Ok, going all in; Need tea equipment

[merkri]

Does the size of the infuser really matter that much?

I think the tea ball versus infuser thing is overblown. Some tea balls are really nice; it depends on how much room the leaves have to expand.

If the tea ball is small and the leaves can't expand, sometimes it will taste a little weak or underflavored or something, but it's not a big deal. Usually it's only a problem with very large leaf teas. Assams and small broken leaf teas it doesn't matter.

I love the brand of infuser I have, but I bought it at TeaSource and can't find it there anymore.

This one is nice:

http://teasource.com/merchant2/merchant ... t_Count=10

If you look carefully, sometimes in the tea section of the grocery store they'll sell them near the tea. Often I've seen these plastic mesh infusers that actually aren't bad, even though they're not the sturdiest things.

Some of the nicest tea infusers I've seen lately are actually in outdoors stores. I'd send you a link but they come up in different places that don't have online stores.

If you're really in a pinch, you can make your own tea bags out of coffee filters. These are nice because you can make them really large and they work pretty well. I bought some once that worked great, before I realized that they were basically the same as what's outlined here but just fancier looking:

http://www.instructables.com/id/Loose-T ... ter/#step1

[Sam]

Like the Finnum basket. Here is my problem. I bought two glass mugs with handles, and they are about 5 inches tall and about 4.33 inches across the mouth or top. The Finum large only says it goes to 4 inches and it is 4 inches tall, so it will drop to the bottom of the mug and I will have to fish it out. I had bought some strainer baskets at Wild Oats and they fall to the bottom of the mug, which would not be bad if I had some sort of chain attachment to yank them out. I guess a tea ball aint gonna hurt then

i had this and thought better of it and returned it

http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product ... U=14596020

a cousin

http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product ... U=13865922

[merkri]

Like the Finnum basket. Here is my problem. I bought two glass mugs with handles, and they are about 5 inches tall and about 4.33 inches across the mouth or top. The Finum large only says it goes to 4 inches and it is 4 inches tall, so it will drop to the bottom of the mug and I will have to fish it out. I had bought some strainer baskets at Wild Oats and they fall to the bottom of the mug, which would not be bad if I had some sort of chain attachment to yank them out. I guess a tea ball aint gonna hurt then

i had this and thought better of it and returned it

http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product ... U=14596020

Yeah, I see what you're saying with the basket.

Coincidentally, I ran across that infuser whose link you posted above for the first time the other day. I thought it looked great, but then looked closer at it and was a bit concerned about the construction.

This is another infuser I've seen that looks decent:

http://www.amazon.com/FORLIFE-Extra-fin ... 001JP1KPO/

Reflecting on it a bit, I think there's two criteria I look for (in addition to sturdiness):

1. That the leaves have room to expand.
2. That the mesh is fine enough for finely broken teas.

To be honest, if that's a tea ball or infuser, or whatever, probably doesn't matter.

There are a ton of nice infusers and tea balls out there now.

[Quarterstick]

Does the size of the infuser really matter that much?

I think the tea ball versus infuser thing is overblown. Some tea balls are really nice; it depends on how much room the leaves have to expand.

If the tea ball is small and the leaves can't expand, sometimes it will taste a little weak or underflavored or something, but it's not a big deal. Usually it's only a problem with very large leaf teas. Assams and small broken leaf teas it doesn't matter.

Agreed. I am not a highly educated tea person, but a former co-worker was a complete enthusiast. He drank this stuff and the leaves unfurl as it steeps.

http://www.teacuppa.com/Pearl-Jasmine-Tea.asp

A small steeping device would clearly not work for this tea. He was dead set against using the ball style steeper for any teas, but I honestly think that it is not going to make a qualitative difference that the average tea drinker would notice.

Here is what I typically use for loose tea and it works fantastic.

http://www.bodum.com/us/en-us/shop/deta ... ?navid=272

Mine came with it's own mug, but I measured mine for the opening of the mug you mentioned Sam and I think it would be just shy of working for you. The newer version looks like it would be big enough although it is a bit more pricey. But hey, it is shiny.

http://www.bodum.com/us/en-us/shop/deta ... ?navid=272

I think you would be happy with just about any infuser that would fit your cup. Let us know where you land.

[Sam]

Well, for the price, I would get the ForLife extra fine infuser - longer handle is over 5 inches and will definitely fit

Gonna head to Teavana as they have some and I can try them in different mugs. Around $11 to $18 or so, no shipping and well, can try one to see how it works. I do want one with a larger basket.

[MrSmooth]

Upton Tea is a very good online retailer with a nice selection of Assam. They also offer a nice infuser basket that works infinitely better than those ball and chain things.

Agreed, I have two of those at home and one at work. They are the absolute best for loose (real) tea. I'll never use a tea ball again.