A great deal of ink and paper - and more recently, keyboard strokes and RAM - has been devoted to the subject of making tea in the 'proper' British fashion . But popular though this school of tea-making is, on closer inspection, it does have certain disconcerting drawbacks.

Suppose you want a very strong cup [Or, as an alternative to a cup, a glass in a stein-like metal holder. Although that could be a culture shock too far for now. ] of tea in the very early morning or when burning the midnight oil. Well, brew a very strong pot or cup, says the Brit. But then there might be another occasion, say, after a stressful day's traveling, swindling or - as a last resort - working, when you want something lighter and more calming. You're in no mood for the same invigorating stuff that was called for before. The problem is if you stick with the traditional method you end up with the same result.

Then there's the problem of brewing constantly, day after day, hour after hour, measuring out more tea and waiting the 2.5 to 3.5 minutes for it to be ready. If