Okay, so I’ve been wanting to level up my tea game for a while. I saw this Grosche Monaco teapot with the Sahara warmer and I thought, “That looks pretty slick.” So I grabbed one. Here’s how it went down.
Unboxing and First Impressions
First thing, the packaging was pretty good. Everything was snug and secure. I pulled out the teapot – it’s all glass, which I love because you can see the tea steeping. Nice and modern looking. Then I got the warmer out. It’s this simple, rounded base thing, also glass, with a spot for a tealight candle. Pretty straightforward.
Getting Down to Business: Brewing Time!
I rinsed everything out with some warm water, just to get rid of any dust or anything. Then I filled the teapot with some water – not all the way to the top, gotta leave room for the tea, right? I put the infuser basket in. It’s a pretty fine mesh, which is great for keeping little bits of tea leaves out of your cup.
I measured out my loose leaf tea – I was feeling some Earl Grey today – and dumped it into the infuser. Then, I carefully poured the hot water (not boiling, just hot from the tap, since I was going to warm it) over the leaves.
The Sahara Warmer in Action
This is where the warmer comes in. I placed a tealight candle in the center of the warmer and carefully, very carefully, lit it. Then, I set the teapot on top. The idea is that the candle keeps the tea warm without making it bitter or over-steeping it. It’s a gentle heat.
- Waiting Game: I let it sit there for a few minutes, watching the tea slowly change color. It’s kind of mesmerizing, actually.
- Pour and Enjoy: After about five minutes, I figured it was steeped enough. I carefully removed the infuser basket (it has a little handle, so you don’t burn yourself). And that’s it.
My Thoughts
I poured myself a cup and… yeah, it was good! The tea stayed nice and warm the whole time I was drinking it, but it didn’t taste stewed or anything. The warmer definitely did its job.
Cleanup was easy too. I just rinsed everything out with warm, soapy water. The glass is pretty easy to clean, as long as you do it right away. All in all, I think that the teapot is a good one!
