Review: Liquid Solution's Majes-tea

Today, we have Selena modeling the Majes-Tea

So, I wanted to do something different today and review some equipment I've been using.  I can't do this often because well, I'm poor.  I use an electric kettle to brew my water (I don't even have a teapot) and don't really have that much tea-specialized equipment.  However, I needed a tea travel mug.  The thing about using metal or certain plastic travel mugs for tea is 1)  it changes the flavor, often in a bad way and 2)  you can't really take hot tea with you.  So yeah, saw this at Marshells and decided to give it a go.

The Majes-Tea is awesome not only because it cleverly replaces a "T" sound in it's name to the word tea, but also because it allows you to brew loose leaf tea on the go.  It's basically a double-walled plastic tumbler with a metal basket on the inside as to allow for teabag steeping.  It's made of plastic, but it's BPA free and won't cop out when there's heat all about.

I figure the best format for doing an equipment review is a set of Pros and Cons since I don't know what other equipment I'll be reviewing. 

Pros: 

• It's Cheap:  I ended up getting this for $10 at Marshell's but I've seen them online for $15 which is still one of the cheaper tea travel mugs on the market.
• It's easy to clean:  The container is basically a big cup and the basket doesn't have that many holes in it so it takes less effort to clean than a lot of the mesh tea infusers I have.
• It keeps tea warm:  Since it's basically a double-walled tumbler, it insulates pretty well.  My tea does stay warm for a few hours after I make it and cold drinks stay cool for a few hours too.
• It's aesthetically pleasing:   The lid has this nice cut detail that makes it look similar to a Recess Peanut Butter Cup.  It also has this nice long, sleek design and comes in grey, red and clear/green.  
• It's pretty durable:  I'm not afraid that the plastic will break.  The parts all fit into each other and it seems durable enough the handle a few knocks.
• It would be pretty nice for traveling:  There is a difference between something being nice for traveling and portable (like a mini-mac vs. a laptop), but since this has the basket built into it, you can take this baby with you on a trip with a few small containers of loose-leaf and not need any other special equipment other than a means to heat you water.

Cons:

• It's not as portable as I'd like it to be:  Here's the thing.  You can drink this on the go, but you can't really stick this in your bag while there's still tea in there.  The flap does noting when the container is upside down.  
• It's not microwavable:   
• It's not as portable as I'd like it to be, part II!:  The thing about the metal basket is, it gets hot and if you're running out the door, it's kinda hard to dispose of the tea leaves and store it properly.  It's easy to clean if you have running water, but if you don't then you're going to have some tea leaves on the bottom and those will probably get in your drink if you put it back in the Majes-Tea.  
• It's made of cheap stuff:  Super Duper Tea Snobs would probably prefer a ceramic or glass inside, saying it affects the flavor the least.  I'll admit, I brewed some Blueberry Bliss and the inside smelled like blueberries for days. 

Overall:  I like it despite its flaws.  I'd like to get a better tea travel mug some day, but I think it's totally worth the money and can even be used as a decent water bottle.  If you can find it for 10 bucks, definately pick it up.

B+