Erin said

Tuffy Tea Steeper- anyone ever use one of these? Opinion?

I probably should have asked this question before I bought one on eBay, but has anyone ever used this & care to share their opinion?

I got it specifically for travel, as I do not think it would be as good as my beloved Finum basket to use every day. But I really liked the idea that this was collapsible and looks to be almost indestructible if I just toss it in a suitcase or backpack.

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I’ve never even heard of this, so I won’t be much help there. But it looks pretty neat. I’d be interested to hear what you think of it when it does arrive. I might pick one up myself.

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Haven’t heard about it before today…
They look nifty though!!

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Dustin said

Hmmmm, the holes on it look pretty large. I’d be interested to know how you like it. Keep us posted!

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Sil select said

I think Rachel (iheart teas) had been skeptical but end up loving it….though I could be mis remembering that…just feel like this has come up before….hmmm

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That looks like it would be great for travelling!! Maybe not great for rooibos or finer loose teas but great for oolongs and larger teas. I gotta try and find one……looks great

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RiverTea said

I am a little skeptical about this, especially because of the large holes. Keep us posted about it.

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Josie Jade said

I have 3 of these and used them constantly when I first got into loose leaf. I stopped using them mainly because they take up so much space in the cup/mug, meaning that when I removed the steeper there was only half a cup of brewed tea in there. I don’t remember having any specific problems with the holes being too large, maybe with rooibos. It’s a bit of a pain to clean, but it is nice and small so it works good for traveling. We just went on a trip and I took little one-use paper filters that worked great – just take out and throw away, no cleaning. I think the paper filters let the flavors steep better. I can remember the first time I used a paper filter that the tea tasted so much stronger (and better) than using the tuffy steeper.

Erin said

That is good to know- I have also wanted to use the paper filters, but I seem to have some kind of obsession with being able to see the tea while it is steeping. I love to see how the leaves are going to unfurl! I need to give that up and just use the filters :)

Sil select said

see i hate paper filters because i can always taste the “paper” flavour in the tea heh

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Erin said

Okay- received the filter, tried it out over several days, with several types of teas. Here is the review, finally. I will list the pros and cons:

Pros:
- It folds flat
- It appears to be pretty sturdy.
- The holes are small enough to keep out most of the small particles, but large enough to get almost 100% drainage back into the cup. Not as good as a Finum basket in that aspect, but good enough.
- Cleaned easily, with just a rinsing with water.

Cons:
- It retains odors/ tastes.
- And that would include the odor it came with. Retailer obviously had some pleasant-smelling potpourri in the shop, which is permanently embedded in the steeper and adds an unpleasant taste to every cup of tea I make. Tea and potpourri do not mix well.
- It is very, very wide, so I could only use it in a very wide, relatively shallow mug. Otherwise it did not sit down inside most mugs deeply enough for the water to reach the tea inside the basket completely.
- Did I mention yet that it retains odors/tastes?

So, I would have to say it did not work out for me. The odor/flavor it came with is still not completely gone. On top of that, it has also taken on a bit of odor/flavor from every tea I have used so far. And the only mug I am able to use it with is almost like a soup mug, it is so wide & short. These two things make it rather limited in how I can use it, and so would not be really useful for travel (unless I took my own mug and only wanted to brew one kind of tea in it forever).

Sil select said

thanks for the update/review!

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Yup I love them. Use them and offer them for purchase on my site www.iHeartTeas.com. However, I don’t use them for everything. I perfer finer filters for Rooibos and many herbal teas. They work great for everything other tea I steep. I hope that helps, good luck. :)

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Katiek said

I actually got mine from Rachel’s site and find it a useful backup for travel. I don’t use it every day, but it definitely has a place in my tea cupboard.

Yay, thanks Katiek :)

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