I have not used this feature in a long time, though honestly, there have not been a lot of developments in Thermos until around 2018-2019-at least here in the US.
So, this is the most outrageously expensive thing I’ve gotten for tea, probably being the most conspicuous of my consumption-I paid around $120 us for it. For the most part, my tea tumblers are finnicky, and I was really intrigued with the idea of a more durable and versatile thermo. The glass ones are usually too fragile to temperature-I drink hot tea with my in cold Michigan weather, and lo & behold, the glass breaks. I’ve even had plastic break for my Gongfu2Go infuser from Crimson Lotus due to temperature change. As for metal thermos, they can get bent if they fall out of a backpack and be more difficult to clean in terms of tea stains or odor removal.
Getting to the point, this one is unique because it’s designed for hardcore tea snobs. It’s double walled with ceramic coating to prevent you from burning yourself, and to maintain as much tea flavor with no metal as possible. Since it works like a French press, you can actually seal off remaining water and the leaves off from the main vessel when you are done brewing. Residual water still stays with the remainder of the tea leaves so they aren’t totally dry, but they are easy to reuse again and again. it was designed with an extra portable tea cup that you can store in the top vessel so that you can pour water out of the thermo and into the cup, so you can enjoy the ritual of the tea-pinkies up in all.
Now, getting into what I actually think. The design is brilliant, and I’ve been able to coax more flavor from more difficult teas using it. The temperature difference between the outside and inside of the thermo is insane given how thin and light the thermo is. I also got a lot more control over how strong my tea brews, making it really friendly for black teas, oolongs, and sheng pu-erh. The fact that there are two ways to filter the tea prevents a significant amount of build up giving me an insanely pristine cup of tea every time. I also like that if the water of the tea is too hot, I can just pour it into the Nectar cup and wait for it to cool off. The way the thermo pours water into the Nectar looks like an in person instagram post-it’s that aesthetic. Cleaning this by hand is easy so far, and the ceramic coating is nicely hydrophobic, so it doesn’t stain as easily as some of my other teaware.
Clearly, I love this thing so far for more forgiving grandpa or western style brews, but I’ve got a few hiccups and I need to test it on a work day when I’m traveling or a more concentrated session for gong fu. The thermo needs to be more idiot proof to fully justify the cost. The lining for sealing/screwing on the pieces is kind of thin, and there are times when I’m hesitant if I’m putting it on right. I have a firm grip and tend to over screw things, so I run into the possibility of stripping the lining as I seal it.
I also still don’t feel comfortable with dropping it despite the good material it has. It’s sturdy, and while the ceramic is stronger than your usual mug-it’s reinforced with metal-but I still think this needs to have a lot more care and consideration. I’m not confident I would take this thing on a hike-I paid a lot of money for it, and so I would not to risk it getting damaged.
Despite my complaints, I don’t regret buying this thermo and recommend it for hardcore tea drinkers. Casual drinkers would love the design, but people really devoted to drinking tea might be the only group of people comfortable with how much it costs. It’s improved making tea significantly for me, and the ratio of water to the cup makes it so I can actually sit down and enjoy my tea slowly rather than staying on guard in my kitchen next to a kettle all the time. It’s versatility is incredible and helps me enjoy some of my more difficult teas in a more forgiving style of brewing where I might have problems before. I also haven’t tested cold brewing it-and I have high hopes for what I can make. My only criticisms are based on my confidence in how durable it really is and the large investment it takes to own one. I hope there more thermos are made like this in the future for a more affordable cost, and I highly recommend it for people on the go who want to enjoy the tea they spend 20-90 cents per gram on.
Thanks for the detailed review! I have two (now quite old) Timolinos that are fairly dented and almost all tea essentially loses almost all taste in them. I now only bring my ‘old standby’ tea in them to work, but always on the lookout for another option.
I have a different style ceramic thermos which I bought after shattering countless glass tumblers. It’s definitely more durable but I’m not confident about dropping it either. However, I do miss watching the tea leaves dance inside the glass.
I still have my glass thermos which I still will use, but not always. Some of them are better for my green teas and cold brews.
I love that this one is for 12 oz of hot water, and with the little sipping tea cup, it slows me down and lets me enjoy my tea. The marketing is accurate in that it actually replaces a traditional tea set via minimalist design. I think it would do Gong Fu pretty well based on the shorter steeps (the leaves were still steeping), but some water resides at the bottom. I do not recommend opening the bottom when there is water in it. I tested with cold water to see, and it comes through. What ceramic thermo do you have? I’ve seen some on instagram/online and I know they tend to be pricey anyway.
I use a thermos that is ceramic-lined on the inside but aluminum/metal on the outside, so it is durable, stays warm a long time, and the tea doesn’t taste weird like I get from metals and plastics. But I brew the tea first and then just store it in the thermos, it isn’t a steeping device.
I’ve never considered buying a thermos for tea, mainly because I work from home and can suffer through other people’s tea when I travel. However, this sounds like a good one, especially if it works for gongfu. Maybe someday!