On closer look, the Tea-for-Two is radically different from all the other Kohler cast iron alcove bathtubs. It is 24 inches high! The typical US shower-bathtub height is about 15 inches, and some are lower.
The low height makes sense for a shower bathtub mostly used for showering, which is what most people in the US do; I can't even remember the last time I used my bathtub though I do remember using a luxury bathtub in Detroit in 2010 when I was stressed out.
The Mendota bathtub, one of the few Kohler cast iron alcove whirlpool baths, and my current "Plan B" is about 16 inches high, so is the Bellwether which is 6 inches longer (requiring closet remodeling for me). The Memoirs bathtub, the only Kohler cast iron alcove with bubble massage, is about 17 inches--I'd find that compelling except it's also 34 inches wide and would require a toilet relocation just like the Tea-for-Two.
Some people do report using deeper bathtubs such as the Tea-for-Two for showers and say it is OK. It's OK for adults. I'd say, at minimum, it needs a grab bar on the side. It's definitely unusual and I suspect many plumbers would suggest inappropriate for a shower bathtub.
I'm beginning to realize why bathing fans hate standard American bathtubs. It's just a puddle! You can't actually "float" in an American bathtub. You sit on hard porcelain with maybe 10 inches of water above the surface, leaving your knees and belly above water. The drain kicks in just above that. The water goes cold quickly. Or if you keep hot water pouring in, quickly the water heater hot water is used up. Bottom line: not very pleasant for bathing.
You see these pictures of fancy baths with the incredible bathtubs. Old claw foots, or big stone tubs, etc. Serious bathing requires than 10 inches of water! Ofuru bathtubs require complete submersion, that's the Japanese practice.
I wonder if bathing people are onto something. Back in Detroit in 2010 I was super stressed out. I didn't have access to my usual de-stressing methods. Without that fancy hotel bathtub, I might not have gotten to sleep without it because of too much stress and caffeine. (The hotel was the Westin Book Cadillac, I should check what kind of bathtubs they have.)
So anyway, I still think the Tea-for-Two with whirlpool features (including most essentially the water heater) is still a great idea. I'll add a grab bar for showering, or I'll use my other bathroom. Shouldn't a decent house have at least one decent bathtub for serious bathing? It may not be one of my religious practices now, but as I age to 90, I suspect it could become that, probably leading to a better life. I know this is a gamble, since I hardly ever use a bathtub now, but I think it's worth taking.
This bathing thing looks very much like religion. I know about stuff like that, I did some serious listening to my high end stereo last night.
I also was thinking, maybe the bubble feature was actually a better fit for religious bathing than whirlpool. But Kohler doesn't offer their most serious cast iron shower bath in alcove configuration with that feature. It would be nice if Kohler offered a super duper tub with both the bubble feature and the whirlpool feature.
As far as other brands, cast iron bathtubs are now somewhat rare. It doesn't even seem that many famous manufacturers such as American Standard make one; all the cheaper companies have gone to plastic. I've read that other cast iron bathtubs are even more expensive than Kohler. Those are probably what you call "super premium" with Kohler being "premium."
And I'm also seeing the virtue of a dedicated shower. With a real shower, you step right in, and there's a flat floor, and you don't feel more stable. I remember making love in a shower once. That's stability. You wouldn't feel like making love standing up in a shower bathtub would you?
The low height makes sense for a shower bathtub mostly used for showering, which is what most people in the US do; I can't even remember the last time I used my bathtub though I do remember using a luxury bathtub in Detroit in 2010 when I was stressed out.
The Mendota bathtub, one of the few Kohler cast iron alcove whirlpool baths, and my current "Plan B" is about 16 inches high, so is the Bellwether which is 6 inches longer (requiring closet remodeling for me). The Memoirs bathtub, the only Kohler cast iron alcove with bubble massage, is about 17 inches--I'd find that compelling except it's also 34 inches wide and would require a toilet relocation just like the Tea-for-Two.
Some people do report using deeper bathtubs such as the Tea-for-Two for showers and say it is OK. It's OK for adults. I'd say, at minimum, it needs a grab bar on the side. It's definitely unusual and I suspect many plumbers would suggest inappropriate for a shower bathtub.
I'm beginning to realize why bathing fans hate standard American bathtubs. It's just a puddle! You can't actually "float" in an American bathtub. You sit on hard porcelain with maybe 10 inches of water above the surface, leaving your knees and belly above water. The drain kicks in just above that. The water goes cold quickly. Or if you keep hot water pouring in, quickly the water heater hot water is used up. Bottom line: not very pleasant for bathing.
You see these pictures of fancy baths with the incredible bathtubs. Old claw foots, or big stone tubs, etc. Serious bathing requires than 10 inches of water! Ofuru bathtubs require complete submersion, that's the Japanese practice.
I wonder if bathing people are onto something. Back in Detroit in 2010 I was super stressed out. I didn't have access to my usual de-stressing methods. Without that fancy hotel bathtub, I might not have gotten to sleep without it because of too much stress and caffeine. (The hotel was the Westin Book Cadillac, I should check what kind of bathtubs they have.)
So anyway, I still think the Tea-for-Two with whirlpool features (including most essentially the water heater) is still a great idea. I'll add a grab bar for showering, or I'll use my other bathroom. Shouldn't a decent house have at least one decent bathtub for serious bathing? It may not be one of my religious practices now, but as I age to 90, I suspect it could become that, probably leading to a better life. I know this is a gamble, since I hardly ever use a bathtub now, but I think it's worth taking.
This bathing thing looks very much like religion. I know about stuff like that, I did some serious listening to my high end stereo last night.
I also was thinking, maybe the bubble feature was actually a better fit for religious bathing than whirlpool. But Kohler doesn't offer their most serious cast iron shower bath in alcove configuration with that feature. It would be nice if Kohler offered a super duper tub with both the bubble feature and the whirlpool feature.
As far as other brands, cast iron bathtubs are now somewhat rare. It doesn't even seem that many famous manufacturers such as American Standard make one; all the cheaper companies have gone to plastic. I've read that other cast iron bathtubs are even more expensive than Kohler. Those are probably what you call "super premium" with Kohler being "premium."
And I'm also seeing the virtue of a dedicated shower. With a real shower, you step right in, and there's a flat floor, and you don't feel more stable. I remember making love in a shower once. That's stability. You wouldn't feel like making love standing up in a shower bathtub would you?
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