Brewing in the Office
For a long time, I have been drinking tea while at work but have never been able to have a really good session or brew it in a very traditional manner so I wondered if any others had found a good solution.
I have used an infuser which can make me a mug of my chosen brew, filled up from the kettle, or even just added oolong or tea pearls straight to the mug and allowed them to stay there, neither of which are very authentic. Gaiwans are too messy so I’ve now bought a yixing pot for my puerh teas, but need a solution for keeping a supply of hot water at my desk. Flasks taint the water and I can’t keep an electric kettle so not sure what to do. Best I could think of was some sort of Japanese cast iron pot, but not sure it will keep the water warm enough.
Has anyone else solved this problem??
I had an office with an electric kettle beside the coffee machine & sink. I brought in my gaiwan and just filled my cup with a couple of brews during mini-breaks. If you have a decent gaiwan and small kettle, there’s no mess involved. If even one or two drops are a problem, then I would’ve kept a (tea) cloth with the gaiwan and cleaned up after brewing.
In the UK, there’s always a kettle available and waiting for the water to boil and tea to brew is generally part of the ‘tea break’ ritual.
Yes, you’re right re the kettle Phil, but I want to be able to have a session of maybe 8 refills over 30 mins or so, so not really practical to be tripping off to the kettle every time! My gaiwan at home can sometimes drop more than a few drops (I’m sure it’s user error!) though I have just received an ‘easy gaiwan’ from Yunnan Sourcing so we will see whether my technique improves any…
okay, so having 8 steeps in 30 mins – this implies a lot if useful information:
1) maybe part of your work is drinking tea, so you’d be better off setting up the kettle at your desk instead of the computer :)
2) you’re doing a (semi-)full tea tasting, so maybe a standard office setting is not going to fit enough of your needs
3) you’re trying too hard to ‘finish’ the tea in one sitting. it’s perfectly okay and even recommended to take breaks between steeps. try 3 steeps (i.e. enough for a 300ml mug) and refill when done.
Zojirushi to the rescue! Look up the Zojirushi Tuff Sports Stainless Steel Vacuum Bottle. It’s a favorite among many fellow tea drinkers, and it’s my goto for tea sessions so I don’t have to be right by the kettle or keep it boiling the whole time.
ooh I haven’t heard of them before but I like the look of them, and I love good Japanese design. That particular model doesn’t seem to be available here but I can see another for less than £30 on Amazon which might do the job – thanks
I will second Zojirushi products. They keep hot tea hot for 8 or 10 hours and cold tea cold even longer.
I also recommend Zojirushi products even outside of stainless steal bottles. My rice cooker is a Zojirushi and it is probably one of the best kitchen investments I have ever made. I do have to say though that some Zojirushi products are manufactured in China so if you want the best quality I suggest checking the manufacturing origin and buy the Japanese manufactured ones though they tend to be more expensive.
Yes a thermos isn’t the best solution but it’s really the only solution for using a gaiwan in an office setting.
You should get a tea tray as well for any spills.
At work, I use an easy gaiwan, a tea tray, a tea cloth and a glass lined thermos flask. It must be glass lined (otherwise the metal ones will taint the flavour) I use the type with a push down button on the top. “1.9L Push button pump top” is the Amazon description. Brand is Thermos.
I would recommend a quality stainless steel thermos (eg YETI) for keeping your water hot.
The problem with a thermos is the water temperature begins to drop as the water level gets low.
At work I use an immersion heater to heat water for tea: https://www.amazon.com/Norpro-Instant-Electric-Immersion-Heater/dp/B01M0Q84BR/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1510868147&sr=8-1
It works but takes a few minutes and only handles a cup of water at a time. I use this small teapot https://www.instagram.com/p/BWdA3VVjgyd, both with and without an infuser basket, to brew semi-gongfu style.
Another problem with thermos or large cups is that the taste changes somewhat if left for too long (hot in thermos or cold in cup). As with most great things, it’s best when fresh.
Thanks for the suggestions – as I am ‘shirking from home’ today, I will experiment with my flask and my new beautiful little yixing pot and see whether the water temp remains high enough for multiple infusions. The flask doesn’t have a dispensing device like some of the suggestions but I will invest in one that does if it seems feasible!
Invest in Corkcicle canteens. They stay hot for over 25hrs! If you put in ice the ice will not melt and get watery. I suggest reading the reviews! They are awesome!
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