The black Binchotan coal you see above is actually white charcoal made from Japanese oak heated in an oxygen-starved kiln until it turned to carbon. (These charcoal purifiers have been around for a few years.) Place one of these sticks in a jug of water and it will reportedly absorb chlorine and unpleasant tastes and odors while infusing your water with natural minerals. More

Q: Members of my family are all avid tea drinkers, especially at breakfast. My mom likes to brew loose tea in a thermal carafe and bring it to the table for everyone. The trouble is, the loose tea keeps getting stuck in the pour holes and makes a mess.

Do you or your readers know of any thermal teapots that solve this problem?

Sent by Bengi More

Serving up juice with your breakfast? These are some terrific pitchers for doing so, whether you're entertaining or just having breakfast for two. They're all glass, as they keep drinks cooler longer, and one even has an ice reservoir to cool without diluting your fresh fruit juices: More

It's starting to get a little warmer outside and there's nothing we love more than infused water or tea. We usually just throw in any fruit we want and just deal with the bits and pieces that inevitably accumulate in the bottom of our glasses, but we're pretty psyched to see that we don't have to anymore. Call us crazy, but this is the first fruit infused pitcher that we're ready to snatch up! More

We love the style of this vintage carafe by Pyrex. It's a beautiful yet simple design: a glass vessel closed by a spherical cork on a leather strap. Keep your eyes peeled and you might be able to turn one up for yourself: More

I have been complaining about my coffee carafe quite a bit lately. It has been kind of a pain to use, and then we got soap stuck in it seemingly forever. Well, this giant carafe is still in my household cupboard, but it's reserved for company dinners now. There's a new carafe on the table, and I love it. More

I have a problem (another one!) with the thermal carafe I use every morning for my coffee. In an admirable effort to clean out the bitter, acrid taste of old coffee that tends to build up over time, my husband washed it last week with Mrs. Meyer's dish soap.

The problem? We cannot get the smell of the soap out of the carafe, and now it seeps into our coffee too! I am tired of drinking Mrs. Meyer's-flavored coffee — can anyone help? More

Q: I am looking for a hip cool water pitcher for my fridge. It does not need a filter since I have a sink mounted Brita. In fact I prefer it filter less. It'll just hold water.

I saw one from Japan at DWR that had charcoal and stones that supposedly gave the water miracle qualities. I don't need that but the design was great. The problem though is it held only 30 ounces. I need something that doesn't need refilling every 5 hours. Any recommendations of water pitchers with a nice aesthetic would be awesome.

Sent by David More

We have a love-hate relationship with our thermal carafe. When we bought it, it was something we thought we'd use just for big parties or other occasions when we needed to keep a pot of coffee warm. We've ended up using it every day; it's a rather indispensable part of our morning coffee routine. But this particular carafe drives us crazy. More

We tend to associate carafes with Parisian street cafés and shmancy high end dining, but they can have a place at home, too! Serving wine, juice, or even just plain water out of a carafe is an easy way to add a touch of elegance to a dinner party. Here are a few we're currently coveting... More