Farewell Gongfu ceremony, hail the machine?

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    • #8627
      Jackie
      Keymaster

      Well, here’s a surprise. I came across a Gongfu (Kungfu) automated teamaker today.  No more awkward ceremonial steps to follow, you just press a button. One button ladies and gents and you’ve got your Chinese tea steeped perfectly. Drastically cuts down on all that time spent Gongfu’ing, so if you’re in a hurry for the perfect cup, or just want to find your inner peace more quickly, this machine has got to be yours. While I don’t mind tea makers that help brew a really good cup, I can’t help thinking that it is a pity if the “possession of great skill” – Gong Fu is now transferred to a machine. Seen at the Xiamen international Tea Fair, for more details peruse my source here:   

      H

      http://www.whatsonxiamen.com/news27719.html

    • #8630
      Jackie
      Keymaster

      @bram Perhaps just thinking about pushing the button should do it. 

      To everyone else: have you read this yet? Yes you. I’m sure you’ll find this interesting… 

    • #8631
      Xavier
      Participant

      Too easy and totally lacking of charm and interest.

    • #8632
      peter
      Keymaster

      The machine has designed models for Tieguanyin, Oolong, Longjing, Dahongpao and 20 other types of tealeaves..

      My Breville handles different tea types all by itself…just with the push of a button. No need for a separate machine on the counter.

      But looking at that picture, that thing is ugly. Looks too much like a kitchen appliance (and a coffee machine). When designing an appliance to make great tea in a ceremonial way (at least to replace the ceremony) there needs to be a visual aspect to it. The machine needs to beautiful or have an engineering that is artistic. The Breville succeeds in this, it’s a nice looking machine, but also in operation with its silently lowering basket it is fascinating to watch.
      No reason that engineers can’t include some beauty into their work – the ability to do so is a sign of a good engineer. In engineering school they call it accommodating the human element.
    • #8640
      bram
      Participant

      * @jackie if you use something like this thinking is too much

    • #8649
      Xavier
      Participant

      @Peter true but your Breville doesn’t pretend to do the traditional Chinese tea preparation instead of you.

    • #8681
      Gingko
      Participant

      *Yeah! It looks almost like an American style coffee maker!

      I feel this kind of things would mainly fool Chinese, who don’t use a coffee maker and see it as novel and fancy. I bet this is by far not as good as Breville, although I never fancy Breville either :-p

    • #8869
      Anonymous
      Inactive

      Next, these inventors or others can integrate this technology with the Keurig K-Cup system. The inner peace it brews in a jiffy may be like that afforded by a sort of Huxleyan soma.

    • #8912
      Warren Peltier
      Participant

      *That’s the LePod that brews tea gongfu-style with the press of a button. You can check out their website. Met the CEO a few weeks ago. Lepod

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