I purchased the Sunbeam HTM5 Tea Drop Hot Maker in July of 2008 when I decided to omit coffee from my diet and take on a healthier choice. The machine is simple to use with the same concept as a coffee maker. It brews the tea the same as an automatic coffee maker brews its coffee. My only issue with this tea maker was that it did not steep the tea. There is no option for steeping. The tea maker does save a lot of time and the clean-up is very easy. This tea maker really works more efficiently than a pot or kettle of hot water and tea bags. But again, the lack of steeping really limited the flavor of the tea, which in my opinion is a huge issue. I like to taste what I am drinking. I only used the tea maker for a couple of months because I didn't care for the quality of tea and poor taste.

The price is right for this hot tea maker and I paid a suggested market retail price of $19.99. If you are looking for a tea maker that steeps tea, which would be a lot better, plan on paying over $50 and in some cases more close to $100. Many of the more expensive versions are electric and utilize loose tea leaves. While the Sunbeam HTM5 accommodates both loose tea and bags it doesn't steep the tea and doesn't keep the tea as warm as one would prefer.

On a more positive note, there is a one year warranty that came with the tea maker. I have not used the warranty but may not have used the machine long enough either. Another option I do wish this tea maker had an auto shut-off. There is no such feature so you do have to remember to turn the tea maker off before leaving the house. I have actually left it on a couple of times and went to work. Thankfully I live nearby and was able to run home on my lunch hour to shut it off.

The size of the machine is nice and fits well beneath cupboards. It also looks nice sitting out because it is made of chrome. The dimensions of the machine are 8.75 by 9 by 10.5. The aesthetics of the machine are good and I did enjoy seeing it out on the counter, just got tired of the tasteless tea and eventually went back to coffee.