Strainer, infuser, tea ball, newbie here

[Memphislawyer]

Just ordered some teas from Adagio, all Black teas. Got a mug for the office and one for home, and I have hot pots to boil water. So, looking for simple infusers to steep my tea at the office.

Do those tea balls allow enough room for the tea to steep and give flavor? Maybe I am over thinking this, but I read that the more room for the tea the better. Until I get a hang of it and nuanced flavors, I don't want to get the gaiwans or teapots, as I may just make a cup of Irish Breakfast at home and maybe brew another cup to take into the Starbucks coffee thermos daughter never used, and then some other teas at the office to brew a cup there or maybe two during the day.

So, can I just run to bed bath and beyond and get a tea ball? Walmart seemed to have nothing. I can order I guess a Finnum stainer, medium sized.

Suggestions, links?

[hopeofdawn]

Just my two cents, but if you're going to go the mug/tea strainer route without a teapot (like I have to do at work), then an open basket strainer might give you the most bang for your buck. Some examples:
Example #1, Example #2

Though for tea on the go, this is what I use daily--it's pretty indispensible (I've even taken it camping): Tea Tumbler

[JRS22]

I was given a For Life Infuser mug the year I became a tea drinker. I still use it because the Infuser is so effective with even the finest teas, as well as rooibos. I'd say that the first option above is a' purchase that will be useful even after you amass a collection of pots and gaiwans.

[Chip]

... and yes, skip the teaball! If you are brewing in a mug or cup, a strainer is the way to go as mentioned. Often health food stores also carry some strainers.

[iannon]

Just my two cents, but if you're going to go the mug/tea strainer route without a teapot (like I have to do at work), then an open basket strainer might give you the most bang for your buck. Some examples:
Example #1, Example #2

Though for tea on the go, this is what I use daily--it's pretty indispensible (I've even taken it camping): Tea Tumbler

+1 for the types listed here. My wife uses those almost exclusively. she actually has the Bodum one
http://tinyurl.com/crwwwmj
its kind of nice as it has the "lid" to cover and steep more closed like a teapot and doubles as a dish for the strainer when you pull it out of the cup wherever you are

[Memphislawyer]

Went to Whole Foods, nice basket, but it will not hang on the rim of my mug, fits all the way flush to the bottom. No chain to pull it out either.

It will fit a regular coffee mug but then again, it goes into the mug and since the diameter of the mug lessens, it wont go down, but no way to pull it out

read reviews of the bodum and some say the holes are too big.

There is a infuser at Bed Bath and Beyond, same one at Williams Sonoma, that has the flange on the side, but it really is a narrow one at the bottom, but widens at the top. If the tea leaves float not bad, but if they are at the bottom, then it bunches up and is no better than the small half dollar sized tea ball with a chain that I can go get.

id have probably gotten the tea ball but reading things here and at other tea sites, they said the leaves need to expand so maybe I am overthinking this

[iannon]

Went to Whole Foods, nice basket, but it will not hang on the rim of my mug, fits all the way flush to the bottom. No chain to pull it out either.

It will fit a regular coffee mug but then again, it goes into the mug and since the diameter of the mug lessens, it wont go down, but no way to pull it out

read reviews of the bodum and some say the holes are too big.

There is a infuser at Bed Bath and Beyond, same one at Williams Sonoma, that has the flange on the side, but it really is a narrow one at the bottom, but widens at the top. If the tea leaves float not bad, but if they are at the bottom, then it bunches up and is no better than the small half dollar sized tea ball with a chain that I can go get.

id have probably gotten the tea ball but reading things here and at other tea sites, they said the leaves need to expand so maybe I am overthinking this

to each his own on whats the "best" but for myself i dont mind a few particles getting through and am quite used to that since on most japanese /chinese pots i use as the holes are not as small as any of those baskets mentioned here. really depends on the leaf you are using with any of those basket types. tea-dust will get through. larger leaf types not really at all.

[Karl]

I've been using this since summer to strain my tea just about everyday. The mesh filter is pretty sturdy. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00008WV52/

No leaves go through. Only thing that crept through for me is minor bit of rooibos, but that's really fine.

For small quantities like a mug cup, I use this http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000J3JFJU/

It's fits perfectly inside my mug to which I can brew in, and the mesh filter is very fine.

[Memphislawyer]

Ian, when my tea gets here Saturday, I can make a cup. As it is, I have no idea how tea leaves or dust gets through. The Wild Oats (it was not Whole Foods where I went today) Strainer is plenty fine enough, it is just that it would sink to the bottom of the glass mug I would use for my tea and how to dish it out would be a pain. If it had a chain like tea balls, that would be perfect. I like the Idea of the Finnum but my tea mug is 4.25 inches across the top (mouth/lip) and is over 4 inches tall, so it also would have to be fished out somehow and I dont want to use pliers either!!

I like the idea of the first strainer in the first responsive post (picture #1). We do have a teavana so I can see what they have.

Target and Walmart had nothing. Bed Bath and Beyond I have not found anything. Any other places you think I could look?

[iannon]

Honestly that "for life one" from amazon may be the way to go then since that handle and the hook on the opposite side should be way more than big enough for a 4.25 in diameter cup. id catch that one from amazon. in the meantime if you need something at home while you wait the best method may be to just steep the leaves in an alternate cup loose then pour the tea thru a mesh handheld strainer http://tinyurl.com/87przrxa lot of people may already have at home or could be had at a lot of dept store types for a couple bucks in the meantime

[Memphislawyer]

Yeah, that for life one will work great. gonna hang across the glass mug easily. may not have the depth of the finnum (2.75 inches vs. 4.0 inches for the finnum) but at least I wont scald fingers trying to dig it out and it will have much more room than a tea ball or the infusers I attempted to purchase at Bed Bath and Beyond. The Whole foods one would be great if it had the handle that the Forlife one did, or at least a chain that you could yank it up from the bowl or hold on to it. My wife thinks I am obsessing too much, but that is me, reading up, trying to do what is best. and everything I read seems to say that give the tea leaves room to unfurl, and the tea ball wont do that.

[iannon]

if you are worried about getting as much room as possible you could still use the 2 cup method. steep in one cup and then pour thru the strainer into your drinking vessel. I know you mentioned not wanting a teapot..but you could always get something large like the Personalitea from Adagio. its like 21oz with a large basket and glazed so you could use it for multiple types of tea and its inexpensive. 14 bucks. or over at Dens tea they have a couple under 20 bucks that are glazed and would work well too..just a bit smaller. just a thought

[Memphislawyer]

Teas came in last night from Adagio and I just had to try one. So, I went up to Teavana and they had a tea ball with a top that screw-locked in place for $10. For that price, they had a basket one that had a larger metal rim, nice open one, like a strainer, and it would have fit around the lip of the mug.

They had a small one like the for life with a rubber top, and I was worried that the rubber top would not hold all of the wet tea after I infused and used it as a coaster. For $18, they had a large one like the bodum that had a metal center lid that you could hold the heat in while it infused and then use it as a coaster. Pretty large strainer, maybe even overkill. The only downside is that it does condensate on the bottom of it while you let the tea soak after infusing it and lifting it out of the mug. Debating whether for that price, take it back and get two of the one that is more a strainer you have in the kitchen along with the big metal lip

May have to run to Wally World and get a timer. I had the Assam Melody and today, going for the Keenum and tomorrow morning, irish breakfast.

[zeto]

Tea Balls are fine if you get one that is big enough. They make 3 and 4 inch diameter balls that allow for adequate expansion. Only real issue is that you need a cup large enough to accommodate.

[Chip]

Tea Balls are fine if you get one that is big enough. They make 3 and 4 inch diameter balls that allow for adequate expansion. Only real issue is that you need a cup large enough to accommodate.

Even the bigger ones still restrict water circulation. But bigger is certainly better when it comes to TeaBalls.