Tea Strainers

Making tea is not just a thing of utility it is an art form. The capacity to perfectly blend the tea with other flavors to create a tasty beverage is a thing of skill and beauty. One thing that people often overlook is the simple necessity of a tea strainer. These individuals will make this drink using pre-bagged tea and forget that even doing such as that will not prevent grains from getting into the tea as it is steeped.

To make this drink at its finest the use of a tea strainer to capture all the excess grains is vital. Grains in the tea can ruin the flavor and make the entire batch into a mess that no one wants to drink. This is true of any type of tea made whether it be sweetened, unsweetened, hot, or iced.

A tea strainer can come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and construction. The most prolific ones are made from wire mesh and plastic. The mesh will be very finely laced together to stop as much as the tea grains as possible from slipping through. Some individuals will strain their tea three or four times to get as many grains out of it as possible.

The primary use of a tea strainer is for individuals that prefer to use free floating leaves in their tea as opposed to pre-bagged versions. Tea of this type can come in many varieties from the green tea of the orient to the famous Earl Grey. Certain types of bark such as willow are commonly made into herbal teas with medicinal benefits. Willow bark tea, for instance, is an excellent aid for a headache due to the chemical make up of the tree bark.

The different types of tea strainer are all used for the purpose of straining tea. However, some are more useful that others. This usefulness largely depends on the style of brewing the individual follows though. Someone that prefers to prepare a large pot of tea might wish to use a large strainer so that it is all strained at once. Other individuals may wish to prepare and strain single cups at a time.

No matter which method is used the end result when using a tea strainer is a fine tasting brew that is good for the body, clears the mind, and cleanses the spirit. A proper cup of tea is just the thing to pass the time either in social settings or lost in though.

True tea lovers usually prefer bulk tea to a cup of tea that has been made with a tea bag. They do not hesitate to pour steaming water on a couple spoonfuls of broken tea leaves. They have no objection to any bits of tea that might later appear in their tea cup.

However, a sizeable number of adult tea lovers have children. As a rule, small children will not drink any beverage that has something strange floating in it. Hence, they will refuse to drink a cup of tea that has even a tiny remnant of the bulk tea. Therefore, those adults often choose to purchase a tea strainer.

Unlike tea, which can be green, gray, brown or black, tea strainers do not come in a range of colors. The most popular strainers have been crafted from silver. Some tea strainers are meant to go in a pot of tea, while others are intended for use in a single cup.

When a tea strainer resembles the shape of a ball, and when it has a small metal chain attached to its top, then that strainer is meant to be used for making a pot of tea. Such a strainer normally comes apart, forming two half spheres. The tea preparer packs into those half spheres the appropriate amount of bulk tea leaves.

When a tea drinker wants to strain just enough tea for a single cup, then that tea drinker needs a spoon shaped strainer. The spoon has a hinged cover. A tea lover can open that cover and place tea leaves in that spoon. Like the ball shaped strainer, the spoon shaped strainer has a large number of tiny holes.

Since most strainers are made out of silver, their constant exposure to tea causes their eventual discoloration. The tea stains the silver. Now that stain can be removed by placing the strainer in a dilute solution of bleach. However, anyone who cleans a strainer in that way had better rinse it thoroughly.

Even the cleanest strainer does not make a decent pot of tea, if it contains a detectable amount of bleach. A true tea lover can often note a change in the tea’s taste, if that tea was poured from a pot with a poorly rinsed strainer.

Another note of caution regarding tea strainers: They do not prevent emergence from them of tiny bits of tea. Sometimes those tiny bits can annoy a young child. Even after using a tea strainer, a parent might be asked to remove from a child’s tea cup a tiny speck of a tea leaf.

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.