Challenges of making a cup of premium loose leaf tea in an office environment

Office workers are increasingly indulging themselves by bringing their favourite teas to the office. We all need to reward our senses sometimes to coax effort or attention, or to recover our sense of humanity. A well made cup of tea is an excellent way to do this – especially with increasing range of choice for different tea types available these days.

The Office environment, particularly the standard office kitchens can thwart attempts at achieving a quality brew befitting the expensive boutique loose leaf tea you are wanting to savour.

For a start – standard office kitchen equipment, whilst featuring café style coffee machines in support of the coffee addicts habit, mostly include a only a rudimentary hot water urn as a dispensation to the tea drinker.

A hot water urn is most suited for brewing tea bags, though some workers will fill their cups with a quantity of loose tea leaves and drink from the cup as this brews. This is acceptable for some tea types - and has the advantage that the tea can brew at the desk and be consumed at the same time. However it does not allow optimal brewing, so tea can become bitter with time, forcing faster consumption. Repeat infusions are then weaker and more insipid then otherwise.

A traditional teapot could be used – but the modern office desk and kitchen only allow a certain amount of space, and a teapot, whilst cute will consume too much. Its also not a masculine look for the tea loving guys.

There is also the problem of waiting at the kitchen for the teapot to “draw” ( ie tea to brew) then pouring a cup, leaving the tea in the pot to stew for while, coming back for the second cup, which again is not convenient for the single worker. It may work well for a group of tea enthusiasts. However here again there is a problem, since enthusiasts all have their particular favourite and who decides which tea will be brewed today for morning tea?

There is also the problem of hanging around waiting for the tea to brew, the modern office worker can’t afford to be seen loitering too long in the kitchen doing nothing, as well as the need for strainer (more equipment to bring to work!) to support efficient disposal of the discarded leaves.

Solution with tea infuser all-in-one

A solution to the dilemmas of tea in the office outlined can be found in a relatively new device coming onto the market– the tea infuser all in one. This is essentially a glass cup with a built glass chamber/lid on top and a mechanism to release the tea once brewed from the chamber via the strainer into the cup.

• Loose tea leaves are placed in the upper chamber which is then filled with hot water.
• The tea is released from the chamber to the teapot below when brewing is complete. Being transparent this can be judged by the colour of the brew.
• The tea can be consumed with or without the detachable chamber.
• The brewing chamber can be used for repeat infusions by simply topping up with hot water.  

The advantages afforded include:

1. It is compact and office friendly being an all in one: cup, pot and strainer.
2. It is different from using a coffee plunger to brew teas. Once the tea is brewed, it is drained. The tea leaves are not soaked in the liquid to make the tea too strong, too dark with a rather bitter and unpleasant flavor.
3. Tea leaves are caught by the strainer and don’t float around in the cup.
4. The detachable chamber facilitates easy removal and disposal of tea leaves.
5. The whole process can be accomplished at the desk, without mess, allowing quality individualised brews of your favourite loose leaf teas.
6. This device, especially the teapot infuser all-in-one, can also be used in busy cafés. Top up with hot water is all is needed for multiple serves. 

You can now brew easily at the office by loading your infuser all-in-one with loose tea at your desk, march up to the urn in the office kitchen and fill with hot water, brew on the way back to the desk or longer as required, consume at desk or in meetings without mess or over brewing, have repeat infusions at a time that suites ( ie after the meeting),  clean out discarded leaves easily at a time of your choosing.

The all-in-1 Tea infuser is certainly compact, convenient and very easy to use. It makes a day in the office just that much easier, healthier and more enjoyable.

The all-in-1 Tea infuser also makes a great gift - for the office warrior who has almost everything!  Larger versions are available if you are generous enough to want to share you indulgence.

You can view our range of all-in-1 Tea infusers at: Tea Infusers