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Zarafina Tea Maker Suite

Visit the website>>> Tea Maker Suite by Zarafina

A guest told me about this item a couple weeks ago and I got one on eBay. Wanted to try it out before posting it. It is a neat gadget. The only drawback is that it only makes 16oz of tea at a time. You put the cold water in the tank. Put either loose or bag of tea in the basket and the basket floats on the water. Put the lid on the tank. Select loose or bag; select mild, medium, or strong; select black, oolong, green, white, or herbal. Flick the on switch and watch it work. It heats the water to the proper temp for the selected tea, the basket then sinks & steeps proper time, and then it drains the tea into the teapot next to the tank. Perfect tea every time. The link takes you to the web site demo page.

http://www.zarafina.com/Demo.aspx

submitted by: gillumhouse

Comment wisely on this resource if you must.
(Companies can be touchy about their reputations, don't go getting yourself sued)

This comment (22801) was in reply to the Original Topic on Fri, 11/28/2008 - 11:23am
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ginocat
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I am not shy about posting. I just wonder about it and it's lots of money. Tea is so easy to make. Boil the water, pour over tea bag or tea leaves and let steep 3 - 5 minutes. Herbal teas should have the water added just below the boil otherwise the water needs to be at a full boil to get the most flavour from the tea. Having tea sit in water and then bring to the boil can alter the flavour of the tea.

These are my opinions of course (and those of other tea drinkers who absolutely require a 'proper cuppa'.

This comment (22804) was in reply to comment 22801 on Fri, 11/28/2008 - 12:19pm
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gillumhouse
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The tea does not hit the water until the water is the proper temp. The basket with the tea in it floats on the water until then. Once it sinks, the water gets to the tea through the mesh "basket". The guest no longer has to worry about getting involved in conversation and "forgetting" to take the tea out of the water before the tannic acid turns the tea bitter. That is why there are so many settings on the tea maker for the kind of tea. It controls temp and time.

This comment (22807) was in reply to comment 22804 on Fri, 11/28/2008 - 12:29pm
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ginocat
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Okay. I'll stick to my $5 kettle!

This comment (22810) was in reply to comment 22807 on Fri, 11/28/2008 - 12:35pm
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gillumhouse
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For me, I probably would also. But I find that guests like gadgets and by going on eBay, I was able to get it - with shipping - for $60 so what the hey... It has been used already and the guests liked it.

This comment (22825) was in reply to comment 22807 on Fri, 11/28/2008 - 1:20pm
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catlady
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I am with you on this one!  Why do we need to spend that kind of money to brew a cup of tea for heaven's sake?  Remember wants vs needs???? 

This comment (22826) was in reply to comment 22825 on Fri, 11/28/2008 - 1:34pm
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ginocat
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Yes! If guests want gadgets they can buy their own!  I have my own personal economy crunch!! LOL!!

This comment (22831) was in reply to comment 22826 on Fri, 11/28/2008 - 2:28pm
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TLE041
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Those Tassimo or Keurig coffeemakers I can understand, but this machine doesn't make much sense to me. Wouldn't it be much easier to leave a hot water dispenser out so that the guests can make tea with just as much effort?

I can see you cringing when a guess accidentally break one of those tea cups or teapot. They're pretty pricey, and you won't find them by just walking into Walmart. What happens when the company discontinues this machine (judging purely on the product, it could be anytime) and all the accessories with it become unavailable?

This comment (22837) was in reply to comment 22831 on Fri, 11/28/2008 - 3:53pm
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gillumhouse
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I have a hot water pot out at all times. I bought it because I wanted to. I happen to like having things that are not found everywhere else. That is what makes me different.

This comment (22841) was in reply to comment 22837 on Fri, 11/28/2008 - 4:16pm
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ginocat
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That's good! I just never got the gadget/lots of china/crystal gene. I guess I'm not a good one for supporting the enonomy .

This comment (22842) was in reply to comment 22841 on Fri, 11/28/2008 - 4:22pm
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Morticia
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ginocat wrote:

That's good! I just never got the gadget/lots of china/crystal gene. I guess I'm not a good one for supporting the enonomy .

Ha. I missed that gene as well. It looks like my whole family missed that gene! My mother has the same set of Corelle dishes we used when I was a teenager. That was definitely NOT yesterday. She keeps getting new glasses, tho, they're rough on the drinkware.

I sometimes wish I HAD that gene. It's always fun to see how some people put it to good use with decorating.

This comment (22843) was in reply to comment 22842 on Fri, 11/28/2008 - 4:35pm
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gillumhouse
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I hate shopping. Only go when I MUST!

So many guests have made tea and got involved in conversations letting it steep too long. This is interesting and does it all. Although my friend yesterday after watching me make a pot of tea decided to make another one - but she did not empty the basket from the first batch. She just knew I had put the loose tea in it. She put the tea on top of the basket - tea leaves in the tank. Did not plug the drain, thank goodness. The good thing is now I know what to watch for with the guests.

This comment (22934) was in reply to comment 22801 on Sat, 11/29/2008 - 3:41pm
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Samster
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I think Gillumhouse has that huge tea selection & that would be a nifty gadget for her if she has all those tea drinkers.  Our electric hot water kettle is working out great here for the tea drinkers & now that it's a little cooler here (relatively speaking), I have added spiced cider packets to the cappucino and hot chocolate packets. 

Maybe china & crystal isn't your thing either for your type of place & locale?  That's why it's great that we're all different   Thanksgiving morning I pulled out the stops on all of that and our guests oohed & aahed.  But it suits our house & location.  Besides, it's one of the fun things for me.  A lot better than ironing sheets!  haha!

This comment (22950) was in reply to comment 22934 on Sat, 11/29/2008 - 4:07pm
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ginocat
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It's nothing to do with location.For me it's just my thing now. I think possessions can weigh us down so I just don't accumulate 'things' anymore. I have all the things I will ever need and now purchase mainly on a 'need only' basis. Don't know what I'd be like if I won the lottery. Probably the same.

I have a bb friend who has 20 different sets of good china and I think it's 4 completely different sets of crystal. He did have a bb and now is in a smallish apartment. Most of his china is in storage because he can't bear to part with it.

This comment (23025) was in reply to comment 22950 on Sun, 11/30/2008 - 1:49pm
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JunieBJones (JBJ)
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ginocat wrote:

It's nothing to do with location.For me it's just my thing now. I think possessions can weigh us down so I just don't accumulate 'things' anymore. I have all the things I will ever need and now purchase mainly on a 'need only' basis. Don't know what I'd be like if I won the lottery. Probably the same.

I have a bb friend who has 20 different sets of good china and I think it's 4 completely different sets of crystal. He did have a bb and now is in a smallish apartment. Most of his china is in storage because he can't bear to part with it.

I agree since most of my stuff is still in boxes in the basement 5 years later.  That was after getting rid of much before moving east.  But, I do enjoy the ability to set a nice table or switch stuff out whenever I like since we have this "excuse" here. (B&B)

Does anyone want to hear my latest quote?  You have heard my other one "Opening an Inn is like skydiving and hoping your chute will open"

well here is the latest conjured up this morning...

"Innkeeping is not for sissies"

This comment (22879) was in reply to the Original Topic on Fri, 11/28/2008 - 10:31pm
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YellowSocks
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That's a fun looking gadget!

If I had the amount of tea you have, all those flavors and tins, I'd have something like that, too.  Since your huge tea selection is part of your marketing, having something like this makes perfect sense.  For someone who doesn't, then a Tassimo might be better.  Right now I have neither, but they've got a Keurig (I think it is) here that's pretty neat, and I'm rethinking our coffee service.

Every B&B is as different as their owners...

Once again we're staying at a B&B other than our own, and it's once again interesting to be on the other side of the common/private area door.  There are some things here which are really different than how we do them... but that's how it should be!

=)
Kk.

This comment (22885) was in reply to comment 22879 on Sat, 11/29/2008 - 8:49am
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JunieBJones (JBJ)
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YellowSocks wrote:

That's a fun looking gadget!

If I had the amount of tea you have, all those flavors and tins, I'd have something like that, too.  Since your huge tea selection is part of your marketing, having something like this makes perfect sense.  For someone who doesn't, then a Tassimo might be better.  Right now I have neither, but they've got a Keurig (I think it is) here that's pretty neat, and I'm rethinking our coffee service.

Every B&B is as different as their owners...

Once again we're staying at a B&B other than our own, and it's once again interesting to be on the other side of the common/private area door.  There are some things here which are really different than how we do them... but that's how it should be!

=)
Kk.

If tea if your thing, then I think gadgets are a good thing. If you just have a bowl or dish with a few tea bags for guests, then even a kettle is pretty deluxe.  I would expect guests to want to sample quite a few teas using this new machine.  If you are selling them, then it is well worthwhile to have it. (the teas and accessories).

How many of us are into tea? Do we have a variety of infusers (cutesy ones etc) for guests to pick from?  Do we do proper tea or just help yourself?  It all depends on what you want to offer guests.  For every one guest who dislikes something there are 10 who love it.  So you pay attention to your guests and what you yourself enjoy doing. 

Decaf for example, I will admit I do not have any special decaf coffee here, this entire year I had one decaf drinker.  So I won't go all out and have stale decaf GREAT coffee as it tastes the same as fresh decaf regular coffee.  imo.  But if I had a ton of them (decaf drinkers), I would change that out immediately.

This comment (22889) was in reply to comment 22885 on Sat, 11/29/2008 - 9:42am
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Morticia
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I know we've been over this, but we make a pot of decaf EVERY morning. SOMEONE drinks it. If it's only one room, I'll ask which they would prefer (or both), otherwise we make both. Tea drinkers come and go, but I buy a lot of tea bags every year that's for sure. Around this time of year, when it's cold out, we'll get more folks just having tea in the afternoon/evening to warm up.

But I don't have the specialty machines. No doubt if I DID have them, the consumption of flavored coffees would skyrocket. I know a lot of guests would have a few cups in the evening. Not sure if that's an affordable option right now.

This comment (22891) was in reply to comment 22889 on Sat, 11/29/2008 - 9:49am
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JunieBJones (JBJ)
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Bree wrote:

I know we've been over this, but we make a pot of decaf EVERY morning. SOMEONE drinks it. If it's only one room, I'll ask which they would prefer (or both), otherwise we make both. Tea drinkers come and go, but I buy a lot of tea bags every year that's for sure. Around this time of year, when it's cold out, we'll get more folks just having tea in the afternoon/evening to warm up.

But I don't have the specialty machines. No doubt if I DID have them, the consumption of flavored coffees would skyrocket. I know a lot of guests would have a few cups in the evening. Not sure if that's an affordable option right now.

Obv no two guests are alike, but this would be a good poll question.  Or have we done it before?

I do not like too many foo foo teas, I like a good strong Irish breakfast or Earl Grey, green tea or white tea.  I won't touch Lipton or any of those cheap nasty teas.  But there are guests who ONLY want those.  We have a regular stream of tea drinkers here.  Much higher than I would have thought.

This comment (22893) was in reply to comment 22891 on Sat, 11/29/2008 - 9:54am
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Morticia
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We may have done the coffee poll on the other forum.

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