Tea Making Alarm Clock

Brand: Swan
Model: STM201
Category: Home & Office
Price: $69.99  (63 customer reviews)
Dimension: 8.0 x 13.0 x 9.0 inches
Shipping Wt: 2.00 pounds. FREE Shipping (Details)
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Average Rating: 3.7 out of 5 stars
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Product Description

There's no better way to start the morning than with a steaming mug of tea. Legendary British housewares brand Swan knows this, which is why they've updated its iconic Teasmade appliance and brought it in to the here and now. Featuring a revised sleek and sophisticated design but maintaining the aesthetics that made it so popular upon its inception, the Swan Teasmade is not only a stylish addition to the bedroom but multi-functional too. Never over-sleep again thanks to the built-in alarm.

Features

  • Tea maker and alarm clock all in one!
  • 20oz capacity and rapid boiling water function
  • Compact bedside design
  • Wired exclusively for the US/Canadian market
  • Alarm function that sounds after boiling is complete

Top Reviews

Love it.
by Tess (5 out of 5 stars)
February 9, 2017

Best thing I've bought on Amazon. It was a bit expensive and before this, I just used cheap a programmable coffee pot to brew hot water, but I had to rely on my phone alarm for the actual alarm, and honestly, this just looks nicer on my nightstand and goes better with the overall look of our bedroom.

The loud woosh of it emptying into the pot really wakes me up, and if I am really deeply asleep, the beeping does wake me up. It heats up 20oz of water, which is enough for a couple mugs of tea while I scroll through Instagram and check the weather. Just make sure the pot is seated right or it won't brew in the morning!

It has 4 settings: Brew Tea at the alarm time then beep, just beep at the alarm time, snooze, and immediately brew. I typically brew a pot of hot water before I start my bedtime routine so I have a cup of tea to drink while I set out my clothes for the next day and write in my journal, then I refill it for the morning, and set out a clean cup, a bag of tea, and drape a tea/kitchen towel over the clockface to dim the red indicator light. I highly suggest having a towel nearby. It isn't hard to pour, but I found my half-asleep self is a bit messy when pouring, and having a towel was handy.

I originally used it to cover the backlight for the clock. The clock's backlight is a bit bright, even when dimmed all the way. My husband was able to open it and removed the LED light for the backlight all together. But before he did that, a small piece of electric tape and a small towel draped over the top to cover the clock was enough to make the room dark again.
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I love this thing
by TRS (5 out of 5 stars)
September 6, 2017

Okay, I love this thing! I wonder why it took so long to have a version for the US? Anyway, I know what Teasmade detractors say: "who has time to have tea in bed?" I agree. Who has time (or desire) to lay around in bed having tea: I don't, and that's really not why I wanted one of these. I don't sleep well, and tend to be an early riser, so anything to help me stay organized and "˜jump-start' the morning is a welcome addition. My bedroom is far from the kitchen, and I found that going to the kitchen after taking a shower and waiting on the water to boil, I would get sidetracked starting all of the various chores left over from the night before or necessary in the morning and would end up feeling rushed and disorganized! I've tried automatic tea kettles in the past (these are hard to find) and even using coffee makers with timers to just heat the water; but, in each case, I found the water not hot enough for tea or pour-over coffee. It was usually serving temperature, but not hot enough to brew. Even electric teakettles, now that they all have automatic shut-off as soon as the water starts to boil, don't seem hot enough to me. I've been using a Chemex glass stove top teakettle, where I can let the water come to a "˜rolling-boil' and then take it off the heat to cool a little bit before pouring over tea leaves or pour over coffee.

The Swan Teasmade makes the water very hot! Water is placed in a tank with a sealed lid, so that when it boils and converts to vapor (steam), there is nowhere for the steam to escape except a small tube that sends the steam to the tea pot; once the vapor (steam) contacts the air, it converts back to liquid; so, you are getting water that is very hot - just off a rolling boil hot, and I think that is perfect for black tea, red tea, and pour over coffee. Since the teapot is ceramic, it holds the heat better than glass or metal, in my opinion.

The unit itself is small enough to fit on a nightstand or dresser in a bedroom. The clock does make a ticking sound, though some reviews say it doesn't. It's a soft, rhythmic, slow ticking of a quartz movement, not a loud incessant ticking of a wind up clock. It doesn't bother me, but a sleeper sensitive to sound may be distracted or need to move it away from the bed. It's really not loud, though, in my opinion. The clock face has a lighted dial - mine is a blue/grey light, but some seem to be an orange-red light. It is very bright when you first plug it in; but, there is an adjustment. Under the lid top (that doubles as a tray), two knobs set the time and alarm. A third knob, with a graphic of an asterisk, dims the display, but there is no way to turn it all the way off. At full strength (all the way clockwise), it is VERY bright, but at the most dim (all the way counter-clock-wise), it is a soft grey light that really doesn't even provide enough light to view all numerals on the clock face. It's not distracting to me, but for those sensitive to light at night or who prefer total darkness, it is understandable that this could be distracting. The time is pretty easy to set, and the clock keeps excellent time; I have never had to reset it, despite what some reviews say. The alarm setting can be a little challenging, because I think we are all used to digital setting on our phones! If you want 5:43 or 6:03; that's easy on a digital clock/phone app; but, on analog clock, setting anything but the hour takes work. Alarm setting on the hour is easy: just put the red alarm hand indicator over the hour numeral. For other settings, you have to guess and try for a few days. Each hour is divided by four lines, but the oval elongated face makes these settings somewhat vague. It's not a 24 hour setting, so you can practice in the afternoon/evening to see if you've got it correct. Or wait until it gets to the time you want the water to heat and the alarm to go off, and move the alarm hand to that time. I tend to wake up without any alarm and like to shower before coffee or tea, so I've gotten it to begin the process of heating the water just as I'm out of the shower.

Setting the system is pretty easy. You've got to fill the water tank, add tea leaves, tea bags, or nothing for just hot water to the tea pot the night before. There is a safety switch in the well where the teapot fits, and it must be fully depressed or the water will not boil. The teapot pushes the switch in, and a lip on the base of the unit holds the teapot in place. This can be a little tricky until you get used to it. If a red light under the left switch with a tea pot icon does not light when the switch is up to SET or down to NOW, the pot is not correctly placed. The switch on the right controls the system and the alarm sound. In the middle position, the alarm/system is OFF. Up to SET means the alarm will sound at the preset time, and DOWN to snooze adds about five minutes to the alarm. - The Left Switch is the Water Boil control. In the middle position, the water boil is OFF. Up to SET makes the water boil at the preset time (before the alarm rings). The DOWN position, NOW, is used to boil water on-demand. So, to have the water to boil and the alarm to ring at the preset time, put both switches UP to SET. The water is rapid boil and takes about five minutes to fully boil and deposit in the teapot. A few seconds after the water enters the pot with a whoosh, the alarm will ring. Move both switches to OFF (middle), or just the left switch to middle if you're using the NOW (on-demand) function. When I use the Teasmade to make tea over loose tea leaves, I move the Alarm switch to snooze after it rings, so I can let the tea steep for about 5 minutes. If I am using just water for pour-over coffee, I don't do this. I find the teapot makes enough water to fill (perfectly) a 3 cup Chemex pour over pot. The alarm is a beeping sound, similar to most clocks on the market; it's not aggressively loud, and the water boil and whoosh is much louder!

I like the top that doubles as a tray; I didn't think I would use it, but I do. For tea, I don't use sugar, but I do use milk, so I keep that in a small Yeti thermos. For coffee, I don't use sugar or milk. I keep a small bowl to place the tea strainer after I pour out the tea, or to put the filter/grounds when making coffee. I keep a larger tray so that I can take everything, including the teapot, to the kitchen and dump trash and put in stuff in the dishwasher to have ready to set up for the following night. To me, having tea or coffee without having to go to the kitchen saves time, and makes me feel more organized and less stressed! I still have to do all of the things that need doing, but I'm getting dressed, leaving the bedroom/bathroom and not making multiple trips across the house before doing those things.

Some things that could be improved: adding the ability to turn off the light: the dimming switch is there, just add a click that would turn it off fully (not an issue for me, but may be for some). The teapot is well constructed, and the lid has points and grooves to keep it in place; however, the center of the lid has a large hole where the water enters the pot. This hole releases a lot of heat/steam and makes it difficult to touch the top while pouring. I put a large cork in the hole or use a small towel to cover it. I know it is necessary, but it would be nice to include some type of plug/top that could be put in the top for pouring after the water is deposited in the pot.

Wish List: A larger model! Two/Three cups is great; but a larger version could be useful at times when more than one or two people need to be served.

Overall, a great purchase! I'm considering buying another for the kitchen to use in the NOW mode, or even the office, so I don't have to use the breakroom! I'd love it on the desk. I like the large clock face, and in the kitchen and office would be another welcome asset.
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a great whooosh of boiling water
by Amanda Doherty (5 out of 5 stars)
February 1, 2017

My life is changed! Finally, a civilized way to wake up in the morning. It's magnificent; a great whooosh of boiling water, then the pleasing aroma of strong asam tea steeping and a gentle beep to wake you. One snooze cycle is the perfect steeping time for black tea! The top is a perfectly sized little tea tray to hold my waiting cup and a little jug of milk! I am writing this at 7am! 7! In time, I think my husband will adjust, and learn to appreciate that I am no longer a complete ogre in the morning. My only regret is that I was 43 before I found this miracle of mornings.
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Wife loves her tea in bed
by 1973 Hog (5 out of 5 stars)
November 14, 2017

The wife loves her Teas Made. All I have to do is fill the tank and set the time and we wake up to the sound of the heated water. I do have to get up and get fresh milk, but that part is simple. Wish the clock was digital instead of analog. Sometimes hard to guess what time is set to.
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Waking up to freshly boiled tea is great
by Trevor Townsend (4 out of 5 stars)
March 25, 2016

Works exactly as advertised! The unit quickly boils the water - takes about 4 minutes - and then automatically pours it into the teapot. [Note: the water is boiling - not just hot. Any Brit will tell you that boiling the water makes the best tea.] The teapot makes enough tea for 2 medium-sized (i.e. standard) mugs, or one large mug of tea. There is a convenient flat tray that fits on top where you can put your mug once tea is made.

The alarm feature works well, starting the teamaking process like clockwork. The process of boiling the water makes sound, of course. So the alarm is actually very effective. I always wake up to the sound of the machine boiling the water. Afetr the water is boiled and is poured into the teapot, the machine starts beeping. The first morning, the cats were fascinated. The only thing unreliable about it is me: I've forgotten to put the teabag in once, and another time forgot to put the water in the tank. That morning I discovered that it has a loud buzzer that goes off when there is no water in the tank -- a good safety feature for sleepy forgetful people like me. All in all, a welcome addition and a happy reminder of days gone by.
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It was a Best Buy if 2018
by mojom (5 out of 5 stars)
February 23, 2019

I'm really happy with the purchase,looks great,works fantastic! And now I can move all my electronics(iPad,iPhone) away from the bed to another room,because I don't have any more excuse for the alarm. So no WiFi next to bed any more,and I go to bed much earlier,no distractions before bed time:) two birds with one stone! Or I should say three birds ;) in the morning I wake up with a wonderful tea smell.
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Great way to wake up!
by Liz (5 out of 5 stars)
January 23, 2018

When I received the Swan Vintage Teasmade, the tea pot's lid was broken. I contacted the dealer about replacing the lid. They were very quick to give me a whole new clock and tea pot. I now enjoy having a cup of tea every morning. The water whooshing through the system and the alarm are loud enough to wake me up to a lovely cup of tea.
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Used once
by dave stone (1 out of 5 stars)
April 22, 2019

So excited to receive this as a birthday present .

I set it up as recommended and made an instant hot pot if tea .

Carefully set it up with the alarm and tea set to wake me up .

Both lights are on , clock set, nothing ??

No alarm or tea .

Tried numerous times nothing is working ?

Lights are on ok ? He pot set correctly .

No help line to call .

Email the contact email sent back ?

What to do now ??
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Great product!
by Jen (5 out of 5 stars)
March 26, 2019

We ordered one of these a few weeks ago and are delighted with it. The 'on' switch didn't work so Amazon sent a new Teasmade without any fuss, even before the initial one was returned. The second one works great and is kept in constant use. The Whoosh sound is entertaining, the ceramic pot keeps the tea hot, the alarm just loud enough, and it is nice to have an analog clock again. We would happily buy this again.

Update: stopped working after 2 weeks. The issue seemed to be the same switch that did not work on the first one. We liked the product and are sorry that it was not reliable. However, we were granted a refund and are pleased with the service.
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Seemed like a good idea to help me wake up early
by Stephen Zukowski (2 out of 5 stars)
May 23, 2018

Seemed like a good idea to help me wake up early, but it's kinda dumb actually now that I have it. That and the clock is mechanical so it makes those ticking noises every second which makes it difficult for me to go to sleep.

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