Rellybob said

Finum or FORLIFE brew basket?

Sorry if this is posted somewhere else! In your opinion which brew basket is the best for mug brewing? My stainless steel Bodum one worked great for a long time, but now the filter part has completely come off. I found great reviews for both Finum and FORLIfE. My goal is to find one that won’t let rooibus through and has lots of room for oolong to expand. One that won’t come apart would be great too.

26 Replies

i’ve tried a lot of different filters/steeping devices, and it seems that anything other than paper lets at least a little bit of rooibos through. That being said, my DAVIDs Tea filter baskets (from my perfect mgs and bubble teapot) let only the tiniest bits of rooibos through, and I’m fine with that. 99% of it stays in the basket.

I’ve never seen the Finum ones, but I’ve seen the FORLIFE ones and they’re almost identical to the ones I have, only maybe a bit shorter?

Rellybob said

Is the DavidsTea one stainless steel as well? I would prefer that over plastic.

Rellybob said

Thanks!

Uniquity said

I also endorse the DT Perfect Mug/brew basket. I have two, my fiancee has one and we also have the bubble teapot with the same style basket. Plenty of room and an admirable job of keeping the little stuff in the basket and not the water! : )

they’re sturdy too. I usually take one to work with me (I work at a doggy daycare, so it sometimes gets knocked off the counter, or attacked my dog feet/teeth while it’s in my bag when i first walk in the door) and they’ve held up well. I use a brush meant for dying hair to clean it, the bristles are stiff enough to flick the leaves off, and the pointy handle is good for if you’ve forgotten to rinse it after steeping and have some dried-on leaves.

Uniquity said

I once cut myself when cleaning my DT basket – maybe they’re a bit too sturdy. Luckily I only managed it once. I did read on Steepster somewhere that one or two people had the basket break but I feel like DT replaced them without a question.

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Shmiracles said

if i didn’t already have 3 FORLIFE asian mugs with baskets i would probably buy the davids tea basket too. i love love love my asian mugs. but the davids tea basket looks great. you should go for it!

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Rellybob said

Thanks for the suggestions guys!

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cuppaT said

I purchased a large Cool Touch Tea Strainer from Teavana precisely because I don’t like those little rooibus bits either sifting through or getting caught in a mesh filter. It works great! Looks a lot like the FORLIFE infuser. The one from David’s Tea looks similar, is a bit less expensive (and might be a little smaller? — can’t tell from the photo). Since you’re in the states, you might want to check out the Cool Touch at Teavana.

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Bubbles said

I don’t have a Finum, but I have both the DT and FORLIFE. They both look VERY similar. (Come to think of it, I honestly think something that I ordered from DT was made by FORLIFE. I’d have to get out my things to be 100% sure, but I remembered being surprised by it.) I love my FORLIFE stuff. I do get the occasional rooibos bits, but not too much. They hold up well, and I can’t say that I am the easiest on things. My DT one cut me when washing it, like a poster stated above, but I really think that was my own fault. (Do not listen to pop music while washing the dishes and you should be fine.) ;)

Kittenna said

Pretty sure my brew basket (with a little teal ceramic coaster-like dealio) from DT is one of the brand names (I was thinking FORLIFE). I think they only sell the baskets in the Perfect Mugs now, which I think are unbranded (other than being DT).

As for metal infusers cutting people, I nearly had that happen to me too – the metal inside edges are sharp, which become a problem when scrubbing the inside. :(

Bubbles said

I was surprised when it happened, just like cutting myself on a knife. I’m super careful around that particular strainer now.

Rellybob said

I’ve cut myself on my Bodum one as well. It was a nasty little cut!

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Sil select said

I love my finum brew basket, nothing gets into my tea unless i put it there. While it sucks that it’s plastic, I like that there aren’t holes in it for particles to get through.

Rellybob said

Do you know how heat resistant it is? The plastic I mean. Like what grade of plastic it is?

Sil select said

I don’t…but i’ve had it for a while now and there’s no warping, no indication that it’s suffering from boiling hot water being poured into it every day. :)

Babble said

It’s just the sides that are plastic, right? The actual infuser part is really fine metal, yes?

Ninavampi said

Yep, only the sides are plastic. The mesh is metal. Mine have been with me for years and through boils water and are fine! :)

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Ninavampi said

I love my finum! I have both, and I find myself reaching for my finum almost every time!

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Rellybob said

Thanks for all the feedback!! I’m still wavering…but I think I will go with the Finum, as everyone says the same thing about it- nothing gets through! :)

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SimplyJenW said

I have both the Finum and ForLife. I use the ForLife daily because I am not a big fan of the plastic on the Finum. If I find the ForLife does not keep the bits out (which is pretty much never), I can pull out my Finum for that particular tea/tisane.

Rellybob said

Do you think the plastic affects the taste of the tea?

Sil select said

I haven’t noticed any difference in taste between the plastic and metal only.

SimplyJenW said

I am just not a big fan of plastic in contact with high temps for every time I drink tea as much as I drink it. I just think stainless steel is safer over the long haul, but that is just an opinion.

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I have a finium and the metal one from davidstea. Both have pros and cons – the metal one allows more particles through, but the finium is harder to clean, especially herbal teas. The finiums lid also sometimes takes on the smell of the tea, as it’s made of plastic (my DT one has a glass lid). I use both :D, but my rooibos mostly in the finium. Both are good though :)
Oh, and my metal one whistles when I wash it haha, kind of weird at first lol, the water going through it a certain way does it I think.

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