For last week's Weekend Cook and Tell we asked all of you to break out the fine china for Tea Time, a most civilized challenge. We were looking for afternoon tea appropriate bites and pastries that would be at home on your shiniest sterling three-tiered tray. Here's a peek at some of our most elegant teatime edibles. More

The world of specialty tumblers seems to be growing exponentially, so how do you discern between the junk and the golden nuggets? We've already identified a great coffee option in the form of a portable press tumbler, but this tea infuser version by Aladdin ($18.99 at shopaladdin-pmi.com) offers a more gently caffeinated morning jolt. More

There are a surprising number of nut-flavored syrups out there. I've tried several—at coffee shops and at home—to see what works best in different types of hot drinks. Some are better in lattes, others in tea. Here are six recommended flavors. More

Though I never went through a rebellious stage, where I took up vices like drinking and drugs, I have gotten in trouble in the past for smoking. Smoking fish and meat, that is. The first time I tried smoking a fish in a wok, the fumes from the kitchen crept underneath my front door and attracted the ire of my passing landlord, who wasn't even the least bit assuaged by offerings of smoked cod perfumed with the scent of charred jasmine tea and jasmine rice More

America's Test Kitchen tested four small teapots with unusual strainers and dispensing mechanisms that promised to make dealing with loose tea mess-free. In each case, they used the same tea and a four-minute steeping time. But they did find one favorite that met all their criteria, brewing good, strong tea and keeping loose leaves in check with its ultra-fine-mesh strainer. Watch the video above for more about these picks, or read the full comparison on America's Test Kitchen (free registration required). More

Black tea forms the basis of most teas in America, from homemade iced teas to powdery Lipton mixes. But there are so many other varieties, and the broad spectrum of aromas and tastes can make teas worth another look (and taste!). How much do you know about tea? Take the quiz! » More

Breville's latest gadget, the One-Touch Tea Maker ($249.99 at Sur La Table stores), officially hits the market today, but we were able to get a sneak peak. If you love tea, this one's for you—in fact, this tea lover had mentally designed a similar gadget months ago in hopes it would one day exist. More

It's hard to compare the taste of kombucha (comb-boo-cha), the fermented tea drink, to anything else. Vinegary, fizzy, cider-y, or just plain nasty if you haven't given it a chance yet. Then again, some people (particularly those who drank vinegar as a kid) like it from sip one. The leaders of the market are GT's Kombucha, but brands like Honest Tea are appearing on shelves, and some "kombuchaseurs" are brewing their own at home. More

"We all live in a yellow submarine"? "I'm on a submarine mission for you, baby"? (Insert other cheesy submarine-related pop-culture references here?) [Photographs: monkey-bus.co.il] This is kinda neat. From Tel Aviv–based design house Monkey Business, the Tea Sub launches tea leaf goodness into your morning mug. Unfortunately, like so much of what gets blogged about on design blogs, it doesn't seem to be available for sale anywhere online, so we're just all gonna have to admire it and say Cute! [via swissmiss]... More

[Yanko Design] Is this the best design for a teabag? I can think of a few problems—if the hook holds to the top of the mug, the teabag only can float so far down as the water drains, and they tend to float upwards as it is. Still, this "Hanger Tea," designed by Soon Mo Kang, is so cute I almost don't care. I'd buy a tea T-shirt. (Tea-shirt?) [Yanko Design]... More