Tips on Removing Odd Taste from Brewer

While most of our customers are satisfied with the tea taste Qi Aerista Smart Tea Brewer makes, we did receive a small number of reports on odd tea taste from the brewer that resembles plastic or chemical.

While we are still in the process of identifying the exact cause, and we suspect it could be due to the silicone rubber parts that we are using. 

Several brewer parts are made with silicone rubber, which include:

• Spray cap
• Infuser gasket
• Lid gasket
• Filter
• Sheath

These silicone rubber parts are made with FDA-approved silicone rubber material and can withstand 200degC/392degF heat. These are commonly found in ovenware. 

Other plastic parts such as the lid and the infuser handle are made with polypropylene. They are one of the safest plastics and are commonly used in other kettles and kitchen appliances. 

Typically these parts do not carry any smell. For those that do, here are a few solutions that help to reduce odor or odd taste:

Solution 1 - Use a concentrated vinegar solution (1 cup vinegar and 1 cup water) and brew under the black tea setting. Rinse thoroughly afterwards according .  

Solution 2 - Wash the removable parts (i.e. lid gasket, infuser, filter, flow tube assembly) inside a dishwasher under a hot water cycle.

Solution 3 - Follow the deep clean procedures as outlined in this blog: https://qiaerista.com/blogs/smart-tea-brewer/deep-cleaning 

Solution 4 - Boil a pot of water. Reduce heat to simmer and submerge the removable parts (i.e. lid gasket, infuser, filter, flow tube assembly) for 10-15 minutes. Blog: https://qiaerista.com/blogs/smart-tea-brewer/how-to-remove-odd-smell-from-brewer-via-boiling