The rec.food.drink.tea FAQ talks about machines expressly designed to brew tea automatically.
I WANT ONE!!!
I had a TeaMate by Chef's Choice International, which did a wonderful job for a year or two, but then died and now they don't make it anymore. I just had to add fresh cold water in one compartment, loose tea leaves in another, set the timer to brew the tea for 5 minutes, and walk away. It would boil the water, steep the leaves, then pour the boiling water over the leaves, brew for five minutes, then dump the perfectly brewed tea into a carafe which it would keep warm indefinitely. I think it was theoretically 8 cups, but was really only three or four of the mugs I drink from. Still, it was easy, perfect and wonderful. Now I'm having to do it all myself by hand like my technologically-deprived British ancestors. I want something basically like what I had, except one that will brew six or eight mugs (16-20 cup theoretical capacity) and that will last for the rest of my life.
Anyone know where I can get such a thing?
Below is the relevant paragraph from the FAQ:
H) Brewing machines. One can also brew tea in a coffee maker, in much the same way that one brews coffee. A machine expressly designed to brew tea automatically has also recently been introduced to the marketplace. The biggest worry most tea drinkers have about these methods is that they heat the water somewhat short of the boiling point. While this is a good way to brew coffee, it is less than ideal for most kinds of tea. But it's also true that some very discriminating tea drinkers have reported good results with tea brewing machines. Some recent models have been effusively praised for the sophistication of their brewing procedures and the flavor of the tea they produce.