Join me today as I start a 3 part series on tea related items that are essential to brewing a good cup or pot of tea.  I recently did a post highlighting some of my more fun and quirky tea infusers and you can see that post by clicking here.

Tea infusers come in all shapes and sizes and I seem to have a growing collection of these as well as teapots.  It’s all good because I like variety.

But first a little explanation.  A tea infuser actually holds the tea leaves inside the tea ball or vessel in order to steep the tea to the appropriate strength.  A tea strainer, of which I only really have one to show in this post, is used to actually strain the loose leaves out of the liquid as it is poured from the pot into a cup.  The tea is simply placed in the pot loosely and the leaves have to be strained as it is poured into the cup.

First an overview of today’s offerings. 

First up is a simple spoon infuser which is super simple to use.  Put the tea inside the spoon, clamp it shut and let it sit in the cup until the desired strength of tea is reached.

This one could actually be used as an infuser as well but I normally use it inside a teapot (although I show it with a cup here), load it with tea, stick in the top of the teapot and then pour the boiling water over and allow the tea leaves to steep in the basket until it reaches the right strength.

Mr. Frog is one of my favorites because how can you not smile when you look at him?  Simply put some tea in the basket under his lily pad, screw the froggie top on and let bob around in the cup until the tea has brewed.

This one is more of a tea wand, isn’ t it?  This is perfect for one cup at a time.  Simply place the loose tea in the section marked with the arrow, slide shut and it locks into place to stick in a cup of hot water.  Perfect tea every single time.

The final one is really more of a tea strainer but I decided that I could also use it as a tea infuser by letting it rest on the edge of a cup.  The cup has to be pretty full to use it this way so I think the option of using it as a strainer is much better.

Simply pour the tea and the strainer catches all the loose leaves before they can fall into the cup.

So now you know all about tea infusers and strainers.  Aren’t you so glad you stopped by today?  Don’t forget to leave a comment telling me which one of these is your favorite today.  All comments this month go to support Special Books by Special Kids.  If you want more information click here to go to my Comments for a Cause post.

“Now that lilacs are in bloom
She has a bowl of lilacs in her room
And twists one in her fingers while she talks.
“Ah, my friend, you do not know, you do not know
What life is, you who hold it in your hands”;
(slowly twisting the lilac stalks)
“You let it flow from you, you let it flow,
And youth is cruel, and has no remorse
And smiles at situations which it cannot see.”
I smile, of course,
And go on drinking tea.”
― T.S. Eliot, Prufrock and Other Observations