Okay; It's Christmas morning and we're opening our gifts. My husband reaches under the tree and hands me a large size box wrapped in pretty paper with ribbons and bows...

I anxiously opened the gift and to my surprise! It was a Mr. Coffee 3-Quart Iced Tea Maker TM30P My husband bought me something that I'd wanted for a while.

I'd been looking at other brands during the summer; But always passing them by; Saying I'll get one later. Wasn't sure which one was best. Saw some on display that had very tall pitchers, and could topple over easy.

I'm so used to making my tea in the microwave or just steeping on the stove; I continued doing it moms way; on the old stove-top as we did when I was growing up.

Mr.Coffee 3-Quart Iced Tea Maker TM30P is blue and white in color with a clear pitcher; Looks exactly like the one shown in the picture above. Measurements are 7.75"D X 16"L X 15" high. The electric cord is about 3 feet long.

No assembly required and only two removable pieces. Which are; The filter basket from atop the reservoir, and the lid from the pitcher. Made similar to a coffee maker and completely brainless to operate. If you can brew coffee, you can certainly brew tea...

I love the pitcher. Nice, fat-squat size, that fits flush on the counter, not easy to topple over in case of a bump. Holds 3 quarts of brewed tea. The pitcher has a large handle and easy to balance (when lifting) and pitcher is full. The pour spout is bigger than an average tea pitcher, and extends out into a slight point. Designed for a perfect fit to allow the tea to drip into the pitcher, while brewing/steeping.

The tea maker and pitcher are light-weight and easy to move around on the counter. There are water and iced markings on the pitcher for making 1, 2, or 3 quarts.

The water line has water drops to represent the amount of water to use for the amount of tea you want to brew. The ice markings have cubes of ice, for a guideline to follow.

You can use tea bags by placing them directly into the plastic basket; For loose tea; It recommends using a 4 cup coffee filter placed inside the plastic Mr. Coffee filter that comes with the tea maker.

The tea maker has a see-through window, allowing you to fill with water, to the level line you need, for the amount of tea you want to brew; 1, 2,or 3 quarts.

The tea maker also has a brew control right on the front; So you can adjust for the strength you prefer.(Mild to Strong)...Now let's make a brew...

My Experience I use the quart size tea bags when making large amounts of tea; I use small tea bags for steeping tea by the cup.

First I move the shower head over to the side with a light touch of my finger and remove the basket; Then filling the pitcher to the 3-quart water level and pouring into reservoir.

Next step is putting the basket back in its place; Then I place 3 quart size tea bags into basket, and with my finger; flip the shower head back over the basket (easy to move). Don't forget this important step or your tea will end up making a mess because it can't operate properly.

I say this, because the water is pumped up from the reservoir and through the shower head; and drips through the tea bags.

Okay , once tea bags are in place and shower head is in proper position; Close the reservoir lid.

Now, I fill the pitcher with ice to the required amount for 3-quarts of tea, Put the lid on to the wide opening and slipped directly under the steep/brew control...Press the On button (light comes on) and Whala! I can walk away for ten minutes and not worry. The tea maker will shut off when brew is done. (I use the strong) tea setting for my brew. I don't like weak tea that has no flavor.

To avoid any dripping I always allow an extra minute for the last drops to go into pitcher. I haven't seen any dripping on the counter when pitcher is removed.

The manual says you can add sugar or lemon into basket with tea bags if you prefer this method. On Christmas day I made sweetened tea because most of the family wants it sweetened. So I added 3/4 cup over the ice cubes and it dissolved okay; as the steeped tea went over and down into the ice.

When the brew was finished I gave the tea a stir to make sure the sweetness was distributed throughout. I forgot to mention, The lid has a screened opening for holding the ice back when pouring or an unscreened opening if you want ice to flow out with the tea as you pour into a glass. You can also turn the lid to a close position for refrigeration.

Mr. Coffee 3-Quart Iced Tea Maker-TM30P brews tea to perfection; I made 9 quarts on Christmas day. Everyone kept coming back for more. But it was easy and simple to make and only takes 10 minutes to brew.

Today I brewed another 3 quarts and stored in the fridge. No sugar added on this round'...I like the powdered sweetener, to cut back on sugar intake.

The manual that came with my iced tea maker said Not Dishwasher Safe But it's easy to clean with warm soapy water; Only the basket, pitcher, and pitcher lid. Don't submerge the ice tea maker into water.

One factor you should know; You will need lots of ice. I have an ice-maker which was empty after making 9 quarts. If you have ice trays you will need plenty of them, or just buy a bag of ice for big occasions; Or you can use cold water instead.

Bottom Line Don't let this long review make it sound complicated to brew a pitcher of tea. It's really easy and simple to use. Takes longer to write the review than to make a brew :)


Features and Benefits from the manual

1) 3-Quart Reservoir Iced Tea Brewing Capacity

2) Adjustable Tea Steeping Control (mild to strong)

3) Water Window-Shows amount of water in reservoir for filling.

4) 3-Quart Pitcher

5) Removable Brew Basket- Lifts out of the iced tea maker housing for fast and easy cleaning and filling.

6) On/Off Button and indicator light-Lets you know when iced tea maker is on.

7) Automatic Shut-Off- Turns off Iced tea maker when steeping/brewing cycle is complete.

8) Water and Ice Markings on Pitcher- Show amount of water to measure for pouring into ice tea maker reservoir; and amount of ice needed in the pitcher for a perfect glass of iced tea.

9) Uses Teabags or Loose Tea

Mr. Coffee recommends cleaning the "Iced Tea Maker" before first use.

Instructions for Cleaning
1) Remove brew basket by rotating shower head.
2) Wash the pitcher, pitcher lid, and brew basket in a mixture of mild detergent and water; rinse each piece thoroughly.
3) Fill the pitcher with water to top water level mark. Lift the reservoir lid on the iced tea maker and pour the water into the water reservoir. Do not overfill. Insert the brew basket in its place.
4) Rotate the shower head back to its proper position over the brew basket. Close the water reservoir lid.
5) Place the pitcher lid on pitcher. Slide the pitcher towards the iced tea maker with the pitcher spout fitting just under the Adjustable Tea Steeping Control.
6) Plug the power cord into an electrical outlet and push the "on" button
7) When the cycle is complete, it will shut off automatically.
8) Slide the pitcher away fro iced tea maker and discard the water in pitcher.

Company Info www.mrcoffee.com
Ph: 1-800-MrCoffee





Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): XMAS Gift