Thistledown HOB
If you have read some of my past posts you may know that I am on a mission to find ways to keep my tea warm. I like to take my time enjoying my tea but I often find that if I make a big pot, it gets too cold to drink towards the end. My collection of various tea cozies is growing, including ones that I have made myself, and I was thrilled to pieces to be able to review a new type of cozy on the market called the ‘Hob’.
The folks at Thistledown were kind enough to send me a 20oz and 40oz hob as well as a tea wallet for carrying around tea bags. I was really intrigued when I saw the cozies and couldn’t wait to test them out. The hobs are made out of 2 layers of high tech mylar batting which encases your entire tea pot with a closure on the side. The thing that makes these unique is that they wrap around your tea pot instead of just sitting over the top them like traditional cozies.
40oz Hob
20oz Hob
To test the cozy out, I used a lovely glass teapot that I love dearly but which refuses to hold heat. I made a pot of tea and settled down with a book. For a solid hour I drank tea and every time I poured a cup, the tea was piping hot and wonderful. I’m sure I could have enjoyed the tea for a longer period of time, but I ran out of tea in my pot before it had the chance to get cold.
For the next test I used my 6-cup teapot and made Silver Needle which requires a lower temperature of water. I figured it would be a good experiment to see if it would stay warm enough to drink even though the temperature was low to start with. I was pleased to discover that my tea stayed at a very nice temperature all afternoon as I catched up on TV shows and relaxed. Towards the end of the pot I could tell the tea had cooled off a bit, but not enough to make me want to stop drinking it.
Overall I am very happy with the Hob. I would really love to see one in the typical floral girly looking cozy patterns, but that is because I enjoy anything overly feminine. I did notice a collection of ‘Hobs for Her’ coming soon and I will be watching for those! However, I think that the way the Hob’s look currently may appeal to a much more broad audience, including men, and since it actually keeps my tea warm, I can’t complain.
The product(s) included in this post were sent to me to be considered for review by the company mentioned or by a PR agency that represents them.
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I must say that I prefer the practical approach of Chinese tea culture of having a small pot and refilling it regularly. This way the tea doesn’t steep too long and I can avoid bitterness.
Another personal favorite is a tea pot tray with a place for a candle that keeps the tray hot and therefore the teapot too. Some of them are also really beautiful and can contribute a lot to the atmosphere of your afternoon tea.
Thank you Jake for the comment! I have been meaning to explore and spend more time with different ways of preparing and enjoying tea rather than always making a huge pot. I have a lot of different tea ware, so I need to use them instead of pulling out the standard teapot.
I will also have to keep my eyes out for a tea warmer that uses a candle. I can only imagine how beautiful that would be!