Semi-automatic tea maker

A tea maker comprising:

• a water compartment;
• a tea filter that is at least partly insertable into the water compartment;
• a heating element, configured to heat water contained in said water compartment;
• a temperature sensor, configured to generate a reference signal reflecting the temperature of the water contained in said water compartment;
• a tea-filter-presence sensor, configured to detect insertion of the tea filter into the water compartment;
• user notification means;
• a controller, operably connected to the heating element, the temperature sensor, the tea-filter-presence sensor and the notification means, and configured
• to heat water contained in the water compartment in accordance with a predetermined temperature/time profile that is at least partly defined by an initial steeping temperature;
• to detect whether the water has been heated to the initial steeping temperature in accordance with the predetermined temperature/time profile;
• to notify a user by means of the notification means that the water has been heated to the initial steeping temperature, and that steeping may be initiated by insertion of the tea filter;
• characterized in that the controller is further configured,
• once the user has been notified to insert the filter, to maintain the temperature of the water within a certain range of the initial steeping temperature until a certain waiting period lapses, unless insertion of the tea filter is detected by means of said tea-filter-presence sensor within said waiting period, in which case the controller is configured to maintain the temperature of the water within said range of the initial steeping temperature until the insertion of the tea filter is detected.