Review #2: Adagio’s IngenuiTEA Teapot

For the second edition of Mike’s Tea Review I have decided to look at a piece of teaware. This was the first teapot/infuser that I ever purchased and I still use it to this day. Today’s review is the Adagio IngenuiTEA Teapot.

Adagio.com was founded in 1999 by the Kreymerman family.  The company that once filled orders from the basement of a house now supplies it’s customers from a 26,000 sq ft warehouse in Garfield, NJ, as well as a 24,000 sq ft warehouse in Fresno, CA.  In a very short time they have become one of the major players in the world of tea.  More info on the history of Adagio Teas can be found here.

The IngenuiTEA teapot was developed by Adagio Teas in order to be able to brew premium teas while keeping the convenience of a teabag.  Mission accomplished. The result is a very utilitarian piece of teaware that is made completely out of food grade plastic.

There are 5 major components to this teapot: The lid,  the body, the pressure plate, the filter and the drip plate.  All of these are removable which makes cleanup of the teapot very easy.

To use the IngenuiTEA you simply flip open the lid, place your tea of choice in the teapot, add hot water and close the lid.  Once the tea is finished brewing all that’s left is to place the IngenuiTEA on top of your favorite teacup.

Plunger Valve

The pressure plate on the bottom of the IngenuiTEA will fit most standard sized cups.  When this plate is pressed it lifts a small plunger under the filter.  This plunger seems to be made out of some type of silicone.  Once the plunger raises, the liquor is allowed to flow through the filter, out of the bottom and into your cup.  Simple and effective!

After your tea session is finished, simply remove the leaves.  A quick rinse and wipe-down later and the IngenuiTEA is ready for your next cup.  The removable filter may become stained with time, however Adagio sells replacement filters at their website for a meager $3.  In fact, I keep at least 3 of these at all times.  This way I can use a dedicated filter for green, black and flavored teas.  Although the risk of flavor transfer is minimal, I like to be sure.

Removable Filter

Cleanup is a breeze

If there is one thing I would like to see from Adagio is the addition of graduations on the side of the IngunuiTEA.  As it stands now I must premeasure my water in another container which causes it to drop in temperature.  While this isn’t a major concern it would be nice to get rid of this step.

Overall the IngenuiTEA is a great piece of equipment and has held up very well to daily use.  It comes available for $19 in 16oz and $24 in 32oz sizes so it’s possible to make tea for large groups of people (which comes in very handy during the holidays or at work!!!).   The website also offers a 16oz IngenuiTEA gift pack that comes with your choice of sampler for the same $19 price tag.  You would be hard pressed to find a better deal than this.

Well, that’s about it for this edition.  Thanks for joining me and as always –

Have A Cuppa Day!!!

Mike T