The TNTF-3 uses real tea leaves, not instant tea. It brews either a half gallon of hot tea directly into an airpot or three gallons of iced tea into a portable reservoir. For guests who might want something other than what is being brewed in quantity, an optional hot water faucet delivers a cup at a time of steaming water without affecting the tea brewing cycle. In addition to individual pots of tea served at tables, clubs can also opt for a tea buffet. A large silver samovar of boiling water provides the center point for the buffet table.
Guests make their selection from a display of four to eight different types of teas.
They draw their own water from the samovar into individual pots and then indulge in a buffet of tea-time tidbits. Cautions include keeping the water hot with gas or liquid heat, and as with individual service, always start with cold water. Harney recommended connecting coffee or water-heating equipment to the cold water line. Trapasso suggested using separate kitchen equipment for tea and coffee, or at the very least, scrubbing out a coffee maker if it will be used to boil water for tea. Clubs are also in a unique position to develop mechanizing add-ons to their tea service.