Customer Reviews

ARGENTINA MATE GOURD YERBA TEA WITH STRAW BOMBILLA 0058

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

The gourd is shoddy and crude. I ordered two, both were too large, and the openings too small, completely unlike the pictures would indicate. The black paint used to color the exterior comes off when the gourd gets wet, and stains everything in sight.

The straw is useless - very fine yerba will clog it, and larger, rough yerba slips right through.

Just a silly piece of junk.

the gourds leak. the bombilla is inferior and lets tea leaves through the straw. the company told me it was the yerba i was using. seriously?? trying to deal with customer service was a bit of a nightmare. i ordered two and something was wrong with each of them. i returned one, and i still haven't received a replacement. when i emailed the company (twice) i was told that they were moving hence did not send me my gourd. i spent $7.00 sending it back and the gourd and shipping was $13. so now for $20 i have nothing. i highly recommend not wasting your time and money on this product with this company. really disappointing.

The gourds were nice looking, and I was initially pleasantly surprised given how cheap they were. Unfortunately, when we went to cure them -- I'd been told at a tea shop to leave tea in for 24 hours -- the water immediately leaked through the bottoms. Not only did the gourds not hold fluid (pointless for a cup), but the coloring also ended up staining our counter a bit. I don't have experience with other mate gourds, but I really don't think this was supposed to happen. We ended up throwing them away. Admittedly, I took a gamble buying something so cheap, but it would have been nice to have them work out.

No nonsense, well crafted mate gourd and bombilla. I wasn't sure of the quality based on other reviews in a different listing, but I figured 10 bucks was worth the risk. I'm glad I gave it a shot. No leaks or weak spots in mine (of course natural products all have that risk) and the bombilla is simple and functional.

In order to keep your gourd in good shape you must rinse it after use and blot the excess water out of it with a paper towel. A gourd should last for years if you use it regularly - they have a tendency to dry rot or grow mold if you just let them sit for more than a few days at a time.

Cure your gourd with boiling water before you use it the first time. Add boiling water just below the lower part of the metal rim line. The reason you do not fill the gourd above the rim line is to allow for it to expand and seal tightly with the rim.

So, let the boiled water sit for approximately 10 minutes. After this you may use a teaspoon and softly scrape the membrane out of the gourd under running water. If you have successfully removed the majority of the membrane you have completed the curing process.

You could leave the membrane in and let it wear off - it has a tendency to make your first couple of brews a little smoky and bitter, though.

Great for travel (replaceable) or anyone wanting to try taking their mate this way with out a costly commitment. 5 Stars!

Product arrived very quickly. However I was very disappointed at the size of this product. I do not recall ever seeing anywhere on your site that this was a miniature version of a gourd. I have only seen one size in stores and presumed that the great price being offered was indeed just that. Instead it is because of the size which is so very tiny that it feels quite useless to me. As this was intended as a gift I now feel awkward giving it, yet to spend the money to return the item feels like a bigger waste. Forgive me if your site mentions the volume of this gourd. If it does not, you should mention that on your listing.

I read some bad reviews on this gourd and don't know why people didn't like it. Product was shipped very fast and after I let it sit over night as instructed, it works great. I like it's clean look and the straw/bombilla is really pleasant. I use Cruz De Malta which filters really well with this gourd/straw. The mate doesn't get sucked up into the straw.

I started drinking coffee a couple years ago and after some time lost a taste for it. I needed something to keep me going and remembered how good mate was for keeping me awake and focused. I've got two gourds now. One at home and one at the office. If you're wondering about this gourd, go ahead and get it. The price is really good too.

Thanks,

Blake

I've no idea why other people are complaining about this product. If you don't know how to PROPERLY make MATE' then you will have the issues the rest of the reviewers faced (Clogged bombilla, etc.). The product is wonderful! It serves its purpose and is definitely worth the price! No questions asked!!!

Before you buy this, however, learn how to efficiently brew Mate otherwise you'll blame the product!

:)

I wanted to have mate the way it is supposed to be had. I found this a very good gourd to start out with because it is low cost. The directions that were sent with the gourd were very clear, and anything I didn't understand completely I went out on the internet to double check. No leaks in my gourd, it is a chance you need to take with a natural gourd. My only complaint is that the coloring on the outside sometimes bleeds. This is remedied with a paper towel to dry it off, and some soap and water for my hands. The bombilla does a well enough job at filtering the mate, only the really fine powdery mate gets through, which would be expected with any mate. If prepared right, there should be no clogging. I recommend going to youtube and watching a video on how to prepare mate if it is your first time.
As far as the seller goes, my products arrived before the expected shipping window. This was surprising to me mainly because I ordered right before a holiday weekend. All in all I feel it was money well spent, and when my gourd is done I will buy another one.

This product is great! I had no problem with it. Mine did not leak unless i filled it too high. But it has lasted my quite a while and I love it.