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 - Must buy!! - Unique and Great ValueI bought a flowering tea product like this years ago and was not happy. Primula is the real deal though... I got this as a present and love it. There's been a lot of buzz going around about Primula and now I see why. Great buy. Rating:  - Fragile teapot, mediocre quality tea... but at least it's not expensive.Now I am a big tea enthusiast, and have enough fine teas to last me years. So my Grandmother, seeing this advertised on the shopping channel, thought this would make a nice birthday gift for me. At first I was excited, but then I felt the teapot. The glass is thin, almost brittle. I know borosilicate glass is supposed to be strong, as anyone who's been in a Chemistry class should know, so I knew from the start that this teapot was of poor quality. In fact it broke on me two weeks after getting the gift! I was just cleaning it, and of course trying to be extra careful because I had a poorly made borosilicate tea pot in my hands, when I knocked it up against the wall of my sink a bit, and it chipped! As for the tea itself... well, being someone who knows how fine black, green, and white tea taste, I knew from the smell alone that this tea was of mediocre quality at best. This is the type of quality you grab at walmart, or get in huge boxes for a bargain at a Chinese flea market. I have to admit the flowering action looked very nice, but beyond that, it's a poor quality tea. The earl grey they sent me... was one of the most revolting earl greys I have ever tasted, and I couldn't stomach even one cup without loading it with sugar and milk. You can know the quality of the tea better when you drink it with no sugar or milk... and if I couldn't even drink it plain, then it's simply cheap. The green tea is masked by fragrances and 'flavors', or in other words, much of the flavor in this tea is artificial--real teas use 'extract'--and the white tea is an insult to white tea. What is worst is that there's little subtly and quality to the masking; you might as well spray the tea with cheap perfume. On a positive note, the cheap price fits the quality! Just don't buy this for someone who actually knows their teas or teapots, please. Rating: - Fantastic Tea ExperienceThis is a wonderful tea experience. As the tea flower blooms you watch the green tea leaves expand. The flowere that are small inside start to hydrate and the flowers fully expand into a wonderful arrangement. The flowers are all sewn together in different shapes and styles so you get to appreciate a unique display of art everytime you have tea. After the tea is fully bloomed simply pour everyone a glass. Then pour additional hot water into the pot so that the tea can be displayed on the table. The gift canister is magnificiently made. It is obvious that skilled craftsmen spent a lot of time to create this gift canister that holds all the 12 teas. The entire experience was fantastic. Rating: - Made my Christmas Eve DinnerWow! What a centerpiece! I had all of my family over for Christmas Eve and I put 1 tea ball in the pot. I poured hot water over the tea ball. The ball bloomed into this magnificient flower and this was the best centerpiece. I usually get a comment from everyone on my centerpiece. This centerpiece was absolutely the most discussed part of the evening and everyone loved the tea! Rating: - Pleasing to both eye and tasteI purchased this set for my sister who loves tea even more than I do. I loved her set so much I went back and bought one for me! The set includes a lovely borosilicate tea pot which makes it versatile. You can use it in your microwave, but you probably won't. The heating and pouring of the water are essential elements of the ritual of tea making. When you pour the hot water over the hand-tied tea balls, you will witness an enchanting display. The tea balls slowly open into delightful flowers. The pot and infuser are perfectly clear to show off your tea and allow you to easily witness the unfolding of your tea flower. I don't bother with the infuser because the tea balls shed very little during the brewing. Best of all, the tea is delicious. The green tea flavor is robust (through 3 potential infusions) and the jasmine is very subtle. I have since tried other brands but Primula has struck the perfect balance between flavor and beauty. I strongly recommend this set to anyone who loves tea and the soothing ritual of brewing tea. By the way, you should try not to boil the water you use for infusing green teas. The flavor will be negatively affected by boiling hot water. Try to catch the water just before it boils. Small bubbles will start to rise. That's the perfect time to remove the water from the heat and brew your tea. Happy sipping!
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