Choosing the Most Useful Tea Infuser
Datetime:2012-08-08 Hits:
Choosing the Most Useful Tea Infuser
There are many different styles of small tea infusers. Most work fairly well, though some do seem to brew tea better than others, depending on the type of tea leaves used. An important consideration when making a cup of tea using an infuser is that the infuser usually only needs to be filled up halfway. Filling it up more than that will result in a less than perfect cup of tea. If you are going to be brewing whole leaf tea, such as wu long tea or any other type of Chinese teas, you will want to choose the larger sized infuser as opposed to the small infuser which is better for some herb teas or black tea, both of which have smaller leaves.
When it comes to actually buying a tea infuser, decisions are often based on personal preference rather than practicality of use. If you are looking for something practical to use that is not messy you may want to consider the snap style infuser, also known as a tea tong. It is opened and closed by squeezing on two sides of the handle. This makes it possible to open up the infuser over a trash can and empty the used tea leaves directly into the trash rather than having to scoop them out with your fingers.
Tea Ball Infusers
There are two different types of tea ball infusers. One is a mesh tea ball infuser, the other a closed metal infuser that has tiny holes piercing the metal. These usually have a chain attached to them, which is used for dunking the tea infuser in the water or is draped over the side of the cup while the tea is infusing. Some find that the tea balls with the chain are not that practical, as it is not uncommon for the chain to disappear over the side of the cup into the hot tea. While a minor inconvenience it really is not that much of a problem; simply use your teaspoon to fish the infuser out once it is done.
Pyramid infusers are similar to the ball infusers in the way they work. Usually the bottom of the pyramid opens up, rather than the infuser opening in half as the tea ball infusers do. It is usually made from mesh and often has a chain attached so it can be dipped in the cup.
The Spoon infuser looks quite cute. It is usually made from all metal and is about the size of a regular teaspoon, two sides snap together in the middle. It has a handle just like a regular spoon, thus it is fairly easy to use and you do not have to worry about the chain disappearing into the tea. However, because of its small size, tea can taste rather insipid or weak.
Many people like this type of infuser because it does not have the same habit the ball infusers do of slipping entirely into the hot tea. Sometimes, with the ball infusers, the chain can disappear over the side of the cup! To my mind this is not really such an insurmountable problem. All you have to do is use your teaspoon to fish the ball infuser out, however if you do not want to do that the teaspoon infuser may be what you need. Just make sure you buy the largest one you can find (that is still teacup size) especially if you prefer to drink your tea from a mug, otherwise you may find your tea does not infuse properly.
The Teastick Infuser
A more modern invention is the tea stick, or tea-tube infuser. As the name implies this is a long thin object with holes in the metal all the way down. They also tend to be rather small and, as with the spoon infuser, sometimes do not brew a very strong cup of tea. They are the more modern type of infuser however, and some are actually large enough to set into a pot of boiled water, it really depends on the size of the tea stick that you buy. Also, make sure the one you buy has an insulated area that you can use to pick up the infuser with, otherwise your fingers may find the infuser too hot to remove.
Of course, there are also many different novelty infusers on sale, shaped like a heart or another object. Their design will determine how well they brew tea. Their charm lies in their cute and often creative design.
