Whether it’s with two sugars, a dash of milk or a herbal infusion, here are six of the best gadgets for brewing up...
WATER GOOD IDEA
Russell Hobbs 22851 Plastic Brita Kettle, £32.99, Argos
Make your cuppa as fresh as possible by using a filter. This one by Brita will sift your H2O through a hopper and into the kettle before boiling, to ensure a cleaner-tasting brew. If hot drinks aren't to your liking, there's nothing stopping you using the kettle to filter cold water as well.
MAD HATTER'S TEA PARTY
Sage by Heston Blumenthal the Tea Maker Kettle, Silver, £199, John Lewis
This might be a whopping £199, but with the brains of ever-inventive chef Heston Blumenthal behind it, it might just be worth it. The motorised basket lowers leaves in and out of the water at the exact right time to ensure the optimum cup of Rosie. There are 15 customised settings and the option to vary the strength and temperature of your brew too.
APPY TEA TIME
Smarter iKettle 2.0, £99.99, Maplin
Stopping for a brew isn't always convenient. At a film's climax, pausing to switch the kettle on is an unnecessary diversion, likewise, lurching out of bed on a Saturday morning. But the problem is, the thirst for a comforting cuppa remains. This is where an iKettle comes good. Download the app and then flick the kettle on from anywhere in your house using your smartphone. You can also set the temperature of the kettle and have it notify you when it reaches the right point.
JUST MY CUP OF TEA
Breville VKJ785 Multi Temperature Glass Kettle, £61.99, www.very.co.uk
Whether it's a green tea, a mint infusion or a builder's brew, each variety of tea comes with an optimal temperature. To help you get the most out of your char, this kettle from Breville has five different temperature settings, also handy if you're a coffee drinker too. The glass kettle rests on the touch pad, which also doubles up as the dashboard, illuminating all your temperature options.
STILL WATERS
Dualit Classic Polished Kettle 1.7L - Rapid & Whisper Boil 72815, £129.99, Lakeland
Gadgets with bells and whistles on them can be great - but actual noisy bells and whistles? Less so. This is where this Dualit kettle comes into its own. Awarded a Quiet Mark from the Noise Abatement Society, the kettle gently boils water without disturbing your ears, quietly clicking off when the water is ready. A cupful of water takes just 48 seconds to boil, promptly leading you to that restorative cuppa.
THE A-TEA
Dualit Espress-auto 4 in 1 Coffee and Tea Machine 84516, £180, Amazon
Take the strain out of big rounds by putting tech to work. Though pricey, this Dualit gadget can whip up a brew, as well as espressos, lattes and coffee orders. The tea function has a temperature gauge so you can reduce the heat to ensure infusions are at their best for that all-important first sip. There's also a temperature boost function so tepid cups of tea are a thing of the past.
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