The Question of Tea Infusers

In my last post I spent a great deal of space talking about how to brew tea.  (Or, rather, one of the many ways to brew tea.)  I began to think about the question of infusers.

First of all, What is an Infuser?

To “infuse” is “to steep in liquid (as water) without boiling so as to extract the soluble constituents…” (Source: Merriam-Webster dictionary)  The term “infuser” refers to the device used to hold the leaves as they steep.

What are the Different Types of Infusers?

Infusers can come in many different forms.  There are infuser balls, teaspoon infusers, tea sticks, baskets, plunger tea pots, and fillable tea bags. There are also novelty infusers - shaped like houses, hearts, or even dinosaurs.

Infuser balls

Infuser balls are round or egg-shaped with an end that flips open.  The tea is added through this opening.  These infusers may be made of a stainless steel mesh or they may be more solid with perforations to allow the water to reach the leaves.

Teaspoon Infusers

A teaspoon infuser is a spoon with a flip-top lid.  There is usually a mechanism on the handle that opens the lid.  The leaves are placed in the bowl of the spoon and the top is then snapped shut.

Tea Sticks

Tea sticks are long cylinders with perforations.  The tea is placed into the center of the tea stick.

Tea Baskets

Baskets are open cups made of stainless steel mesh, nylon, or even gold-plated foil, that are filled with tea and then suspended on the top ring of your teapot or mug.

Plunger Teapots

Plunger teapots are pots with a center cylinder where the tea is added.  Only the upper half of the cylinder has holes.  Once the tea has steeped, a plunger pushes the leaves to the bottom half of the cylinder, where the water cannot continue to brew the tea leaves.

Fillable Tea Bags

Fillable tea bags are made of paper, muslin, or a poly substance.  The tea is added into the bag and they are used like a traditional tea bag.

Which Tea Infuser is the Best?

The answer to that question is personal.  How easy do you find it to use?  Where will you use it? How easy is it for you to clean? How did the resulting tea taste?

In general, I do not care for infuser balls, teaspoon infusers or tea sticks, and definitely not novelty infusers.  The tea leaves need more room to expand than these options can usually provide. For a full-bodied tea or a strongly scented or flavored tea, I am fine with the fillable tea bags. The paper form sometimes has a detectable flavor with lighter teas. When considering these types of infusers, I would generally choose an infuser basket or a plunger teapot.  What’s your choice?