Breville BTM800XL Automatic Tea Maker - Brushed Stainless Steel Electric Kettle with Programmable Settings for Perfect Tea Brewing - Ideal for Home, Office & Tea Lovers

Breville BTM800XLPlease forgive the length of this review. I obviously have way too much time on my hands.First, if you want a single cup of tea, this isn't for you. Look elsewhere. That said ...I have mixed feelings about this product. No doubt it's a really cool conversation starter. However, is it worth $215 to make a large mug, or pot of tea? I like the look of Breville products, and own a couple, but you have to admit that they seem to specialize in "overkill" for a steep asking price.When I received the tea maker I cleaned it according to the directions. Among other things, that involved boiling a full pot of water then emptying it into the sink. However, when I dumped it then looked in the pot there was a gray-ish film coating the entire Stainless Steel bottom. In addition, there was a very noticeable black particulate dotting the bottom. I wiped out the bottom of the pot with a paper towel which came away stained black. I did use filtered water, so that wasn't the source of the film or the black particles. I boiled one more pot using the same source of filtered water. Neither the film nor the black "dust" reappeared.The brewer appears to be well made, though many reviewers complained about the durability of the unit they received. There is a detachable "Glass Jug" that has a published maximum capacity of 41 oz's (1200 ml) of tea or 51 oz's (1500 ml) of hot water. It has a plastic handle with a plastic water level gauge, with Metric calibrations, under it. The interior has a Stainless Steel bottom. There is, what appears to be, an exposed Silicone rubber seal (which I assume is reenforced with some sort of plastic) between the glass and the steel bottom. A Stainless Steel oval tube rises vertically, from the bottom, which magnetically attaches the tea basket and allows it to ride up and down in the jug (more on that in a bit). The tea basket is Stainless Steel with a plastic lid that snaps on to the top of the basket. The jug lid is a thick plastic with a Stainless Steel filter mesh that covers the pouring spout when the lid is snapped into place. One of the commenters says that he asked Breville if the plastics were BPA-free. He said "According to them, the plastic which touches the water is BPA-free plastic". What bothers me about Breville's assertion is that it says nothing about the lid which, technically, doesn't touch the water. The lid causes the hot steam to condense on it's surface, then drip back into the jug. If there are any chemicals that we need to worry about in the lid, then they may leach out during this process. The jug sits on the "Power Base", where the controls and an illuminated display are located. It also feeds power to the jug to heat the water. Neither the jug nor the Power Base (of course) are submersible.The brewing of tea is somewhat automated. You fill the jug with the amount of water needed, put the appropriate amount of loose tea (or tea bags) in the basket, cover the basket and place it on the rail in the jug, snap on the jug's lid, then place the jug on the base. On the base, there are buttons to select the type of tea you are brewing, which presets the brewing temperature (to 175, 185, 195, or 212-deg F) and the default brewing time for the tea selected. You can further refine the brew time by selecting a brew strength of "mild", "medium", or "strong", the default is "medium". The selected brew time will be updated on the display. There is also a "Custom" button for setting the brew temp and another for time. The manual says that the custom values set will remain in memory once they have been used for one tea brewing or hot water cycle. However, when I unplugged the base after brewing with custom settings the custom brew time and temperature returned to their defaults. I tried setting custom values again, and this time they survived the power loss. Gremlins, I guess. Once you have made your selections you press another button and the brewing cycle begins. First the water heats - the increasing water temperature displays on the base, a thoughtful feature. Once the selected water temperature is reached the "Basket Cycle" begins (unless you shut it off) - more on this below. The unit emits 3 beeps when brewing is complete. I wish there was a volume control for the beeps. Some might find the beeps a little too quiet, keeping them close to the unit until brewing completes.Making a pot of boiling water is even easier. Briefly, fill the jug, put it on the base, press the button for hot water then wait for the water to hit 212-deg F. However, if you mostly boil water, this unit is a VERY expensive alternative to a hot pot that will do the same job for less than $20.There is a useful "Keep Warm" option.One feature unique to this product is what Breville calls the "Basket Cycle". Once the water reaches the designated brewing temperature the tea basket is magnetically, slowly, repeatedly lowered into then raised out of the hot water during the selected brewing time. The manufacturer expends a lot of print touting this feature in their posted product description. What their posted description does not tell you is that the owner's manual recommends that this feature only be used when making 4 or 5 cups of tea -- per the manual, five 8-oz cups of tea is the maximum capacity of this unit. If you follow their recommendation, and you mostly brew less than 4 cups, then you have spent an inordinate amount of money on what may be a mostly unused feature. No worries, the brewer will still be a conversation starter. However, the person you are telling this tale to may laugh at you as they boil water in their $16 hot pot, then steep the tea in their $5 infuser. The problem is that the "Basket Cycle" lowers and raises the basket a fixed distance at a fixed speed. The basket's travel distance and speed are not adjustable. So, the less water there is in the jug, the less time the tea leaves actually spend in the water, assuming you make less than 4 cups. Actually, with 4 cups (1000 ml) the basket still rises above the water briefly. Breville should have provided a way of pre-selecting a water level, which could in turn automatically adjust the distance the tea basket raises from the bottom of the jug. This would have kept the amount of time the tea leaves are actually immersed in the water, regardless of the water level, the same as your pre-selected brew time. Of course, you can always custom-program in a longer brew time to try and compensate for the amount of time the tea leaves are raised above the hot water. But now things are getting much more complicated as you try and figure out how much time needs to be added for the water level and type of tea you are brewing. The owner's manual recommends that for water levels less than 1000 ml you disable the "Basket Cycle", which lowers the basket to the bottom of the jug and keeps it there for the selected brew time. The Breville product description crows "Different tea varietals [sic] such as Black, Green, White, and Oolong require exact water temperatures and controlled brew times to allow their unique flavors and aromas to develop during brewing. The One-Touch Tea Maker eliminates the guesswork so you can enjoy a perfect cup of tea, every time." Oh ... really?Let's just assume the "perfect" amount of tea leaves are used for the amount of water in the jug. The bottom line is that the signature feature, the "Basket Cycle", using the exact same pre-programmed brew time, will produce different strengths of tea just by varying the amount of water used. But wait, if you follow the manufacturer's recommendations you will disable the "Basket Cycle" when making less than 1000 ml of tea. That places the basket in the water, motionless, for the selected brew time. In the manual it warns that the constant motion of the "Basket Cycle", stirring the tea leaves (for batches between 1000 and 1500 ml), will create a stronger brew than expected, and adjusments of the brew time may be needed. So, once again, using the same brew time produces different results with varying water levels. This is Breville's definition of eliminating the guesswork ... pure unadulterated hype, it seems.Is there really a noticeable difference in the taste of green tea brewed at 175 vs. 200-deg? If there is, the difference is too subtle for me. If you have trouble producing consistent batches of tea with $21 worth of equipment, and you regularly make batches of tea larger than 32 ounces, or you do not have the patience to wait the extra 2 minutes (or so) boiling water on the stove takes, then this product may be for you. If the tea basket moving up and down holds your attention like an infant in it's crib watching a spinning toy, then this one's definitely for you. I haven't decided whether I want to keep this tea maker, or not. I am too old to worry about whether the "safe" plastics might leach something like synthetic Estrogens into the boiling water ... though my guests might.Perhaps I will keep it. I don't think my friends get to laugh enough.I used this every day for a month now and I'm kicking myself for not getting it earlier! Foolproof tea that's perfect every time, fast and done automatically. What's not to love?The Breville BTM800XL Tea Maker is efficient with space. I took a picture of it next to my Jura espresso machine. I drink as much tea as I do coffee and the Breville Automatic tea maker has a much smaller footprint than the automatic espresso machine.Steps to make a perfect cup of tea: fill with 1200 ml of water, add 5 teaspoons of tea (or whatever is recommended on your tea package), push one button and walk away to do something else. After 10 minutes, it beeps alerting you to pour your tea into your cup and enjoy. I'm very excited that I don't ever have to worry about forgetting a boiling pot on the stove again and I won't be wasting any more tea by over steeping, making it bitter.I guess I was hesitant to purchase the Breville BTM800XL because some negative reviews about the cost to replace the carafe. My take on that- it's a very robust, thick German made carafe that won't spontaneously break, it needs some human intervention to shatter. As for the complaints on the replacement cost- it's not just a carafe, the carafe contains all the critical components such as the heating element and the mechanics that lower and raise the tea basket silently for steeping. The base is nothing more than a power supply and user interface. The small form factor, speed and simplicity of the unit dictated that all the critical components be contained within the carafe. If there was a separate, more economical replaceable carafe then the heating element would need to be separate, the steeping mechanism would need to be separate, etc, etc. The carafe is 90% of the unit so ya, if you break that, you need to understand that it will be expensive. One cannot reasonably expect an economic replacement like when breaking a Mr. Coffee carafe. Bottom line, I wouldn't change a thing with the design.How about the price of the unit? I view the Breville BTM800XL as the tea version of a Jura Impressa coffee maker which would set you back a couple grand. Considering that, it really is a bargain and worth every penny. Just buy one, you'll be glad you did.Oh Joy, Oh Bliss. If this is for you or for anyone else for whom you are considering buying this tea maker, DO IT. My husband kept saying we didn't need an instant tea maker because it is easy to make tea the old fashioned way. True, it is easy to make tea using a teapot, but I'm not a morning person. I am REALLY not a morning person and I don't drink coffee, only tea. I kept glaring at his programmable coffee maker, and one day, I snapped. Realising I was contemplating smashing my husband's coffee maker over his head and murdering him if he sighed happily over his first cup of pre-made, ready and waiting morning coffee one more time, I decided that it was history for him and his coffee pot or a Breville tea maker for me. Fortunately the Black Friday sales were on and I got the tea maker at almost reasonable price.I got tired of replacing electric tea kettles every year and bought a Breville tea kettle, which I have had since since 2009, and which still woks like a charm. That's why I chose the Breville tea maker, which seems to be as well built as their tea kettle. There is nothing flimsy about it and the various settings available are wonderful for the dedicated tea drinker. The glass pot is solid and the water heats up very quickly. I used to set a timer when I was making tea in a teapot, but sometimes I would get busy and not hear it. An hour or so later, I would be faced with an extremely bitter brew. The Breville tea maker is great because it removes this problem by lowering and raising the basket of tea leaves as programmed.So, for anyone who loves tea and would like to hang onto their spouse or significant other, I highly recommend the Breville Tea Maker. It's expensive, but if purchased on sale the "ouch" factor will be reduced. If it lasts as long as the Breville Tea Kettle, it is also less expensive than a cheaper, unreliable product in the long run..First off- we loved this for what it was- a top-of-the-line tea brewer with a sous-vide like temperature controller that could warm liquid to an exact temperature. Great engineering and design.HOWEVER- we owned this for less than 2 years when the usual kitchen accident happened. A light bump against the counter when filling the carafe resulted in a terminal crack and shattered glass. Accidents happen- no problem and understandable. I then proceeded to find a replacement part for purchase. The GLASS carafe is not available for replacement. Breville support was slow-as-molasses getting back to us and informed us that a replacement part was unavailable.Solution- buy another 350$ kettle. A less than a 2 year lifespan on a high end appliance is totally unacceptable. I was ready, willing and able to pay for the replacement part. Unfortunately for me and anyone who has a mishap, Breville does not want me as a customer. They have my money and have offered me no help.This makes the kettle an avoid at all costs purchase unless you have money to burn. If you already have one- good luck with support or parts if you ever need it. Lesson learned- ripoff accepted.I've have this tea maker for over two years, and it has been used aggressively every day. At least one full pot, sometimes 2 and hot water for a sleepytime tea at bed. No troubles with the heating or basket or buttons at all. I've seen the tanin stains, they comes out easily either by keeping them wet and wiping, or simple baking soda of a bunch has built up. I've never had the slightest problem, except forgetting to set it to be ready in the morning. This tea maker has been one of the greatest things I've ever bought. No other product lifts *and* raises the basket, which for some loose leaf black teas is the difference between a warm cup of joy and a bitter slap in the face. It can be an absolute lifesaver for white teas and oolongs or Pu-erhs (Which I brew on oolong). The only tea this won't brew for you is matcha, but it'll happily (and delightfully quickly) heat the water.If you're only using bagged black or herbal tea and never get into loose-leaf, greens or the like, this is probably not the product for you yet. It's very much a beast of loose-leaf brewing, I'd recommend starting with a temperature-controlled kettle and if you get into loose leaf, then this will be your new best friend.The best tip I can offer to anyone looking to buy this is that if you use a very fine tea (like a yerba mate, rooibos or herbal) to grab some coffee filters, cut a slit int he middle and line the basket with one. It makes it easier to clean the basket and dispose of the leaves and it keeps the leaves more in the basket.Extremely highly recommended, a workhorse that performs consistently 24/7, 365.I'm English, and have been drinking tea every morning for pretty much my entire life. Over the years I've tried dozens of teas, some bagged, some loose. I've tried many of the different tea-brewing gimmicks and soaking containers on the market, looking to make a better cuppa, but gave up on most of them fairly quickly due to the hassle of set up, brewing, and cleanup. Especially the cleanup. When cleaning time takes significantly longer than drinking time, there's something whacky in the process.This tea maker popped up on Amazon during a search for something else, and I was intrigued enough to buy one. The unit is solidly made, easy to set up and easy to use, as well as easy to clean. It's also kinda fun! You set leaf tea (although I have used tea bags too) in the strainer, fill the pot with water, and turn on the system. The hot plate warms the water to a predefined temperature, then the tea basket lowers into the hot water and steeps there for a number of minutes, then raises again to prevent the tea being too strong. You then pour the tea as needed from the carafe, which stays warm on the hot plate.The whole process is customizable as far as brewing temperature and the amount of time the tea steeps. There's some presets for common tea varieties, but you can set up custom settings any time you want. The beauty of the system is it is consistent: once you get the settings to exactly what you want, it's repeatable every time. You can also brew different teas using different settings, as some teas steep faster than others. And, since I like my tea more on the weak than strong side, I can get it set up perfectly for my taste. And I can trigger the brewing process by timer, so I can wake up to fresh tea! And watching the basket go up and down is fascinating!The carafe holds 1.5 litres, which is a lot of tea; however, setting the water levels much lower than 500ml (a large mug full) mean the tea won't steep properly. The hot plate keeps the tea warm for an hour. The carafe is a solid glass unit, not flimsy in the least. The front panel is clean and easy to use, as well as easy to wipe down.Since getting this Breville Tea Maker in place, I've been experimenting with more leaf tea from local speciality shops, and that has been an interesting process in and of itself. I have been extremely pleased with this unit, and, if you're a tea drinker, think you'll be pleasantly surprised at how good it is at making a decent cuppa. I got so used to tea bags it took a while to get used to working with this Breville unit, but now it's a part of my mornings. For tea drinkers, strongly recommended. Considering what many people pay for a cup of coffee some mornings, I can easily justify the cost of this unit over a year's worth of wonderful cups of tea.The Breville BREBTM800XL makes great tea. And its fun to watch, too :)Follow-up: I've had this tea maker in heavy use, almost every morning, for a couple of months now, and I absolutely love this device. Probably my favorite purchase for the kitchen in the past decade. I've experimented with various loose teas, strengths, and settled on a considerably wide set of favorites. Comparing to tea I buy at the local coffee shop, I can't believe I used to like that stuff! I've bought two of these for friends and family, I like it so much.LOVE my Breville. I put off buying this for a long time because of the price. But after going to McDonald's every day for years decided to buy a Breville. I absolutely love it have no regrets and if it broke today I would buy another one immediately. Tea is easy to make with bags or leaves tastes great and never burns. Customer service is excellent. I was missing a part (very small part) when it arrived so I called customer service and no questions asked was shipped the part. You do have to be careful how you handle the glass pot and ensure that it is never submerged in water. TIP - I never take my pot to the sink to fill it but rather bring the water to the pot by using a small plastic jug to fill it. This alleviates any chance of banging the pot against the tap or the sink and reduces the chance of chips or breaks. The pot is sturdy but why take chances. The pot is very easy to clean and there is cleaner that is recommended. I use soap and water and it cleans up beautifully. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND MAKING THE INVESTMENT YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED!! BREVILLE MAKES THE BEST TEA MAKER ON THE MARKET.