It turns out I’m not a total klutz – some teapots really make pouring more difficult than others. After carefully examining exibits A, B and C last night in a cafe (only one of us had a “proper” spout), I ran into this clever little gizmo: the Teapot Drip Clip keeps the drops away from the table or clothes.

It doesn’t even needs instructions: step 1 is putting it inside the spout and that’s it, its shape will do the rest. You won’t know if it actually works until you try it, but for $5 for a set of two it’s not a very expensive experiement.

Last but not least, remember it could make a tea drinker very happy… it can make a very nice “no occasion” small gift.

How much under $29.99?
A lot: $4.99 on TheHomeMarketplace.com.

Via bookofjoe

Drinking coffee or tea can be a simple activity, or it can be a ritual complete with several tools for proper enjoyment.

The Coffee & Tea Glass Filter Straws are tools… of a more unusual kind. They aim to eliminate the need for any find of filters and bags, but it’s debatable whether they’d work or not.

Seeing as the two brews are different, the straws aren’t the same either: the tea version finishes with a glass strainer, while the coffee one has a mini French Press filter on the end.

It’s a matter of “tried to be believed” here: the coffee filter seems ok, but loose tea leaves tend to clog up anything in their area, so that filter might not work very well. And at $20, I for one don’t want to be the first to try it.

How much under $29.99?
Some: $19.99 on ThinkGeek.com

Tea lovers are always on the lookout for new accessories for their favorite drink – even if they sometimes don’t end up using them.

What’s a given is that loose tea leaves can’t be brewed without an infuser (well, they can, but no one wants them floating around in their cup). The TeaStick Gems are an alternative to the old ball or cup mesh infusers… and they do it with style.

A TeaStick Gem is a piece of plastic that resembles a spoon with a stainless steel mesh keeping the leaves in place. The advantages are mainly visual: the design is definitely attractive and watching the tea swirl will have its appeal for a while.

As for the usability part… it’s probably similar to a mesh ball infuser, i.e. a bit difficult to clean. But seeing how many people use the latter, it shouldn’t be an issue.

How much under $29.99?
Some: $10.75 on Amazon.com.

Via The Gadgeteer

I’m a tea lover (especially now, since it’s getting colder), but all the “accesories” I have are a cup and a teaspoon. And why would I need more? After all it’s just some leaves in water, not rocket science.

The Squeasy Tea Bag Squeezer sure makes having a cuppa look complicated. You need a piece of metal because otherwise you’d burn your hand on the teabag! a) I don’t think squeezing it with your hand is really sanitary; b) why not a teaspoon? I’ve never heard of anyone having problems with this tried and true method, so even $6.50 is a lot for something so unneccessary.

It’s difficult to imagine why anyone except a tea accesories collector would want one. And there’s probably just a few such people.

How much under $29.99?
A lot: $6.49 on ContainerStore.com.

Cups, mugs or whatever you prefer calling them are a popular items for online purchase, judging by the amount of coverage they get on websites such as this. This is a bandwagon I like jumping on, since I am a fan of interesting looking mugs.

My Cuppa is a mug that is supposed to make it easier for you and other people to get the perfect tea or coffee, based on color. In theory, instead of saying “two sugars” or “hold the milk”, you should point out the appropiate color and the designated coffee maker should try to match it as closely as possible.

While the design is interesting, I have a couple of questions. How does sugar figure in this, since it doesn’t influence color? What if you drink herbal tea, which is not dark? For this price, you must like the design a lot to get it, since I doubt it can be any real help.

How much under $29.99?
A little: $25 on Gnr8.biz.

Via bookofjoe