FORLIFECurve Tall Tea Mug with Infuser and Lid 15 ounces, Carrot

There is nothing to dislike about this specialty tea mug. It is hefty and holds a solid 12 ounces of boiling water after being in the microwave. The handle never gets hot. It's solid and strong. I haven't dropped it yet, but I get the impression that it will likely take a bad drop.It works great for loose or bagged leaves. With any variety of green tea, you want to microwave the water before adding the tea, so the metal infuser is fine, since you don't use it in the microwave.Green tea aficionados will have a second mug of some sort and will pour the water back and forth to air cool it to the desired temperature, called pulling or stretching. (I'm a bit particular about my tea, but I'm by no means an aficionado.) It drops about twenty degrees per pour.So here is one way to get a controlled temperature with this mug. You only have to do this one time to figure it out. Watch as you microwave your water to see when it just barely starts to boil. Note the time it takes; this is the time you'll always use with this variety. Some people's water is pure enough that it will not boil unless you add something to it like a few tea leaves or some sugar--you only have to do this the first time so you can find the length of time you have to microwave it to get to an almost boil. (I use water that has been filtered in my Pur water filter and is refrigerated and it takes 3 minutes and thirty seconds in this mug with no lid and filled about 3/4 inches from the top.) The beginning of boiling is the maximum time to boil your water. Usually you do not want to use water that has been boiled for green tea, so stay just short of that. At this point, your water is about 212 degrees. If you then pour the water into another container and pour it back into the mug, you are at 170 degrees, which is near the optimal temperature for a great many teas.What makes green tea taste good and sweet is a chemical called Theanine. Anything above 160 degrees for green tea will get out just about the maximum amount of theanine. However, the chemicals that taste harsh, like caffeine, continue to increase release as you raise the temperature you will steep your tea in. So the trick is to use the lowest steeping temperature you can, to still get a great amount of theanine in your cup. So as a general rule, I say, pour the almost boiling water into another container and then pour it back into your cup, and that should about get you where you want to be.Then you set the infuser in (or just a bag if you are not using loose leaves--loose leaves are the best because you will see that the leaves expand greatly and allowing maximum expansion will give you the most bang with the least leaves possible) and add a teaspoon or more of leaves, depending upon the variety and the strength you like your tea. There are all kinds of rules for different varieties, but it is all really about your taste, and as a rule, I generally prefer about a level teaspoon of leaves in this size cup, so that is a place you might start and work from there.Put the lid on and let it steep. Notice the lid has a ridge on the inside that keeps it from sliding off. This ridge also serves a second purpose which I'll get to in a minute.A note on teas. Japanese green teas are pretty much the undisputed masters of green tea. I order my tea from denstea.com. I prefer the Sencha variety, which is the most popular Japanese green tea. This is a much better tea than any of the pre-bagged crap you can buy in the stores. I also enjoy all the varieties I've tried where they mix green tea with roasted grains. They have a great starter pack you can order. The price will seem high, but when you consider that you are getting premium tea and that you are usually going to get up to four 12 oz. cups from a teaspoon of leaves, it turns out not to be high after all. Den's also sends you some great information that comes along with your tea, giving you suggested temperatures and steeping times for the first cup and then for subsequent cups.But I'm not that sophisticated. I don't follow a certain steeping time. I know how dark I like my variety of tea, so I lift the lid occasionally, to see if it's dark enough yet. Too dark and you start to get a nasty aftertaste with many varieties, so start light.With green tea, steeping times are just seconds. Maybe 30 seconds or a minute or so. The second, third and forth cups with the same leaves usually uses hotter water and a much shorter steep time, like maybe fifteen to thirty seconds. This gets confusing between all the different teas and steep times under different temperatures.If you follow my guide of almost boiling it, pour it twice and then steep it to your desired darkness, you probably won't go far wrong. But check Den's guide first, there are some teas that need to be steeped right out of the microwave--no pouring.When it's done, take the lid off and place it on the counter, top side down. Notice the inside ridge is now pointing up. Lift the infuser out of the tea and let it drip for a second. Just for fun, notice how the tea leaves have exploded in size--you won't see that in a bagged tea, and that means flavor and nutrients. Set the infuser inside the ridge of the lid. That ridge will now act as a dam, holding all the drippings from the infuser. Set this aside and save for your subsequent cups of tea.Notice that the super-fine micron sized holes in the infuser have allowed absolutely no tea leaves to escape into your cup of tea. You won't be able to predict your future by reading the tea leaves, but you also will never get a piece of a leaf stuck to the front of your teeth and walk around all day in public looking like an idiot.Now sweeten and stir and you're ready to enjoy, all from one handy cup. Being diabetic, I try to avoid all sugar and any other simple carbohydrates like honey or juice of any kind. What I have found to sweeten my tea, which has no calories, is totally natural and has no adverse effects is pure stevia. Now, the stevia you can buy in stores is cut with some fillers, because stevia is so incredibly powerful and sweet. The producers of these products will lie to you and tell you that stevia has a weird aftertaste and that they use fillers that will reduce it. That's total BS. It's the fillers that have the weird aftertaste. Pure stevia is pure sweet. I can taste no aftertaste in it, but I can taste an aftertaste in every brand that contains fillers. There may be some people who are born with a gene that makes them taste an aftertaste either a tiny bit or a lot, but I'm not one of them and yet I taste an aftertaste with every store bought brand that has fillers. So I buy pure stevia from Stevita Simply Stevia, which is available on the web. You can cook with it if you want to. It is extremely sweet. I like my tea sweet and I use an eighth teaspoon measuring spoon and only use less than a level quarter of that, so a thirty-secondth of a teaspoon or less. I stir it with a tablespoon to reach the bottom of the mug easily.This mug does it all for you in a single contained unit. It's the simplest and most space economical way I know to get a great cup of green tea.Oh, and cleanup is a snap. The tea leaves don't stick to the infuser unless you accidentally let them sit there for days. Even then, they just soak off easily. The mug rinses straight away. I've never had to do more than that. I don't really want to put soap in my tea mug.I hope you find my tips helpful. I would appreciate your insights and improvements upon them.

Me encanto y sobre todo el color Gracias

Making the perfect cup of tea can be daunting for most Americans. With my new Forlife tea brewing mug, i choose how strong i want my tea, how much tea i want, and i have the perfect lid for steeping my tea and puting the strainer in. Perfect!

This is 15 OZ, so it is about double the size of a normal coffee mug. So that means it is large and could be heavy for some. It looks very much like the picture or the green one does. Lovely bright colors. The infuser is really top rate and I love it. Stainless steel and solid, so it won't discolor and change shape as my other's have. It is especially easy to clean out as the tea leaves don't get stuck in the strainer, when rinsing. They all fit together nicely and snugly. The infuser fits other mugs, though it is a tiny bit taller than a regular sized mug. If there is no top, I can't see why that would be problem. They sell a very similar version of the infuser separately. The top can be used a coaster for the infuser, if you carry your big mug of tea around while it's steeping. I have done that. I like to use the top as a lid and put the infuser in a bowl when I am done, as this is a big cup of tea and the lid keeps it hot. When you don't have the infuser in the mug the top does slides a bit. It works, but it clanks a little and I suppose could let a very tiny bit of steam out if you don't pay attention to how it's placed. I don't find that to be a problem. The steam condenses on the lid, which means it's working, so it drips (water not tea) when you lift it. I didn't notice the size, when I ordered it, and was thinking this was more of an 8 oz mug. But it is nice to make a big cup of tea in the morning, and have the cup stay warm. Usually a 8 oz uncovered mug will leave with cold tea by the end of the cup. It be nice to have an 8 oz option too.

Love, Love, Love this mug! Purchased the Mandarin, reminds me of golden sunshine, has a nice weight to it, not too heavy, the lid isn't real snug, but for me, it's not a problem. I'm usually at home on my laptop, like now, or sitting in the living room, not walking around with the lid ON, I've never done that and don't see the point. Then you would constantly be taking off the lid to take a sip, meanwhile it's dripping with condensation and going on your floor, or furniture, or dripping back into your cuppa, it's also slippery, so you may just drop it from walking height, can't anyone sit still anymore for a few minutes while their tea steeps? Or go do your walking around WHILE it steeps. That comment was in reference to someone who was not happy with the lid because she walks all over with it, whatever. Amazing cup, plan to purchase more in different colors, I also have the Curve teapot in Carrot and it's stunning, and maybe as a Christmas gift for someone who would really appreciate it. The infusers made by this company are the Cadillac version, none better, sometimes I just want 1 large cup of tea and may use my tea bag, either in bottom of cup or I may put the teabag in the infuser, depends on my mood, but one teabag is great for almost the whole cup. I think the large handle is genius, allows for a nice firm hold, even if you're a guy with big hands, and when my hands are cold, I can put my fingers through the handle, grabbing the cup on both sides to warm them. Kudos to For Life for extraordinary products and thank you again, and again, Amazon, for listening to the people that placed you on the map for an excellent way to purchase quality items backed by impeccable service and communication.

Loved this mug so much, that I bought a second.

It was bought as a gift for a tea drinker. He thought it was great.

About the Mug:This tea mug is a good, large size that's perfect for me to sip from all night. It holds about 400mL or 14oz, so bigger than the standard cup size. The body is smooth and doesn't have any deformities. The handle is smooth and large enough for any-sized hands to grab easily. The simple design is great for any type of decor, if you want it to match your other plates and bowls. There's only 1 logo, unobtrusivly stamped on the bottom of the mug. It keeps cool even with scalding hot water poured into it, and i live to wrap my hands around it for that little bit of warmth. I haven't dropped it yet but I get the feeling it might even survive a fall from table-height.About the Infuser:The metal infuser is solid and doesn't deform with the hot water, not made of cheap mesh. The infuser insert is a cup shape that sits on the brim of the mug and still allows the lid to be placed on top, which you can see in the picture. The infuser is deep enough to submerge all the leaves in the middle of the mug. After steeping, take off the lid, and you can fit the infuser cup on it, so no saucer needed! It's such a thoughtful and useful little feature! I've used loose leaves and tea bag with this mug, it doesn't leave a metallic taste behind. A bonus for me is that the infuser works perfectly with my Contigo travel mug as well! The Forlife logo is etched into the handle tastefully.Above the Lid:Made of the same material as the mug, it fits well with or without an infuser. There's one logo printed on the underside. It feels heavy and smooth, and is easy to place and take off.About the seller:Although there wasn't an option when purchasing, I was able to choose my mug color when I emailed them (I chose a basic white). The customer service was quick and painless. Delivery was quick, and the packaging was easy to open, and didn't damage the product at all. I was worried because I wasn't sure of the quality of the mug. With my mug, I also received a free sample of a strawberry black tea, and a Tealux $5 off coupon! It was a wonderful surprise.Overall, this is perfect mug, and a great purchase for any tea drinker. I would absolutely buy from this vendor again, and recommended them to anyone who wants a mug.

This mug is really useful. I use it for brewing Rooibos Tea and it is perfect for that. The filter is designed for leaf teas so it can of course be used with all sorts. But it works really well and the lid converts into a coaster for when you take the tea out. Easy to clean and to store. One odd thing as you run water over the filter to clean it it whistles.

So far so good. Only used it to keep my coffee hot thus far but plan on using it soon to steep my tea :) nice to have a lid so you don't have to rush to drink it before it gets cold :)