While tea lovers are sure to be familiar with tea strainers, new drinkers may be unsure on what they are. A tea strainer looks similar to a small metal basket that is created using a type of metal with tiny holes all over. The rim is thicker and has a handle protruding off of it for holding. They are used over a teacup to catch tea leaves while brewing tea. This is the earlier alternative to teabags and is still a very popular method for making tea.
When brewing tea in the old fashioned method, tea leaves are not used in a teapot. Instead the leaves are freely dispersed into the water, floating around and letting the hot water soak up the flavors. This is the first way that tea was brewed and is much simpler then the new invention of teabags. However, leaving the tea leaves in the drink can be very distasteful and bitter. This is why the strainer is so useful. The tea strainer is then fitted onto the teapot, catching all of the free leaves from falling into the new cup when being poured.
Many home décor and cooking ware stores offer a variety of brewing equipment and utensils. Finding a strainer should be very simple, since they are still widely used today. Their price is typically very low, ranging somewhere below $10. While many are cheap due to their construction of stainless steel or sterling silver, there are many other designs which can be much more expensive. Some strainers are created with china, silver or porcelain, making it more of an artistic piece then a functional strainer. They are a small investment that can ensure your tea tastes great every time you brew.
While the tea strainer has held an important place in cooking for over a century, the teabags have begun rising in popularity. Many choose to use single use tea bags that can simply be placed in the cup for a small amount of time until it has been dispersed throughout the water. The tea bag is then removed and thrown away, making it very simple in comparison to the strainer.
Another tool that is very similar to the strainer is the brewing basket, also called an infusing basket. The brewing basket is placed at the top of the tea pot and contains the leaves when brewing. There are no significant differences between the two, as they have the same function and give the same results. The only noticeable change between the two is their design and size.
Using a tea strainer has a huge advantage over picking out tea leaves when pouring. The strainer fits perfectly to the spout of the teacup, simplifying the process of brewing tea and being so easy to clean. The tea is then poured into a cup, without any of the bitter leaves. This makes your tea delicious and eliminates the risk of any leaves falling inside your cup. Another benefit of using the strainer is that it reduces any dust in your tea. The more recently used tea bags often have large amounts of dust, which can make the tea taste differently.
While many choose to use tea bags due to their single use design, it can be much tastier to let the leaves float freely and strain them out when pouring. Using tea strainers takes away any of the dust that can be found in bags and make it taste much more raw and delicious. Instead of choosing to use tea bags that need to be purchased after every single use, invest in a strainer to make your tea taste as fresh as possible.
