I’m still searching for and trying out mugs for accessibility. A family member who has issues with hand-swelling and soreness inspired this quest. I reviewed the CURVD wide-handled mug about a month ago.

This review is of the ceramic Handwarmer Mug from Neher Pottery. I would like to emphasize that the company was not advertising this mug as accessible. In their description on Etsy, they emphasized the “Handwarmer Mugs are designed with an ergonomic pocket so you can wrap your fingers in comforting warmth while you enjoy your favorite beverage.”

In my photos, you can see the mug’s “pocket” into which you can slide your dominant hand. (My family member and I are both left-handed. So, I bought a left-handed version.)

I thought this mug might be more comfortable than a regular mug for the issues my relative has. So, I ordered one for us to try.

Handwarmer Mug Specs

I bought the mug on Etsy. It was regularly priced $24 and on sale for $19.20 at the time I bought it in December 2025.

• Volume: If you fill it reasonably below the top, it holds 16 ounces (450 grams) of liquid.
• Size: 5″ (12.7 cm) tall, diameter about 3.75″ (9.5cm).
• Weight: 1lb. 1 ounce (480 grams) empty. Adding 16 ounces of tea or brings the total weight up to about 2 pounds (918 grams).
• Materials: Stoneware/ceramics, listed as “lead-free.” I chose the “Mystic Water” glaze. At the time I am writing this, this mug is available in 6 other glaze colors on the Neher Pottery shop on Etsy. When I found their Clay in Motion website, I saw they have this handwarmer mug available in over 20 different glazes!
• Care instructions: Listed as dishwasher safe, microwave safe, and ovenproof.

My Thoughts on This Mug

I immediately loved this mug. The vibrant glaze is fun. I also really like being able to wrap my hand around a mug like this, sliding my left hand into the “pocket.” (Again, it’s also available in a right-handed version.) As long as the mug isn’t too hot, to me it’s very cozy and comforting to hold. You’ll want to be careful though–without a handle to give you some distance from the hot liquid, it wouldn’t be safe to hold right after pouring boiling liquid in.

I also immediately suspected that this mug wouldn’t be great for the specific physical challenge that my relative has with her hands. The pocket is fun, but I could only slide my fingers in about up to the knuckle closest to my fingernails. So, if you couldn’t grip around the mug well, that pocket probably isn’t going to help keep the mug steady.

The handwarmer mug is also slightly heavier than the previous CURVD mug that I previously reviewed. I already knew that the weight was the one downside my relative reported about that CURVD mug, even she uses it often and prefers it to her other, regular mugs.

User’s Reaction and Bottom Line

As I suspected, the pocket wasn’t wide or deep enough for my relative’s swollen hands. She held it, went to put her fingers in the pocket and immediately said it wouldn’t work. I know the weight would have also been an issue since it’s heavier than the previous mug.

I’d like to conclude this mug review by declaring that for me, this mug is lovely and feels great to hold…if you don’t have swollen and weakened fingers. So, my hope that it might be accessible–even though it wasn’t advertised that way–didn’t pan out. On the other hand, I gained a beautiful new mug that I enjoy to use to warm my hands and sip tea.

So far, the CURVD mug (the white mug with the wide handle in the nearby photo) is the most accessible for my relative, but not perfect for her needs. I’ll keep searching for the perfect accessible mug for her!

If you have any suggestions, I’d love to hear them! Please share them in the comments.

Check out other posts on my blog about accessibility and tea:

• Why Tea Bags Stay in My Cupboard
• Accessible Mug Review: CURVD

The post Handwarmer Mug: Accessibility Review appeared first on Tea Infusiast.

In this April 2024 Edition

Offerings

Spring Rest Kit for Tea Lovers is Live!

It’s always exciting to work on something for months and then see it out in the world! My online Spring Rest Kit for Tea Lovers is now live.

Instead of waiting for your pre-order, now you can simply purchase the kit and receive it right away. So, if you are looking for practices and inspiration for convenient and mindful tea time, the Spring kit is here to help! It’s also possible to give the kit as a gift.

Teaware Talk: Rosenthal Duchess

April’s highlighted teaware from my collection was passed down through the family.

Backstory of This Teacup

My mother-in-law, Anneli, had boxes with many, many pieces of a Rosenthal Duchess china set. She brought the set in Germany before she married my husband’s father.

She admired them in a specialty store one day. Some time later, she was still thinking about the beautiful china set but not planning to purchase them. She told her fiancé, my future father-in-law, and even took him to see them.

Seeing how she admired it, he encouraged her to get the set. Anneli reminisced about bringing the Rosenthal set to her apartment, writing:

I remember that Friday evening after work, with the whole weekend free before me; I remember the feeling of wellbeing and happiness and satisfaction that I felt.

Her response really touched me. How wonderful that our conversation about this teacup led her to recall the encouragement from her future-husband and the warm feelings of bringing this china set home.

The Set Moves to Our Home

Fast forward decades later in the United States. This set was no longer in use. My husband was helping his mom go through things some years ago. They opened the boxes that contained this china. Generously, Anneli gave us the set.

We use the dinnerware piece from this Rosenthal set often, usually on Shabbat or when we have guests over. Still, we all know we’re here to talk about the TEA cups! Teacups and saucers from this set are in regular rotation for tea time.

The teacups are ivory with a gold and platinum band and a gold loop handle. They have a coordinating saucer. The cups are short and wide, holding 6 ounces (about 200ml) when filled to the very top.

Reasons I Love These Teacups

There are many reasons I often reach for one of these teacups.

I love this pattern! It goes with everything.

The wide opening allows my tea to cool to a comfortable drinking temperature without much delay.

The size is great! I can pour about 4 ounces or about 150ml of tea into this cup, making it perfect for western-style tea or for drinking tea I prepare more toward gongfu style.

Although this Rosenthal Duchess teacup isn’t the traditional teaware for East Frisian tea, I particularly love to drink that tea from it. It’s perfect to drink in three sips.

I’ll stop here to underscore the most important thing.

When I drink tea from a piece from this set, it makes me feel closer to my mother-in-law despite the distance that separates us.

Amazing how tea and teaware can connect us across time and space, isn’t it? That’s the story of this Rosenthal Duchess teacup.

Recent Teahouse Visits in NYC

“Tea Journey” at T Shop

I trekked into Manhattan to visit T Shop again.

Although I’ve enjoying having gongfu tea there several times before, this was the first time I sat at their counter and enjoyed a “tea journey.”

Hyun Lee, one of the owners, took me through several infusions of two teas and a tisane. (It could have been more infusions and three teas if I weren’t caffeine-sensitive.)

She helped me choose by discussing what kind of teas I like, what I was interested in trying, the weather that day, and so on. I also got to choose which of their teacups to use, which I found fun!

With guidance and her company, Hyun steeped Li Shan Reserve, Hadong Hwang Cha, and (when I couldn’t have more caffeine) Persimmon Leaves from Boseong. The Li Shan is from Taiwan and the Hwang Cha and Persimmon Leaves are from Korea. I really enjoyed all three!

It was a wonderful experience. I learned a lot from tasting and the discussion with Hyun.

Also, did you see the way some of the steeped Hwang Cha leaves, in the photo above, looked like a beautiful, old-fashioned calligraphy “T?” I was very charmed.

For details about T Shop, photos of the interior, etc., see my earlier post Review of T Shop in NYC.

Tea Pet Sibling Reunion at Té Company

I also carried one of my tea pets, Bonsai #TheMightyMicroTurtle, into NYC to meet up with a European tea friend who was visiting New York AND happens to be the human companion of one of Bonsai’s siblings–Rosemarin.

Both turtles are related to Herb the Traveling Tea Turtle and made by Michell Hovey, a generous member of the communiTEA.

We met up at the always delightful Té Company. You can read my review of Té Company here.

I had a lovely time with everyone, including the very kind and delightful human being who is Rosemarin’s human companion. I just how tea brings people together!

ICYMI: Recent on the Blog

This is a story of how I grew up paying attention to the mouthfeel of tea, lost it, and am getting it back.

This post also explains mouthfeel.

Mouthfeel of Tea

Also on the blog recently, I shared how I led my first in-person tea event: Tea as a Gateway to Mindfulness.

I’ve offered dozens of online events over the past few years–many solo, some collaborations.

These online offerings have included my Virtual Tea Table series, Build Your Own Rest Practice workshop, Story of a Teacup, and so on. A few weeks ago, I was excited to finally lead an in-person tea event!

Read more about My In-Person event here

New to Loose-Leaf Tea or Looking for Infuser Ideas?

This is an older post, but still relevant for anyone interested in moving from tea bags to loose-leaf tea or looking for advice about steeping loose-leaf teas.

What are the practical considerations to start using loose leaf tea? It’s relatively easy to use once you know a few basics! This post provide advice on how get started with loose leaf tea.

It explores: what to use to steep loose leaf tea, how much tea to use per serving, and how long to steep.

I’ve also taken a reel that I originally shared on Instagram and added it to YouTube for convenient accessibility.

If you are interested in an under-30-second video that shows my favorite loose-leaf tea infuser baskets, including their pros and cons, this video is for you!

Go to: Let’s Talk Tea Infuser Baskets (Video)

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Read on for Nicole’s advice on packing teaware for outdoor sessions, the reactions of other hikers, a tip for taking tea photos in nature, what Nicole adds to her kit during bear season, and more!

Here’s our interview. My questions are in bold font. Nicole’s responses are italicized in the bullet points that follow each question.

Preparing to Make Art and Tea on the Trail

How do you prepare for hikes with teaware and photography equipment? Has this changed in the last five years? 

Nicole responds:

• First I ought to say that what I call hikes, real hikers would call nature walks. For a mile or less, I prefer wicker baskets, small towels for padding, a flask of tea or a simple pocket stove and stainless steel camp pot. 
• My poor camera – once the star of the show- is relegated to a neck strap or small backpack. For longer hikes, up to 6 or 7 miles, I pack less, actually. Everything -camera, lenses, teacup/saucer, & flask fits into one backpack. No pocket stove; but I bring trekking poles, basic first aid kit, and during bear season I bring an air horn. 
• This is a bit different from the beginning – I used a lot more bubble wrap back then! Cloth and wicker are versatile- they look pretty in pictures, too. I also used to bring more camera equipment, multiple lenses, tripod and such.

Is there an art to choosing which teaware to pack for a particular hike? How to you choose? 

Nicole shares:

• Almost always, this depends on the tea. The cup shape, as well as the texture of porcelain, is optimal for certain types of tea.  I have several cups I only use only for greens, others for white, others for flavored teas. One is my favorite for Darjeeling. Espresso cups are ideal for gong fu cha.  

Limits and Costs of Art

Are there any teacups in your collection that you wouldn’t take on any hikes? Why? 

Nicole candidly admits:

• Yes, indeed! One passed down from my great-grandmother; and certain others gifted from dear friends. I have a few sets 200+ years old. Such special cups might get their picture taken outside, but they certainly don’t go on any rough terrain. 

Have you ever broken any teaware on a hike? (You knew that question was coming, right?) 

Nicole reveals:

• On a hike? No, to my complete surprise; however, getting it back in the car (or out of it), washing it in the sink, or playing around in my own yard. Maybe in those situations I’m less careful. Bone china is remarkably resilient. It will bounce off logs and leafy ground with never a scratch. The two factors that seem to make it most vulnerable: if it has even the tiniest chip or crack, or if it contacts something manmade.  

On the Trail with Tea

What reactions do you get when other hikers run across you drinking tea out of porcelain cups or taking art photos of teaware on the trail?  

Nicole, amused, replies:

• I love this question! Its pretty humorous- some carefully avoid the eccentric lady, and keep their children close. Then there are the intensely curious, trying to hide it. Others are friendly and openly amused. On a hike in Hawaii, one hiker asked if she could take a picture of my tea setup! 

What’s your favorite and least favorite part of hiking with teaware? 

Nicole thoughtfully shares:

• So this is a paradox. Incorporating a somewhat formal tea setting into a hike can make me fully present; more aware of my surroundings. That’s my favorite part. But sometimes the desire to capture and share the tea session is, also, distracting. I guess you could say that my favorite part is slowing down to notice the beautiful details. My least favorite is when the desire to be “Insta worthy” makes actually perfect details seem somehow “less than.”  

If you could give tea lovers one piece of advice for taking a good outdoor tea shot, what would that be? 

Nicole shares some advice:

• Find the sunlight. You [Traci @teainfusiast] started the hashtag #SunShiningInMyTea and I love that! Tea is quite luminous, and contains a surprising spectrum of colors. If I could only give one piece of advice, it would be to shoot from an angle where the sunlight hits the tea like a prism.  

Reflecting on the Journey

How has the experience of these five years of the art project consciously taking and photographing tea on the trail been the same and different from what you expected? 

Nicole reflects:

• Nature is healing, that’s still the same. My overall message- that one should use the good china, not leave it on the shelf- has only gotten stronger.  [Traci can’t help but adding “Absolutely” to these sentiments!]
• I thought I knew tea at the beginning, which is laughable! You could say that back then, I thought I knew more than I know now! Learning about the history of porcelain, that’s been a unexpected pleasure. I must say I wasn’t quite expecting to acquire so many wicker baskets and vintage linens. I’m not, by nature, a collector of things.  
• The generosity of the tea community has been a delightful surprise. And, to be frank, I started this with more of a focus on portraying the experience, rather than personally experiencing it. So now the journalistic part of what I do has become more authentic… which is more challenging, but overall more rewarding.  

What surprised you about the @tea_on_the_trail Instagram or Tea on the Trail Facebook accounts that you run? 

Nicole responds:

• The mysterious algorithm, I must say. The advice about how to work it gets outdated pretty fast. Eventually, I gave up on the algorithm and just starting posting “really me.” This results in posting more personal thoughts than I expected to. 

Selling the Art Work

I note that your photography website sell prints and mugs of some of your beautiful tea on the trail art shots. Do you know who your customers tend to be–for example, are they teahouses, tea professionals, individual tea lovers, or a mix? 

Nicole shares:

• Not so much, although I am quite curious! Sometimes, with my (non-tea) art photography, family or myself notice my work in commercial applications. So, my dream, sort of, has been to come upon my prints hanging in a teahouse. It’s a pretty good excuse to visit every teahouse possible. 

Final Thoughts

If you are a tea lover and aren’t already following Tea on the Trail on Instagram and/or Facebook, I heartily recommend you do! Her photos and thoughts on each session artfully capture the essence of a special tea time. They convey the essence of nature, the changing seasons, and the moods that inspire her choice of tea and teaware for each session. Her tasting notes and reflections on that session’s hike are really helpful and delightful, too! Nicole’s post have inspired me to be braver and think more creatively about what I pack and how I take photos during my own tea walks! (You can read about one extended experience I had with tea in nature in my “Tea in the Canyon” post.)

The post Tea as Art on the Trail appeared first on Tea Infusiast.

Are you ready to get poliTEAcal, Tea Friends?

Hersey’s Critique of Grind Culture

I read Tricia Hersey’s Rest is Resistance in January. What’s more, I keep picking it back up. Hersey draws me in again and again with her skilled storytelling. Her critiques of capitalism, white supremacy, and patriarchy are also powerful. I wholeheartedly recommend this book!

Among her many critiques, Hersey calls out grind culture for framing rest either as something we will postpone until we die, or as something we do to become more productive. Capitalism, in other words, is trying to hijack our rest!

As a tea lover, her criticism of the famous maxim to fill your own cup because “you can’t pour from an empty cup” particularly caught my eye. Who hasn’t repeated this saying, right? 

Who Is Expected to Pour

Hersey notes how the maxim “you can’t pour from an empty cup”  is often directed at women, and calls out the disproportionate burden of labor put upon women–and especially women of color. She notes how the labor of Black and Latina women “”historically has been used to make the lives of white women less hectic and more relaxed” (p. 63). She emphatically declares: “I don’t want to pour anymore. It is time to begin the dismantling of the cult of busyness one person at a time” (p. 63).

I hear that!

Her critique of this saying shook me. On one hand, the maxim is a call for people, especially caregivers, not to become martyrs. It’s a call for caregivers to remember to fill their own cup. And, that’s important. On the other hand, the whole idea that someone fills her cup SO she can pour out some of its contents for someone else is a very instrumental way to look at people–including caregivers. It even sounds like “martyrdom-light.” Thank you, Hersey, for sharing your insights!

Why Is Anyone Pouring from Their Cup?

I kept thinking about this “fill your cup” maxim. Why is anyone pouring from their CUP? And why did I never notice this before?! Capitalism encourages workers to think in terms of competing for and dividing scarce resources (sharing from our own cups) instead of asking the bigger political question. Let’s get that question out in the open. How can resources be distributed differently so we can get a FULL POT OF TEA to share and pour from? No one (and no one group of people) should be asked to be the perpetual server(s) either! Nor should anyone be asked to fill someone else’s cup from their meager portion.

That’s my poliTEAcal take. I’ve posted other thoughts about how capitalism colonizes our thinkin–for example “Resist the Cult of Productivity.” In that post, I also share how a thoughtful tea practice can push back against this pressure. As someone who feels the power of tea, I’m interested in how we might rework the “pouring from an empty cup” saying. How could we improve or rewrite this maxim? Any ideas, Tea Friends?

Want to stay connected? Subscribe to Tea Infusiast News, our monthly newsletter. Learn about spotlighted members of the communiTEA, enjoy advanced notice and discounts about some tea-related events and new projects I have in the works, and more!

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I read about people who lost their sense of smell and taste while they had COVID-19. For me, however, it was hard to fully appreciate what that would be like until I also temporarily lost these senses. Tea is an important part of my life. So, I was determined to find a way to continue to enjoy tea when I couldn’t taste or smell it.

Losing My Taste and Smell

I always imagined that people who lost their sense of smell and taste while sick with COVID-19 had really bad cases. So, when I had a relatively mild case–not much congestion, only a mild cough for a few days–I was surprised when I noticed that my sense of smell and taste were really diminished.

I was making some masala chai–thinking to load up on healthy herbs and spices–and immediately noted that I couldn’t smell the fresh ginger root that was so fragrant the day before. I could only very faintly smell the cinnamon, too! The most disconcerting revelation that day was sampling maple syrup, which usually has a really robust flavor to me. No taste AT ALL! It had zero flavor or even sweetness.

The next day, I more or less lost all my sense of smell and taste except for salty and sour. Strangely, tea tasted mildly salty to me. (I tried a malty East Frisian blend and a normally fragrant Dan Cong. Nothing but mildly salty! Surely black tea with rose and bergamot would register some flavor or aroma. Nope!) The day after that, even tasting table salt was unreliable. I couldn’t smell much of anything. How could I enjoy my tea when I couldn’t enjoy the taste or aroma?

Enjoying Tea by Adding Color

Most tea drinkers love the taste of tea. I say “most” because I have met a few people who don’t enjoy tea but drink it for potential health benefits. That’s not me. I’m a tea drinker first and foremost because I love the taste of many, many teas. So, I needed to rethink how to bring pleasure to a “tasteless” tea session.

At the same time, tea has become so much more than a tasty beverage to me. It can be meditative or social. Mindful tea sessions, in particular, have been incredibly helpful in bringing me into the fullness of the present moment. And, I usually start those sessions by paying attention to the aroma of the dry leaves and how their aroma, and eventually flavor, release in the hot water over time. So, enjoying tea time when I couldn’t taste or smell the leaves or the tea broth became the goal.

I’m a visual person. And, I love robust colors. My tea time lately had focused on teaware with muted colors. (I love them, too, now.) So, I tapped back into my love of color and chose some of my boldly colored teacups. Then, I went searching for a bright cloth for the tea table. I found a piece of gorgeous red fabric I bought a few years ago. YES!

Enjoying Tea with Touch and Sound

But, I didn’t want this tea time to be only about the teaware and accessories. So, I focused on appreciating the tactile pleasures of the tea leaves. To do so, I put my dried tea leaves in a small dish, washed and dried my hands, and gently ran my fingers through them. (I learned to better appreciate touching tea leaves from tea sessions guided by Sooz from Being Tea. Thanks, Sooz! I highly recommend this practice.)

Additionally, I reminded myself that I was already a big fan of the sounds of preparing and pouring tea. This was another avenue to enjoy tea when I couldn’t taste it. Thus, I gently called my attention to the hiss and patter of the water heating in the kettle and the whoosh of the dried leaves sliding into the teapot. I then focused on the gurgle of the steeped tea pouring into my cup. (If you are interested, you can check out my post on “Tea Soundscapes and Mindfulness.” )

I’m not going to sugar coat this experience: it was still disappointing to bring the cup to my nose and lips and not smell or taste much of anything. But, enjoying the other aspects of tea time still brought me a lot of pleasure. It also provided a meaningful encounter with my dear friend, Tea.

In summary, colorful teaware and accessories, as well as attention to the feel of the leaves and the sounds of preparing my cuppa, helped me enjoy tea when I couldn’t taste it. The pleasure of giving my tea pets a little tea shower didn’t hurt either! (Check out my post: “What Can a Tea Pet Can Add to Your Practice.”)

Have you ever lost your sense of taste and smell? How did YOU navigate that?

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