The best way to review the Nesco is to compare it to my current (and much loved) Breville BTM800XL One-Touch Tea Maker. Now, the Nesco is a quarter of the cost of the Breville, so keep that in mind during the review. First, the Nesco is significantly larger than the Breville. Right out of the box, I saw that the Nesco is nearly 4-5 inches taller than the Breville and has a larger pear-shaped girth. The Nesco is also all plastic whereas the Breville has a nice brushed metal finish. Now, the advantage to the plastic is the fact that the Nesco is easier to clean. The metal parts of the Breville have a lot of cleaning restrictions and can''t be washed in a dishwasher. The other big issue is the lack of adjustable heating temperatures on the Nesco. The Breville has adjustable heating times for many different tea types. The Nesco has only one. It will suffice for most teas but makes you wonder why not just boil water and use an infuser if you only have one temperature. You can adjust the steeping times on both tea-makers. Both have nice sized carafes, although the Breville''s is 50% larger (1.5 liter compared to 1 liter for Nesco), despite the Breville unit itself being much smaller.
In a nutshell, the Breville is a much more polished, true connoisseur-grade tea maker, designed to handle any type of tea thrown at it: green, white, black, herbal, anything. It has a nice-sized carafe, stylish high-quality brushed metal finish, adjustable temperatures, a magnetically operated basket that automatically lowers the tea into the water for the desired steeping time, auto-start timer feature and a very stylish contemporary design. The Nesco is more of a consumer-grade type maker, a plastic low-cost "Mr. Coffee" type tea equivalent. It''s not bad if you just want a no-frills serving of herbal or black tea. However, if you desire more fine-tuning over your tea and the ability to brew lower temperature blends, this is not the machine for you. Then again, at basically 1/4 the price of the Breville, it''s not like it pretends to be the ultimate tea machine anyhow.
Before I tell you about my experience with this teamaker, I feel it is important to elaborate on brewing tea in general.
There are two factors besides the quality of tea that make a good cup of tea. One is the brewing temperature and the other is the steeping time (how long it sits in the hot or warm water). Although temperatures will vary by person and by website and source being read, below is the general temperature guideline for each type of tea. I listed the teas in brewing temperature order from boiling to tepid. Black teas seem to be used more pervasively in the US and Britain, so I suspect this teamaker is geared to that market.
Rooibos (not a true tea; a tisane) 212F (boiling)
Pu-erh 212F (boiling)
Black 205 212F (can vary but usually brewed at boiling temperature)
Herbal (not a true tea; a tisane)205 212F (can vary but usually brewed at boiling temperature)
Oolong 195 212F (I usually brew this at 195F and less than boiling is typical for most tastes)
Green 175 190F (I usually brew this type tea between 175 and 180F)
Yellow 180 190F (I''ve never brewed this tea but my references show this is the appropriate temperature)
White 140 160F (I usually brew at 185F)
In addition to the above temperatures, the steeping time is a personal preference. I usually steep black teas (or other high-temp teas) for 4-5 minutes and the more delicate white and green teas from 2-3 minutes. I have never steeped tea longer than 6 minutes so the 16 minute steeping time available on this teamaker is overkill but is still a nice option for those who want it.
Therefore, since this tea brewer does not have a temperature setting, I consider this appliance only useful for brewing black, pu-erh, rooibos, and most herbal teas or tisanes which are normally brewed at boiling temperatures or close to it. I suppose oolong tea could be successfully brewed with this pot by reducing the steeping time to offset the damaging effects of the boiling temperature but it is not something I would try with my expensive oolong tea. Personally, I drink mostly green and some black teas but also have a couple of white and oolong teas and a pu-erh blend. This means I can only brew my black and pu-erh blend tea in this teamaker because the water is too hot for the other teas based on my tastes. If I were to brew my green tea in this teamaker it would taste very, very bitter.
I have listed the other PROS and CONS below.
PROS
My peach black tea, when brewed in this pot, tasted very good as it should have when brewed correctly.
The unit is sexy with an hourglass figure and the glass carafe is cute.
Carafe holds one liter of tea which is slightly less than 34 ounces (1 quart equals about 4 mugs of tea at 8 ounces each mug or about 6 cups if using a small teacup).
Steeping time is adjustable between 2 to 16 minutes.
Automatic keep warm function is enabled for one hour after tea is brewed.
Stainless steel steeping container holds loose leaf tea without seepage of leaves.
Indicator lights change between red and green depending on cycle and the unit clicks (rather loudly) each time the cycle changes.
Tea bags, loose leaf tea or any blend of teas can be used.
CONS
During my first use on the initial cleaning cycle, the water would not dispense from the brewing chamber into the carafe. The brewing chamber and carafe were seated correctly and snapped into place. Also, removing the chamber and re-inserting it several times didn''t work, which is why I had to dump the water and start over. Had I been brewing tea, I would have had to pour my tea from the hot brewing chamber into the carafe myself. As a result of this failure, I had to dump the water out and try again. I jiggled the little spring loaded plastic pieces in the center of the unit. These pieces are similar to the plastic hinge you find on a coffee pot that moves into place when you remove the pot during the brew cycle. I then tried the initial cleaning cycle again and this time it worked. Later I was able to brew a successful pot of tea; I am hoping my first cleaning cycle attempt will be my only failed experience.
There is NO ADJUSTABLE TEMPERATURE setting.
Instruction book does not provide a troubleshooting section for the unit.
Instruction book provides only half the story with regard to how to brew tea because it never mentions brewing temperature is critical. Instead it implies varying the steeping time is what brews a good cup of tea. Also, the book does not tell you the size of the measuring scoop. I use 1 teaspoon of loose leaf tea per 6-8 ounces of water. The scoop provided with this teamaker is 1 tablespoon (meaning 3 teaspoons).
Although this is not a CON for me, the carafe, brewing chamber, steeper and accessories should be lightly washed by hand.
The indicator light turns green when tea is ready as it is being dispensed into the carafe. It would be better if the light turns green once all the tea has made it from the brewing chamber to the carafe instead.
The water is slightly painstaking to dispense into the tank. When opening the tank lid there is only a small rim that will hold water; if the water is poured too fast into the rim, there is not enough time for it to dispense into the tank. Instead a slow steady pour is necessary to prevent any water seepage. You must also wait until all the water drains into the tank before you close the lid.
The unit is very large at 15 inches tall and just barely fits under my counter.
Although the carafe is made of glass, the brewing chamber pot is plastic. I would have preferred glass here as well.
Funnel provided looks like an apple corer with a center cover for the hole. To me this funnel is too much. The reason it is provided is to cover the hole in the steeping basket but the "spokes" in the funnel make it difficult to pour in loose tea without spillage onto the "spokes," meaning the funnel has to be cleaned or wiped every time.
This teamaker is not worth more than $30 to me simply because I drink a lot of green tea and that should not be brewed with boiling water.
There is a lot to wash on this teamaker after the tea is brewed including the tea infuser basket, brew chamber and lid, carafe and lid, funnel, and measuring spoon. The center island separator (shelf separating top unit from bottom) should be wiped down as well.
This teamaker has no timer features; so you cannot wake up to fresh brewed tea if you wanted it.
The current price of $59.09 is way too expensive for this teamaker especially since it does not have a wake-up timer that will produce freshly brewed tea in the morning.
In my opinion, for the real tea connoisseur it is worth paying five times the current price and buying the Breville BTM800XL One-Touch Tea Maker which has all the needed features and more to brew any kind of tea; I know because I own one. For anyone who just brews the teas that require boiling water only for themselves, I see it as overkill to purchase this pot. The only reason I purchased my Breville was to brew the more delicate teas and also because it really is a nifty appliance and quite a conversation piece.
Of course, if you entertain and want to set it and forget it when brewing tea, then this might be for you. Also, if you personally just prefer something that keeps several cups of tea warm and has a built in steeping timer, then this is an acceptable but expensive option; however, be prepared for a lot of cleanup as the tea infuser basket, brew chamber and lid, carafe and lid, funnel, measuring spoon, and center piece of the unit all have to be washed or wiped down after the tea is consumed.
From my perspective, this teamaker is just acceptable especially since I''m more of green tea fan, do not entertain, and only drink 1-2 cups of tea a day. If this teamaker had a programmable timer that could be set to wake up to a fresh pot of tea in the morning, I would have given it 4 stars even though I myself wouldn''t use that feature. I feel all the decent coffee pots in this price range have that feature so there''s no reason this teamaker shouldn''t be similar. Nevertheless, as long as it works as designed, it does brew a good cup of black tea.
I will update this post if I encounter any more failures with the brewing chamber not releasing the tea into the carafe.
September 19, 2012 UPDATE I''ve made more than 8 pots of tea with this unit and it still has not failed as it did the first time so I consider my first time problem a fluke. I will only update this review again if the problem resurfaces. On another note, my boyfriend saw this teamaker and also feels (as I do) that it is an aesthetically beautiful machine.
November 21, 2012 UPDATE This tea maker is going strong and is still a pleasure to brew black tea in. However, today I just purchased another Breville BTM800XL One-Touch Tea Maker for myself for Christmas after having my first one for over two years. I just had to have a backup tea maker for my green and other "non-black" teas. Since the price is now $200 ($199.99) during the holidays; anyone considering the purchase of this Nesco might also want to consider the Breville if they are brewing teas that do not brew in boiling water. However, if you only brew black and other teas that take boiling water, then this Nesco is your best buy.
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Everyone in my family loves tea, so when I saw this tea maker, I had to get it. After using it for a while, I''d say generally like it other than a couple issues I''ll mention later.
It''s about the size of a 12-cup coffee maker. Maybe a little smaller. The white and black color goes with most decors. Before you use it, make sure you wash the carafe and steeping chamber with warm sudsy water. Also, run one pot of plain water through before making your first pot of tea. The instruction manual tells you how to do this.
The tea maker itself is pretty well made. The steeping chamber is clear plastic and the carafe is glass, so just be careful when washing them.
I like that you can use either tea bags or loose tea leaves with this tea maker.
The first time I made tea, I used tea bags but the instruction manual only includes information about how much loose tea to use. I decided to use the same amount of tea bags as if I was making tea with hot water in a cup and that didn''t work out so well. I set the unit timer for 6 minutes and the tea was extremely weak. After that, I found I needed to use either double the amount of tea bags, or set the steeping time to twice as long which was inconvenient. I found it easier to use loose tea and the result was better.
Because I drink a lot of tea, as do others in my family, this tea maker is convenient to have. It''s great to make several cups of tea at a time and be able to keep it hot for a while without having to worry about reheating. It''s also nice if you''re entertaining and want to make a big pot of tea for your guests. If you''re someone who just makes a cup or two of tea at a time, I probably wouldn''t buy this maker only for that purpose.
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I love to drink tea...have several cups of day, but I do not get lost in the minutiae of the tea process just as I was never stringent about coffee when it was my hot beverage of choice. For those of us who are not tea experts, this Nesco teamaker more than suffices as a way to craft multiple cups of tea without heating water several individual times.
The stainless steel tea basket within the steeping chamber (both the steeping chamber and carafe pull out from the unit separately) can hold tea in bags or loose tea. I opted to try out a bag of loose tea I selected from the organic section of the local grocery for this unit''s maiden voyage, and it worked out well.
Adding the tea to the stainless steel basket and then sliding it onto the steeping chamber and placing the steeping chamber back in the unit is painless. Adding water to the top of the unit takes a bit longer than a coffee pot fill-up because the tray is quite shallow, but this also makes you less likely to overfill as you will be facing the water level indicator as you wait to add another measure of water.
When the unit warms the water to boiling, it is released into the steeping chamber where the tea will steep for the amount of time you select via the rotary dial in the front of the teamaker. When this time has elapsed, it releases the tea from the steeping chamber into the carafe for drinking.
My only real nitpick about the unit is its indicator system of clicks. When the machine has been heating up for a minute, when it reaches boiling, when it is done steeping, etc., the unit emits a very loud click that I''m afraid will never cease to be an annoyance. I can handle the annoyance for the few times a day I would hear it, but I feel like a digital beep would have been more user-friendly...but it is possible Nesco really wanted this feature to be attention getting.
As I said above, if you are a tea connoisseur or a Sherlock Holmes type about tea, then I''m sure this machine with its basic features of steeping control and on/off will not be your cup of...well, you know. However, for the rest of us who can still enjoy a cup of tea with a string hanging over the side, it will be a definite step up...or sideways.
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I really like this tea maker. Living at altitude in Colorado, tea doesn''t steep quite as well as in other parts of the country, because boiling temperature is around 195F. But with this unit you can set the steeping time, up to 16 minutes. After the time you set, the tea releases into the glass serving carafe. The burner stays on for an hour, keeping the tea HOT. And you can make any size pot from .4 liter to 1 liter of tea.
The filter is very fine mesh metal. I want to play around with blending my own teas, so this will be handy for the finer leaves.
I have a collection of regular teapots that I''ve picked up in various places in the world. But I think they''re going to be decoration from now on because this tea maker keeps tea hotter. It''s going to be great in the winter.
Because it''s multi-layered (pour water in top, goes into steeping layer, then into carafe below), it''s pretty tall, but it fits under my cabinets.
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