Choose to Infuse!
Are you making a new year’s resolution to improve your eating habits? Why not consider adding loose leaf tea or tisane (herbal) beverages to your daily diet? Loose-leaf tea & tisane popularity is growing, in part because it tastes great and in part because it is healthier! Some people want to start but think it is too complicated to infuse loose leaf tea. I hope this little talk resolves the confusion and reveals that it is easy & fun to infuse. And perhaps you too will choose to infuse.
Questions you will want to address when considering the best infuser for your life-style include:
Tea pots and tea cups with infusers work
very well! If using tea blends that have fine particles be sure the infuser has fine mesh. Often the infuser can be used in more than just the original vessel. So even though the price point may be a bit higher, the product is more versatile. An added bonus is when the infuser is included with the cup or teapot there is a lid that functions to keep the temperature hot while steeping, then the lid doubles as a drip pan once the infuser is removed. Using a teapot is one of my favorite ways to prepare tea for it typically means I am sharing the event with others. Plus tea-pots are absolutely adorable!
TEA TRAVELERS
For those who are on the go traveling tea mugs or metro mugs are fantastic. An infuser will be included and can be cleaned off and returned to the mug so you will have an infuser available to you once you arrive at you destination. Metro-mugs are versatile, practical and mid-price range.
I have highlighted a few great starter infusers that work well for highly active life-styles. There are many more infusing tools that accompany tea plus enhance the romance of the tea event. Cermonial tea events include a variety of vessels that add culture, art, ceremony and personality to the art of tea making which I hope to continue to write about in later blogs. Plus there are more infusers that are just plain old fun and functional.
CREATIVE & FUN INFUSERS
TEA POUCHES/FILTERS
Lastly, the question of DIY tea bags. Tea filters (bags) are available in bio-degradable compostable unbleached bags that allow for fuller expansion and better extraction. These type of bags add about 6 cents to each use. They are highly mobile, easy to clean-up & great for leaf expansion. I really appreciate them when traveling. They are easy to bring on a plane or to a hotel. Many people choose to use them as their preferred method of infusing. The down side is you do need a saucer avaible when withdrawing them from the cup but they can easily be used for a re-steep.
If looking for a great starter, have a limited budget and want something that is easy to transport, I highly recommend an infuser basket that can double in both cup a cup or pot and has plenty of room for the leaf to expand, such as the large floating infuser. If wanting something simple and easy for the home or office a tea-maker that dispenses from the bottom seems to be a great place for tea enthuisasts to begin. If wanting a great commuter tea mug, my new favorite is the metro-mug which keeps the tea hot for hours, (if it takes that long). If giving as a gift the tea-cup or tea-pot is always a special treat! If giving loose leaf to a friend who does not own an infuser, then a starter pack of diy tea filters (bags) is very convenient. I hope you choose to infuse in 2014!
May Your Year be infused with Joy, Happiness and a “whole lot of tea!”
Have a Happy & Blessed New Year!
Judy

- Will the type of tea you enjoy fully expand in the infuser?
- Will the tea or tisane leak out of the infuser?
- Is it easy to use, clean, and store?
- Will you want the infuser to be mobile?
- Cost of the infuser, can range from $3-$20, tea pots & cups with infusers begin in the mid $20’s.
- Would you consider eco friendly DIY bags (filters)?
- What type of volume do you expect to prepare on a regular basis?




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