Ever since Shen Hung, a rightly-esteemed Chinese emperor, accidentally brewed the world’s first cup of tea some 4,000 years ago, this wholesome beverage has become internationally-renowned as the perfect liquid pick-me-up when starting the day or pottering off to bed.

Amid the chaos of contemporary life, however, the tea-drinking ritual has, thankfully, been somewhat enhanced, ensuring a cuppa comes easily to hand at pretty much every minute of the day if so required. Indeed, one particularly well-thought-out kitchen appliance – the Lify Smart Herbal Brewer (think Nespresso machine, but with tea leaves replacing coffee beans) – has even done away with the need to check water temperature or to verify whether your tea has reached that ideal steeping point.

Instead, the machine – developed by the brainy brew boffins at Hong Kong’s very own Lify Wellness – just requires you to add water and a specially designed tea sachet and you can be sipping truly top tea in less than a minute. What’s more, the top-flight tea technicians behind this HK$2,999 device have even developed customised herbal remedies that supposedly cater to all your wellness needs. Now if only they’d turn their attention to toasters, the digital breakfast revolution would be complete…