Best tea steepers for a low price?
We are considering expanding our business to include tea accessories.
Mostly for newbies who never had loose leaf before and avoid it due to the misconception that one needs a lot of tools and gadgets to enjoy a nice cup of loose leaf.
Personally, I really don’t like tea balls because they don’t let the leaves to expand enough.
When I am in a hurry or late for work and don’t have time to make a proper teapot; I just throw some loose leaves into a mug, fill with boiling water and drive with my left, tea in hand.
After checking the Steepster Teaware section; I came across the brew in mug infuser. Never had one but, everything seems great about it. Except for the price. $12.50 at Teavana & Davids Tea. And it doesn’t include the cup. If you want the cup it’s $22.50. This seems a bit excessive. Not sure we can charge our customers that much for a cup.
So, my question is:
Do you know of a cheaper yet high quality infuser available on the market that will perform similarly to the brew in mug strainer?
Teaforte sells one for 15. I think it’s called Kati? The infuser isn’t as large, but I like that they’re easily accessible via Amazon. You can also search amazon for ‘tea mugs’
I did some searching on amazon and the Trudeau Mendous Tumbler and Suns Tea Double Wall have good ratings. The Finum Brewing Basket is one of my favorites, it seems sturdy enough for the road.
I’ve found that upton has generally had the best price on Finums (esp when on sale – 6.99 for a medium size and 7.84 for the large) Even with my exchange rate difference, i haven’t found anyone who has a lower price and i love my finums..
I generally just get the wire stainless steel baskets (eg. AS61 @ upton) because then i can buy my own mugs and swap them in and out to my heart’s content. glass or ceramic…heh though admittedly i usually prefer ceramic)
I have ceramic cup with ceramic infuser. I don’t use it because the holes are too big. Stainless steel infuser like ForLife is the best for me. I have Finum but don’t like plastic part gets tea stained which hard to remove. And plastic absorbs strong flavor.
I love my ForLife mug and infuser a lot. If you look around, you can find the Curve mug for a decent amount.
I’ve never had an issue with the little plastic in my finums retaining flavour. As for stains, I clean them every now and then with mandalas cleaner and they perk right up hahaha
Any ceramic tea pot with an infuser inside should do. Not that expensive and not that complicated.
I had that idea too. I bought an inexpensive cerammic 4 cup pot and then discovered that the only infusers that fit are far too small for the pot size.
Best small tea pot, besides a kyusu, in my opinion, is tha Hario Kyusu Maru. 400 ml size is perfect for 2 cups tea western style and the infuser basket is huge. Under 20 bucks on amazon.
Inginuitea devices are the best thing I’ve found for newbies – does exactly what you need it too.
Why not sell filter papers?
Yes, Inginuitea is great and we are considering something in that area. But with filter papers I find that it affects the taste and doesn’t let the leaves expand enough.
I love my Ingenuitea, and for me it’s the best option since I drink at my computer all day and don’t want to risk spilling from a gaiwan or teapot.
I would never say no to a easy gaiwan. Sometimes they come with SS strainer. Inexpensive, cute, never enough.
I actually love my Davids Tea Perfect Mug. Paying $20 for a mug I liked the look, feel and size of as well as an awesome infuser I can use with other mugs didn’t bother me. As a backup to my mugs and pots with and without infusers, I use filter bags. I don’t find the paper affects the taste at all and I use larger ones with more room. Very convenient for outside my house.
I don’t like the Ingenuitea style makers at all, especially the plastic but that’s just me. I think a good quality metal infuser is the easiest and least intimidating option, but everyone likes to make their tea differently!
I usually use one of those mesh infusers that fits in the cup. I’ve also got a tea ball, but that is for rooibos/ honeybush.
So I’m looking for something different.
I have never used an ingenuitea. I was intrigued when I saw one but the plastic was not appealing at all.
My personal recommendation for newbies is an in cup basket steeper. Its great for travel, easy to clean, easy to store, makes reasonable tea and is inexpensive if the new tea interest does not last. So simple!
I love the ease of it, and watching the leaves sink and rise is mesmerizing.
I’m with teaenvy on the plastic. Not for me. I have a small Beehouse pot with a mesh infuser basket in it. I don’t use it the way they intend. I don’t believe the basket gives the leaves enough room, so I leave it out, put the leaves in the pot and when the tea is steeped, I hold the little basket over my cup and pour the tea through it to catch any leaves.
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