September 22nd is National Elephant Appreciation Day, and we’re celebrating the majestic Asian elephant in a pretty unique way: with tea.

Worldwide concern over the decline of elephants led to a complete ban of the ivory trade in 1990, but both the African and Asian elephant are still endangered, not only due to poaching, but also due to a lack of land where these animals can forage and roam free.

Asian elephant herds are organized around a matriarch, the oldest female in the group. This rarity in the animal kingdom is thanks to her memory, which guides the herd to food sources and protects them in case of storms. (It’s true that an elephant never forgets – due to the enormous size of her hippocampus.) These herds need extensive land to survive, consuming hundreds of pounds of plant matter in a single day.

Good Earth Tea pays homage to the noble Asian elephant with its new Hathikuli Organic tea. The blend is sourced from Hathikuli Estate, India’s largest integrated organic farm. The farm is aptly named: hati is the Assamese word for elephant and kuli means frequent. Elephants are indeed frequent guests, as they roam freely amongst the tea plants and within the nearby Kaziranga National Park (along with two-thirds of the global Greater One-Horned Rhino population).

“The rustic tranquillity of the hills is complemented by the raging Brahmaputra River, creating impossibly lush plantations,” explains Good Earth Tea. “The organic cultivation of tea in Hathikuli ensures the ecological balance is maintained in the midst of this bio-diverse hotspot.”

The area boasts the perfect combination of elevation and soil conditions to give the tea a unique flavor profile, featuring sweet, malty notes reminiscent of dates and honey. The tea is available in either pyramid sachets or loose, so you can brew depending on your own tastes (and support safe elephant habitats while you do).

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For those of you still heating water up in the microwave, get with the times and invest in a kettle.

Whether you are tea or coffee drinker, or both, there is a necessity to heat up water to make your brew of choice. And it doesn’t matter whether you want to make a cup of tea or coffee or a whole pot, heating water up properly is key. While there are a variety of options, using the microwave to heat up water for your cold brew coffee or your cup of mint tea just is not satisfactory. The microwave method might have proved necessary in college, you are grownup now and grownups heat up their water properly.

In deciding just what kind of kettle you need, the first choice to make is whether to invest in an electric or stovetop model. There is no right or wrong choice here, there are pros and cons for both. An electric kettle can be more energy efficient than a stovetop form, but the electric model does take up valuable kitchen counter and electrical socket space.

After deciding on electric or stovetop, the choices do get more difficult and rely on your household’s particular beverage habits. If you strictly drink Earl Grey tea, you may make one choice, but if you like cold brew coffee and your partner drinks various kinds of herbal teas, you choose differently. We offer up a few suggestions that just might fit you lifestyle.

The Various Types of Kettles

1. Cuisinart Perfectemp Electric Kettle

An electric vessel hat perfect for tea and coffee drinkers alike. You can choose from six heat settings for the just right temperature for tea or coffee. There are six preset temperatures for delicate, green, white, oolong, herbal, black, and French press.

2. Le Creuset Whistling Kettle

If you prefer a stovetop pot, one great choice is a cast iron version. It’s also ideal to have a whistling kettle when boiling water on the stove. This option is also available in a variety of colorways.

3. Bonavita Electric Gooseneck Temperature

A gooseneck kettle is a must have for those who enjoy making coffee via one of the pour over method like Chemex or Bodum. This model is electric also features variable temperature setting, which makes it suitable for tea or coffee.

4. Williams Sonoma Rapid Boil Kettle

Here’s another stovetop option, but this stainless-steel model is designed to boil water 20% faster than traditional stainless-steel kettles making it a more sustainable stovetop choice.

5. Breville IQ Kettle

This pot is another option for electric temperature selection, but this model is made from German Schott-glass, which ensures the purest flavor for those who don’t like to boil water in metal.

6. Stagg Pour Over Kettle

Here’s a pour over option, but for the stovetop as opposed as an electric model. It also also features a built in brew-range thermometer for making your hot beverage just right.

*Disclaimer: Help support EcoSalon! Our site is dedicated to helping people live a conscious lifestyle. We’ve provided some affiliate links above in case you wish to purchase any of these products.

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Whether you are a regular tea drinker or turn to tea when the weather cools, there are some must-have tea accessories to make your tea sipping most magical.

Hot tea can be your wake-up drink in the morning or part of your bedtime routine in the evening. From Earl Grey to chamomile or green tea to honeybush, your cuppa can benefit from the addition of tools to help you create a better cup and to simplify your tea making process.

If you are just the occasional tea drinker, tea bags and a cup of water heated up in the microwave just might do the trick for you. But for more serious tea aficionados for whom tea is at least a twice or thrice daily ritual, that just won’t work at all, and tea-making tools of all kind are requirements. From infusers for loose tea to electric tea kettles with temperature settings, the marketplace is full of excellent tools to make your next cup of tea a truly sublime experience.

Read on to discover tea accessories you never knew you needed–until now! You just might make the switch from tea bags in the microwave to infused loose tea brewed to perfection.

Must Have Tea Accessories

1. Tea Infuser

Tea infusers of various styles are vital for those who prefer to use loose tea. Using loose tea is more economical and is usually of a higher quality than tea bags. This universal infuser can work with a variety of cups, mugs, and even teapots.

2.Tea Travel Mug

Drink your tea on the go? This travel mug might be ideal, so you no longer have to drink over-brewed tea. This mug only works with tea bags or pouches, though.

3. Infuser Tea Mug

An all-in-one infuser mug is ideal for those who enjoy loose tea, but not the extra step of using a teapot. The porcelain mug even comes with a lid to keep your tea warm while it’s brewing that also doubles as a handy stand for the infuser.

4. Teapot

If you plan on making more than one cup of tea, either a second cup for yourself or a cup for a friend, a teapot is a must. And there’s no need for a fussy teapot when this modern stoneware pot will do just nicely.

5. Teapot Warmer

And when you do make a pot of tea, a tea warmer is a handy tool to help keep the tea left in your pot warm. It’s a simple design that only requires a tea light candle to produce the warmth.

6.Electric Tea Kettle

An electric tea kettle makes the work of boiling water a cinch, but this temperature select kettle is the bee’s knees.  It heats the water to the perfect temperature for the kind of tea or infusion you are making. Black tea can take on boiling water while other types of teas are too delicate. For example, white tea is best brewed with water that is 175 degrees.

7. Tea Ball

A tea ball is another handy dandy loose tea infuser. It’s best to have several infusers on hand in your kitchen (or more, depending on the number of tea drinkers in your home and how often you do the dishes).

Related on EcoSalon

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Cup of Tea Image via Shutterstock

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Throw an easy afternoon tea party that will impress.

For those not in the know, afternoon tea and high tea are completely different. Afternoon tea is served to fill the gap between lunch and dinner and traditionally consists of light fare like cakes and cookies. High tea, on the other hand, involves more substantial fare and traditionally happened when workers returned home–it was more like dinner. Over time, the distinctions between the two have blurred, and tea no matter what time of day it’s served, more often than not it takes the form of afternoon tea with tea sandwiches and scones and cream. In the U.S., afternoon tea served between lunch and dinner is the norm, but honestly, the timing is up to you.

And of course, tea is appropriate any time of year, no matter the weather. Want to ice up your tea for the steamy days of summer? Go right ahead. Just make sure you move the party outdoors, under shade for full effect.

From the invitations to the types of tea you serve, get inspired to throw your own afternoon tea with the tips and ideas below.

Afternoon Tea Tip and Ideas

1. Invitation – While it may seem just as easy to send a text or an email as an invitation to your afternoon tea, there is something about a handwritten paper invitation sent via snail mail. It has a certain je ne sais pas that is missing in this digital age. Etsy is a great place to find appropriate choices from luxurious letterpress to clever typographical works of art–it depends on how formal or  informal you want to be. Of course, it’s not completely unacceptable to send a text invite either–at least for a less formal tea among friends.

2. Types of Tea to Serve – Whether you choose Darjeeling, orange pekoe, or Earl Grey, one key for a great afternoon tea is to offer 2-3 options. The choices are up to you, but Earl Grey, orange pekoe, and English Breakfast are traditional options. You can also go farther afield and include herbal teas or blends including rooibos chai, lemon verbena, chamomile, honeybush, or mint for those who might be eschewing caffeine. One pro tip is to make sure that you use loose tea instead of tea bags. Your guests will appreciate your attention to detail, and loose tea is often a better quality of tea. Harney & Sons has a lot of wonderful tea choices.

3. Teapots and Other Teaware  – One necessity of throwing a tea party is you must have several teapots. While you may decide to invest in some fancy decorative teapots, it may be more realistic to invest in functional pots that will also serve for everyday as well. If your teapots don’t include infusers, you will want to invest in small strainers that guests can place over their cups to catch the tea leaves as they pour. Teacups and saucers, a sugar pot, and cream pitcher are a must too. Also, an electric tea kettle can make things so much easier.

4. Tea Sandwiches and Other Nibbles – Ideally, you will want to serve a variety of food options, including sweet and savory choices. Homemade pecan scones topped with homemade strawberry preserves, cucumber or egg salad sandwiches cut into triangles (and with the crusts removed), and a tasty asparagus and feta quiche would make for a delightful menu. Whatever the menu you decide upon it should feel special.

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Afternoon Tea Image from Shutterstock

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