Zarafina Tea Maker Suite with Ceramic Tea Pots, Cups, and Serving Tray

by Zarafina

• 16-ounce electric tea maker steeps a variety of loose or bagged tea
• Customizable tea strength from mild to strong; auto dispensing
• Attractively housed in a dark shale color with stainless-steel accents
• Includes ceramic teapot, 2 tea cups, and serving tray
• Measures 19-3/7 by 12-3/4 by 25 inches; 1-year limited warranty

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 7 x 9.9 inches ; 13 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 12 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.
• ASIN: B000HJNJNO
• Item model number: TH1000
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (165 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #71,451 in Kitchen & Dining (See Top 100 in Kitchen & Dining)

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

Attractively housed in a dark shale color with stainless-steel accents, this 16-ounce electric tea maker provides a new way to create the ideal cup of tea. The various kinds of tea, such as black, green, herbal, and white, actually need different times and temperatures to steep properly. Easily controlling the steeping time and temperature can be difficult with traditional kettles and teapots. Just a few degrees too hot or a minute too long and even the finest teas can lose their aroma and flavor. With its innovative technology, Zarafina's tea maker provides a complete tea solution to achieve the ideal cup of tea though the perfect union of time and temperature. Plus, it allows for experimenting with the fusion of leaves and water more fully than ever before so tea drinkers can enjoy a range of premium loose teas or bagged teas to match any mood and taste.

To use, simply add a favorite loose or bagged tea to the infuser basket, adjust the tea settings for the type of tea desired and the strength preferred (from mild to strong), turn the power on, and the art of tea making begins. Once the water has reached the proper temperature, the infuser basket immerses allowing the tea leaves to come in contact with the water. From there, the tea maker carefully maintains the ideal water temperature until the steeping cycle is complete. Once the tea has reached the perfect union of time and temperature, it automatically dispenses into the elegantly crafted two-cup ceramic teapot. Along with the teapot, the tea maker suite includes two ceramic tea cups and a ceramic serving tray for sharing the simple pleasure of a gourmet cup of tea. The tea maker measures 19-3/7 by 12-3/4 by 25 inches and carries a one-year limited warranty.

From the Manufacturer

Explore an entirely new way to create the ideal cup of tea with the Zarafina tea maker suite. Different types of tea--black, oolong, green, white, and herbal--require vastly different times and temperatures to steep properly. Traditional kettles and tea pots do not allow you to easily control steeping time and temperature. Just a few degrees too hot or a minute too long and even the finest teas can lose their aroma and flavor. With its innovative technology, only the Zarafina tea maker provides a complete tea solution to achieve the ideal cup of tea though the perfect union of time and temperature. Create Your Ideal Cup of Tea Every Time Simply fill the steeping chamber with water Add the desired amount of tea leaves of bags to the infuser basket Adjust the tea settings for the type of tea you desire and the strength you prefer Turn the power on and the art of tea making begins. Once the water has reached the proper temperature, the infuser basket immerses, allowing the tea leaves to come in contact with the water. From there, the Zarafina tea maker carefully maintains the ideal water temperature until the steeping cycle is complete. Once the tea has reached the perfect union of time and temperature, it automatically dispenses into the artfully designed ceramic tea pot, allowing you to create and share your ideal tea experience every time. The world of tea is one of richness and exploration. But it's also one of subtlety and precision, and the Zarafina tea maker unlocks this art of tea-making for a new generation. Why the Zarafina Tea Maker Suite is Right for You Not sure which type of tea you prefer? The Zarafina Tea Maker makes it easy to try any flavor of loose or bagged tea at the flip of a switch. You like to steep loose tea but want the convenience of bagged tea You like the art of tea making but you’d rather have it at your fingertips and with no guesswork You like to curl up on the couch or enjoy some good conversation over a cup of tea You know what a great cup of tea is all about and you want it automatically dispensed into a ceramic tea pot You are very picky on which appliances to display on your countertop You want--and deserve--more than an appliance You are a tea lover. And that is enough. Features Steeps and automatically dispenses up to 16 oz of tea Steeps a variety of teas: black, oolong, green, white and herbal tea respecting the different steeping times and temperatures Adjustable tea strength setting: from mild to strong Adjustable tea format setting: steeps both loose and bagged tea with equal ease Ceramic tea pot, tea cups and serving tray included Dark shale color with stainless steel accents Includes two ceramic 8-ounce tea cups Also includes tea pot and serving tray Hand washing recommended Measures 19-3/7 by 12-3/4 by 25 inches

More About the Zarafina Brand

Zarafina means heavenly, and the Zarafina brand hopes to be a warm and inviting friend that ensures that the unique experiences you seek are of the highest quality. In an attempt to be your guide to life’s riches, Zarafina inspires the exploration of simple pleasures that relax the body and delight the senses. For you who appreciate quality and those small infusions of pleasure into your lives, the Zarafina brand provides a tea-centric experience that will enrich time spent with friends, close family, and self.

Product Description

The Zarafina tea maker suite unlocks the art of tea making for a new generation. The 16-ounce-capacity tea maker comes in dark shale with stainless-steel accents--the finishing touches that embody fine design. Two ceramic tea cups, a tea pot, and a serving tray are included; 1-year limited warranty.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

122 of 124 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Great little tea maker, with reservations January 21, 2007

By An Appliance & Healthfood Junkie VINE™ VOICE

Amazon Verified Purchase

I do really like this tea maker - it makes perfect tea, every time, as others have mentioned. I would not go so nuts as to say that it's a manna from Heaven like others are also suggesting; for one, it's too pricey for what it actually does, and for two, you have to be REALLY careful with how you use it. While I haven't had a problem yet (I've had it for a few weeks with daily use), my fiance got a drop of water on the underside of the removeable container after rinsing it out and the appliance tripped the GFI on the outlet several times, preventing the appliance from shorting out. Now, I can understand not immersing the base in water, but a miniscule drop of water causing this much potential damage on a part that is supposed to be rinsed out? Not the greatest design there...just take care to make sure water doesn't remain on the prongs at the bottom of the removeable container.

I would recommend the product overall and am happy with it, although I'm a bit worried that it may have a major meltdown at any moment from something I may do accidentally. Really great tea, though!

*UPDATE* I have now had this tea maker for a couple of months, and have not had a single problem since the GFI-trip issue (I use the appliance 2 to 3 times a day). Carefully checking the removeable container for water on the prongs has prevented any further problems, and I believe there's a good chance that those experiencing the water-heating failure may have unknowingly had a bit of water on the electrical elements when plugging it in and caused a short - my machine probably would have had the same damage if I hadn't plugged it into a GFI-protected outlet (which was honestly just plain luck). I'm *very* happy with the quality of the tea and the convenience of using this machine.

97 of 100 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars It's good but not for green tea January 30, 2008

By Mike K

I bought this for my wife. She loves tea and enjoys using the tea maker. However, she had problems getting green tea to brew and not be terribly biter. After several days of experimenting she got frustrated and contacted the manufacturer. They responded quickly and politely but their answer was not expected. It turns out there are really only 2 settings (even though there are 5 types of tea represented on the switch) one setting for temperature and steeping time for green and white tea and another setting for the other three. Please note this applies to loose tea - I'm not sure if its also true for bagged teas, etc. Bottom-line real green teas taste best with short steeping times (like 30 seconds up to 2 minutes) but the tea maker steeps for 8 minutes - making a biter brew. Also some teas have different temperature requirements her experiments seem to show this doesn't make as big a difference in the final taste though. On the other hand, using the tea maker, she makes and enjoys many black and herbal teas.

64 of 67 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars My own tea butler! November 8, 2006

By C. Garza-vale

This machine is really a great invention - especially for those of us who have a tendency to spend on good tea and then screw up some part of the process that falls between the brewing and the first sip (for example, infusing the tea for too long). I think my tea will have more of a fighting chance with this new machine. The design is great - quite classy, and I think it will be great for entertaining (loved the way the tray that holds the machine could suddenly be converted into a serving tray for the well-designed tea pot and cups). Here is how it worked for me:

You pour your loose tea in the infuser basket, fill the tank with water, select the strength of your beverage and turn it on. There's even a chance to choose which kind of tea you are brewing for optimal results (for example oolong or green). This nifty little machine will do the rest. It will even pour the tea in the tea pot! I'm finally enjoying my fine tea without the stress. It's almost like having a tea butler in my house!

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A savvy investment for the avid tea drinker January 10, 2007

By Jimi

Amazon Verified Purchase

This is the only tea maker currently available that allows for and automatically sets both the proper brewing temperature and time for the different tea varieties. The fact that you can select your desired strength is an added bonus that results in the perfect cuppa every time. It's also fun to stand and watch the process through the clear brewing chamber; this is a wonderful touch because it allows for the asthetic componant in the joy of brewing tea.

Yes, the price seems like a lot up front, particularly compared to coffee makers, but it's worth the investment. Just think of it as a per-use price. I received mine on November 16, 2006 and have used it daily since. Even calculating for only 2 cups brewed per day, I'm already under $1.50 per cup, and I know that I've actually used it more than that. After I've owned it a year, the cost will be closer to 1 cent per cup.

My favorite tea currently is white, but I've also used it for black, green, oolong, rooibos, herbal, and mate--both loose and bagged. It makes brewing loose teas so easy that I've switched over to them almost exclusively and reserve my bagged tea for the office. I've also found that it works well for double-brewing certain varieties of herbal and rooibos teas. If you want to prep your tea for the following morning, fill the Zarafina with water to the fill line, select the correct settings for your tea, and fill the infuser basket with tea but leave it sitting on the counter. In the morning just drop the infuser basket on top of the water, cover, and press the ON button.

I really like that the ON button has to be pressed upward, which prevents an accidental start. I also discovered that the tea maker will not dispense the tea if the teapot is not under the release spout--a wonderful safety feature....

One caveat that I do have is that the teapot is not dishwasher safe and replacement would cost somewhere around $30. I actually called the company to see if I could get a second teapot to rotate with the original, and as a back-up feature, but I found the cost prohibitive. I would love it if they would consider offering an online order option for replacement/extra teapots and cups.

The entire apparatus arrives superbly packaged with great attention to detail. This is a quality product. I also appreciated the added touch of the free tea sampler offer, which arrived promptly after I submitted the info (basically registering my Zarafina) through their website. So far, it has withstood heavy usage, and I look foward to using it for years to come.

Update 10/24/07: A few months ago my tea brewing chamber developed some very minor cracks around the heating plate. Concerned that this might eventually compromise the integrity and cause leaks, I contacted Zarafina. They sent me a free replacement promptly. I particularly appreciated that they didn't require me to return the defective part first, so that I did not have to be without my tea maker. I still enjoy my Zarafina Tea Maker Suite immensely; it gets more use than any other appliance in my kitchen.

Update 07/23/08: A few weeks ago I began to experience a leak of some sort that caused a puddle to form underneath the tea maker. When I lift the tea maker the water drips from the bottom of the unit. After some trouble-shooting that didn't yield a solution, I happened to fill the steeping chamber about 20 minutes before I started the brewing cycle, instead of almost immediately before as I usually do. The puddle was even bigger. I contacted Zarafina about the problem and they were unable to provide an answer via email but asked me to call. I then spoke with a very nice representative named Justin who asked me not to use my suite for safety reasons but immediately offered to ship me a new unit--without requiring me to go through the trouble of returning the current one! Now that's customer service! The new unit will not have a warranty, because my current model is already out of warranty (it's being replaced because of the safety issue), but they are still standing behind their product. I'm impressed!

Update 11/07/11: I am still using my tea maker daily. Replacement parts are available, for those who need them. I have had one replacemet of the steeping chamber. Not bad for several years of use! Be very careful not to fill the brewing chamber above the top fill line. I discovered that leaking happens when it's even slightly above that. Thanks to a comment, I now keep the water level slightly below that line and have had no problems. Read more ›