Water & Air – Filter Systems News

Drinking tea is as much a ritual as it is delicious. But how do you make that perfect glass of tea? Believe it or not, water is the most crucial part. Many teas have a variety of subtle flavors that can be masked or destroyed by poor water quality that contains heavy concentrations of iron or other impurities. With that in mind, make sure you know the quality of your water beforehand as it will have an impact on your tea. If you know that the quality of your water isn’t too good, or if it is at least questionable, try looking at one of these countertop water filer systems:

The Cuisinart CleanWater CounterTop Water Filter is a 2 gallon capacity home water filter system that sits directly on your counter. This system provides fresh, clean and purified water for drinking, cooking, brewing coffee or tea, and more. This Cuisinart CleanWater filter system dispenses hot water (up to about 194 degrees Fahrenheit), cold water (as low as 44 degrees Fahrenheit), as well as room temperature water. This countertop water filter takes the Cusinart CleanWater Countertop Replacement Filter.

The Doulton HCPS Twin Countertop Water Filter System is a free standing twin housing counter-top water filtration system that easily connects to your existing kitchen sink faucet. The Doulton Counter Top Filter System has a lever to divert water to the ceramic filter and out the spout. The ceramic filter is self sterilizing, re-cleanable and simple to install. The Doulton UlraCarb Ceramic Filter Candle is sold separately.

Now that you have the water part out of the way, what about the rest of the steps? They’re easy and simple, so follow along and you’ll be brewing your best cup of tea in no time! Remember, preparation steps may vary slightly depending on the tea you are making.

1. As mentioned earlier, water quality is critical. It is best to start with cold water which retains more oxygen for more flavor. Also, don’t boil the same water over and over, as it will deplete the oxygen.
2. Begin to boil the water in your teapot or cup.
3. Use one bag per cup. Pour the boiled water on the tea bag into your teapot or cup and brew for 3-5 minutes. Keep in mind, brew time may vary from tea to tea, so it is best to look at the recommended brewing time for each tea.
4. Squeeze the bag gently against the side of the teapot or cup with a spoon. Stir once, then gently squeeze again.
5. Place or set the tea in the refrigerator to allow it to cool down. Two-three hours should be sufficient.
6. When chilled, it is ready to drink. Just add ice cubes to a tall glass and pour the iced tea into the glass.

There you have it! A perfect glass of iced tea. Remember, water quality is a big part of the taste of tea so be sure you have quality water before brewing. We want to know, what is your favorite flavor of tea?

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in partnership with the Department of Energy (DOE) has developed a new water quality software to improve our drinking water systems and ensure the safety of our nation’s water supply. The software is named “Canary,” perhaps taken from the phrase “canary in a coalmine“; when one canary dies down below, miners are alerted to evacuate immediately.

The software works in conjunction with water quality sensors placed throughout the water supply that can detect a variety of biological and chemical contaminants like pesticides, metals and pathogens. When contamination is detected, a “Do Not Drink” alert can be issued.

Canary was piloted by the Greater Cincinnati Water Works utility in 2007. It is available worldwide and is currently being evaluated in four U.S. cities – New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and San Francisco – as well as in Singapore.

This innovative software is certainly an achievement. However, it will still require the use of disinfecting chemicals like chlorine to rid water of harmful contaminants. These chemicals give water a bad taste and are toxic over time. The safety of your drinking water can be further improved with the use of a water filter system that effectively removes chlorine, pesticides, metals and other contaminants. And if a “Do Not Drink” alert is ever issued in your city, you may not have to heed the warning.

The Facebook giveaways are drawing to a close, but before they end, we want to hear from all of our Facebook fans:

What will you do with the $250 Visa gift card grand prize? (That is, if you win…)

We have launched a new poll (to the right) where you may cast your vote. The options are:

1. Pay your water bill.

2. Buy a new water filter system (from Filters Fast, of course!)

3. Buy an air purifier

4. Give it away to a water charity

5. Other

Of course you don’t have to do any of these things. These are just our suggestions. We have included “other” as an option, in case you have a better idea. All we ask is that if you choose “other”, please specify what you will do in a comment on our Facebook page. We have also given you the option to choose more than one answer – in hopes that your water bill is significantly less than $250 (as it should be, if you’re doing your part to conserve and take care of our planet!)

If you have read this far and have no idea what we’re talking about, click here to see how you can enter to win $250 and more with Filters Fast!

Happy polling!