a great tasting brew is quite obviously how you brew it. That being said, the best tea most often comes from loose leaf tea because it’s fresher and the loose tea can move around easier when steeping. The IngenuiTEA Loose Leaf Tea Teapot (Vat19, $19.95) is a must for any tea drinker as it makes brewing the perfect cup of tea as easy as pie. Just fill the teapot with your loose leaf tea of choice, add hot water, and allow to steep. When your tea has reached its desired strength, all you have to do is place the teapot on top of a cup or mug. The pressure of the cup forces a valve to open on the bottom of the teapot, allowing the tea to flow freely into your cup. A fine metal mesh filter keeps the loose leaf tea inside the teapot and out of your cup, making for a delicious drink and excruciatingly simple cleanup.
Do you think the queen uses one of these? I like to think that she does.
5 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 6″ x 4″ diameter
-Capacity: 16oz
-Loose leaf tea brewer
-Set on top of cup or mug to fill
-Filter keeps loose tea out of your cup
-Metal mesh filter never needs replacing
-Teapot does not leak
-Cup not included
-Dishwasher safe
-Made of BPA free plastic
My desk is always a mess. It doesn’t matter how many times a day I clear it off, piles of papers and plates of food somehow completely take over my workspace. I’ve pretty much come to terms with this perpetual state of clutter, but I draw the line when there’s nowhere to put my cup of coffee. Seriously, how am I supposed to work if I have to hold my coffee the whole time? And don’t even try suggesting that I skip it…
If you’ve got a knee or a lap, then you’re in luck because the Knee/Lap Mug (ThinkGeek, $15.99) can solve all your lack-of-space-for-a-coffee-cup problems! Available in two designs, this mug will either balance perfectly on your knee or fit in the space between your knees (otherwise known as your lap). Of course, each mug is also equipped with a special flattened base that allows it to be rested on flat surfaces – it wouldn’t really be practical to have a mug you could only set down in your lap, now would it?
While I’m psyched that I don’t have to clean up my desk to enjoy my morning cup of joe, I’m still worried about spilling piping hot java all over my legs. I mean, I’m not exactly the most graceful person. Fellow klutzes: proceed with caution.
3 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 4″ tall
-Capacity: 12oz
-Mug with specialized base
-Available in knee or lap design
-Special flattened base rests on flat surfaces too
-Made of glazed Earthenware
Nothing irks a tea drinker such as myself more than an unsatisfying cup of tea. There are a lot of different ways that a cup of your favorite brew can turn on you; sometimes you can prevent it, sometimes you can’t. For instance, if you buy low quality tea because it’s on sale, it’s pretty much your own fault when it tastes like mulch. But if you do everything right and your beverage still isn’t quite right, perhaps it’s up to the tea masters to make a change.
One of the easiest ways to ruin a cup of tea is to lose your teabag inside the bottom of the cup. Has that ever happened to you? You were pouring in the hot water from the kettle and the whole teabag (string and all) was suddenly in the cup. You can’t pull it out because the water is too hot and who wants to drink a cup of tea that’s had the packaging brewing inside it? The Tie Tea Cup (Generate Design, $25.00) is here to save your drink from such a horrible demise. With its built-in notch on the rim above the handle, you merely have to loop the teabag string around it in order to secure your tea’s future.
Seriously, there’s nothing else to it. If you need further instructions, you probably shouldn’t buy this. In fact, maybe you should go back to bed.
4 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 3.5″ diameter x 4.18″ height
-Capacity: approx 12oz
-Tie tea string to tab to prevent slippage
-Made of porcelain
Is it Tea Time yet? Seriously, there’s no better way to take a break from the day than with a nice cup of tea and perhaps a few biscuits (cookies, for you Yanks). I’m a big coffee drinker in the morning, mostly because I need a caffeine boost to function, but I like to make the switch to tea sometime in the afternoon. It’s a nice pick-me-up without the overwhelming caffeine buzz of a cup of joe. And since there’s so many different types of tea and then even more flavor subsets, it’s virtually impossible to be get tired of it.
The thing that sucks about tea is the tea bag. Sure, you could go the loose tea bagless route, but that’s a lot of scuffle for just one person (if you’re having an actual Tea Time, then I would totally go bagless). That being said, I usually buy tea bags because they’re pretty cheap and incredibly convenient. However, the one issue I have with tea bags is that I end up using all my spoons in record time because I’m adding a touch of honey or even just scooping the tea bag out of my mug. The Tea Tool (Gizoo, £3.95) is an ingenious gadget that allows you to squeeze and remove a tea bag from your mug with very little effort. Perhaps most importantly, you won’t have to use a spoon or risk burning your fingers on a scalding hot tea bag because this tool does the work for you. Depress the plunger to open the device and put your tea bag inside. Put the tool inside a mug full of hot water and let it steep. When you’re ready to take it out, simply remove the tool from the mug and depress the plunger (preferably while standing over a trash can) to free the tea bag. Viola!
Please don’t try to use this product with loose tea – it’s not going to work. In fact, it will be fail miserably. True story.
5 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 18.5cm long
-Teabag is fully squeezed
-No mess or burnt fingers
-Compatible with all types of teabag
-Easy to use
-Dishwasher safe
