As you may be aware, we here at the Perfect Gentleman are partial to a nice cup of tea, in fact many, during our busy working day. We also embrace technology so we decided to combine both and take a look at some of the tea making apps available. This is not an exhaustive search, we have tried about ten apps and we report here on four particular apps and how we found them.
So whether you like PG so strong you can stand your spoon up in it, or the very finest first growth Darjeeling made just so, read on, we think we have found the real reason you carry all that computing power around in your pocket every day…
Tea Timer (Free) – MDGJ Touch
One of those apps which is really just trying to sell you an upgrade to the paid version. I could not identify a way to personalise the time to brew/steep the tea and there are a limited number of tea types in this free version. It may be that all this becomes available when you upgrade or that there is a hidden button somewhere. There are much better free apps available, read on.
Overall, not very impressive.
Tea Types 2 (of a possible 10)
Ease of use 3
Flexibility 2
Overall 7 (of a possible 30)
Tea Timer Pro – Kona studio
I liked this app but I had an issue. The alarm didn’t go on for long enough. Also, I cannot find a way to adjust the brewing time for each type of tea.
It’s a reasonable app but lack flexibility.
Tea Types 5 (of a possible 10)
Ease of use 5
Flexibility 2
Overall 12 (of a possible 30)
Tea Timer – CAPCom ag
Of all the apps we tested this was by far the best for those who like a number of teas and who are demanding in the brewing of their daily cuppa.
In addition to a wide range of teas, each with a short information section on the teas origin, there are three brewing times for each tea (each adjustable), a quick favourite button to gather together your most used teas and a ‘last tea’ button which is easy if you commonly like one type. You can select your alarm sound and if you are scientific about it there are adjustments for tea pot size.
Those charming German tea drinkers appear to have thought of everything.
Tea Types 9 (of a possible 10)
Ease of use 8
Flexibility 8
Overall 25 (of a possible 30)
Cuppa Tea Timer – Henley Bailey
If you only like one type of tea and you like it a particular way, be that weak, strong or just so, this is the app for you. Save your preferred brew time and that’s it.
It could not be any simpler.
Tea Types 1 (of a possible 10)
Ease of use 9
Flexibility 2
Overall 12 (of a possible 30)
The one feature I would add for the Perfect Gentleman’s Perfect Tea Timer App would be a second timer, which started automatically as the brewing timer ended and which would tell you when the tea had reached the perfect temperature for drinking.
Anyway, enough writing, it’s time to put the kettle on. Darjeeling I think.
