If you’re even a semi-serious tea drinker, you may have dipped your toes into the world of loose-leaf tea, and in order to make a high-quality cup of loose-leaf, you need a high-quality tea strainer. With an array of tea strainers on the market, there are a few considerations when purchasing.
A good tea strainer should be big enough to let the tea leaves float freely in the hot water and should be made from a tightly wound material that prevents any grit or debris from leaching into your tea. The Finum Stainless Steel Mesh Brewing Basket is a high-quality and cost-effective choice for brewing all types of loose-leaf teas.
What to know before you buy a tea strainer
Tea types
Before purchasing a tea strainer, think about which types of teas you drink most often. Fine-ground teas more easily seep into your mug as they steep, so you’ll want to look for a tea strainer made from a tightly wound material to prevent leakage. Teas made from whole fruits and flowers require more space to steep, so you’ll need a larger tea strainer for best results.
Shape and design
The shape and design of a tea strainer is one of your most important considerations. You’ll find tea infusers in all different shapes, sizes and designs including balls, baskets and cups.
First, ensure that it fits into your mug, travel mug or teapot. A ball-shaped tea infuser is dropped into your mug or teapot and acts similarly to a standard tea bag. This type of strainer can be filled on either side and is usually secured with a latch. Some ball strainers have a chain, while some have a long handle that sticks out of the mug.
Basket-shaped tea infusers sit more tightly in a mug and often come with their own lid, which is convenient for keeping the tea warm as it brews. The lid can also double as a drip tray to hold the basket after use. A cup-shaped tea strainer has a handle that can be balanced over your mug as it brews but doesn’t have a lid.
Size
To maximize the flavor of a brew, tea leaves need space to move around while steeping. This allows more contact with the hot water, leading to a more even infusion. A larger tea infuser is therefore generally superior to a smaller one.
Material
Tea strainers are primarily made of metal including stainless steel, copper, aluminum or steel mesh. Stainless steel, steel mesh and copper are strong metals that stand up well to regular use. You’ll also occasionally find tea strainers and infusers made from plastic or silicone, but most tea experts claim that metal tea infusers produce a better brew. Whichever you choose, look for a tea strainer made from a tightly woven material, so that even fine-leaf teas won’t leak into your mug as they steep.
Tea strainer features
Disposable tea filters
In addition to reusable tea strainers, you’ll also find disposable tea filters. These are typically made from compostable and biodegradable materials and act much like a standard tea bag. Simply toss in some loose-leaf tea and steep it. This is a great option for taking your tea on the go.
Novelty designs
These days, you’ll find tea strainers in a huge variety of cute colors and novelty shapes like animals, cartoon characters and more. These tea infusers are typically made from plastic or silicone. They add a little fun to making tea and make great gifts for tea lovers. However, they’re often of lower quality than other tea strainers and add more fun than functionality.
Tea pots with strainers
In addition to tea strainers and tea infusers, you’ll also find teapots with built-in strainers. This is a convenient way to infuse a larger amount of tea at once.
Dishwasher-safe
Look for a tea strainer that’s easy to clean and dishwasher-safe. Some designs have a lot of crevices that may be difficult to fully clean.
Tea strainer cost
A tea strainer can cost as little as $5 for a basic ball-shaped model and up to $25-$30 for high-end basket infusers and strainers made from highest-quality materials. A quality basket-shaped tea infuser should cost you $10-$15.
Tea strainer FAQ
What water temperature should I use to brew tea?
A. Different varieties of tea require different brewing temperatures. Black tea generally requires a higher brewing temperature than green tea and white tea. If you’re a serious tea drinker, you may want to purchase an electric kettle that includes different temperature settings for ideal brews.
Here’s a list of suggested brewing temperatures for common tea types:
Black tea: 194-210 degrees
White tea: 185-205 degrees
Green tea: 175-185 degrees
Herbal, rooibos or fruit tea: 205 degrees
Can you steep tea leaves more than once?
A. Yes, tea leaves can generally be steeped more than once. Depending on the type of tea, however, the second brew may be weaker than the first. This is especially the case with black tea. If you plan to re-steep your tea leaves, try to keep them moist between steepings and don’t keep the leaves for more than 10-12 hours as this can cause a buildup of bacteria.
Which tea strainer should I get?
Best of the best tea strainer
Finum Stainless Steel Mesh Brewing Basket: available at Amazon
Our take: A high-quality basket-shaped tea steeper at an affordable price.
What we like: The brewing basket is made from tightly wound stainless steel micro-mesh so even the finest teas won’t leach into your mug. It comes in two sizes to fit various mugs, and both sizes are big enough to give ample room for tea leaves to move around and infuse the water. It comes with a lid that doubles as a drip tray. Plus, it’s dishwasher-safe.
What we dislike: Some users found that the lid falls off during the brewing process and sometimes causes the tea to spill into the mug.
Best bang for your buck tea strainer
Apace Loose Leaf Tea Strainer with Tea Scoop and Drip Tray: available at Amazon
Our take: An elegant, well-constructed metal tea strainer that comes in three different attractive colors.
What we like: The strainer is fine enough so that fine teas won’t leach through the holes. The classic design comes in rose gold, gold and silver. The set includes a drip tray and a teaspoon for scooping. It can easily brew tea in a teapot or an individual mug. It’s also praised for being easy to clean and dishwasher-safe.
What we dislike: Some users found that the latch didn’t always close properly during use.
Honorable mention tea strainer
House Again Fine Mesh Tea Infuser: available at Amazon
Our take: This tea infuser combines a high-quality mesh basket with a fun novelty design.
What we like: The pack includes four infusers at an affordable price. The design is cute, colorful and cheerful while maintaining superior quality and functionality. The strainer sits easily in a cup and the silicone top makes it easy to remove from your mug after brewing. The set also includes matching drip trays for each strainer.
What we dislike: Some users found that the construction was not as durable as they’d hoped.
Katy Severson is a writer for BestReviews. BestReviews is a product review company with a singular mission: to help simplify your purchasing decisions and save you time and money.
BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. BestReviews and its newspaper partners may earn a commission if you purchase a product through one of our links.
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
