Brewing

The tools that decide whether good leaf and good beans become a good cup. Teapots, infusers, precision scales, grinders, portable espresso machines and the small parts that keep them working.

How to choose

For tea, the honest starting kit is a way to hold the leaf and a way to control the water. An infuser or a two-cup teapot covers the first; a scale removes the guesswork from the second.

For coffee, a grinder changes the cup more than any machine will. If you buy one thing here, buy the grinder.

For travel, see our portable espresso range — machines that heat their own water from a battery, plus the cases and stands that let them live in a bag.

Questions

Do I need a scale? Not to start, but it is the cheapest way to make your brewing repeatable. Most bad cups are a dose problem, not a leaf problem.

What grind for which method? Coarse for press, medium for filter, fine for espresso. Grind fresh whenever you can.