Need tea infuser recommendation

[Liberty_2112]

Gentlemen:

I am trying to transition from tea bags to loose leaf tea.

Usually I only make one cup of tea at a time.

I need some advice on a tea infuser: what type to buy and what technique to use for steeping.

Thanks so much.

 

[GuanYu]

Good Afternoon,

I've found that a small mesh basket strainer works really well for single cups of tea. I make loose leaf tea every day and use them. What I do is pour the hot water into a cup with the tea leaves at the bottom. I let it steep for the proper amount of time and then pour the contents into another cup with the tea strainer basket in it, removing the strainer once I'm done pouring. The strainer catches all the leaves easily, and you can just turn it over and dump the leaves back into the first cup so you can make a 2nd infusion with the leaves.

Some people put the leaves in the basket and then pour water into the cup and remove the basket after the steeping, but I prefer to let the leaves have more room to expand and mix with the water. Either way should work.

Here are a couple I found really quickly:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/3-Outside-D...168&sr=8-14&keywords=mesh+basket+strainer+tea

That's just what works for me and I've been drinking loose leaf green/black/oolong/white tea that I get from china for the past 5 years.

 

[mmack66]

I use a French Press to steep my tea, then pour it into a different container.

 

[Bubblehead]

Just get a French press. Not just good for coffee, it allows you to make as much or as little tea as you want.

 

[OldAF]

Just search "tea infuser" on Amazon. I have the Finum personally. Large size for big mugs, medium for smaller cups. "Forlife" brand looks good also...
Technique? Nothing fancy required with this type infuser, just put it in the mug and add a heaping teaspoon of tea and water, cover and wait for it to steep. Water just off the boil 4-5 min for black, for green 140-160 degrees, 3-4 minutes. Easy peasy.

 

[ouch]

I've been told I'm not a "gadget guy", but I love my Teaze infuser. It has the added benefit of not giving any money to Teavana.

http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&ke...vpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=e&ref=pd_sl_2yhpra3nnd_e

 

[Liberty_2112]

I've been told I'm not a "gadget guy", but I love my Teaze infuser. It has the added benefit of not giving any money to Teavana.

http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&ke...vpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=e&ref=pd_sl_2yhpra3nnd_e

Hmm. I may need to order this one. Looks very interesting. Thanks.

 

[Liberty_2112]

Order placed....

 

[GuanYu]

For the 'Teaze Tea Infuser - Over the Cup Infuser' ?

 

[Liberty_2112]

For the 'Teaze Tea Infuser - Over the Cup Infuser' ?

Yes, but also for the basket style as well that you mentioned.

I am intrigued by these styles because they allow the tea to breath.

 

[brucered]

We use a 2 cup David's Tea over the cup at home.

http://www.davidstea.com/the-steeper?&TF=384C2498270F&DEID=



when on the go, we use Libre Tea double walled travellers.

http://retailshop.libretea.com/



we have the ball type infusers too, some ceramic pots for guests, and many of these items are available in ethnic market stores. Bulk loose tea is also dirt cheap at bulk food stores like Scoop n Weigh or Bulk Barn etc

 

[ShaverGN]

I use the Ingenuitea from Adagio
http://www.adagio.com/teaware/ingenuiTEA_teapot.html

 

[Hunter]

We use a 2 cup David's Tea over the cup at home.

http://www.davidstea.com/the-steeper?&TF=384C2498270F&DEID=

View attachment 321241

I use this one too but from what I've read up they are all good. What I really like about them is that you can reuse your tea leaves and even make blends if you like between two different types... you like like with pipe tobacco Cheers to a good cup of tea Rob!

 

[Drybonz]

After looking at this thread, yesterday, I went to find the Teavana yixing tumblers, only to discover that they appear to be discontinued. Does anyone know of a travel infuser with the yixing inner layer that is made by someone else?

 

[mosomoso]

I have infusers, pots etc but never use them. All brewing is done in a double walled glass tumbler (Bodum Pavina). Temp is stable, see-through, no constriction of leaves. For a long brew I cover the glass with any old thing that's non-conductive. When I want to drink I pour off the brew through any old strainer into another double walled tumbler. Stable temp, see-through and no-burn-fingers! Really, I drink lakes of tea, especially pu, and it's all I ever do. (There's a Yixing in the house for special stuff, but it tends just to sit there.) I think double walled glass is a glorious revolution yet to be recognised. And that's coming from a compulsive conservative!

 

[jazzguy]

I like the For life infuser for this purpose.

http://www.amazon.com/FORLIFE-Brew-...64308191&sr=8-1&keywords=for+life+tea+infuser

 

[Rockit]

I use the Ingenuitea from Adagio
http://www.adagio.com/teaware/ingenuiTEA_teapot.html

X2...
Ive used the large one forever. Love it.

 

[Liberty_2112]

So I've picked up a few different styles since writing this OP. Here are some initial thoughts:

Standard metal tea ball: Unfortunately the one that I bought doesn't hold together too well. It is very cheap and not well constructed. When steeping the ohter day it opened up, so I had to strain the tea. Not a big deal, but overall not worth the added hassle.




Novelty floating frog tea infuser: My kids picked this one up for me. The frog floats and has a metal infuser below. There is a nice cup to sit it in after steeping. Overall it performs well. I admit I am a bit concerned about plastic floating in my hot tea. I'm not sure if I'm leeching chemicals into my tea.




Tuffy Travel Steeper: I like the concept of a "travel" steeper. I am on the road 5 days a week. This one just arrived in the mail today and I just tried it out. Overall I liked its performance and the convenience. I will be adding this to my daily work bag.




I am waiting for a few other steepers to arrive. I will post reviews once I get them and try them out. Thanks again for all of the helpful recommendations.