Saturday, June 22, 2013

Steep and Go Cold Brew Tea Infuser

I'm not sure what I was looking for when I happened upon the website for the Steep & Go but it was so compelling that I had to have one.  It is a way to cold brew loose leaf green & white teas and be able to take them on the go.  It's really simple.  You buy a bottle of water (they list brands it fits although it comes with an adapter so I assume it will fit those not listed), add your loose tea to the bottle, insert the Steep & Go, shake to mix leaves, & wait 10 minutes before drinking.  I like to add a squirt of agave, too! Surprisingly, I prefer the taste of 1 tsp of tea for a whole liter of water.  I tried it with 2 tsps at first but it tasted a bit bitter to me.  The filter keeps the tea from getting into your mouth while drinking (even the tiny ones).  I have infused the same leaves multiple times and am pleased with the way it works.  It is BPA free, dishwasher safe, and at $6.95 is very reasonable.



Before I got this, I used one of my son's sport water bottles with a wide mouth, dropped two green tea bags into it, a bit of agave, and filled with water.  I put it into the refrigerator for at least 10 minutes and it was ready to drink.  As I got close to empty, I just refilled with more water and set it back into the fridge.  I think I infused the same bags at least 3 times before I threw them away.

Cold brewing tea is a really great way to make delicate green and white teas.  When I first got into teas, I complained to my tea purveyor that I didn't like green teas because they tasted "fishy".  She couldn't tell me what I was doing wrong.  I figured out that I was trying to brew them at too high a temperature.  I was still convinced that they weren't my favorites until recently.  With all of the wonderful loose leaf teas that I have, I preferred the taste of Lipton Green Tea with Superfruit.  It is still my go-to green tea.