Food: Teavana Perfectea tea maker & Cuisinart PerfectTemp electric kettle

I'm a tea junkie. Whether it's chai, green, or just plain old tea, Earl Grey, hot, there's nothing quite like a steeping of Camellia sinensis to wake the senses on a dull winter's morning. Today's post features a perfect pair of products for the job: the Teavana Perfectea and the Cuisinart PerfecTemp:

The Perfectea is a cafetiere-like device that can brew all types of loose leaf tea. It's made of BPA-free Eastman Tritan copolymer, and it can take boiling temperatures without damage. To use the Perfectea, you measure out tea leaves into it, and then pour in hot water. After your desired brewing time has elapsed, place the Perfectea on a mug - the tea drains out of a pressure-activated filter on the bottom and into the mug. Dump or reuse the tea leaves, rinse out the filter, and you're ready for another cup.

How to generate hot water you ask? Especially when you're stuck in an office withou a stovetop? Enter the Cuisinart PerfecTemp:

Th stainless steel PerfecTemp is an electric kettle with a built-in temperature sensor. There are numerous temperature presets, ranging from 160 degrees Fahrenheit (delicate herbal infusions and white teas) to boiling (good old black tea). The device can handle about one and a half liters, and the 1500 watt element does a good job of heating small quantities of water in a hurry.

About the only downside is that the kettle is completely non-insulated - the outer body gets burning hot to the touch when you're boiling water. It's almost enough to make you want to get a replicator...