Umi Tea Sets : Traditional Chinese Colour Changing Mug Review

296

Tea. One of the best things on the planet. It can be a joy to indulge in, a traditional experience to savour, or a pick-me-up when you need a boost. I’ve written before about how tea can confer some interesting potential health benefits, but I’m sure many of us can appreciate the soothing, calming benefit that comes from a warm drink when we need it. I’m British and so my love for a good cuppa is in my blood, but so often in our busy, on-the-go (on chronically ill), stressed-out lives, tea is rushed and the moment goes unsavored. Umi Tea Sets brings back that specialness and here I’ll be reviewing one of their intricately detailed, authentic clay tea mugs. 

★

About Umi Tea Sets 

Umi Tea Sets is an online small business based in Shaoguan, China, specialising in all things tea since their conception in 2012. Setting them apart from the crowd is their devotion to authenticity, quality materials and attention to detail, prioritising excellent products and a stellar consumer experience. 

Tea leaves, teapots, tea tables, tea sets, mugs and cups, tea trays, utensils and other tea accessories can all be found at Umi Tea Sets. 

Related Reading : 10 Surprising Health Benefits Of Drinking Tea

My Experience : Umi Tea Sets Review

I’d not come across Umi Tea Sets before they contacted me to ask if I’d like to review one of their products, but I loved what I saw on their website. It’s easy to navigate and features a diverse range of tea-related goodies. The prices are higher than what I’d ordinarily pay so in my opinion this is more of a speciality store if you’re looking for products more unique than you’d perhaps get elsewhere. 

Communicating with the brand was a pleasant experience and delivery from China was quicker than I’d anticipated, with tracking provided up to the point of delivery. The mug was very well packaged, arriving perfectly in one piece. 

Umi Tea Sets : Peony Colour Change Mug Review

This is their traditional Chinese colour change purple peony clay mug, which is part of their Yixing tea cup range. It’s immediately obvious the care and attention to detail that went into making this product. It’s reasonably thick and insulates a tea or coffee nicely while being surprisingly lightweight. It’s rounded and has a nicely shaped handle for a comfortable hold, with a lid to keep your cuppa warm.

It features hand-painted peony flowers and leaves, which hold a little more magic than meets the eye. Once you add hot water, the colours will change! The peony will go from white to pink when hot, getting brighter the warmer it gets. I’m a sucker for something a little more novel and this is a feature I love.

It’s made from original ore purple clay and hand-crafted, without glazing so as to retain the fragrance and taste of tea. That gives the mug a more natural and authentic feel, quite literally, with the matte finish. The brand notes that the more you use the mug, the “the smoother, glossier” it will become, which is fascinating. 

This was smaller than I anticipated, but it holds more than it appears. It’s a little bigger than a standard cup but a touch smaller and a lot lighter than a giant mug. It measures approx 7.4cmx13cm, with a capacity of 460ml (or 15.55oz). 

I was actually hesitant to use this at first as it seems too pretty. It’s rather different to mugs you tend to get in the UK, too, especially in terms of the material’s texture and finish. I’ve had my usual black tea and the odd green tea in this so far and it’s nice to drink out of. The flavour is rich but mellow as I tend to drink black tea fairly weak to avoid bitterness. It’s lovely to hold, and I like to cup my hands around a mug when snuggling up, but I will warn you it is hot. Very, very hot, because of the nature of the material. For me personally, I don’t find it as practical because of that aspect but it’s also rather different to what I’m used to. For now, I’ve put it on the windowsill as decoration, where it looks stunning.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by InvisiblyMe (@invisiblymeblog)

It changes from white to pink quickly after pouring hot water and the effective is beautiful. This colour changing aspect can force you to take a minute to just be in the moment, to be able to appreciate how pretty it is and savour the taste of the cuppa rather than rushing it or being busy focusing on other things. 

While quite practical with the good size and weight, comfortable handle and useful lid, in my opinion it holds great ornamental value, too. It’d be just as good to drink out of as it would be to have it on display to admire as an ornament.

You can check out Umi Tea Sets here.

★

I’d say that the types of products from this brand make them interesting purchases for your kitchen that are a bit more special than the norm. The products are also wonderfully decorative thanks to their traditional Chinese or Japanese beauty, and are highly giftable, making for thoughtful presents for special occasions.

How do you take your tea?

Caz  ♥

Facebook   ||   Twitter  ||  Instagram

[ This is a gifted product received in return for my honest review ]