Steeped and Infused

Loose leaf tea is not prepackaged into tea bags, the tea leaves are loose in a bag or container until you decide you want a cup. The most important loose leaf tea accessories to have are tea infusers or tea filters. A tea infuser is a device that holds the tea leaves while they're steeping. When it comes to infusers and filters, it really comes down to preference.

Tea Filters

Filters are essentially make it yourself, single use, tea bags.
The ones that I like to use are from David's Tea. They are made of biodegradable and chlorine free paper and the pull string makes them easy to use. I try to use these when the tea has tiny pieces in it, or I am making tea to go because they are $12.00 for a package of 100 filters. There are cheaper options for filters at Teavana starting at $4.95 for 100 filters, however, they do not have the pull string. They have an open flap which can get tricky.

For my tea infusers, there is the traditional mesh ball infuser, which is not my favourite. I find them hard to clean and they tend to let pieces of tea slip through the holes.

My Favourite Infuser

Traditional Mesh Ball Infuser

My favourite infuser is a stainless steel fine mesh infuser that fits into most mugs. I use it in my tea pots and my mugs and it has never given me trouble. It is also easy to clean.

My Penguin Infuser

There are some fun infusers as well. I got a cute red penguin infuser for Christmas and I love it. It's great for days when you want something cute and different and this one works well. Some others on my list to buy are: the Deep Tea Diver, the Pug in a Mug, and the Tea Rex.