Recently, the practice of preparing tea with full-leaf loose tea leaves is on the rise amongst tea enthusiasts. With its versatility, complex flavors, and charming steeping rituals, it is easy to see why. When steeping with full-leaf loose teas, you will need a handy tea infuser to get you started. If you have never steeped a cup of tea using an infuser, we offer this brief tutorial to help you begin.
What is a Tea Infuser?
A tea infuser is a tool that allows you to steep full-leaf loose tea leaves instead of using the tea bags with which many of us are familiar. It holds full-leaf loose tea leaves together, often in a mesh ball or basket, and keeps leaves from floating freely through your beverage. Tea infusers allow premium tea leaves to unfurl and expand, rewarding you with their full flavor potential. Tea infusers come in different styles and sizes and are a fun, but simple tool to steep the perfect cup of tea.
The Matter of Time and Measurement
Steeping with full-leaf loose tea requires one teaspoon of leaves per 6 ounces of water. Measure the proper amount of tea leaves into your infuser. Place the infuser into a tea cup or teapot and pour hot water per serving over top. Once water is poured, time your steeping as follows:
Full-Leaf Loose White: 2-3 minutes
Full-Leaf Loose Green: 2-4 minutes
Full-Leaf Loose Black: 3-5 minutes
Full-Leaf Loose Oolong: 5-7 minutes
Full-Leaf Loose Red/Herb: 5-7 minutes
After the tea has finished steeping, remove the infuser and allow it to cool before taking your first sip. Many varieties of full-leaf loose teas are great for multiple infusions, so you may enjoy more than once, if desired.
What type of Tea Infuser do you need?
This depends on a couple of factors. Are you steeping for one, or a group? Are you looking more for simple function or for crafty design? Whatever your preference, there is a tea infuser perfectly suited to fit your needs.
- The People’s Brew Basket® in Stainless Steel and The People’s Brew Basket® in Nylon make steeping a single serving of full-leaf loose tea simple. The ample space in the baskets allows tea leaves to swell to bring out the full taste. Packaged in gift boxes, these brew baskets would make a stunning gift for a fellow tea enthusiast or a delightful treat for yourself.
- The Floating Stainless Steel Infuser is constructed specifically to allow premium tea leaves to spread and unfurl their full flavors. Fill the infuser and float in hot water in your tea cup or teapot. After tea finishes steeping, remove the infuser and place it in the holder to catch any drips, making the process clean and easy.
- Made in America using wood from ecologically managed forests in Pennsylvania, our charming Wooden Flower Infuser and Wooden Leaf Infusers are an environmentally sustainable and stylish way to steep a single cuppa. Add the full-leaf loose tea of your choice to the center basket, and balance the on the rim of your tea cup for easy steeping.
- Crafted with stainless steel mesh, the Little Dipper Infuser is perfect for steeping a single cup of tea. Using the convenient handle, place the infuser filled with the tea of your choice into your tea cup with the handle up, and top with boiling water. Once the tea has finished steeping, remove the infuser before you begin to sip.
If you have never experienced the joy of steeping with full-leaf loose teas, we encourage you to get ahold of one of our handy tea infusers and see for yourself what makes it such a unique treat. We think you will agree that premium full-leaf loose teas steeped using high-quality tea infusers is a simple way to enjoy all of the complex flavors that tea has to offer, sip by sip.
