GROSCHE Aberdeen Tea Infuser & Smart Tea Maker

Honestly, this is the most common complaint. About 8 reviewers reported the bottom seal leaking or releasing tea unexpectedly. It seems to be a quality consistency issue — some units work perfectly, while others have a looser seal from the start. The good news is that the majority of users don't experience leaking. But if you do get a leaky unit, the bottom-dispensing mechanism is the exact part that's affected, so it's not something you can easily fix yourself.

This is where honesty matters. Several reviewers report durability issues, with some units lasting anywhere from 3 months to 2 years before parts start breaking — fins, lid hinges, and the bottom stopper are the most common failure points. The plastic construction, while BPA-free, is not built for heavy-duty daily use over years. If you're looking for a tea maker that'll last a decade, this probably isn't it. But for the convenience it offers during its lifespan, many users find it worthwhile and simply replace it when needed.

With the GROSCHE Aberdeen, the process is a bit different from a traditional teapot with a basket infuser. You add loose leaf tea directly into the main chamber (or into the removable mesh filter), pour hot water in, close the lid to keep heat in, and steep to your desired strength. Then instead of pouring, you simply place the Aberdeen on top of your mug and the bottom valve opens automatically to dispense the tea. Lift it off when your cup is full, and the drip tray catches any remaining drops.

The GROSCHE Aberdeen is specifically designed as a steeping teapot. Add your tea and hot water, let it steep with the lid on, then set the whole unit on top of your cup. A valve in the bottom opens when it makes contact with the cup rim, and gravity does the rest — your cup fills in about 30 seconds. It eliminates the traditional pour entirely, which means no drips, no mess, and no need for a separate strainer.

Yes, it works with tea bags too. Multiple reviewers mention using it with both bags and loose leaf, which makes it a great transitional tool if you're starting to explore loose leaf but aren't ready to give up tea bags entirely. Just drop the bag in, add water, steep, and set it on your cup. That said, you're not really getting the full benefit of the Aberdeen's design with tea bags — the spacious chamber and fine mesh filter are specifically designed to let loose leaves expand and brew properly.

They use the same basic gravity-dispensing concept, and reviewers who've tried both say the Aberdeen is comparable or even slightly better for convenience. The Aberdeen's spherical design gives leaves more room to expand than some Perfectea models. Since Teavana has been discontinued by Starbucks, the Aberdeen is one of the best remaining options in this category. The GROSCHE also comes with a drip tray coaster, which is a nice touch that some Teavana versions lacked.

The Aberdeen's spacious spherical chamber and fine mesh filter make it versatile across tea types. It excels with loose leaf teas that need room to expand — oolongs, blooming teas, and large-leaf black teas really benefit from the generous brewing space. The fine mesh also handles small-leaf teas and rooibos without letting particles through, which is a problem with many basket-style infusers. Blooming teas are especially fun in the Aberdeen because the clear body lets you watch the whole show.

No — the Aberdeen is made of BPA-free plastic, so it's not stove-safe. You need to heat your water separately in a kettle, then pour it into the Aberdeen for steeping. This is standard for gravity-dispensing tea makers. If you need a stovetop-compatible teapot, you'd want a glass, ceramic, or stainless steel option instead. The Aberdeen is purely a steeper and dispenser, not a kettle.

The dispensing mechanism is triggered by the cup rim pressing against the bottom valve, so cup size and shape matter. Standard mugs work fine, but a couple of reviewers noted that large-mouth or oversized mugs may not trigger the dispensing mechanism properly. Before you buy, check that your favorite mug has a rim that fits within the Aberdeen's base diameter. If your go-to mug is unusually wide, you might have trouble getting a consistent seal.

A couple of reviewers raised concerns about the plastic potentially being affected by very hot water, with isolated reports of melting or damage. While GROSCHE states the product is BPA-free, if this concerns you, you might want to let boiling water cool for a minute before pouring it in. For most teas — green, white, and oolong — you should be using below-boiling temperatures anyway. It's really only black tea and herbal infusions that call for full boiling water.

Yes, the plastic does stain over time, particularly with dark teas like black tea, chai, and pu-erh. This was mentioned by about 4 reviewers. The staining is cosmetic and doesn't affect the taste of your tea, but if you want your tea maker to look pristine after months of use, a glass or ceramic option would be a better bet. Some users minimize staining by rinsing immediately after each use rather than letting tea residue sit.

This is a weak point that several reviewers call out. The handle only fits about two fingers and doesn't provide the most secure grip, especially when the maker is full of hot liquid. If you have larger hands or any grip strength issues, this could be frustrating. It's not a dealbreaker for most users, but it's something to be aware of — you're handling hot liquid, so a more ergonomic handle would be welcome.

The standard Aberdeen holds 17.7 oz (about 525ml), which is typically one large mug or two smaller cups. If you regularly brew for two or more people, GROSCHE also makes a 34 oz version that reviewers mention can handle multiple cups at once. For solo tea drinking, the 17.7 oz size is the sweet spot — enough for a generous cup without too much leftover that might over-steep.

A small number of reviewers (about 3) reported the filter fitting loosely and falling out during use. This seems to be another quality consistency issue rather than a universal design flaw. When properly seated, the filter should stay in place. The elongated nose pin on the filter is designed for easy removal when you want to take it out for cleaning — but ideally, it shouldn't come out on its own during brewing.

A few things matter most: how easy it is to clean, whether it gives your tea leaves room to expand, and how mess-free the brewing process is. The GROSCHE Aberdeen checks all three boxes — the wide circular chamber lets you reach your hand inside for cleaning, the spherical design gives leaves plenty of room to bloom, and the bottom-dispensing mechanism means no dripping or awkward pouring. One thing to consider with any plastic teapot, though, is long-term staining from dark teas like black tea or pu-erh.

For loose leaf tea, having a built-in infuser makes life a lot easier. The GROSCHE Aberdeen takes it a step further with a removable mesh filter that's fine enough to handle small-leaf teas and even rooibos without particles escaping into your cup. The removable design also means you can clean it thoroughly between different teas to prevent flavor contamination. Some enthusiasts even put a smaller mesh ball infuser inside for even easier cleanup.

It depends on the tea type, but the GROSCHE Aberdeen's clear body makes this easier than guessing. Generally: black tea 3-5 minutes, green tea 2-3 minutes, oolong 3-5 minutes, herbal/rooibos 5-7 minutes. One of the Aberdeen's real advantages is that you can visually monitor the color of your brew in real time through the clear chamber and pull it when it looks right. Once you hit your target strength, just set it on your cup to dispense immediately — no over-steeping while you fumble for a strainer.

It depends on what you value most. The GROSCHE Aberdeen stands out for its bottom-dispensing design — you don't pour at all, just set it on your cup and it releases automatically. Reviewers often compare it favorably to the Teavana Perfectea maker for convenience. If your priority is ease of use and cleanup, it's hard to beat. If you want heirloom-quality durability, you might lean toward a glass or ceramic teapot with a stainless steel basket infuser instead.

America's Test Kitchen tends to favor basket-style infusers that give leaves room to expand. The GROSCHE Aberdeen actually excels on that front — its spherical brewing chamber provides generous space for full leaf expansion, which is exactly what you want for proper extraction. The fine mesh filter also keeps particles out of your cup, which is a key criterion in most infuser tests. It's a different approach than a traditional basket infuser, but it delivers on the same principles.

With the Aberdeen, add about one teaspoon of loose leaf per cup into the brewing chamber. Pour water at the right temperature — typically 200-212°F for black tea, 175°F for green, 190°F for oolong. Close the lid to retain heat and let it steep. The clear body is genuinely useful here because you can watch the color develop and judge strength visually. When it looks right, set it on your cup and the tea releases from the bottom. The fine mesh catches even small tea particles so you get a clean cup.

Pre-warming prevents your brewing water from losing temperature when it hits the cold walls of the pot, which can result in under-extracted tea. With the GROSCHE Aberdeen, this is less critical than with ceramic or cast iron teapots because the plastic walls don't absorb as much heat. That said, if you're brewing delicate teas like white or green tea where temperature precision matters, a quick rinse with hot water first won't hurt. The clear body also lets you see if your water temperature is affecting the steep.