My favorite thing about winter is that I can keep a pot of water hot on the woodstove and make tea whenever I want to.

Not long ago, I was in the Maine Mall and got sucked into a tea tasting event that the Teavana store was having. The teas were all terrific, but pricey. The teapots were beautiful, but impractical for my already cluttered lifestyle.

The salesgirl, however, was not going to give up (I should hire her to market for my new business!). At last, she caught me, with a tea maker that brews loose tea and then dispenses it directly into the glass. No muss, no fuss, just perfectly brewed hot tea.

Behold, the Teavana Perfect Tea Maker:

Just put in some loose tea, pour in your hot water, let it sit, and then place the maker on your cup, press down, and voila, hot tea. I’ve been using it several times a day (best thing is you can reuse the tea leaves until the tea is too clear to have any flavor left).

It makes just the right amount of tea for my mug, and I get hot tea whenever I want it. And, in the winter, hot tea is the only thing that stands between me and snow madness, I swear.

Kelly