loose tea

[Milpool]

The grocery store was all out of the Twinings tea bags, but they had cans of loose tea. As a result, I'm now drinking loose tea. . . and eating a lot of tea leaves. The cheap tea holder I got isn't doing so well.

Any suggestions for nice tea holder/filter things? I've seen some that look like absinthe spoons, that would be interesting. How about antique storage containers for loose tea?

 

[Harold falcon]

I often use a French Press.

 

[Naf Nasitra]

If you're making a single cup, get something like this. It sits on top of the cup & when the tea has finished infusing, you lift the whole thing out. Much better than tea balls & infusing spoons because (a) the tea leaves don't end up in your cup, and (b) the water circulates through the tea better than when you pack the leaves into a tight space.

 

[RedLantern]

Originally Posted by harvey_birdman

I often use a French Press.

This. Just put what you don't want to drink right then in the fridge - Iced tea!

 

[cptjeff]

Originally Posted by Naf Nasitra

If you're making a single cup, get something like this. It sits on top of the cup & when the tea has finished infusing, you lift the whole thing out. Much better than tea balls & infusing spoons because (a) the tea leaves don't end up in your cup, and (b) the water circulates through the tea better than when you pack the leaves into a tight space.

Those work. I use cheesecloth bags that they sell at the local coop where I get my tea. $.29 a pop, and washable. I've seen similar filter bags made of paper and sold in packs of 20 or so.

 

[dv3]

Get a fine gold mesh filter. I know they sell them at Sur La Table and Williams Sonoma if you want to buy it locally (assuming you have one of those two stores locally). Here is a fine opportunity for me to pimp my Japanese Green Tea thread.

 

[DukesofStratosphear]

Unless I'm missing something in your post, you just need a simple tea strainer.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea_strainer

 

[dv3]

Originally Posted by DukesofStratosphear

Unless I'm missing something in your post, you just need a simple tea strainer. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea_strainer
Often times teh tea strainers will have holes large enough for small bits of leaf to float on through. Get a mesh filter like the one I linked to and you will never get leaves in your tea. I hope the OP's loose leaf tea is better than his Twinings tea. Once you have had good tea you will realize the awfulness of nearly all grocery store, packaged tea.

 

[DukesofStratosphear]

Quite possibly, although I can't remember the last time I used my teapot, despite being an Englishman

 

[Milpool]

Originally Posted by dv3

Often times teh tea strainers will have holes large enough for small bits of leaf to float on through. Get a mesh filter like the one I linked to and you will never get leaves in your tea.

I hope the OP's loose leaf tea is better than his Twinings tea. Once you have had good tea you will realize the awfulness of nearly all grocery store, packaged tea.

Twinings is bad? I've got a tin of Twinings Earl Grey. I like it quite a bit. What other varieties of Earl Grey would you suggest?

 

[Jack2000]

I use these:
http://www.adagio.com/teaware/paper_...ec81ad4614f706

 

[why]

I use a splatter shield.

 

[cptjeff]

Originally Posted by Milpool

Twinings is bad? I've got a tin of Twinings Earl Grey. I like it quite a bit. What other varieties of Earl Grey would you suggest?

Twinings is actually quite good. They have the frigging royal warrant to supply tea, that should tell you something. However, if you can get it, the best earl grey I've had is the Fortnum and Mason version blended with lapsang souchong.

 

[ama]

Originally Posted by dv3

Get a fine gold mesh filter. I know they sell them at Sur La Table and Williams Sonoma if you want to buy it locally (assuming you have one of those two stores locally).

This.

 

[xpress]

^^^^ +1...

Loose tea FTW