Of the many magical caffeinated elixirs responsible for turning us from sleepy zombies into functional human beings, coffee undoubtedly gets the most attention. But now, one machine is looking to spread the love and shine some light on another c-drink: chai.
Perhaps part of coffee’s popularity stems from the variety of methods to make it — from single touch brewing to one cup dispensing, it seems like we’ve thought of it all. Springboarding off this trend is Chime. Effectively a Keurig for chai, this machine combines whole tea and spices in a brewing chamber to steep while milk simmers below. Then, the Chime combines the two key components of a great chai latte “to create a harmony of aroma and flavors you only experience with authentic, homemade chai.” Salivating yet?
The tea maker uses Chime Caps, little capsules not unlike the pods you’re used to seeing with coffee makers, only these Caps contain black tea from Assam and Darjeeling in India, not coffee grounds. Flavors include black tea, cardamom, ginger, cardamon ginger, and masala. And while getting a classic cup of chai from its region of origin would take you quite awhile, Chime promises the perfect cup of chai in just three minutes.
The brewer also allows you to adjust the strength, milkiness, and temperature of your beverage to suit your tastes, and adapts to your preferences so that you’re not constantly adjusting and readjusting (because really, who has the time for that in the early morning?).
But if the promise of homemade chai (not the powdered mix you get at chain coffeeshops) isn’t enough for you, the design of the Chime may be of interest as well. Because the main chamber is made of glass, you can keep an eye on your tea the whole time. “It’s not like a black box where you put a cap in and something goes on inside and you get your beverage,” founder Gaurav Chawla told Mashable. “We wanted to show its real process. There’s nothing hidden.”
You can pre-order the Chime for $250, and the company expects to start shipping units out to tea lovers in March 2017.
