The mug is nice and sturdy- it slipped out of my hands while I was washing it, and bounced instead od chipped. I'm pretty neutral on the tasting journal- it's fine but I've been doing tea tastings my way for a while, not sure I like this one. The filter is great- lots of holes and room, fits perfectly in theug to brew and perfectly on the silicon topper to wait for the next cup. And the spoon is good for portioning out the tea