Chocolate may be my number one passion, but there is nothing quite so refreshing as a good cup of tea. For me, the best cuppa involves loose leaf tea and plenty of room for the leaves to swirl around, expand and infuse. It’s time for tea. Come join me for a review of the IngenuiTEA teapot along with a variety of loose leaf teas.
Look at this for IngenuiTEA
The collection of teapots in our house is steadily growing. This suits us fine as we now have the right teapot for every occasion. Or at least I thought we did. When I was sent an ingenuiTEA to try out from Adagio Teas, I realised our collection was by no means complete.
This contraption brews loose leaf teas, letting out the steeped tea from the bottom rather than through a spout. Tea leaves are placed inside the pot and hot water added. As soon as the tea is ready, it is placed atop a cup; the valve opens and the clear tea filters through. Once you have finished with your tea leaves, they can be tossed away and the ingenuiTEA washed up – by hand or in the dishwasher.
IngenuiTEA – What I Liked
- The see through nature of the container – it’s fun to see tea leaves unfurling and the water changing colour as the brew progresses.
- The non-drip nature of the design – unlike many teapots, you can stop the process at any point and put the ingenuiTEA down without a single drip.
- No need for heat proof surfaces or protective mats – the pot is elevated off the surface with no hot bottom to burn your precious table.
- Neat design – I like the simple look.
- Works with any cup up to 9.5 cm in diameter.
IngenuiTEA – What I Was Less Keen On
- The material used – I am not a fan of plastic and would have preferred glass. It is, however, BPA free.
- No way of determining the volumes – unless you are using a clear cup, it’s not obvious when to stop the flow. I had tea overflowing all over the place with the first cup I made, though I very soon got the hang of it.
- The capacity is 450ml (16 oz) which is not quite enough for two regular mugs and too much for one. It is, however, perfect for two tea cups. Maybe I just need to be a little more refined in my tea drinking.
- Brand stamping – I would prefer to have the device completely clear of all writing and logos.
Time for Tea Teacup Infuser
Although I love my loose leaf teas, when it’s time for tea, I don’t always want a teapot. Don’t get me wrong, I love my teapots. But when I’m on my own tea can get cold before ever I get around to finishing it.
Luckily Adagio now has a new line which is perfect for such occasions. It’s a porcelain cup with infuser. It may be called a cup, but it’s actually a large mug, with accompanying lid.
The infuser is also large which allows plenty of room for the leaves to expand. And handily, it fits into many other drinking vessels if you fancy a change. It’s made of stainless steel so is also good and sturdy. I’ve had metal infusers before, which have been so feeble they’ve given up the ghost after very few uses. This one looks as though it’s here for the long haul.
It also makes washing it up nice and easy as there is no fear of it breakages. I do find the solid base a bit annoying as the liquid is unable to escape properly thus leaving a rather mushy pool of leaves and tea behind. But this is a minor quibble.
The cup, lid and infuser are all dishwasher safe. The lid is not only essential when the leaves are infusing, but it can be used to keep the tea warm in between sips. Handily, it doubles as a receptacle to place the infuser on when the tea has been steeped to your liking. This no fuss, no mess method makes it ideal for office use as well as at home. I chose a bright red one, called barn for some reason, but there are five other colours to choose from. Hmm, maybe I should have gone for the chocolate one.
Adagio Teas
Along with the ingenuiTEA, I was sent five sample packs of Adagio teas to try. I do like a bit of tea sampling – it’s very nearly as exciting as chocolate tasting. All of the teas are hand picked and sourced direct from artisan producers. You can read interviews with some of the farmers on their website. The section dedicated to Tea is Good for You is worth a read, though if all the various health benefits of tea are to be believed, I should live to at least 150.
The more teas I sample, the more I’m amazed at just how different they all are. I’d requested a variety of teas, some of which I was familiar with and others I’d not tried before. These sampling packs struck me as a particularly good idea; you can try before committing to a more extensive purchase. Each pack is resealable and contains enough tea to make a good ten cups. They come with instructions which include brewing times and water temperature, although being an American company, this was in degrees fahrenheit rather than celsius.
Chocolate Chip
I had to try this one first, of course. I’m not normally a fan of black teas, but I will partake of chai, Earl Grey and the occasional speciality tea if it’s on offer. This was a black Ceylon tea with cocoa nibs, dark chocolate chips and a natural chocolate flavour.
I’ve tried several chocolate teas now, but never one which contained actual chocolate pieces. This is the only one I tried adding a dash of milk to as I thought it would work well with both the black nature of the tea and the chocolate. I was right, although it worked equally well without. The chocolate flavour shone through with fruity notes and a slight astringency.
White Peony
Good quality white tea is my favourite version of Camellia sinensis. This one was a new one on me. The unopened tea buds are harvested along with the two newest leaves. This freshness really comes through. It has a light fruity aroma with a delicate taste. Floral and fruity tones shine through and it isn’t in the least bit bitter. Really it is quite delicious and an excellent accompaniment to afternoon tea.
Ti Khan Yin
I know very little about oolong teas, other than they are complex in both production and flavour and are thus correspondingly more expensive than many other teas. They are a speciality of South China and although they come in many varieties are all oxidised to some degree or other.
To my knowledge, this was the first oolong tea I’ve ever tried. Ti Khan Yin being greenish in colour is a lightly oxidised tea. It has both a grassy and floral aroma and a fresh sprightly taste that both CT and I really liked, yet, the notes left lingering on the palate are woody ones. This is a nice refreshing cuppa which works particularly well as a breakfast tea we thought.
Honeybush
This red South African tea, not to be confused with the more commonly known rooibos, has an aromatic fruity scent with honey notes. It is not a true tea, being the leaves of a legume called Cyclopia rather than what we commonly know as tea, Camellia sinensis. It contains no caffeine, is low in tannins so there is no bitterness if over brewed and it is said to lower cholesterol and fight respiratory infections.
CT, who has fond memories of his trip to South Africa many years ago, thinks it encapsulates the smell of the bush and transported him back there almost immediatley. The tea is the colour of honey and has a pleasant sweet and fruity flavour, not overpowering, but refreshing. This has been a firm favourite of ours for many years.
Jasmine Phoenix Pearls
Tight clusters of curled green tea leaves form little balls known as pearls. As soon as they come into contact with hot water they unfurl in a rather beautiful way. Also beautiful is the aroma generated from the Jasmine which quickly scents the room. The flavour is prominent, but not overpowering as can be the case with some jasmine teas.
We both thoroughly enjoyed this one and it works particularly well as an after dinner refresher.
Pu Erh Spice
I’d heard quite a bit about pu erh and that the name is perhaps quite apt in terms of smell. However, this one had a sweet heady aroma both when opening the packet and as brewing tea. With an added spice mix of cinnamon bark, orange peel, ginger root and aniseed, I guess this shouldn’t have been a surprise.
It’s like a lighter version of masala chai and is very tasty with the warming and zesty flavours of cinnamon and orange to the fore.
Yunnan Jig
The scent emanating from the packet on opening was not at all what I expected from a black tea. It was pure summer – sweet grassy newly harvested hay. Large sticks of tea that unfurled into leaves in the infuser and tasted just as good as they smelt. Light and fragrant as it was, is seemed more like a green tea than a black one. The world of tea never ceases to fascinate.
Foxtrot
Although the scent of chamomile is one of my favourites, I’m really not that keen on drinking it; when I saw that this herbal tea contained chamomile, my heart sank a little. It perked up on further reading when I saw it contained my favourite tea rooibos too.
But I thought it a very odd mix of flavours with chamomile, peppermint, rooibos and rooibos vanilla. Chamomile and peppermint both have strong scents and I felt the aromas were fighting each other rather than melding or complimenting.
Strangely when water was added, the scent improved and I found myself liking it. The proof would come in the drinking. Weeellll, it’s actually not bad. The mint is refreshing and the chamomile and vanilla give a sweet note, though I’m not quite sure where the rooibos comes in. I don’t think I’d go out of my way to drink this, but it makes for an interesting change.
Canton Chocolate Tea
This tea came in a very elegant white tin from the Canton Tea Company and was well packed in a sturdy white box. I really liked the signature crane which I found to be particularly apt as well as attractive.
The tea is a loose leaved black tea with added cocoa nibs and vanilla pod and weighs in at 50g. It’s actually a blend of two fine Chinese black teas: Bai Lin Gong Fu and Yunnan Black. I’m not normally a fan of black tea, preferring green, white or rooibos, but I was keen to try this one due to the cocoa content. Gosh and golly, I was in for a real treat.
On opening the tin a strong aroma of chocolate wafted out. This was followed by a fruity note and then finally the scent of tea came through.
Neither CT nor I like our tea particularly strong, so when it was time for tea, I brewed a pot for two with one heaped teaspoon, rather than the recommended two to three flat teaspoons per mug. I steeped it for the stated two minutes with water that was just off the boil. This gave us a perfect cup of tea which was full of flavour, well rounded and really quite moreish.
It wasn’t in the least bit bitter and tasted simultaneously of chocolate, tea and plum. When I later read the tasting notes on the tin I was surprised to see that plum was one of the flavours mentioned, along with cocoa of course. We both failed, however, to notice the caramel sweetness that was also described.
One of the benefits of using good quality tea leaves is that you can use them again and sometimes again and again and still enjoy a really good cup of tea. We had two good brews out of our one heaped teaspoon, so I suspect more would be achieved if the full amount was used. For a black tea I would give this one ten out of ten.
A 50g bag costs £7.50 and is available from the Canton Tea Co. online shop.
Stay in Touch
Thanks for visiting Tin and Thyme. Do let me know if you’ve tried any of these teas and what you think of them. Or if you’ve tried the IngenuiTEA. It surely must be time for tea now.
You might want to take a look at some of my other tea and other drink reviews. Also for lots of delicious and nutritious recipes and the occasional review, follow me on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest.
Thanks to the Canton Tea Co and Adagio for the ingenuiTEA and tea samples. There was no requirement to write a positive review and as always all opinions are my own. Thank you for your support of the brands and organisations that help to keep Tin and Thyme blithe and blogging.
White peony in bed
White Peony
I would drink the White Peony in the garden after I have mowed the lawn.
I would love to try White Peony. It sounds very fragrant and light.
I’d love to try the honeybush tea sitting out on my patio with my hubby in the evening. We need to bring his cholesterol down so it would be great to try this tea as that’s supposed to be one of the benefits.
white peony, just beautiful!
White peony, just beautiful
I try Honeybush sitting under a parasol in the midday sun set against the backdrop of azure skies 🙂
chocolate chip on a cool autumn night x
Chocolate Chip – in my lovely new conservatory
Honeybush tea…bringing my South African roots into my afternoons – on the patio. Anja
I’m new to TEA
Chocolate chip
Chocolate Chip
Chocolate Chip on my sofa 🙂
Jasmine Phoenix Pearls early in the morning, in my garden.
I’d try the chocolate chip at work (it might make my work day more enjoyable!).
It has to be the chocolate, tea and chocolate are two of my fav things x
has to be chocolate chip, anything with chocolate in the title has to be a good start, and would sip away at it in the lovely sunny garden xx
Honeybush tea – first thing in the morning at the breakfast bar
Jasmine Phoenix Pearls I used to drink Jasmine tea a lot but I seem to have forgotten about it.
chocolate chip sounds amazing – love to have this after getting in from work
honeybush tea in the evening sun
Chocolate chip in my sunny back garden
Honeybush please
chocolate chip – whilst relaxing in my garden
just a nice cup of tea with a chocolate biscuit
lisa ann tebbutt
White peony sounds fabulous!
I drink darjeeling! – leanne w
honeybush in the garden
Chocolate chip
The Jasmine pheonix pearls, at home
Chocolate Chip sitting in the garden
@jaizduck
very thorough and informative review
very thorough and informative review
Jasmine Phoenix Pearls, sitting in the garden
choc chip. ive had choc tea at work in th past but i would def enjoy this at home in the evening when kids in bed-
Yorkshire tea in the garden
Chocolate chip sounds interesting! Probably out in the garden first thing in the morning.
Ti Khan Yin, I would like to enjoy it in our garden 🙂
the Ti Khan Yin, curled up with a nice book after the kids are in bed
Jasmine Phoenix Pearls – sitting in the garden
Jasmine Phoenix Pearls – Sitting in the garden
The Honeybush one sounds great
The Chocolate Chip
I’d like to try the Jasmine Phoenix Pearls and the perfect place to drink it would be in my garden.
Jasmine Phoenix Pearls
White Peony- it sounds perfect for the summer evening
That chocolate chip is sooo interesting. I love the caramel teas with a bit of milk.
Honeybush, sitting in the garden reading the paper :o)
I would like to try the Chocolate Chip, never tried a chocolate tea before and it sounds really interesting, although they all do to be honest
honeybush please
White peony as a morning starter!
Chocolate chip, at a visit with my Mum. As we both love tea and chocolate. This would be a fine treat for both of us to share.
Rachel Craig
Definitely the chocolate chip! I’d drink it in the garden 🙂
Honeybush
Chocolate chip – while reading a good book 🙂
White peony in my sunny garden! x
I’d like to try The Honeybush, sitting in my garden enjoying the sunshine
Honeybush
@jamiecomps
The chocolate chip on a sunny afternoon in my garden
I’d love to try the Jasmine first, and I’d like to drink it in the garden on a warm summer’s evening 🙂
chocolate chip sounds lush <3
Ti Khan Yin on a relaxing Sunday morning
Honeybush!!! Yum
My choice would be Chocolate Chip, I would drink it in my living room after the school run and enjoy the peace and quiet!
chop chip tea- such a great idea
Chocolate Chip is intriguing 🙂
A nice cup of chocolate chip when I get home would be lovely! 🙂
Honeybush and would drink it out in the garden.
I love tea!
gotta be chocolate chip
kay panayi
honeybush sounds lovely, and sitting in the garden with the sun shining sounds like a great place to enjoy it
Mmmmm Chocolate chip is amazing for chocoholics!!I would make a big flask of it and sit on my local beach to drink it watching the sun setting!!(carroll marsh)
I would love to try the Chocolate Chip one sitting out in the garden on a nice sunny day – @Rcd2129 on twitter
Chocolate chip definitely x
White peony please 🙂
The Chocolate Chip tea must be delicious
the Jasmine Phoenix Pearls in the garden after work
Ti Khan Yin
chocolate chip 🙂
White peony please
Chocolate Chip sound unusually nice ! id ike to drink this outside on a summers day x
The Honeybush
Honeybush! On the sofa with my feet up as soon as the darling children are in bed! 🙂 x
Honeybush sitting in my garden enjoying the sunshine
Chocolate chip yummmmy, I’d drink this in my sitting room after a long day at work!
Chocolate chip
chocolate chip
Looks amazing! Chocolate chip – yummy!
chocolate chip
The white peony in my living room with a good book.
Yorkshire Tea in my hot bath
The white Peony sitting out on the decking.
mm chocolate chip whilst watching a chick flick! 🙂 faye x
White Peony
Honeybush, in the front garden with the sun out 🙂
DEFINATELY CHOCOLATE CHIP-YUMMY 🙂 INFRONT OF A GOOD MOVIE!!
The chocolate chip…in bed…
honeybush
The Jasmine Pearl would be my first choice and I wouldlike to drink it in Hong Kong, but as that is not realistic then I would like to drink it in my garden on a warm evening at twilight with some candles burning in some storm lamps. Perfect.
jasmine sounds good, drinking on the patio
jasmine sounds good and i would drink it on the patio
The Jasmine Phoenix Pearls – feet up relaxing on the sofa
Chocolate chip….in the garden
White peony sounds yum
honeybush – hopefully sweet & tasty
Honeybush – watching out to sea
Honeybush – on a balcony watching the sunset over the sea
chocolate chip!!
Jasmine Phone is Pearls sounds divine. I would drink it at home once my son is asleep and the house is nice and peaceful.
I would try the Honeybush first
Chocolate chip mmmmmmmmm
Yorkshire Tea….on the patio early in the morning
White Peony, such a nice name
Honeybush, although I’d probably enjoy all of them
Mmmm the Honeybush relaxing on my new sofa! x
white peony, it sounds lovely
Jasmine Phoenix Pearls – I love teas which you can watch unfurl!
Honeybush, to get back in touch with my South African expat identity with something that ISN’T rooibos or dried meat.
the honey bush because I like a nice fruity tea
Chocolate chip while sitting in the kitchen staring at the sea
HONEYBUSH – I LOVE A GOOD RED TEA
White peony, maybe looking out at the garden!
Honeybush as it sounds lush
Chocolate Chip 🙂
chocolate chip every time =]
Jasmine Phoenix Pearls at home first thing in the morning before anyone else wakes up- I just love the peace @kohsamuirosie on twitter
Chocolate Chip with my feet up and a chocolate cake
honeybush sounds yummy!
It would have to be Chocolate Chip!
Honeybush – to relax after a long stressful and busy day.
chocolate chip
Honeybush sounds lovely. I always add a little honey to my tea.
White Peony while sat in the garden ^^
White Peony would be the first one I would try, sitting on the bench tucked into the corner of my garden enjoying the sunshine (ideally) and enjoying all the flowers planted in my quiet corner.
Honeybush in the garden
(Spencer Broadley)
I love ti khan yin… I would drink it, while watching the summer drizzle slide down the window pane… It’s a lovely flavour, almost like a hug in a teacup!
white peony
Honeybush 🙂 yum
I couldn’t resist the chocolate flavour, but I also like the sound of the one with honey
Jasmine Phoenix Pearls in bed 🙂
yorkshire
Ti Khan Yin, never tried that one before
The chocolate chip flavour in my favourite chair
Whilst sat in my garden.
I would have to try the chocolate chip one first.
chocolate chip sitting on the sofa reading a book
Chocolate Chip
They all sound delicious but I would like to try the chocolate chip, at home in the evening watching the television.
I would try Honeybush, I love honey. I would drink it in bed with my cat Percy reading a book.
White Peony sounds nice.
Couldn’t be any other apart from Chocolate Chip…
Would love to try the Jasmine Phoenix Pearls tea in my back garden on a sunny afternoon.
Chocolate Chip, with my elevenses.
I’d love to try the chocolate chip one first – curled up on the sofa with a good book
Chocolate chip – instead of reaching for a chocolate bar when I get a craving
Jasmine Phoenix Pearls, I love jasmine tea anyway and would be curious about how this would taste.
Ti Khan Yin, on a relaxing Sunday morning at the breakfast table.
Honeybush sounds lovely x
i’d love to try choc chip in the garden
Ti Khan Yin – in bed with some toast on a sunday morning 🙂
Jasmine Phoenix Pearls
honeybush, in the morning x
Lovely, would really like to try the Jasmine pearls
Honeybush int garden!
The Jasmine Phoenix Pearls sounds a nice cuppa to enjoy in the garden with a good book!
Chocolate chip first. Any mention of chocolate and I am there! Would try it by myself curled up on the sofa.
I would have to try the Chocolate Chip first, whilst reading
I’d want to try Chocolate Chip, perhaps in the garden? 🙂
Honeybush, on a nice warm sunny day in the back graden.
The Honeybush – sounds like a tea to drink when you are reading a good book sat in the garden on a lovely hot day. 🙂
I would have to try the White Peony first when curled up on the sofa with a good book!
chocolate chip tea? It sounds all wrong but I’d love to try it sitting on a comfy sofa watching an old film on tv.
Chocolate Chip for me
The Honeybush sitting in the kitchen with a good book
Yorkshire Tea sitting in the garden.
Ti Khan Yin
Ti Khan Yin
White Peony
Chocolate chip sounds interesting
Honeybush while having a chill and a biscuit
i would love to try the White Peony and i would drink it in the garden
Honeybush sounds lovely x
Yorkshire tea…in bed would be nice 🙂 x
would love to try the chocolate chip
Yorkshire of course
Yorkshire, please
Yorkshire tea in the garden
chocolate chip
Yorkshire tea at home
mmmmmm Chocolate Chip would be lovely to drink after a long stressful day!!!
got to be chocolate chip! @msedollyp
Those Jasmine Phoenix Peals look lovely 🙂 Teas that expand are such fun!
Ooh I’ve been thinking about getting a clear tea pot. I have one of those tea “flowers” that unfurls and grows as it brews & I need a clear pot to see its beauty! x
ooo chocolate chip!!
chocolate chip oh yum!!.. sitting in my garden on a sunny afternoon
The chocolate chip as i am a total chocoholic id like to drink it on my patio if it ever stops raining!
I would try the Chocolate chip – as a chocaholic & tea lover!!
The Honeybush,I’d like to drink it in the garden on a nice sunny day.
I am from the southeast United States and all I have ever had tea wise is Sweet Iced Tea! So this was really fun to read about!!!! <3
White peony sounds fabulous!
Love to try the jasmine phoenix pearls sounds just right after alfresco dinner in my perfect garden (dreaming now!)
Good old Yorkshire Tea I think or maybe redbush is my favourite for biscuits or cake.
I drink darjeeling!
It’s got to be a good custard cream! Love when it melts and goes gooey!