I am looking for a convenient office/portable tea making/drinking system. Ideally the device should be portable and very easy to clean in an office setting and still extract the same quality of flavor that a traditional teapot would, but also be sturdy. Hence the following requirements
- maximum of two pieces to clean, for all devices used during infusing and drinking
- is covered during steeping
- separates tea leaves from liquid after steeping
- will not burn your hands when drinking (either due to material or handle)
- Is sturdy (will not break from a 1 foot fall)
Preferably, no plastic or rubber touching the hot water. However, given the somewhat recent advances in plastic, this may be an irrational fear – in which case it would be nice to link to a relevant thread/article easing "plastic touching boiling water concerns" if recommending a style of product that is only available in plastic.
The only device I ever found that meets (1-4) is the quick gongfu style (a tea pot with holes in the spout area, where the drinking cup is the lid). But unfortunately it is fragile (not meeting requirement 5). Here are pictures of the device in various materials (from left to right clay, porcelain, ceramic, ceramic)
Now there are "all in one" devices that satisfy (1,3, 4, & 5) but not (2), for example, tipping cups,
and ones that satisfy (2-5) but not (1), for example the double wall glass/plastic travel brewers (note some glass products are quite strong)
But is there a device that satisfies all 5 desirable qualities in an office tea drinking/making system?
Note: This is not a product recommendation question. This question is about styles, types and materials, not specific products or brands.
Best Answer
Are you overthinking this? A small teapot, sized for one person, would meet your criteria, wouldn't it? Unless you count the infusion basket separate from the teapot itself, you just have a teapot to rinse out (no scrubbing needed) and a mug to wash.
This is mine:
It holds around 20oz of water, so I can fill the pot, steep for a few minutes, then lift out the infuser basket and dump the leaves. You can easily do this in a breakroom or kitchenette area of an office, and then take the teapot back to your desk and voila, 3-4 cups of tea with one trip to the breakroom. Mine's made of cast iron and easily keeps the tea warm longer than it takes me to drink it. When you're all done, rinse out the teapot (cast iron won't need much more than a brief rinse) and wash your mug in the sink.
Based on my tea this afternoon (admittedly, taken in my home office today rather than at work):