Customer Reviews

Breville BREBTM800XL Tea Maker

5 star:		(35)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I received this item as a Christmas gift. It works exactly as described in the literature as well as the videos on Breville.ca. The only reason that I cannot give it 5 stars is that the lid has a chemical smell and makes the tea taste like chemicals. I would appreciate a lid that permits me to enjoy the tea that I love without altering the taste. As it is now, it is unusable. I use a porcelain plate to cover the pot and keep an eye on it at all time since it does not cover the pot thightly. I tried washing it in the dishwasher, using lemon juice and baking soda; nothing works. Breville should rethink the materials used in the making of this lid.

I wrote to Breville about this problem and I am awaiting their answer.

Breville answered my questions and gave me advise in order to get rid of the chemical taste. Boiling it in water and vinegar did not help in my case. They then proposed to send me a new lid for the machine. I received it this morning and I have to report that all is well; no more bad smell or bad taste with the new lid.

The machine is now worth 5 stars and the same applies to Breville customer service.

I am a type of person who use to put the coffee machine on the timer everyday and wanted to switch to tea but didnt want to do all the preparation in the morning (i am kind of slow to wake up in the morning). When one of my friend told me about this tea maker i was so happy it existed. I didnt find any problem with the taste of the plastic, mine is perfect in everyway. Love the fact that i can control the temperature and infusing time for all different type of tea. I truly love it and i am happy i can drink tea every morning!

I bought this for the office 1 month ago along with some Bodum cups (the ones with the rubber) and tea leaves from Tealux. The device works like a charm: reaches the desired temperature quickly (either preset based on the type of tea or manually adjustable to 5 degree increments), lowers the basket containing the leaves once the right temperature is reached, lets it steep for the desired time (preset vs manual), and then raises the basket out of the water. It will make between 500-1200ml of tea, and keep it warm for up to 1 hour. Its a charm to use and very well designed. Some things to know: the carafe should not be dunked in water as it has some electronics where it connects to the base, but this has not been a limitation; the stainless steel components within the carafe become stained with tea after a few uses, even without leaving the tea in there for very long (purely aesthetic). I now enjoy alternately Silver needle chrysanthemum, Blue unicorn reserve, White pu-erh silver tips, and tai ping you kui. Highly recommended.

If you love tea, you will love the Breville Tea Maker. Perfect Tea every time is guaranteed due to the precise brewing temperatures and steeping times. The quality of this unit is unsurpassed and it looks great sitting on your kitchen counter. It's simple to use and a breeze to clean.

Cuisinart makes a similar unit, but is not automated and the quality is nowhere near that of the Breville. The Breville is not inexpensive but you do get excellent value for your money.

There are several variable temperature kettles available on the market, but no other unit can lower the tea gently into the heated water and raise it up again once the steeping time has finished, and do it with style such as the Breville can.

Recommended? Absolutely.

I've had this for a week now and am thrilled I took a chance on buying it. I have always liked my tea and usually made it using tea bags at home. I then tried loose leaf tea at a local franchise where they poured hot water over the tea in a small pot. It was much better than what I made at home and I was hoping to get that from this tea maker. After ordering the tea maker I purchased a couple of my favourite teas from the local shop and waited impatiently for the package to arrive. I was shocked because the tea was way better than what I had at the shop. Though this might be because I was never told or knew how long to leave the tea in the water and they weren't using the right temperature of water. It is a coffee place after all. Let's just say that I have no need or desire to have tea at my local shop because it just doesn't measure up.

Pros:
- Well designed and easy to use.
- The water heats up quickly.

Cons:
- I have noticed the smell that some reviewers have mentioned. It's coming from the lid. The instructions say to do a cleaning boil first of all and I did a second which helped remove the smell. I only notice the smell from the top of the lid now. It hasn't impacted the taste of the tea at all.
- You can immerse the jug in water so you have to clean it by hand. It's not a big issue as I haven't noticed any staining. So far a quick rinse has all that has been needed.

One thing to note is that when I opened the box there was a notice stating that "This product contains chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm." Something to do with California proposition 65 and only being applicable to California residents (guess it doesn't cause cancer to the rest of us!). I wasn't worried enough to return it or contact Breville about it but if you are the type to worry about such things you might want to know.

I use this tea maker multiple times a day and it is one of my favourite purchases ever. The price is steep but it certainly makes life a lot easier.

My only complaint is that the tea leaves a slight residue at the bottom of the pot. However you can rinse this out with a vinegar solution.

I am a big fan of this tea maker. I have read the reviews of the tea having a metal taste. My machine did not produce any bad taste and I find that the opposite has happened where my tea now tastes better than it has ever tasted. I love the convenience of the machine and it's sleek appearance. I have already recommended the machine to several of my friends and look forward to several years of enjoyment from this product.

I'm a big fan of tea and of Breville appliances. I considered it lucky when I got the Tea Maker for my birthday, thinking it a bit extravagant to purchase for myself. Like all Breville appliances, a lot of thought has gone into the design and the ability to brew different types of tea at different settings is a good feature. After two weeks of use, I had to return the Tea Maker to Amazon. There is a persistent and unpleasant taste that is imparted into the tea. I tried various teas and different sources of water as well as soaking the basket and other components in vinegar and water but the aftertaste did not diminish, The culprit seems to be the plastics in the basket which can be smelled clearly when brought to the nose. Sorry Breville, I love your stuff but the basket design lets your otherwise good product down.

A 200 dollar investment into a tea maker and I will never regret this purchase. Makes excellent tea without the worry of getting the temperature incorrect or the time. Recommended for any tea enthusiast.

So far, the few weeks I have had the Breville tea maker, I have enjoyed every cup! Like a lot of users, my only real 'issue' which is not much of an issue at all... is that the keep-warm setting only lasts for a hour. Great product, I would recommend to anyone who enjoys loose leaf tea often.