A tea infuser is an instrument used for the preparation of tea infusions from whole leaved tea. The infuser will prevent the tea leaves from floating in the infusion, while allowing the water to penetrate and seep into the leaves. It often has a round shape and is formed from two halves which can lock together or open depending on need. The tea infuser presents perforations on its entire surface so as to let the water go on and out freely, the perforations are too small, however, to allow pieces of tea to pass through freely. The materials tea infusers are made of today delve mostly in the stainless steel sphere, but in older days, tea infuses were made out of porcelain, various ceramics or silver. The tea infusers will present either a handle or a little chain on one end that will allow it to be easily maneuvered even after it has heated up in the hot tea.
There are many shapes a tea infuser might have, but the most common is the sphere shape, split down the middle and endowed with a locking system to allow loading. Spoon type tea infusers or heart shaped tea infusers are also available, along with a series of other shapes. Tea infusers can also have different sizes, either for use in a teapot of in a singular cup, but the single cup infusers are usually shaped like two interlocking spoons continued with a spoon-like handle.
When choosing a tea infuser, you should make sure that the holes in the infuser are not too large, because in that case there are chances you will have to use a strainer along with the infuser to keep the smaller pieces of tea from floating around in your infusion. It's also not advisable that the holes be extra small because in that case, water flow in and out of the infuser might be hindered.
Some people incorrectly refer to French presses as tea infusers as well. While technically a tea infusing mechanism, the French press will employ a different technique for the infusion and requires the infusion to be drank soon after its preparation because it's virtually impossible to remove the tea leaves from the pot without emptying it. As such, the sooner the infusion is consumed, the better, in order to prevent it from becoming bitter. Tea infusers can be removed from a cup or pot after the infusion has completed to the desired degree, and as such, the remaining drink can be consumed for a while after.
When preparing a tea infusion, it's important to remember to only fill up the infuser halfway through, in order to allow the leaves to expand in contact with the water, on one hand, and on the other, in order to enable the ideal amount of water traffic inside the infuser.
Using a tea infuser for your tea can not only be fun but it can also add an extra degree of elegance to your tea party.
To learn more about the equipment needed to brew Loose Leaf Tea and how to use it, see out Tea Equipment section
Shop for Loose Tea, Teapots, and Accessories in our Loose Tea Shop
A tea infuser is an instrument used for the preparation of tea infusions from whole leaved tea. The infuser will prevent the tea leaves from floating in the infusion, while allowing the water to penetrate and seep into the leaves. It often has a round shape and is formed from two halves which can lock together or open depending on need. The tea infuser presents perforations on its entire surface so as to let the water go on and out freely, the perforations are too small, however, to allow pieces of tea to pass through freely. The materials tea infusers are made of today delve mostly in the stainless steel sphere, but in older days, tea infuses were made out of porcelain, various ceramics or silver. The tea infusers will present either a handle or a little chain on one end that will allow it to be easily maneuvered even after it has heated up in the hot tea.
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