The Qi Aerista Smart Brewer . . . if you have been on FB lately and are a tea enthusiast, you’ve probably seen a pic or two of this new age technology driven electric tea kettle. The design is slick and the tea spot has the most pleasant and dare I say even sexy look to it. Compact but the perfect pitcher to brew up to 3 cups of tea. I’ve had this set up for over a month because I really wanted to take my time and review the kettle to its fullest- without the app piece. Yes, this smart brewer comes with an app. I wanted to concentrate on the operational functions and execution of a cuppa tea before even going into that direction.
So. . without further ado, let’s chat about this smart brewer.
First, let’s talk about the pros.
-This tea set up is quite lovely aesthetically pleasing and the size of the set up is quite nice. I could see this working out wonderfully for someone’s office desk or if they have a small corner for tea prep.
-There is not a loud obnoxious ping when the tea is ready. Yes, there is a small ding but nothing like what I’ve had in the past where the noise is so annoying that you dread even making a cuppa.
-The pitcher itself has a smooth feel and fits right in the hand. Which is a big deal for me. If I pick up a tea pot, tea mug, really any tea accessory and the item doesn’t feel right in my hand, 9 times out of 10, I will not purchase the item.
-Once you figure out the brewing setting system, it is quite easy to operate. You can also keep your tea on the warmer settting if you aren’t able to drink the tea right away.
– I have had some delicious flavored green teas that have turned our really well when using the Qi Aerista Smart Brewer.
-The base itself is really nice and well laid out.
-Clean up is super easy and I don’t feel like if I slightly adjust this or that, the whole smart brewer system will fall apart.
-There is a setting for every kind of tea you can think of already programmed into the brewer. Even a Strong and Cold setting. Now, I’ve used both and I think the Cold brewing setting and I need to hang out some more and understand each other a bit more.
So overall, in the actual presentation, size, and parts of the execution- I do dig this brewer quite a bit. But, I do see a few downfalls that keep me scratching my head.
For the cons. . .
-I personally do not like how the water is distributed within the brewer itself. How you actually brew up a cuppa is you fill the pitcher with water, then there is an insert you put in the top of the pitcher that you scoop your tea into. Inside the insert is a little cutout with what I’ve deemed as a sprinkler. This sprinkler will spit the water out (and that is literally what it does) and onto the tea. Once the water has hit a certain mark inside the insert, there is a drain in the insert that will filter the tea back into the pitcher. Sounds amazing except that more times than not, I’ve looked in the insert at the tea after steeping and I have dry tea leaves, meaning no water ever reached those teas and I’m left with a very weak cuppa. I’ve also tried brewing jasmine pearl or dragon pearl like tea varieties and those by no mean had any chance of steeping properly. This may be something I need to adjust in how I am placing the tea into the insert for brewing in general, but if I’m going to pay $200 for a tea brewer, I want that tea brewer to be able to steep any variety of tea that I personally want to enjoy and not have separate brewing vessels for this or that.
-The price tag is high for this smart brewer. For a few dollars more, you can actually pick up a well known tea brewing kettle that I used for years and only recently had to depart with since the poor kettle could kettle no more. Even with the smart app parts to the Qi Aerista, I’m not sure that would win me over completely. But it does provide the Qi Aerista with an edge over other kettles since a lot of people do enjoy the “smart” devices.
-This was also a pro but the settings are sort of a con as well. Sometimes there are teas that you have to adjust a bit more due to your personal preference. There are some green teas that I prefer to steep long and black teas that I prefer to steep for a shorter amount of time. With the brewer, there really isn’t a solid way to do that. The Custom function from what I’m understanding only presents you with a 2.5 min time. Strong presents you with an 8 minute time and the rest you only have a 3 to a 3.5 minute time frame. I’ve had some white teas that need at least a solid 5 minute steep. Something for me to sit down and see what other workarounds might be available.
Like any product, you’ll find pros and cons. I do use this kettle daily and am learning the quirks of the kettle itself but there is something that I just enjoy from having a simplistic electric kettle and a regular ol teapot. Call me old fashioned. That being said, the Qi Aeriesta Smart Brewer does offer an alarm clock setting I believe that could really come in handy during those late work nights that demand early mornings. . . . I’ll keep everybody posted over the next few months to let you know if any of my feelings change or where I stand on this new way to brew tea!
Here’s the scoop!
Where to Buy: Qi Aerista Smart Brewer
Description
The World’s Most Versatile Brewer
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
