Any tea enthusiast will tell you: brewing a great cup of tea starts with quality accessories. The infusion itself depends largely on the quality of your infuser.
Several tea filters are available: tea balls, strainers, filter bags, and tea clip infusers. How do you choose the right tea clip infuser? Here is our advice.
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Tea Clip Infuser: What Are Its Features?
A tea clip infuser is an accessory designed for loose-leaf tea, and it typically comes in two forms:
- A handled tea ball: the mesh forms a globe-shaped chamber.
- A closed tea spoon.
In both cases, the accessory lets you scoop the tea directly from the caddy or packaging and steep it in your cup or mug. Tea clip infusers are most commonly made from stainless steel.
Tea Clip Infuser: How to Make Your Choice?
A good tea infuser should be removable, suited to your vessel, and made from stainless steel so it does not alter the flavour of the water. Two other factors are key when choosing your tea clip infuser: the size of the clip and the size of the mesh openings.
Check the Size of the Tea Clip Infuser
A tea clip infuser needs to be large enough to allow the tea to steep properly. Loose-leaf tea is dried, and its volume expands by around 20% as it infuses in water. Your infuser should have enough capacity to let the leaves unfurl fully and bring out the full potential of your brew. Handled tea balls come in several sizes, so it is important to choose one that fits your needs.
If you brew large quantities of tea, this type of accessory is not the best fit for a teapot. It works much better for individual use in a cup or mug. Do keep in mind that a handled tea ball may unbalance smaller, more delicate cups.
Check the Mesh and Openings of the Tea Clip Infuser
When you drink your tea, swallowing the leaves along with it is far from pleasant. You should make sure the mesh of the handled tea ball, or the openings of the closed spoon, are fine enough to hold back the leaves during steeping.
Your handled tea ball needs to act as both an infuser and a filter. The smaller the holes, the better it performs as a filter. When using it, pay close attention to the join between the two halves, as leaves can sometimes get caught and escape.
Tea Clip Infuser: What Are the Pros and Cons of This Accessory?
Tea clip infusers are very practical accessories at an accessible price point. They are widely available, both in stores and online. Unlike some other infusers made from silicone, glass or other materials, tea clip infusers are most often stainless steel.
Many users find the size a little on the small side, which can limit a proper infusion. That said, tea clip infusers are fairly sturdy, easy to clean, and take up almost no space. They are equally handy at home or at the office.