Drinks

MaCool

There's a Kickstarter campaign happening right now for a product called MaCool, which is basically an insulated cooler designed to look like the original Macintosh. This thing may end up getting sued into oblivion by Apple, but I couldn't resist posting it because, well, just look at it! Now, if only it let you play Oregon Trail... Thanks, Alex!

Prodyne Fruit Infusion Pitcher

I'm a big fan of infused drinks in the summer. Often, drinks with a strong flavor can be the opposite of refreshing. This Prodyne Fruit Infusion Pitcher is the perfect tool for the job. The 2.9-quart, BPA-free acrylic pitcher is built around a removable, hollow core that can be filled with fruits, herbs and other goodies. This construction is great to look…

Grady’s Cold Brew Iced Coffee Concentrate

You know what's better than a cup of hot coffee first thing in the morning? A cup of iced coffee on a hot afternoon. I don't know about you guys, but in my neck of the woods, it's already starting to warm up outside as we get closer to springtime and I'm in full-on iced coffee mode. The thing is, iced coffee…

The Medium-sized, 18-ounce Espro Press

We consider the Espro Press to be the best french press pot you can get. Its double-walled steel vessel keeps your coffee hot for over an hour. And the double micro filter keeps grit out. It’s unlike any french press filter I’ve ever seen and it works wonderfully. The folks at Espro are Kickstarting a new size of their french press: an…

Bonavita Variable Temp Gooseneck Kettle

We've mentioned the standard Bonavita Gooseneck Kettle ($42) before, but the kinds of coffee nerds who experiment with AeroPress recipes are likely to want very precise temperature control. And that's exactly what the Bonavita Variable Temperature model ($90) brings to the mix. It rocks the same 1-liter stainless steel design and distinct spout that allows for greater pour control, with the addition…

Hydro Flask: Double-Walled Steel Water Bottles

This is not your grandmother's water bottle. Plastic water bottles are an enormous waste and aren't insulated. A superior, reusable alternative is the Hydro Flask. Its double-walled, vacuum-insulated, stainless steel design keeps hot liquids hot for 12 hours and cold liquids cold for 24 hours with ice. And don't worry, because of the double wall, no matter the temperature of your drink…

Teas, Etc. 3-Piece Travel Mug Set

Now that the weather had cooled off here in the South, I'm back to drinking loose leaf tea throughout the day. While my particular setup isn't for sale anymore, this 3-Piece Travel Mug Set is very similar. The Double-walled, BPA-free plastic mug keeps tea warm, and the removable, screw-on stainless steel strainer keeps loose tea in bottle, and out of the way.…

Giant Ice Cube Tray

This giant ice cube tray makes 6 ice cubes measuring 2-cubic inches each. The bigger the ice cube the slower they melt. Therefor giant ice cubes are perfect for drinks where you want to keep the liquid cold without diluting it with melted water before you're done drinking it. Examples include iced coffee, soda pop, or your on-the-rocks drink of choice (just…

Summermoon’s Wood Fired Swinging Lantern Blend

This new-to-me, Austin-based coffee roaster, Summermoon, roasts their coffee beans over a wood fire. The Swinging Lantern blend is a "tri-roast" that literally includes three separate roasts: their dark French Roast, their full bodied Velvet Roast and their light cinnamon Roast. And, I know from experience, that the Swinging Lantern blend makes for an excellent cup of french press. (Thanks, Seth.)

Corkers

Instead of collecting your used wine bottle corks in a jar, why not turn them into toy animal decorations instead? Or, next time you take a bottle of wine to a dinner party, bring along a Bunny Corker with it.

AeroPress Stainless Steel Coffee Filter

When you buy an AeroPress it comes with a pack of paper micro-filters. These work fine and are easily disposable. However, for something different, there is this stainless steel AeroPress disk. The disk is reusable and has ultra-micro perforations so that only water gets through the filter, even when brewing a super-fine espresso grind. Many people prefer the flavor that stainless steel…

Double-Walled Glass Bottle

I recently ordered one of these double-walled glass bottles as my new traveling coffee mug. In theory, it's designed to be a tea tumbler — there is a metal basket at the top of the bottle which holds a tea bag. You turn the bottle upside down to brew, and then flip it right side up again and remove the tea bag…

Breville One-Touch Tea Maker

Not all teas are brewed the same way. Different types of tea (green, black, white, etc.) require different water temperatures and extraction times in order to brew just right. The Breville One-Touch Tea Maker takes all the guess work out of tea brewing. It is fully programmable for all types of tea, water temperatures, and steep times; it has a moving tea…

Teastick Infuser for Loose Leaf Tea

After I posted the Tèo I received many emails about the no-nos of using teas that come in tea bags. One fine reader pointed out this Teastick Infuser that is great for brewing single cups of loose leaf tea with easy cleanup. The Teastick is made out of stainless steel and is designed so you can scoop the loose leaf tea, slide…

The Tèo – A Spoon for Tea Bags

How many years have we been forced to wrap the string of our Celestial Seasonings tea bag around our spoon and draw it tight to wring out the last of the tea? Or how many times have we used our fingers and suffered the heat of a tea bag just pulled out of steeping hot water? Well, my friends, no more. The…

Tea Infuser with Lid

My parents are hard and fast tea drinkers. And, despite my obvious and outspoken affinity for a good cup of coffee, I too am a regular tea drinker. In fact, I probably drink at least as much tea as I do coffee. This tea infuser from Forlife is great for several reasons: (a) it's big enough to hold plenty of loose-leaf tea…