Tea connoisseurs rejoice! Brewing the perfect cup of tea has never been easier thanks to the innovative design of Breville's One-Touch Tea Maker. While I can appreciate a good cup of tea as much as the next person, my knowledge of brew times and temperature requirements for different types of tea is somewhat lacking. Even if they are listed on the tea canister, I wouldn't know how to achieve the right temperature. And do I really have the patience to hover over my pot of tea while it steeps for the correct amount of time? Certainly not.

The Breville One-Touch Tea Maker takes the frustration and guess work out of steeping various types tea. The secret lies in the fully automated magnetic tea basket that lowers into the water once it reaches the ideal temperature.


Simply fill the kettle with the necessary amount of water and use the accompanying measuring spoon to scoop your loose tea in the basket, replace the basket lid and return it to the kettle where it connects magnetically. Select from five pre‐programmed tea settings: green, black, white, oolong and herbal teas. A “custom” button allows users the option to select their own unique temperature and steeping time and you can also indicate your preference for a strong, medium or mild tea.

Once the water has reached the ideal temperature, the basket silently cycles in and out of immersion, gently agitating the leaves for a precise tea infusion. When the tea is ready, it brings the basket back up so you never risk over-steeping your tea. The Breville Tea Maker also has a ‘kettle’ mode that allows it to function as a variable temperature kettle without the basket. I use this function often when preparing French-pressed coffee. It has an LCD screen will display the brew time and temperature as well as a Keep Warm feature which will maintain the temperature for one hour.

Tip: During the Keep Warm cycle, the tea will continue to steep so may want to consider reducing the initial tea strength and brew time by using the arrow buttons on either side of the display.

I read that when it comes to being in the kitchen, moms usually fall under one of two categories; the "Cuisine Queen" who loves to cook, tries out new recipes and can whip up a gourmet family dinner from scratch in no time. And then there's the "Master of Multitasking" mom who is likely too short on time to follow a complicated recipe and prefers a quick, easy to prepare meal that still has a gourmet feel. I am one of those moms. Working full-time, taking care of two kids and blogging here on Toronto Teacher Mom sure keeps me busy, which is why I consider myself lucky to have a husband who is a-ma-zing in the kitchen. But no matter how much I try to avoid kitchen duty, there are still plenty of days when I need to prepare most, if not all, of our family's meals. And just the very idea stresses me out. So when it comes to time-saving and simple-to-use culinary tools that will make my meals all the more appealing, I am all over them like white on rice. Here are some shiny kitchen countertop appliances from Breville, currently on sale at The Bay, which would make a great gift for Mother's Day!

Breville Juice Fountain Elite

For the health conscious mom

With easy, lightning-quick operation and simple clean-up, this home kitchen appliance provides 1000W power up to 13,000 RPM for up to 30% more juice than traditional juicers. Over 40,000 filtering pores ensure smooth and delicious refreshment. Breville’s patented Nutri Disc™ stainless steel filter basket and patented juicing system that will extract more nutrients than other juicers and transfers less than 1.8°F of heat to protect enzymes and maximize nutrient absorption.

Breville Tea Maker 

For the mom who has done it all and deserves a little “me” time with a perfectly steeped cup of tea.

The Breville One-Touch Tea Maker has a fully automated magnetic tea basket that lowers into the water once it reaches the ideal temperature and knows when to bring the basket back up so you never risk over-steeping your tea. There are five pre‐programmed tea settings and a “custom” option to select your own unique temperature and steeping time. It also doubles as a variable temperature kettle.

Price: $299.99 on sale at The Bay for $239.99

Breville Smart Waffle 2-Slice

For the comfort food indulging mom.

Breville’s Smart Waffle lets you enjoy delicious, sweet or savoury waffles without the mess of overflowing batter and hard‐to‐clean surfaces. Its unique moat design collects and transforms excess batter into snackable waffle fingers for easy clean up and no waste. It is equipped with an LCD interface, smart crispiness/darkness control and a timer.

Price: $249.99 on sale at The Bay for $199.99