Breville Tea Maker BTM800XL
| Asin | B003LNOPSG |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 8.41 x 8.63 x 10.14 inches |
| Weight | 5.22 pounds |
| Manufacturer | Breville |
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Breville Tea Maker BTM800XL
| Asin | B003LNOPSG |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 8.41 x 8.63 x 10.14 inches |
| Weight | 5.22 pounds |
| Manufacturer | Breville |
Charlemagne 🐇 –
I’ve been looking for months for just the right kettle or tea maker. I wanted something that held at least a liter, was easy to clean, and could be programmed to read in celsius. I did not realize this tea maker had the last function when I bought it, but was happy to see in the manual that it could be done. I almost bought the Bonavita kettle because it seemed to be the only one that had a celsius feature, but I’m really glad I got this instead.
I tested out the auto start feature, and it worked really well. It’s cool to see the digital display with the rising temperature and brewing countdown. The tea basket lowers into the water (you can brew up to 1200 ml/40 oz of tea) and comes back up when it’s finished brewing to your liking. There are settings for mild, medium, strong and also a custom setting. The Keep Warm setting runs for an hour, so no tea getting cold in the pot for me.
This pot can also be used as a water kettle, boiling up to 1500 ml/50 oz. The kettle is glass and gets hot, so be sure only to touch the plastic handle when pouring. This kettle can absolutely not be washed in the dishwasher or immersed in the sink. To clean, simply rinse out or boil plain water through it.
So far I have made roasted corn tea, sencha green tea, honey bush tea, and chocolate rooibos tea. There are five tea options, plus a custom one. Some tea leaves came out of the basket with the South African teas, but not much. The tea tasted good, no weird flavor or smell from the pot. The basket and other parts were easy to clean in the sink. The basket has some sort of magnet that puts it perfectly in place. Be sure to snap the basket lid on securely before brewing. There is a nice plastic measuring spoon included, but it was too small to use for the larger sized green tea.
This kettle is still very new, so if something goes wrong, I will update this review. So far, I am thrilled with it. It looks great in my office, the digital display is bright and easy to read, and there are so many ways to customise the way you serve your tea. My only concern so far, is how much power this product uses when brewing. I have an air filter in the office, and it winds down when this is brewing. I also could not plug it into my UPS, as it made it beep non stop. Other than that, I am happy with this purchase.
Update: The tea maker still works well although the basket and some other parts are stained from constant brewing. Boiling water and lemon juice has helped a bit. Still love this tea maker and am glad I purchased it.
None –
Breville has done yet another wonderful job of marketing their products as a “high end” consumer item but when it comes to delivery they’ve failed in every measure. We purchased this tea maker and were happy with it’s daily use for about 3 months. There were some rust-like deposits building up on the base of the tea basin so we called to ask for advise and to try an alleviate our concerns about the problem. Breville said to clean the unit with some vinegar so we did. A week or two later we went back to Breville and they then said to try something else – baking soda. We did that and still, nothing. Our concern that the spots were rust was not being addressed and no matter how many times we asked they not only denied it as a possibility but kept blaming it on the tea we use. Isn’t that strange? Tea causes discoloration on a tea maker in less than 3 months, wow, what a design!
In any event we didn’t give up as it became a clear mission that we do everything possible to see how ready Breville was to make right what obviously is a design flaw. When we went to them the third time then told us to buy some third party product called CLR. We’d never heard of it and when we did the research we conveyed concern as their instruction manual said to NEVER use anything other than water and tea in the actual pot. We submitted, paid $30 to buy a product we never heard of and then when we got it were scared that this toxic substance was going to affect tea taste and of course our health but Breville assured us after talking with R&D that this was the best product on the market and would solve the problem. Guess what – didn’t even change the markings on the tea kettle one bit.
When we called Breville – now 5 weeks after we reported the problem – they said they needed pictures before they could further assist. This was starting to get silly so we made it clear to them that most consumers who can afford to pay this much for a tea kettle wouldn’t dare take their time to do such high maintenance efforts, let alone take time to email pictures and such. As you’d expect, at this point we continued with the mission and provided the pictures. Breville disappeared for a week or more and then came back to us saying that they’d be willing to replace the kettle and they’d ship out a FedEx label so it would be at no cost to us. Wow, we were impressed, that only took 2 months…
What happens next? We get an email with a FedEx label that is good for two days and two days only. We were expected to pack, ship, and be without a tea maker for the entire time that they inspect the defunct kettle. We drink tea 2-3 times a day so expressed our clear displeasure with this approach and suggested they send us a replacement and that way we can put the label on the box that the replacement kettle came in – saving us time to package and of course ship something that clearly failed for causes that had nothing to do with us.
Well, we’ve never seen that replacement kettle and so we’ve not only been burned by Breville but likely many others will unless they’ve as much time to invest in their tea as we do. Point is, DO NOT BUY THIS PRODUCT UNTIL THEY WORK OUT THE KINKS – 1 TO 2 YEARS I’M GUESSING. The customer support is horrid, the sensitivity to the customer needs is the worst we’ve seen for a kitchen appliance, and of course the cost is high so that is a really bad combo!
RB –
Breville BTM800XL
Please forgive the length of this review. I obviously have way too much time on my hands.
First, if you want a single cup of tea, this isn’t for you. Look elsewhere. That said …
I have mixed feelings about this product. No doubt it’s a really cool conversation starter. However, is it worth $215 to make a large mug, or pot of tea? I like the look of Breville products, and own a couple, but you have to admit that they seem to specialize in "overkill" for a steep asking price.
When I received the tea maker I cleaned it according to the directions. Among other things, that involved boiling a full pot of water then emptying it into the sink. However, when I dumped it then looked in the pot there was a gray-ish film coating the entire Stainless Steel bottom. In addition, there was a very noticeable black particulate dotting the bottom. I wiped out the bottom of the pot with a paper towel which came away stained black. I did use filtered water, so that wasn’t the source of the film or the black particles. I boiled one more pot using the same source of filtered water. Neither the film nor the black "dust" reappeared.
The brewer appears to be well made, though many reviewers complained about the durability of the unit they received. There is a detachable "Glass Jug" that has a published maximum capacity of 41 oz’s (1200 ml) of tea or 51 oz’s (1500 ml) of hot water. It has a plastic handle with a plastic water level gauge, with Metric calibrations, under it. The interior has a Stainless Steel bottom. There is, what appears to be, an exposed Silicone rubber seal (which I assume is reenforced with some sort of plastic) between the glass and the steel bottom. A Stainless Steel oval tube rises vertically, from the bottom, which magnetically attaches the tea basket and allows it to ride up and down in the jug (more on that in a bit). The tea basket is Stainless Steel with a plastic lid that snaps on to the top of the basket. The jug lid is a thick plastic with a Stainless Steel filter mesh that covers the pouring spout when the lid is snapped into place. One of the commenters says that he asked Breville if the plastics were BPA-free. He said "According to them, the plastic which touches the water is BPA-free plastic". What bothers me about Breville’s assertion is that it says nothing about the lid which, technically, doesn’t touch the water. The lid causes the hot steam to condense on it’s surface, then drip back into the jug. If there are any chemicals that we need to worry about in the lid, then they may leach out during this process. The jug sits on the "Power Base", where the controls and an illuminated display are located. It also feeds power to the jug to heat the water. Neither the jug nor the Power Base (of course) are submersible.
The brewing of tea is somewhat automated. You fill the jug with the amount of water needed, put the appropriate amount of loose tea (or tea bags) in the basket, cover the basket and place it on the rail in the jug, snap on the jug’s lid, then place the jug on the base. On the base, there are buttons to select the type of tea you are brewing, which presets the brewing temperature (to 175, 185, 195, or 212-deg F) and the default brewing time for the tea selected. You can further refine the brew time by selecting a brew strength of "mild", "medium", or "strong", the default is "medium". The selected brew time will be updated on the display. There is also a "Custom" button for setting the brew temp and another for time. The manual says that the custom values set will remain in memory once they have been used for one tea brewing or hot water cycle. However, when I unplugged the base after brewing with custom settings the custom brew time and temperature returned to their defaults. I tried setting custom values again, and this time they survived the power loss. Gremlins, I guess. Once you have made your selections you press another button and the brewing cycle begins. First the water heats – the increasing water temperature displays on the base, a thoughtful feature. Once the selected water temperature is reached the "Basket Cycle" begins (unless you shut it off) – more on this below. The unit emits 3 beeps when brewing is complete. I wish there was a volume control for the beeps. Some might find the beeps a little too quiet, keeping them close to the unit until brewing completes.
Making a pot of boiling water is even easier. Briefly, fill the jug, put it on the base, press the button for hot water then wait for the water to hit 212-deg F. However, if you mostly boil water, this unit is a VERY expensive alternative to a hot pot that will do the same job for less than $20.
There is a useful "Keep Warm" option.
One feature unique to this product is what Breville calls the "Basket Cycle". Once the water reaches the designated brewing temperature the tea basket is magnetically, slowly, repeatedly lowered into then raised out of the hot water during the selected brewing time. The manufacturer expends a lot of print touting this feature in their posted product description. What their posted description does not tell you is that the owner’s manual recommends that this feature only be used when making 4 or 5 cups of tea — per the manual, five 8-oz cups of tea is the maximum capacity of this unit. If you follow their recommendation, and you mostly brew less than 4 cups, then you have spent an inordinate amount of money on what may be a mostly unused feature. No worries, the brewer will still be a conversation starter. However, the person you are telling this tale to may laugh at you as they boil water in their $16 hot pot, then steep the tea in their $5 infuser. The problem is that the "Basket Cycle" lowers and raises the basket a fixed distance at a fixed speed. The basket’s travel distance and speed are not adjustable. So, the less water there is in the jug, the less time the tea leaves actually spend in the water, assuming you make less than 4 cups. Actually, with 4 cups (1000 ml) the basket still rises above the water briefly. Breville should have provided a way of pre-selecting a water level, which could in turn automatically adjust the distance the tea basket raises from the bottom of the jug. This would have kept the amount of time the tea leaves are actually immersed in the water, regardless of the water level, the same as your pre-selected brew time. Of course, you can always custom-program in a longer brew time to try and compensate for the amount of time the tea leaves are raised above the hot water. But now things are getting much more complicated as you try and figure out how much time needs to be added for the water level and type of tea you are brewing. The owner’s manual recommends that for water levels less than 1000 ml you disable the "Basket Cycle", which lowers the basket to the bottom of the jug and keeps it there for the selected brew time. The Breville product description crows "Different tea varietals [sic] such as Black, Green, White, and Oolong require exact water temperatures and controlled brew times to allow their unique flavors and aromas to develop during brewing. The One-Touch Tea Maker eliminates the guesswork so you can enjoy a perfect cup of tea, every time." Oh … really?
Let’s just assume the "perfect" amount of tea leaves are used for the amount of water in the jug. The bottom line is that the signature feature, the "Basket Cycle", using the exact same pre-programmed brew time, will produce different strengths of tea just by varying the amount of water used. But wait, if you follow the manufacturer’s recommendations you will disable the "Basket Cycle" when making less than 1000 ml of tea. That places the basket in the water, motionless, for the selected brew time. In the manual it warns that the constant motion of the "Basket Cycle", stirring the tea leaves (for batches between 1000 and 1500 ml), will create a stronger brew than expected, and adjusments of the brew time may be needed. So, once again, using the same brew time produces different results with varying water levels. This is Breville’s definition of eliminating the guesswork … pure unadulterated hype, it seems.
Is there really a noticeable difference in the taste of green tea brewed at 175 vs. 200-deg? If there is, the difference is too subtle for me. If you have trouble producing consistent batches of tea with $21 worth of equipment, and you regularly make batches of tea larger than 32 ounces, or you do not have the patience to wait the extra 2 minutes (or so) boiling water on the stove takes, then this product may be for you. If the tea basket moving up and down holds your attention like an infant in it’s crib watching a spinning toy, then this one’s definitely for you. I haven’t decided whether I want to keep this tea maker, or not. I am too old to worry about whether the "safe" plastics might leach something like synthetic Estrogens into the boiling water … though my guests might.
Perhaps I will keep it. I don’t think my friends get to laugh enough.
Kathleen San Martino –
I would give up home Internet access before I’d give up this tea maker — it is an AMAZING appliance.
I’m a budding tea connoisseur that loves loose leaf teas to be brewed correctly and at the right temperature. The Breville One-Touch Tea Maker is the only tea brewer I know of that does a phenomenal job of brewing tea that is to be enjoyed to the last drip.
What I love:
– Brewing tea is easy.
– The instruction manual is extremely well written.
– You can brew using their preset brewing cycle for several different types of teas or you can custom program it the way you like.
– You can wake up to freshly brewed tea with its Auto Start Option.
– There’s a keep warm feature that works up to 60 minutes after the tea is brewed. You do have to turn this feature on after the brewing cycle and each time after you pour yourself a cup and return the carafe to the base.
– The way the brewing basket works is so space age.
– There’s a Basket Cycle available that allows you to auto lift and lower the tea basket for maximum tea infusion–it aerates the leaves.
– The carafe top has a strainer in front that prevents any wayward leaves from escaping into your cup.
– You can boil water with this appliance for other uses.
– There’s a space under the base for storing the electric cord, which I found of sufficient length but others might still think it’s too short.
– It is simply a GORGEOUS machine that looks great on my counter top.
– It’s a pleasure to watch the brewing cycle.
– You can wash all the parts EXCEPT for the base (obviously) and the carafe itself (that needs special care of wiping down or rinsing gently inside only)
What I hate:
– The cost — it’s the most expensive small appliance I’ve ever personally purchased in my life; but I’m not sorry I own it.
This is a superior tea brewer from a manufacturer well known for its quality products. However, despite how wonderful I think this machine is, it is certainly not for everyone. If you are a tea bag fanatic that covers up your tea with milk and sugar or only drinks black tea, then perhaps this isn’t for you because you probably won’t notice any flavor difference in the brewed cup. However, if you just love different loose leaf teas and want to experience the various subtleties in the liquor of these different brews, then this is “THE TEA MAKER” worth saving for.
Update November 23, 2012 – After using this tea maker for almost two years, I bought another one for myself as a backup or for when I want to make two different flavors of tea at a time. I cannot picture the day of having to live without this tea maker and since the price came down $50 (from my original price of $250), I decided to splurge and buy it for myself for Christmas. I have the Nesco TM-1 Teamaker, 1-Liter which is very good for brewing black tea but this Breville is the only tea maker I can’t part with.
Update December 26, 2013 – I alternate between the two one-touch tea makers I purchased and I have come across one design flaw. I’ve noticed that water gets stuck in the carafe cover. I rinse the cover by hand and since it is made by two pieces screwed together, apparently the seal is not air and water tight. As a result, I hear water sloshing around inside. Sometimes I’m able to get it to drain out and other times it just stays in there. So far this is the only flaw I found after using one unit for 2 years and the 2nd one I purchased for 1 year.
Middle aged Menace –
I used this every day for a month now and I’m kicking myself for not getting it earlier! Foolproof tea that’s perfect every time, fast and done automatically. What’s not to love?
The Breville BTM800XL Tea Maker is efficient with space. I took a picture of it next to my Jura espresso machine. I drink as much tea as I do coffee and the Breville Automatic tea maker has a much smaller footprint than the automatic espresso machine.
Steps to make a perfect cup of tea: fill with 1200 ml of water, add 5 teaspoons of tea (or whatever is recommended on your tea package), push one button and walk away to do something else. After 10 minutes, it beeps alerting you to pour your tea into your cup and enjoy. I’m very excited that I don’t ever have to worry about forgetting a boiling pot on the stove again and I won’t be wasting any more tea by over steeping, making it bitter.
I guess I was hesitant to purchase the Breville BTM800XL because some negative reviews about the cost to replace the carafe. My take on that- it’s a very robust, thick German made carafe that won’t spontaneously break, it needs some human intervention to shatter. As for the complaints on the replacement cost- it’s not just a carafe, the carafe contains all the critical components such as the heating element and the mechanics that lower and raise the tea basket silently for steeping. The base is nothing more than a power supply and user interface. The small form factor, speed and simplicity of the unit dictated that all the critical components be contained within the carafe. If there was a separate, more economical replaceable carafe then the heating element would need to be separate, the steeping mechanism would need to be separate, etc, etc. The carafe is 90% of the unit so ya, if you break that, you need to understand that it will be expensive. One cannot reasonably expect an economic replacement like when breaking a Mr. Coffee carafe. Bottom line, I wouldn’t change a thing with the design.
How about the price of the unit? I view the Breville BTM800XL as the tea version of a Jura Impressa coffee maker which would set you back a couple grand. Considering that, it really is a bargain and worth every penny. Just buy one, you’ll be glad you did.
OttawaMale –
I have been looking at tea kettles for several months. This was always the one I considered the top of the bunch. Although I have always been more into tea than coffee, my tea making has always been on the amateur side in regards to experience. Some recently opened tea shops in town changed all that, and I have switched over to only loose tea.
The biggest issue I had when making tea was distraction. I either steeped it too long, or the temperature of the water was too hot – resulting in bitter tea. I needed a solution, and the Breville was the answer.
I splurged, and bought the Breville BTM800XL. After two weeks, I do not regret spending every cent on it. The Breville came well packaged. There was a "quick start" card for those not wanting to read the whole instructional manual – meaning me. In the two weeks since owning it, it has been used at least three times daily, using up to five different teas of different brewing temperatures and brewing times.
I have brewed tea using the custom settings as often as using the pre-set controls and have not noticed any significant difference.
Here is my list of pros and cons:
PROs – does what it says it does – makes a perfect cup of tea every time
– small footprint – doesn’t take up too much counter space
– pre-set times and temps guarantee a great cup of tea, every time
– ease of use
– fast. Water temps are achieved quickly.
– cool factor. Everyone is mesmerized by the automatic basket.
– automatic basket. At first I thought this may be a bit gimmicky, but so far, it is an ingenious invention.
CONs
– In custom mode you can only vary the temperature in five degree increments. It would be nice to be able to adjust the temperature in one degree increments.
– It should come with an "Off" button. So far everyone who has used it says the same thing, "where’s the Off button?" It is not readily apparent how the unit turns off, unless you read the whole instructional manual.
– a bit expensive
I highly recommend this tea maker to anyone, but understand that only the those particular about their tea would be willing to spend this kind of money on a tea kettle. A shame really, as if it was priced $75-100 dollars less, I bet they would sell thousands more.
EJ52 –
I LOVE this machine! My absolute favorite appliance in the kitchen. It works so well, it is quite, easy to use, makes fantastic tea, and really is a tea lovers dream. I’m primarily a black tea drinker and for that, the variable temp control is less useful as one can boil water in many other ways, but the constant temperature during steeping and the convenience of setting it and walking away til it is done is great. I have especially felt this convenience when making tea for guests. In the past tea making was a multi-step process that required me to step away from the party to set water boiling, again to pour over leaves, and again to get the tea after having timed it. Now I can simply set it up and walk away knowing that it will alert me when it is all ready! [A word about guests: I prefer to offer my friends a variety of teas. The one draw back to the Breville vs my old method is one can only make one kind of tea at a time. So either I use the tea maker simply as a hot water kettle and make tea by the mug or smallish pot or I make one kind at a time. So I decided to hold on to my old hot water kettle so that if several guests want one kind I can make it in the Breville while the one or two that desire a different kind can have theirs made individually with water from the kettle. It is a rare logistical issue, but it does happen from time to time].
The Tea Maker has also given me a great appreciation for green and oolong teas. Green in particular was never "my cup of tea" 😉 but after using the Breville Tea Maker I can really say that it makes a world of difference having it steeped at the proper temperature and not scalded by boiling water! The same goes for Oolong and White teas.
Now, obviously, it is pricey and was a total splurge/birthday money kind of purchase. But it is totally worth it. I use it several times a day and I’ve owned it for a little over six months and it still works great.
For care and maintenance I’ve used the "Revive tea cleaner" product to clean it and I’ve used more homemade solutions and both work fine to get rid of the residue that develops after continued use. However the Revive stuff really is super easy and makes it gleam like new.
Several reviewers have warned that this is a fragile item and, as it is made of glass, I can only imagine that is true! I’ve not dropped it or smashed it against anything and I warn everyone who might be tempted to wash it (like my wife or in-laws) that the base of the carafe is not to get wet and that has effectively scared all away from touching it but me 🙂 So I’m careful to not mishandle it and all has been well.
I love this tea maker and can’t imagine going back to a world before it. I miss it when I’m on vacation! If you are someone who loves the ritual of tea making, this will of course not really be up your alley. But for those of you who sometimes want to enjoy that ritual and often just want a good, bold cuppa? Spring for the Breville, it is well worth the expense.
Man, all this reviewing has me hankering for some tea, thankfully I’ve got some brewing in the kitchen as I type!
Cheers!
Lisa B. –
I love this tea maker, it steeps the tea as it’s the best way to have a full tea flavor, good modern appearance and a must have for a tea drinker like me.
No coffee for me, just tea every morning, and you get a full pot! It performs well and the speed of the tea making is perfect with different settings.
Tes –
Update: The heating element stopped working today after 8 years and over 5000 pots of tea later. Money well spent. I ordered a new one immediately!
————-
First off, I bought mine in 2015, so I’m reviewing it after years of use.
I still use this tea maker for 2-3 pots every day. I felt like I was paying a ridiculously extravagant amount for something just to make tea, but at this point, my use works out to around $0.06 per pot of tea. Think of that next time you order at your local coffee shop! I can’t recommend and speak to the value for your money of this product enough. Stop reading reviews and add to cart!
The amazing:
– Perfect pot of tea every time, never bitter
– Push of 1-3 buttons is all it takes to customize the perfect pot
– Extremely sturdy – I’ve bumped the glass several times on the faucet and have no chips, cracks, or scratches after all these years. The mechanics of this are still working perfectly
– Custom settings are remembered by color. I have a white I brew for 30 seconds and if I select white and custom, it goes back to that 30 seconds I set previously
– Cleanup – tea stains, but you can get this pretty well cleaned and an occasional use of their magic powder will make it look like new even years later.
– Replacement parts are available – if you go to their website to order more powder cleaner, you’ll see they also have parts like the basket and lid that can be purchased individually though I haven’t needed to.
– Your friends will love tea at your house because you can’t get a cup like this in the US outside of a tea house.
– Order bulk tea by the pound to get better quality and save money, and skip the bags!
The bad:
– if you’re in the US, you’ll never be satisfied with a cup of tea outside of an official tea house again. You’ll realize just how bad coffee shops are at making decent tea
Recommendations from my experience:
– If you drain the pot when it’s still really recently finished, put just a little water in the bottom while it cools down. It will help naturally clean the bottom and keep it from getting a little crusty brown (it can always be cleaned, but the water method is easier)
– I do drain mine in to thermoses that I drink throughout the morning/ afternoon. The reheat feature doesn’t keep it hot for too long. Also, the leaves tend to drip off excess water into what’s left in the pot in the hour or so after brewing. These drops end up being super-concentrated tea that can turn the remainder of your pot slightly bitter
– Plan to use the powder cleaner at least 2-3 times a year for a refresh/deep clean of the entire pot
Hallel –
Bought this in 2017 and have used it almost every day since. Even multiple times daily. This is so easy! Put in the tea, turn basket brew on if you want it to dip the basket up and down after the water reaches the right temp. Select the type of tea. Start the tea cycle. Enjoy! Using the brew basket option keeps the tea from becoming bitter. I reuse the same tea leaves 3-4 times, adjusting the brew time to get the maximum brews. I never wrote a review when I bought it, but my husband and I were just discussing how great it works and I checked when I ordered it. I was 7 1/2 years ago. Will buy again if this one ever dies. Quiet and easy to clean. Just use some Bar Keepers Friend to clean the inside.