Last week, I tried out a new intelligent tea infuser called Teforia. It's like the Nespresso of tea.
Teforia uses special loose leaf tea capsules with wireless "RFID" tags in the lid. These tags store information like that particular tea's ideal brewing temperature.
Eventually you'll be able to tap the pod on the machine, which will then calibrate its settings accordingly.
You can completely control Teforia's settings through the app.
The app is full of information about different varietals of tea and how you should brew them.
You can also keep a log of which teas you've tried. The app will remember the custom preferences you set for each brew.
Then you dump the pod's contents into Teforia's clear little brewing bowl, press start, and watch it go to work.
The loose tea leaves endure several rounds of bubbling, which you can watch through the brewing bowl's clear, double-paned glass. The whole process takes less than five minutes.
After the brewing process is done, the tea fills the glass vessel below.
Finally, it's time to serve and taste.
Because it was cold, the tea didn't give me warm, cozy sweater feels, but it was still damn good.
It had a slightly savory taste that could even be described as buttery. A mug with a green tea bag, when left unattended, can turn bitter very quickly – a taste that's all too familiar to my buds. This cup didn't have a trace of bitterness. It was perfect.
The fact that it wasn't loaded with a bunch of caffeine was pretty cool, too. I wasn't afraid of losing any sleep over a late afternoon tea break.
But then I found out how much the Teforia cost and nearly lost my sh*t.
You can get the early-bird price of $649 if you're one of the first 500 to purchase Teforia, but for everyone else it's $1,299. Thirteen. Hundred. Actual. Dollars.
I am tea's biggest fan. I love tea. I drink it every single day. I enjoy the ritual of making it a little bit too much. I know how easy it is to burn tea or oversteep it. But a price on par with restaurant-grade espresso machines for the perfect cup? Probably not worth it.
Teforia looks like a spaceship. It's beautiful, and I'm sure it will make someone, somewhere very happy. If you appreciate ~tea as a craft~ and love nice things, then this is for you. If not, there are some great high tech-ish options for under $100.
