Tea Infusers vs. Pots/other

[Donut]

Hello all,
I have just recently discovered this site and figured id pose a question to the masses. While searching for teaware iv come across a few sites discouraging the use of infusers. I personally have a Tea Forte infuser at the moment, but I am open to purchasing something if it is clearly better for getting the most out of my loose leaf. My question is simply this: "Does anyone find infusers to be less effective in brewing tea, Would letting the tea free float in a pot instead be better, or does it just come down to personal preference with little noticeable difference?"
Thanks

[entropyembrace]

When I first started with loose leaf tea I used a ball type infuser every day for over a year not really understsanding why a teapot would be better...one day the hinge on the infuser rusted through and broke making it useless so I tried brewing in a pyrex measuring cup and filtering the leaves by pouring through a kitchen strainer...I used the normal ammount of leaf and I was amazed at how much it expanded...it took up a lot more space in the measuring cup that it had room for in the infuser....and the resulting brew was stronger without aquiring bitterness. So I went and bought a glass teapot to replace my teaball and have never missed using an infuser since.

So long story short...yes you will get much better results using a teapot over an infuser....it´s nearly as dramatic as switching from teabags to loose leaf

[Chip]

Heh, I have fond memories of smelling tea brewing when using a large, open infuser basket popped into a glass teacup when I was newer to looseleaf. A lot of aroma escapes, does this translate to flavor escaping?

Since I use teapots or similar virtually every time now, I have to believe there is a reason for this conversion. I clearly vote for teapot over infuser.

[iannon]

Agree highly with Entro and Chip..now thats not to say an infuser wont work fine in some cases though. My daughter and I use Kyusu's ...my wife uses one of the stainless steel bodum's like this:

for the blended teas and tisanes she brews this has worked fine..and the part on top doubles as a cover to help keep aroma/flavor in and then to sit the infuser on after pulling it out of the cup. i have found for her teas this has plenty of room for expansion and fits in almost every type mug making it pretty convenient.

[wyardley]

I like to think of it the opposite way... why use an infuser when you can just put the tea loose into the brewing vessel?

[iannon]

I like to think of it the opposite way... why use an infuser when you can just put the tea loose into the brewing vessel?

cause she doesnt have any cool pots like me and my 8 year old do and she likes it

[amarie]

Easiest way to answer that is to try it for yourself.

Brew two cups of tea using the same amount of tea, same water temperature, etc. Make one in your infuser, then make the other in, say, a glass bowl with a lid or plate over the top to keep the heat in. Steep them the same, then taste them both and you'll have your answer.

I myself prefer a teapot.

[Cael]

I find that it does make a difference and I do like tea brewed loose better then tea brewed in an infuser, but that is me. I agree with amarie that you should try it for yourself if you want to know what tastes better. I do keep on hand a basket infuser for some of my larger tea pots that might end up letting the leaves sit in them for long periods of time otherwise.

[Alex]

Maximum space within the vessel brewed is always best I find.

[TeaINfuse]

I use a Kamjove press art tea cup/ Ming Xiang cup same type of device just two different maker's I find a better flavor and aroma from this type the from the tea ball i used for a long while..
I make for my self only most of the times and dont need a tea pot but I have been looking in to getting one with the same Kamjove type filter on the top.. has any one tried this type besides my self? what are your excrescences?
here the tea pot i'm looking in to
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... K:MEWAX:IT
Thanks
teainfuse

[tortoise]

Pots are just so much more pleasing to look at and use. Form meets function so perfectly. Infusers have their rare moments of practical superiority, but usually when I'm in those moments, I'm not drinking tea.

The main thing is that you want the leaves to expand fully, as has been mentioned.