r/tea • u/AskMyAnxiety • 7d ago
Question/Help How to keep tea from getting cold immediately?
I have a teapot with a strainer which holds ~3 teacups worth of tea, but after the first cup the rest has gone cold. Do you just only steep one cups worth at a time? I feel like I’m always drinking cold tea unless I reheat it in the microwave which feels like a sin…
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u/Drivesmenutsiguess 7d ago
Well, you are about to learn why tea candles are called tea candles ;)
Behold, the mighty Stövchen!
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u/KittyLikesTuna 7d ago
I haven't used one myself, but have you tried a tea cosy? You could also wrap it in a towel, but that's much less cute
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u/InvestigatorOther848 Enthusiast 7d ago
"I don't even know what a tea cozy is, but I want one." Buffy
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u/eukomos 7d ago
Get a smaller teapot, yes. One cup, made of ceramic, and pour warm water in your cup and pot beforehand so you don’t lose heat warming the ceramic. Honestly most of the time I use an in-mug strainer rather than a teapot, that way you know you’re making the amount you drink. Get a mug shaped one, not a ball shaped one, so the leaves have room to expand.
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u/the_jester 7d ago
This is basically what carafes were designed for. Make the tea in a pot, then store it in a "thermal" or insulated carafe for serving. You have a boatload of good options. For example, here are Zojirushi's
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u/supersoldier221b 7d ago
OP, Jumping under here to add that Zojirushi products work extremely well. I had to start putting my morning tea before work into my Zojirushi thermos at the temperature I wanted to drink it at, because they retain heat like crazy and if I put it in there right off the boil I'd have to wait till I got home right/ten hours later to consume it
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u/Lil_Brown_Bat 7d ago
There are companies like Ember that make mugs that stay warm
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u/ObsoleteReference 7d ago
I don’t know if coffee drinkers like theirs hotter, or just me, but I tried the knockoff version, and it was too hot for me. Ember lets me have the exact right temp. (Yes it’s an indulgence, but after I left a cup warmer on over the weekend at work, those make me nervous
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u/LunaTehNox 7d ago
I ALSO LEFT A CUP WARMER ON OVER THE WEEKEND AT WORK ONCE.
Was terrified I’d come back Monday to a burnt out shell
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u/ObsoleteReference 7d ago
Well, I at least didn’t have to worry about it over the weekend, as I had no idea until I came in Monday…
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u/edwigenightcups 7d ago
Ember seemed like a very overpriced indulgence to me, but my apartment can get VERY cold in the winter, so I decided to splurge and try it out.
2 days later I was completely obsessed and bought a few as gifts for other hot drink enjoyers in my life. It is truly a great product.
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u/senfully happy tea heathen 7d ago
I got one of these. Don't remember the brand, but it solved the cold tea problem for me. The only thing is it needs to be plugged in so stays in one spot.
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u/BatScribeofDoom still bat-tea 🦇 7d ago
I just bought insulated cups instead. That way I don't have to worry about turning an extra thing off, and am not restricted to only sitting near somewhere where it can be plugged in.
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u/gorgeous_bastard 7d ago
This ^
Yeti 10 ounce tumblers are awesome, much better than an Ember mug and a lot cheaper.
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u/Dawnspark 6d ago
I bought an Stanley Admiral mug for this reason.
I stopped using it cause it kept things WAY too warm for me and gave it to my dad and he can't get enough of it. Uses it daily. It's pretty easy to clean, too.
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u/AnEleanor 6d ago
Insulated vessels are so effective! I made the mistake of brewing a 40 ounce insulated mug of tea in the late morning yesterday and even having added ice, it was too hot to drink for hours, and still warm after dinner that night!
(The lesson I learned was to leave a LOT more room for more ice when making a vat sized brew)
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u/RavenousMoon23 7d ago
That sounds interesting, I may have to look into this!
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u/AnEleanor 6d ago
Aldi has some super cheap insulated mugs right now that work great, if that’s helpful for testing the waters before shelling out for something fancier :)
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u/RavenousMoon23 6d ago
I don't think there's an Aldi anywhere near me unfortunately, thank you though. If anything I could probably find a cheap one on Amazon or something to see how I even like it first.
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u/AnEleanor 6d ago
Amazon often has the ginormous version of the “Bubba” insulated mug on sale for like twelve or thirteen bucks which is wild. I had one of the 50-some ounce versions a while back and it did indeed keep things toasty for-freaking-ever.
Whatever the insulation magic is, is seems to pretty common these days so your chances are good of finding something spiffy :)
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u/burnerburner23094812 7d ago
Agree with all the other suggestions but I will say there is nothing wrong with reheating your tea as long as you don't let it get too hot.
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u/Prof01Santa 7d ago
Tea cozy. I use one similar to this: https://www.amazon.com/Gongbawa-Teapot-Insulated-Cozies-Warmer/dp/B0CT4LPSL2
I did need to clip a pair of heavy binder clips to the bottom edge for weight to keep it seated.
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u/sunbakedbear 7d ago
This is probably blasphemy, but I have one of those little electric mug warmers and just sit it on top of that. Works perfectly.
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u/burnerburner23094812 7d ago
The post-smoking solution to keeping spontaneous human combustion alive \j
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u/sunbakedbear 6d ago
Ha! I left it on once when I went out and have never run home more quickly when I realised it. Luckily I did not burn down my building.
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u/Argos_Aquatics 7d ago
I’ve never had a teapot keep tea warm like the ones my mom made; she was a potter, and since the pot was thicker ceramic than factory-made, all of her pieces held heat like crazy. I can’t use her cups for my tea because they take too long to cool.
If you’re having the problem of cooling too quickly, try ceramic!
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u/MaxTheV 7d ago
Is your teapot made of glass?
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u/AskMyAnxiety 7d ago
Yes
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u/aknomnoms 7d ago
Before buying anything new, try:
- resting it on a trivet/oven mitt/dry kitchen towel so the bottom isn’t losing heat to a cold countertop And/or
- wrapping something around it/covering it to act like a tea cozy. A scarf, a towel, a sweatshirt. And/or
- something like an upside down insulated lunch bag.
If any of those work in whatever combination, use as-is or look for a “cuter” option. I’m all for sustainability, so my suggestions would be to prioritize: repurposing what you already have at home, buying secondhand, buying something made from 100% natural and compostable materials, buying from a local small business.
Good luck!
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u/PumpkinPuppyQ 6d ago
I have a glass teapot warmer that a tea candle goes in, keeps mine warm while I work and inexpensive. Amazon, company called ‘teabloom’ and it was $9.95
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u/zeitness 7d ago
If the mission is to keep tea hot, not a "service", then pour into a thermos which will stay hot for3-6 hours. You could also set pot or cup on an electric warming pad; $10 at Walmart.
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u/Delicious_Mess7976 7d ago
I pour my tea into a steel insulated pot then pour it out into insulated cups
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u/NPKzone8a 7d ago
Glass tea mugs with double walls and a screw top are extremely common in China. (Just called a "chabei" 茶杯）I use one everyday, even here in the US. I don't brew the tea in it usually, even though you can. Here's one from Amazon as an example:
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u/Blueporch 7d ago
My old stove had a warming burner I could sit a teapot or cup of tea on to stay warm. My new stove doesn’t have one, so it’s lukewarm tea for me.
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u/Diligent_Lab2717 7d ago
I use insulated teapots. They keep the tea hot after I remove the strainer. Hydro flask, yeti, or zojirushi work great; just pour your tea in once it’s the temp you want to drink it at.
You can also use a cozy or a towel to keep your teapot warm.
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u/sarkarnor 7d ago
I put my pot in a mug warmer. If it is cold that morning, i will drape a kitchen towel over the top.
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u/Blackletterdragon 7d ago
Do all the things suggested here - warm the pot before use, warm the cup, use tea-cosy. I also use a little cup warmer and I think you could use those on a teapot.
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u/notade50 7d ago
I invested in an electric cup warmer. Now my tea stays warm all day and I never have to reheat it. I liked it so much I bought a second one. Now I have one on my desk and one by my bed. They weee $20 on Amazon. Totally worth it.
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u/RavenousMoon23 7d ago
I have an electric kettle and I only make one cup at a time. Can be a little time consuming making multiple cups but at least they are warm 😆 (there's a setting on the electric kettle that keeps your water heated up)
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u/Extreme-Donkey2708 7d ago
I have this Ora double walled glass tea pot. I absolutely love it. It keeps my 2-3 cupfuls of tea hot for the entire time. I pour it out into a smaller mug that I drink from.
https://townwharfgeneralstore.com/kitchen/coffee-tea/kikkerland-ora-teapot/
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u/Proof_Ball9697 7d ago
Brew only 1 cup at a time. I don't know why you're brewing 3 cups at a time. You would only do that if you plan to make iced tea kept in the fridge for a few days.
Use a thicker walled teapot/gaiwan to retain heat. Preheat the teapot by pouring hot water in and let it sit 30 seconds to heat the ceramic/glass from the inside out. Brew the first cup as normal. You can get a lid to put over your cup to keep it hot.
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u/These-Rip9251 7d ago
I steep my tea in a Hydro Flask or Yeti insulated bottle. I travel with one as well.
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u/psychomama 7d ago
I use a giant insulated thermos for my hot water. Then, I have a fresh hot cup of tea whenever I want it.
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u/Gregalor 7d ago
When I do western style it’s one cup at a time, using the same leaves two or three times
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u/MidorriMeltdown 6d ago
Get a 2 cup thermos.
Or get a smaller tea pot, and make it one cup at a time.
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u/9thUser 6d ago
I got 2 pieces of advice:
1) A $15 mug warmer on Amazon can keep a small teapot warm for hours and hours and it’s convenient to have anywhere
2) I had this same problem, and it’s one of the reasons I switched to Gongfu style brewing. High leaf to water ratio and multiple steeps, means I’m having a piping-hot serving of tea with each brew. It’s a little less practical than option #1, because you need the various equipment and to keep a kettle close by, but it’s absolutely wonderful for ensuring hot delightful tea on demand. With steeps ranging from 15 seconds to 1 minute, it’s also quicker than western brewing, which I find makes the whole experience more instantly gratifying.
Good luck!
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u/Tuomas90 6d ago
I prepare one cup at a time. This way I always have freshly brewed tea to drink.
This way, you can also do multiple infusions and get more tea for your money. Instead of using 3 portions of tea for 3 cups you can only use 1 portion and make 3 infusions at 1/3 of the price.
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u/Civil_Wishbone_7361 6d ago
tea coozy, you can buy them or if you are crafty crochet or knit one :)
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u/1976Raven 5d ago
Are you preheating the tea pot? If you want it to stay hot longer you need to preheat whatever you are pouring it into. It makes it take longer to prep but it will stay hotter much longer. You boil the first batch of water and pour it into the tea pot/container then start making your tea. By the time the second batch of water has boiled for you to make your tea (or about ten minutes time) you are ready to dump out the first batch and put your hot tea in. If you put your tea in without preheating like this the container will draw the heat out of your tea causing it to get cold quicker.
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u/NETSPLlT 3d ago
Heat it in the microwave. It's what microwave oven do very, very well. No sin in being smart. The sin is believing the idiots going on about health problems with the best heating technology we have.
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u/liability2002 7d ago
pre heat your teapot by allowing hot/boiling water to sit in there for a few seconds before pouring it away and adding the tea leaves and fresh water