Tea infusers are pieces of teaware that are used for brewing loose leaf tea. They come in a wide selection of interesting types, the most common ones which will be reviewed below.
Don't go crazy with infusers that are going to be a pain to use, or even harder to clean. Remember, once you're done brewing, you have to rinse the tea leaves out of the infuser before they dry up and stick, so having the right tea infuser is a must for enjoying tea without the hassle.
Tea Mug Infuser
This type is by far my favorite! It allows the tea leaves to open up and float freely around inside which is great for releasing as much flavor as possible. Some of these tea infusers are mesh, and some have small steel screens that can house the smallest tea leaves without them escaping into the cup.
They are easy to use, easy to clean, and fit in almost every mug or small tea pot. They can hold enough tea leaves to steep anywhere from 4 to 6 cups.
Tea mug infusers are great for that solo cup of tea as well since they, well, are meant to fit in a mug.
In my opinion, this is the only piece of tea brewing ware you will every need. They are dishwasher safe, small, and with care will last years since they are durable.
Tea Spoon Infuser
Tea spoon infusers are probably the second piece of teaware that I would recommend for folks who don't want to spend the extra money for the mug infuser.
They have a simple clamp-like design that when squeezed opens up to allow the tea drinker to put the loose leaf tea inside the large rounded walnut-shaped spoon. Once pressure is released, the two halves close trapping the leaves inside.
They can be put right in the cup, and dunked until the desired strength. To clean, all one has to do is open it up above a pal and dump the wet leaves out. Most are made from stainless steel so they will last long, and are dishwasher safe too.
My only gripe about these tea infusers are that some small pieces of leaves sometimes find there way through the small holes of the spoon and get into the cup. Some folks want neat tea with nothing but liquor and no floating tiny pieces.
Tea Ball Infuser
Next we have the tea ball infuser which is very similar to the tea spoon infuser.
All this piece of tea equipment is, is a round ball about the size of a walnut with tiny holes all around it for letting in water while keeping the leaves inside. To open it, some pull apart while others twist apart as if opening a jar.
Once the leaves are inside, it goes straight into the cup or pot, and even has a long thin chain connected to the top for easy dunking and removal. However like the tea spoon, these two may release a small bit of leaves into your cup.
These are however, great for those traveling to a friends house where loose leaf tea may not be available. All one has to do is prepare the tea ball infuser at home and bring it with them anywhere they want their loose tea.
Tea Bag Infuser
Last is the tea bag infuser which I saved for last since it is the last I would use.
It does have it's advantages though since there is no need for clean up since they are disposable. But the drawback is that the leaves have no room to open up which can abate the full flavor release of the tea.
Most die hard loose leaf tea drinkers always prefer to have an infuser that allows the leaves room to fully open. It looks pretty and helps you get the most benefits and taste out of your tea.
Like the tea ball, tea bags are great if one needs to travel with their loose leaf without having to lug the can or bag of tea along with the infuser.
