Wednesday, March 13, 2013

50th&Forever

Crate and Barrel continue to celebrate their 50th&Forever teapots celebration. Since December 1, 2012 they have been offering their online customers a beautifully designed teapot created by inspiring artists. On the first of every month, they will feature a new teapot design for sale online. These special edition teapots are limited to 200. So set your calendars to alert you, so you don't miss out on the opportunity. Highlighted below is the April's featured teapot from London based designer Nomoco's. I love this simple and colorful use of blue.To see upcoming teapots being offered check out the Crate and Barrel Website.


Nomoco's $200
London-based designer Nomoco's effervescent interpretation of the simple round Arzberg teapot was inspired by nature and water, bridging personal recollections of the Nabegataki waterfall in her homeland of Japan and the Serpentine River in London's Hyde Park. Appreciating that the Bauhaus-inspired teapot is perfect in its form without decoration, "it on the contrary made me want to fill it in with a rule-less sequence and irregular tempo." Experimenting with a range of material and craft, Nomoco is especially keen on working with ink because of its free-flowing nature and sense of organic movement. An artist who follows her instinct, her wish is simply, "I hope you enjoy the teapot."

The Arzberg Teapot has been a Crate and Barrel classic since the day we first opened our doors 50 years ago on December 7, 1962. Inspired by the Bauhaus school, its perfectly simple shape was designed in 1931 for the Arzberg porcelain factory in Germany. A young college student by the name of Gordon Segal first bought the teapot as a birthday present for his mother who loved making tea in the afternoon. When he opened the very first Crate and Barrel store in Chicago with his wife, Carole, he bought it again. And again. And again. In a 12-month celebration of our 50th anniversary year, we have invited 12 international designers to envision the Arzberg teapot as their artistic canvas. Each is a limited-edition collector's item, numbered and signed by the artist.

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Electric Tea Kettles?

They are HOT in Europe and sales are on the rise here in the United States...


An Interesting article by Dan Bolton, Editor of Tea Magazine

Even thought these kettles are more popular in Europe and Asia Americans spent $85 million on 2.3 million electric kettles last year, purchasing cordless models three to one.

Desirable Features
  • The ability to set and hold temperatures is primary.
  • Pre-sets for various teas are convenient and typically accurate to within five degrees. Single degree settings offer maximum control.
  • Cordless electric kettles now account for 75% of sales. More than half of the kettles sold are plastic (54%) a small percentage are glass (4%) and 42% are made of stainless steel.
  • Choose a kettle with at least a liter capacity (four cups) and consider six to eight cup capacity (1.4 to 1.8 l)
  • Auto-shutoff and a boil-dry safety switch conserve energy and prevent damage.

Is the Electric Kettle for you?

Read more in Dan's Article at Tea Magazine.com


Wednesday, February 27, 2013

For those of you who prefer Iced Tea...


The Mist Iced Tea Jug

This sturdy borosilicate glass Iced Tea Jug from For Life is a great way to make 68 ounces of thirst quenching iced tea in minutes. Designed with a detachable stainless steel and silicone push-on-lid, the Mist Ice Tea Jug is easy to use and cleans up fast. The stainless steel infuser basket is comprised of extra-fine holes to allow the tea to circulate efficiently and comes with a handle on top to allow for easy removal of the brewed leaves.

https://marktwendell.com/MistIcedTeaJug.htm