Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(92)
4 star:		(33)
3 star:		(19)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

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.

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.

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!

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.

I can only echo the positive comments of the previous reviewers. This is a great tea maker which makes a delicious cup of tea. In addition to praising the top quality of this tea maker, I would also like to applaud
the customer support.

About a month after I bought my tea maker it stopped heating the water. I guess the heating element failed. It was under warrenty so I called the customer service number to arrange for repairs. They were very courteous and instead of making me go through the hassle of sending it out to a repair shop they are sending me a replacement pot.

In this day of fast food and cheap throwaway appliances it is refreshing to find a product of excellent quality from a company who really stands behind their products.

I cannot recommend this tea maker highly enough. It may be expensive but I think you would be happy with it and it will give you many years of service. In the unlikely event you may need repairs on it, their customer service will give you great support.

I have the Zarafina Tea Suite and do enjoy my daily green tea. However, with all the growing concern regarding plastics, I decided to initially email the company and ask about this. Three times. I never got an answer to my email. I decided to call instead, and was told that it's 'propriatory information', but that the plastic follows all FDA guidelines and there should be no concern. Now, I am questioning how healthy my green tea is if it comes along with some plastic contaminants! The fact that they won't disclose the type of plastic it's made out of, has me concerned. Maybe I'm just over-reacting? You decide - just wanted to throw this out there for consideration.

I have been struggling with making the "perfect cup of tea" for years now. My main problem is that i don't want to have to spend the time and effort with preparation and clean-up. This machine is a dream -- so easy, and it really does brew wonderful tea. I brew mostly green tea and this machine makes it delicious. It looks pretty good on the counter, too, which is more than I can say for some appliances! I'd definitely recommend this product.

Update May, 2009: This works great when it works. Eventually started leaking as others have reported. The leaks were too severe, so I scrapped the unit. Purchased the newer variable temperature Breville Ikon.
*****
I am pleased with the Zarafina, although it is costly and impossible to find at a discounted price (I looked very hard). It is marketed, obviously to an upscale audience, by the Sunbeam conglomerate, which also produces a passable tea brewer costing only $19.99. It brews only 16 ounces of tea, which cool quickly after being dispensed and so should be served shortly after brewing.

I otherwise expected at least some small compromises in automated tea making, similar to those you find in the best of coffee makers, but I have found none. If you are brewing teas that, unlike black teas, should begin with water below boiling, the Zarafina is especially convenient. But even for black teas, you couldn't do better.

One zany review here (Zarafina - makes tea for American tourists, March 3, 2007) faults the Zarafina for setting its thermostat for black tea to 208º Fahrenheit. That is a mere four degrees below boiling (at sea level) and a temperature unattainable in a teapot! Nonetheless, some subsequent reviews actually take this nonsense seriously. Tea is typically served in the United States with water that is too cool to begin with and allowed to cool even further. The tea leaves are usually pretty nasty too.

No one claims you can't brew decent black tea using a kettle (electric or stovetop) and a teapot. But consider how imprecise the process is, even if you follow the most fussy and fastidious of techniques. You can control the initial temperature of the water by heating it to boiling, which is as hot as you can get it in a kettle. If you are at sea level, that will be 212º Fahrenheit, but cooler at higher elevations. You can heat the teapot beforehand, usually with hot or even boiling water, but it is typically made of ceramic material (occasionally metal, usually a better choice if not reactive) and has no separate heat source. This means that boiling water will cool as soon as it is poured into the teapot and will continue cooling as it rests in the teapot, however insulated it may be. Do you have any idea what the beginning, ending, or average temperatures are? Sorry, but it's probably way cooler than you'd think! Once the tea has steeped for the precise time, it must be promptly separated from the tea leaves (i.e., poured completely out of the teapot into separate containers, presumably teacups). How do you manage to pour it completely and at the proper moment? You probably don't--even if you still serve pretty good tea.

You are all the worse off with green, oolong, white, or herbal teas because the only conveniently observable benchmark of water temperature is the roiling boil, right for black tea but too high for most others. With a watchful eye and a thermometer, you might be able to control the initial temperature. Is that even remotely practical?

The Zarafina deals with all of these issues by controlling the water temperature when the tea comes into contact with the water, thermostatically controlling the average temperature of the water as the tea steeps, and dispensing the brewed tea away from the tea leaves after the precise steeping time.

Although it should be treated kindly and with precision, tea must still be awfully forgiving in the way it is usually handled. It still manages to be drinkable, usually enjoyable, even when handled only with good intentions and primitive British instruments.

I have always enjoyed black tea, but was dismayed at being encouraged to drink green tea, which I have rarely found to be other than bitter and unpalatable. Using the Zarafina and quality green teas, I hope to be able to change my habits and enjoy the benefits and pleasures of the full range of teas.

I have purchased two of these units, both died suddenly. They each lasted about 6 months, then they wouldn't heat the water anymore. I used it primarily on weekends, so they didn't die because I used them to death. I didn't wash anything in the dishwasher, they just died. I contacted the manufacturer to see if there was someway to correct it, but because I bought it at the now closed Linens'n'Things they wouldn't do anything. The support rep said it was sold 'as is' because of the liquidation. I let her know that I purchased it before they decided to close.
Seeing how the price has dipped so extremely (from $149.99, to $79.99 to $51.48), I suspect that it is faulty and they have had a lot returns. Of course, they could be work to keep customers and fix or replace the faulty units, but I guess they don't need the repeat business.
Anyway, if you haven't purchased one, I don't recommend them at all. If you already own one and yours dies, you can fill it with hot water and it will still brew a nice cup of tea - a very expensive tea pot.

UPDATE
The earlier part of my review is still accurate. I did have two different units that died suddenly and at the time I wrote the initial review their support team couldn't have cared less. I checked out their site earlier this week and noticed that they were now selling 'parts'. I contacted them, told them what was happening with my unit and asked if they thought that replacing the steeping chamber would resolve the issue. This time the support people were so nice, because this was my second unit they replaced the steeping chamber for me. I received the part within days of contacting them and I am sitting here enjoying my tea without having to boil water separately. Still makes the best cup of tea around.

The Zarafina Tea Maker is amazing. As an English couple who have drunk tea their entire life we were really sceptical about a tea maker. However, after just a few days we are converted- no more kettles and teapots for us! The Zarafina gets it right everytime- no more stewed or weak tea. The unit is very elegant and takes up liitle space- it is easy to clean and we would thoroughly recommend it to anyone. Bravo to the ingenious inventors.