I recently wrote an article in these pages about the pros and cons of sun tea, which is made by leaving tea leaves and water in a jug to steep in the sun. For an interesting variation on this theme, check out this solar kettle that claims to be able to harness the power of the sun to provide hot or even boiling water suitable for preparing tea and whatnot. I’d venture to say that you could use it to have tea just about anywhere – as long as it’s not cloudy.

Or you might just be interested in a tea kettle that can sit right there in the kitchen and look nice. It’s a matter of opinion, I suppose, but I think this sleek-looking kettle from Panasonic must rank pretty high on the list when it comes to looks. Of course, if you really are looking to impress, there’s always seems to be a new novelty tea infuser on the market. For example, here’s one of slightly questionable taste that looks like a robust fellow who’s taking a dip in your tea. Somewhat more clever, by my reckoning, this infuser that looks like a little wee T-shirt.

On the somewhat incomprehensible tea-related stuff front, here’s a “Tea Pack” of athletic shoes from the good people at New Balance. As you can see, if you click the link, they come in blue, green and red. According to the description, they are apparently called Fresh Peppermint, Earl Grey and English Breakfast and are meant as “a trio of colorways that celebrates the country’s [England] beloved drink.” Well, okay.

Moving from gadgets and stuff to the offbeat tea news, here’s a report about a Teaneck, New Jersey schoolteacher who has been saving tea tags for several decades. She reached the one-million mark quite some time ago and apparently has a collection of tags now that numbers into the tens of millions. But hey, who’s counting?

For cutesy, punnish headlines, Semper Chai: Marine Spouse Promotes Healing Power of Tea, has to be right up there with the best of them. As it suggests, that article is about a Marine wife with a tea business who recently came up with a Semper Fi line of teas. They not only have a patriotic theme but are designed to promote calming and other qualities that might be desirable for soldiers.

See more of William I. Lengeman’s articles here.

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