I was so sleepy this morning I turned on my kettle before putting the water in. How?! I started hearing a weird “clacking” noise and then a burning rubber smell, and realized what I had done. Then I had to wait a good 15 minutes to know if there was any life left in the old girl so I could make my morning cuppa.
This is from 2017, best by March 2020, but was still vacuum-sealed, so I’m hoping it has held up okay. Brewed western, 3.5g to 350ml in 205F water (if my kettle wasn’t totally borked!), steeped 3 minutes. The leaf looked nicely opened and my liquor is a slightly reddish-brown color. I’ve been a little trepidacious about any oolong boasting itself as “roasted” as I sampled a few Teavivre (through Dazzle Deer) ones and they just weren’t for me, but the aroma coming off this cup is extremely pleasant… A very chocolately scent, as well as some orange zest and a light rosey sort of floral.
Thankfully this isn’t just charcoal in a cup; it is delicious! There is a slightly earthy/mineral roasted nuts quality, with some notes of cocoa and orange zest, a bit of floral sweetness, and a slightly vegetal/woody flavor as well. Everything goes together so well in the cup and is very smooth, warm, and satisfying.
I really like this one!
Flavors: Cocoa, Earth, Floral, Mineral, Nutty, Orange Zest, Roasted Nuts, Rose, Vegetal, Wood
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“Charcoal in a cup” describes what I think of many roasted oolongs. My kettle decided it wouldn’t turn itself off and boiled dry yesterday, and is on its way out. I’m picking up a new one at the hardware store this afternoon. This is actually decent timing, given that Toronto’s lockdown starts on Monday.
Sounds like my trick this morning (putting the water in and staring at the pot wondering why nothing is happening when you failed to push the button).
I hope my kettle isn’t on the way out… I’m in an area of the US that isn’t taking “the thing” serious at all (eye roll) but I am also not in a very large town and don’t have good shopping options regardless here, especially considering the kind of fancy-schmancy kettle I prefer. The idea of it dying and having to wait on a new one to arrive via mail order is terrifying…
And clearly they need to design these things with the various levels of unconsciousness at which tea is brewed in mind! ;-)
My kettle is officially dead. I got one cup of tea out of it this morning before it gave up the ghost, which is not really enough. Fortunately, it’s a cheap, easily replaceable model.
Maybe you can get a back-up fancy-schmancy kettle during the Black Friday sales? I agree, though, that waiting would be miserable, so I hope yours survives to make many more cups of tea!
Ha yeah my kettle died a few months ago, and I boiled water on the stove until a replacement arrived. Then that one died, so more stove boiling until that replacement came.
Isn’t there a saying about how the problem with making coffee in the morning is you have to make it before you’ve had coffee? Or maybe it was a friend that said that. I think the same idea applies to tea.
Wise friend, and very true!
AJRimmer, you seem to have bad luck with kettles. Mine typically last between one and two years, but then again, I get the cheap ones.
I just got home with a replacement kettle and will be making my second cup of tea shortly.
So many breaking kettles. I like my cheapo Bodum. I can get them to last for years, using it three times a day usually:
https://www.target.com/p/bodum-bistro-electric-water-kettle/-/A-50562814?preselect=21561839#lnk=sametab
The first Bodum was vintage from my Gram about 15 years ago, and I’ve only had to buy two Bodums since the vintage one finally broke. Good enough for me!
My kettle is still working fine so far. It just didn’t for about 15-20 minutes after “the incident”. But I insist on having a froo-froo temperature control kettle. :-P
Tea-sipper, I typically do one gongfu session per day, which produces ten to fourteen small cups of tea. Since I do two steeps at once, I might use my kettle seven times for that session alone, plus whatever other teas I drink Western style. Not surprisingly, I go through kettles quickly.
Mastress Alita, I’m glad your fancy kettle is still working! :)
I’m on my third Breville kettle and when this one breaks like the others, I’m switching to a different brand.
@Dustin – I use the Cuisinart PerfecTemp kettle and love it, haven’t had any issues yet over several years.
I’m kind of in hate with Cuisinart right now. I just had a Cuisinart toaster oven/air fryer die within their two year warranty and they wouldn’t honor their warranty or offer any help because I couldn’t find the receipt. Maybe my hate for them will have worn off by the time this kettle dies.
“Charcoal in a cup” describes what I think of many roasted oolongs. My kettle decided it wouldn’t turn itself off and boiled dry yesterday, and is on its way out. I’m picking up a new one at the hardware store this afternoon. This is actually decent timing, given that Toronto’s lockdown starts on Monday.
Sounds like my trick this morning (putting the water in and staring at the pot wondering why nothing is happening when you failed to push the button).
I hope my kettle isn’t on the way out… I’m in an area of the US that isn’t taking “the thing” serious at all (eye roll) but I am also not in a very large town and don’t have good shopping options regardless here, especially considering the kind of fancy-schmancy kettle I prefer. The idea of it dying and having to wait on a new one to arrive via mail order is terrifying…
And clearly they need to design these things with the various levels of unconsciousness at which tea is brewed in mind! ;-)
My kettle is officially dead. I got one cup of tea out of it this morning before it gave up the ghost, which is not really enough. Fortunately, it’s a cheap, easily replaceable model.
Maybe you can get a back-up fancy-schmancy kettle during the Black Friday sales? I agree, though, that waiting would be miserable, so I hope yours survives to make many more cups of tea!
Ha yeah my kettle died a few months ago, and I boiled water on the stove until a replacement arrived. Then that one died, so more stove boiling until that replacement came.
Isn’t there a saying about how the problem with making coffee in the morning is you have to make it before you’ve had coffee? Or maybe it was a friend that said that. I think the same idea applies to tea.
Wise friend, and very true!
AJRimmer, you seem to have bad luck with kettles. Mine typically last between one and two years, but then again, I get the cheap ones.
I just got home with a replacement kettle and will be making my second cup of tea shortly.
So many breaking kettles. I like my cheapo Bodum. I can get them to last for years, using it three times a day usually:
https://www.target.com/p/bodum-bistro-electric-water-kettle/-/A-50562814?preselect=21561839#lnk=sametab
The first Bodum was vintage from my Gram about 15 years ago, and I’ve only had to buy two Bodums since the vintage one finally broke. Good enough for me!
My kettle is still working fine so far. It just didn’t for about 15-20 minutes after “the incident”. But I insist on having a froo-froo temperature control kettle. :-P
Tea-sipper, I typically do one gongfu session per day, which produces ten to fourteen small cups of tea. Since I do two steeps at once, I might use my kettle seven times for that session alone, plus whatever other teas I drink Western style. Not surprisingly, I go through kettles quickly.
Mastress Alita, I’m glad your fancy kettle is still working! :)
I’m on my third Breville kettle and when this one breaks like the others, I’m switching to a different brand.
@Dustin – I use the Cuisinart PerfecTemp kettle and love it, haven’t had any issues yet over several years.
I’m kind of in hate with Cuisinart right now. I just had a Cuisinart toaster oven/air fryer die within their two year warranty and they wouldn’t honor their warranty or offer any help because I couldn’t find the receipt. Maybe my hate for them will have worn off by the time this kettle dies.