Are you a tea lover, but find that loose tea doesn’t sit well with you? Drinking a steaming cup of loose tea is absolutely delightful, but some strange loose tea leaves will ruin everything for sure. Fortunately, there is an extremely easy solution to all these problems.

This quality tool keeps your tea pure, clean, and tasty always. Let’s take a look at how you can do all these wonderful things without any messy stuff in your cup.

What Is a Tea Infuser?

An infuser is a handy piece of equipment in the kitchen used to hold dried tea leaves during the brewing process. Basically, it is a mesh barrier that lets hot water pass through the dried leaves but prevents the leaves from entering the cup with the water. This means that it makes it possible for all the flavours, aroma and oils of the tea leaves to transfer to the liquid and leave behind the muddiness on the bottom of the cup.

Previously, the process of separating the dried tea leaves from the hot liquid was done with the help of some cloth bags and strainers. But nowadays, quality tea infusers are designed as special, reliable and attractive tools that can be made of food-grade stainless steel, silicone or mesh glass and can come in any funny shapes, from classic metal mesh spheres to silicone can easily be hung over the rim of the cup.

In case you use an infuser, you can get complete freedom with your everyday cup of tea. Using the infuser, you do not need to use traditional paper tea bags with the dust in them but can use whole leaves instead, which require a lot of space in order to expand during the process of brewing.

Types

Select tea infusers based on how much tea you drink and the types of mugs or teapots you use.

Traditional stainless steel tea ball infusers are popular. These infusers have two hemispherical mesh wires joined together by means of a hinge and a latch. The stainless steel chain with a hook that allows hanging the infuser from the mug handle is attached to it.

Stainless steel infuser spoons combine a scoop and a container for steeping. This long-handled utensil consists of a spring-loaded basket attached to it, which helps scoop your leaves directly from the storage tin without soiling your fingers. It is enough to squeeze the handle, and it will open the basket; after you put some leaves inside, you release it, and it closes; then you can steep your leaves right in it by placing the spoon in your hot water.

Cylindrical strainer infusers are wide and have laser-cut holes. They allow them to sit over the cup rim or teapot, thus giving room for the tea leaves to expand and steep well.

Innovative travel mug infusers are included in insulated flasks for drinking. There is a stainless steel filter basket placed near the lid from which you can steep your tea without getting leaves in your mouth while drinking tea.

How To Use

The use of a tea infuser is an easy way to prepare tea that requires only a couple of simple steps.

Start by opening the infuser and filling the chamber with the desired amount of loose leaves. It is recommended to use one teaspoon of leaves per cup of boiling water. Remember not to fill the chamber too much because the leaves will expand while absorbing water.

Next, make sure to close the latch and place the filled infuser either into an empty cup or over the top edge of your glass.

Afterwards, pour some fresh hot water over the infuser so that all the leaves inside are covered with water. The recommended brewing time for green tea is two to three minutes, whereas for black and herbal tea it is four to five minutes.

Finally, when the right time passes, take the infuser from the cup, let the excess water fall out of it for several seconds, and put the infuser on the saucer.

Care

It is necessary to take care of your infusers and keep them clean to have your tea fresh, sweet, and without the bitterness of the leaves from previous days.

Throw the used leaves in your compost pile or flowerbeds right after you have brewed the tea while the leaves are still wet; otherwise, leaving wet leaves there will create very difficult-to-clean stains after days.

Flush the inside of the infuser immediately with warm running water after using it to wash away any leaf particles from the mesh. Use some gentle dish soap and a sponge to wipe the inside.

To clean the metal strainer stained with dark tea, soak it in a solution made by mixing a tablespoon of baking soda or white vinegar with warm water for twenty minutes. Brush it with an old toothbrush and rinse well with clean water.