Mugs on Sale at Gourmet Fusion

Now is a great time to shop at Gourmet Fusion online if you are looking for Easter and Mother's Day gifts.

All of our ceramic and glass mugs - including mug and coaster sets, like the cute little tabby shown here - are on sale through March 30th.

Why not combine a mug with one of our cast iron or ceramic infuser teapots, or one of our specialty teas, to make an extra special gift.

We always combine shipping, and are happy to gift wrap and answer any questions you may have to make your shopping experience simple and fun.

Check out our range of mugs, teapots and tea at the Gourmet Fusion store online, or in the Leaping Lotus, Solana Beach. (Sale items online only).

Start shopping for the holidays!

Gourmet Fusion has just received a new shipment of beautiful cast iron teapots, great gifts for the upcoming holiday season.

All the designs are handcrafted in cast iron, with a food-safe enameled interior, and due to the strength of their construction, they can be used as a teapot, or placed on a stove top as a kettle to boil water. They all have a removable stainless steel infuser that fits just under the lid, so you can easily use whole leaf tea (or tea bags) in just the same way as you would use our ceramic infuser pots (i-pots).

The cast iron teapot has its origins in China, and later became popular in Japan in the 17th century, where it became known as "Tetsubin" ("Tetsu" and "bin", meaning iron and vessel).

We also carry a cast iron trivet, featuring a hobnail design, to use with our cast iron teapots, so you can enjoy your pot of tea without damaging your table.

All of our cast iron pots can be found, together with our range of teas, at the Gourmet Fusion store in the Leaping Lotus, 240 S. Cedros, Solana Beach, and at our online store.

We also carry a small range for sale at our popular Farmers Markets in San Diego's Little Italy on Saturday mornings, and at La Jolla's Open Aire Market on Sunday mornings.

Summer I-Pot Sale!

It's time for our summer I-Pot sale once again at the Gourmet Fusion store. All I-pots are 20% off their regular retail price until July 21st. We have most colors available, and offer the 17oz size (shown) and the 24oz, as well as the 17oz Cattitude.

If you are not familiar with I-pots (short for infuser pots) they are ceramic teapots with a double mesh stainless steel infuser inside, that lifts out, and a flip up stainless steel lid. The lid clips on and off for easy washing. All parts of the teapot are microwave and dishwasher safe, and they are made of colorful lead-free ceramic.

You can buy them online and in our Gourmet Fusion store at the Leaping Lotus, Solana Beach.

I-Pot Sale at Gourmet Fusion

It's tea time again at Gourmet Fusion, and all our 17oz and 24oz I-Pots are on sale through January 31.

A great way to start the new year and brighten up your kitchen ready for spring - our new stock of spring colors has just arrived, including Pink Blossom, Sky Blue and Sugar Coral. I-Pots are not only modern, but practical, as well. The lead free ceramic contemporary teapot is dishwasher and microwave safe, and comes with a detachable flip-up stainless steel lid and double mesh infuser, also dishwasher safe.


They make a great gift, so why not stock up now for Easter and Mother's Day?

Both sizes are available online or in our Gourmet Fusion Store at the Leaping Lotus, Solana Beach.

I-Pots

Now that the weather is starting to really feel like fall - even here in Southern California - the idea of making a hot drink at the end of a long day sounds like a great idea. With that in mind, the Gourmet Fusion store is introducing several new lines, including the I-pot range of teapots, shown here in the 17 ounce size.

I-Pot which stands for Infuser Pot, is a range of teapots that have a sleek modern design, yet the curved shape is slightly retro. They come in a host of colors ranging from subtle blues and greens, bright primaries of red, yellow and blue, and classic black and white. We are currently stocking the 17 ounce and 24 ounce size in both our online store and the Solana Beach store.

The brightly colored ceramic pot is lead free, and is dishwasher and microwave safe. The double walled stainless steel infuser that sits inside, and the flip top stainless steel lid are both removable for easy cleaning. The infuser is a large enough size to be ideal for use with both tea bags and loose leaf tea. These colorful pots are great for livening up a gloomy, rainy day in any kitchen, and make wonderful gifts!

A Nice Cup of Tea

Tea is an integral part of everyday life in England, where I grew up, and even though I am hooked on Starbucks coffee, whenever I am stressed or have a problem, I automatically put on the kettle and make tea!

Appreciated centuries ago for its reviving qualities, a cup of sweet, strong tea is still regarded by many Londoners as a cure-all for minor ailments and fatigue, and by simply putting on the kettle, they feel they are making progress in solving whatever is troubling them.

Londoners were formally introduced to tea in 1664, when the East India Company began to import tea from China. Coffee houses soon began to sell tea to drink at home, and by 1707 it was well established as a fashionable, if expensive, drink and while gentlemen enjoyed it in coffee houses, gentlewomen made clear green or black tea in the Chinese style, without milk or sugar for their guests in the evening. Tea only became widely available to the poor in 1784, when the government removed the high excise duty on tea leaves. Mid-morning tea breaks were routine by the end of the nineteenth century and at many firms, a "tea lady" was employed to wheel a trolley around the office with an urn of tea, milk, sugar and biscuits. Today, tea drinking has once again become popular, with the availability of rare and interesting varieties from companies such as Twinings and Fortnum & Mason. So how do you make the perfect cup of tea?

The Perfect Cup of Tea

1. Boiling the Water. The water should be brought just to the boil for brewing black tea and be just off the boil, for preparing more delicate green or white teas. The ideal pot for brewing tea contains a small perforated holder (infuser) for the tea leaves. The holder can be removed or sealed with a plunger once the tea has been brewed sufficiently.
2. Brewing the Tea Leaves. The teapot is warmed with hot water just before the leaves are added. Traditionally, British tea drinkers allow 1 teaspoon of loose-leaf tea per person, plus 1 extra teaspoon for the pot, but most tea experts recommend experimenting to taste. Large-leaf teas can be brewed for 4-5 minutes; small leaf teas need only 2-3 minutes.
3. Serving The Tea. Britons drink their tea black or white (with milk), or with a slice of lemon. There is much debate about the correct way to serve the milk, but most believe that it should be poured into the cup before the tea is slowly added. (more information on tea can be found in the Williams-Sonoma book, London).
   

So why not dust off the teapot and buy some tea (or tea bags) and the next time you are feeling blue, do what the English do - put the kettle on and make a nice cup of tea. The English bone china Royale Amber Teapot-for-one pictured at the top of the page can be found at the Gourmet Fusion Store, where this month there is also a free Starbucks Gift Card promotion. Cheers!