Reddit mentions: The best tea ball strainers

The Eve and Malachi series by Abigail Hilton are wonderful books for a 7-10 year old girl. It's by an author who is rather unknown, but she is my favorite! They are delightful books about a baby rat who discovers and befriends a snake who longs to become a dragon. Anyway, it's a very sweet series about friendship. and contains some important lessons to be learned by the reader. Do not, however, have her read any of Abbie's other books, as they are all either too advanced/violent for a 7 year old, or meant for adults. E&M is her only children's book series, and it is a very good one! Please let me know if you decide to buy it for her, as I would love to know if she enjoys it!

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Another idea for things to put in the basket is tea! Tea is wonderful to drink while reading, and it's good for you as well. I love drinking a high-quality loose-leaf tea while reading a good book! To add to the fun (if you decide on loose-leaf rather than tea bags), you could include a fun tea steeper! They have many fun, colorful options on amazon and in other stores that a young girl would probably get a kick out of! As for the tea , I highly recommend Plum Deluxe. Their decaf and low-caf teas would probably be best for her age,especially the Reading Nook blend! Good luck on your search!

Links:

Eve and Malachi Book Collection

Plum Deluxe Homepage

Reading Nook Blend

Some example infusers: Rubber Duck (my personal favorite!), Flowers, Unicorn, Pig, Owls, Mermaid

woop-di-woop

Congrats on your job! To celebrate, you should buy this slow cooker to make yourself some fancy-pants from-scratch meals! You can make a bunch of delicious foods, and you don't even have to do anything major. Toss in some veggies, broth, and you have soup! Put in cheese, jalapenos, beans, you have queso! Also, it seems as though slow cookers are back on the rise ;) Save money from your new job on food, buy yourself more lovely things, like nail polish!

I'd like a Robot tea infuser because I love tea, and I have a whole tin of loose leaf breakfast tea that I can't use properly because the leaves will filter through things so easily. Plus, it's a robot! It is only about $6, or 4.6 Euros, so maybe you can gift someone else too, if I win :)

Part 1: This guy is definitely my favorite coffee mug. He's a handpainted, handmade ceramic mug that I got the first year I worked at The Great Dickens Christmas Fair in San Francisco. I have a lot of great memories from that year. I was 21 and although I had been going to Renaissance Fairs for years, it was also the first Dickens Fair I'd ever even been to. I used that mug to get good and "in character" with oh-dear-god delicious hot buttered rum and spiced mead (I was playing street scum, or in Victorian speak, "the undeserving poor"). Not only do I have fond memories attached to it, but I just like it because it's pretty and it's big, which is important to me, because I drink a lot of coffee.

Part II: I love tea and I love rocketships

Part III: "Of all the silly nonsense, this is the stupidest tea party I've ever been to in all my life."

Thanks for putting on this awesome contest!

I drink looseleaf with an infuser like this one, or in a ceramic teapot (haven't gotten around to shelling out for a clay one yet.) This is my process for making black tea, which is what I usually drink.

1. Put water in the kettle. Bring it to a boil.
   
2. Pour a cup or so of water in the teapot or infuser, put the lid on, and let it sit for a few minutes to warm up.
   
3. Bring the kettle back up to a boil. (If you're using a kettle on the stove, just leave the burner on until the second pour in step 6.)
   
4. Dump the water out of the teapot.
   
5. Put in a few teaspoons (this will vary according to taste and will change as you get more practice) of tea in the teapot.
   
6. Pour boiling water over the leaves, as much as you're planning to make (this, too, will vary, and you'll settle into a usual amount. A few cups, perhaps).
   
7. Wait 3-5 minutes (I set my phone timer for 4).
   
8. Pour into a cup. If you're using a teapot with the loose leaves floating around inside, strain it. I use this strainer, but if you want to go fancy, you can get something like this. They just sit on the rim of the mug.
   
9. Add whatever you want. I usually do a few drops of liquid stevia and a squeeze of lemon juice. Sometimes I'll do a little cream instead of the lemon. Sometimes it's just sweetener. Sometimes I drink it without anything added. Depends on how I feel.
   
10. Enjoy!
    
    I'm not a huge fan of tea bags, because I'm sort of elitist about my tea and because I can't find many bagged teas that are as delicious and full-flavored as looseleaf teas.
    
    When I'm drinking tea, it's usually before or with breakfast, so I'm generally just eating breakfast alongside it. However, for a treat, I like to get some McVitie's digestive biscuits to nibble on with a pot of tea. If you're American, you can often find them in international food stores (or order online!). They go wonderfully with tea, and they're way more appetizing than they sound.
    
    I hope this helped, and that you can forgive my penchant for abusing paretheses! :)

Before you go out and buy a lot of tea, only to find out it's not to your liking, explore your options a bit by trying out sampler packs.
A bunch of good samplers where linked to over here, but that's mostly for straight unblended teas.

I hardly drink flavoured teas myself, so I can't really give you any good recommendations on that, but perhaps someone else will chime in.
Adagio carries a lot of samplers, many of them containing fruity tea blends, so you might want to check that out.

If you don't have anything to steep your loose leaf in, I recommend picking up an infuser basket that allows you to brew directly in your cup/mug. If you end up liking hot tea, you can always invest in teapots and whatnot later. (And so begin the hopeless teaware addiction many of us suffer from!)

This, and this should do well. Avoid smaller infusers such as this, as your leaf needs the room to expand and interact with the water while steeping. A cramped infuser will not allow your leaf to do so, and may lead to an inferior brew.

> I think I will start with some fruity tea, is it acceptable to put honey/sugar into that?

It's your tea, you're free to drink it however you like it best. I do recommend steering away from your usual preferences every now and then to experiment a bit. There's a lot of different flavours to be found in straight tea, and it'd be a shame not to give it a shot. If you like it better with sweetener though, by all means drink it with sweetener.

> I had some tea bags but wasnt a huge fan, not very strong of a taste, would loose leaf tea be better?

You betcha!

If you want a nice looking Japanese tea set you can find some authentic Japanese tea pots at Den's tea
. The cheap one's use metal strainers rather than ceramic but they would still be good quality. If you have any Chinese tea shops near by you can find some cheap ceramic cups to go with it and probably not go over budget.

Instead of the tea ball look into a cup with a strainer. It is so much easier and it makes much better tea. (and when you do multiple infusions it makes it easier to save the leaves as they are less likely to roll off)I found this on amazon but there are probably cheaper options. Especially just buying a well made strainer that fits a cup you already have.

I use this one. Chan teas is unfortunately closing but that cup and strainer set works great and it is a good price. The strainer is more than $12 on amazon [by it self] (http://www.amazon.com/FORLIFE-Extra-fine-Infuser-Porcelain-Dish/dp/B001JP1KPO/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top) probably because it is so well made.

If you're looking for loose leaf, this is a pretty good little sample pack to try a couple different kinds. If you're really new though, (coming from Keurigs and Starbucks and such) I'd probably recommend starting off with some less expensive/complex bagged tea first.

Assuming you're in the U.S., Twinings is likely to be the best you'll find in an average grocery store. P.G. Tips are pretty good as well, though as far as bagged tea goes I prefer the selection of Twinings. You can try all the different basic kinds this way and refine your tastes from there. Get a kettle, electric for convenience or stove-top if you like the whistle. Then just put a tea bag in your favorite mug and add hot water. There are also individual tea steepers so that when you have loose tea you don't have to make a whole pot at once.

If you go electric and have spare cash, you can spring for one that measures water temperature. That will make it much easier to make sure that you brew each kind of tea at the optimal temperature. Here is a quick guide on what temperature is best for each basic kind of tea. If you get into more complex teas from there, the supplier will usually have more specific directions.

Lastly, make your tea the way you like it. Don't be discouraged by people who say black is the only way to appreciate tea, if you like it better when it's half cream then more power to you. Milk, cream, sugar, honey, and lemon are all popular additions, feel free to mix and match and add and subtract until you find what's right for you, and then let your tastes evolve from there. (Many darker teas may taste a little bitter at first, but with milk and sugar become quite a treat).

Haha! Well that's a new one. I never heard anyone ask for a tea similar to toothpaste.

I doubt you'll be able to find teabags like that, but you might be able to blend something close. Chamomile is very common in herbal infusions, and it has a pretty mild flavor, so I'd suggest using that as the base. Then you could just add a bit of sage and eucalyptus until the flavor is strong enough. Myrrh isn't used to flavor tea that I've ever heard of, so I'd suggest just skipping that. For starters, try 2 tsp of chamomile, with a half teaspoon each of the sage and eucalyptus per cup.

If you're in the US, you can buy the herbs in bulk from a supplier like Mountain Rose Herbs or Monterey Bay Spice Company.

If you're not used to brewing loose tea, you can just throw it in a basket like this which sits in your mug.

Good luck, and let us know how it goes!

OMG I love every tea from adagio. But the Strawberry one and the blueberry one are amazing. but all of them are amazing. So good. ahhh. If you've never used their site, which im sure you have used it, order a bunch of samples (they're enough for quite a few cups) and use the $5 off coupon for new users.

this because i love my loose leaf tea

In terms of equipment, to brew western-style, you can buy reusable strainers to brew the tea. You put a teaspoon or so of leaf into the strainer, steep as normal, and set the strainer aside when you're ready to drink. I have this one and I really like it. It's good to get a big strainer so that the tea leaves can unfurl - good tea expands a lot when you steep it.

Quality is up to your personal taste, imo. In my experience, higher-quality tea tends to be smoother, lacks the off-flavors (bitter, acrid) that are found in some cheaper tea, doesn't lose all of its flavor on the first steep (you can usually steep high-quality tea multiple times before it runs out of flavor), and is more complex than cheaper tea. Imo it just smells and tastes better all around. It's like saying "How can I tell when I'm eating good quality pizza/drinking good wine?" You can tell cause you enjoy it more

Bittersweet is easy! Many teas are naturally a little bitter, and there's a reason why it's common to add sugar (or honey). I'd stay away from the darker teas here, but a basic oolong tea is going to be light and a little bitter. I drink this one regularly, but there's plenty of other alternatives. Green teas are also going to be a good choice here, though I don't know them well. If you want something with a little extra body, try a Genmai Cha, which is a green tea with toasted rice added.

Fruity is also easy, but I may be the wrong person to ask here; the only fruity teas I get into tend to be tangy. That said, virtually any fruit or berry can be turned into a tea, and I'd wager all of them have. In my experience you can find fruit teas in two major categories, standard teas with fruit added and teas that are literally just fruit; the former generally include caffeine, the latter don't.

(Caffeine rule of thumb: black teas have caffeine, green teas have a little caffeine, if it doesn't actually have tea leaves in it, it contains no caffeine.)

Most tea vendors online have a "sample" option that gives you enough tea for half a dozen cups at a very low price. If you're just experimenting with teas, picking up half a dozen to a dozen samples is a pretty good way to start. I'm linking to Upton because I buy most of my teas from them and I know their samples are good - they often include a free sample or two in the box just for fun, in fact - but there's plenty of other good tea vendors online.

Finally, here's the tea snob in me; you know teabags? Teabags suck. They're more expensive and lower quality and have less variety. You get the absolute lowest-quality tea in them, pay a premium for the bag, and your options are sharply limited. I strongly recommend picking up a tea infuser which makes looseleaf teas both easy and convenient to brew. If you're just experimenting with teas and don't want to put out the money for the infuser, there's cheaper solutions, but IMO they're more awkward and annoying and also don't provide as good of a result if you're dealing with a tea that seriously rehydrates.

And note that looseleaf teas have to be kept in a reasonably airtight and opaque container. Most vendors will sell you teas either in a competently-made tea tin or at least a resealable pouch - everything Upton sells you will show up sensibly packed - but you can't always guarantee that. I bought this set a while back and the first thing I did was move them into resealable tea tins (sold by Upton, natch.)

Now you know more than you wanted to about tea :)

Well what I usually do is put the tea bag in a cup of hot water and immediately throw it out the window (unless my English friend is visiting...in that case I throw it at him) while shouting the Pledge of Allegiance. Bourbon > Tea, but tea parties can be fun.

OK fine, serious answer...you need one of these things, some of them come with handles. Put the chamomile in it, pour boiling water over it, let it steep until it tastes good (in my case this never happens, thus the above).

Sketty cat! Here is a bonus fat giraffe. :D Thanks for the contest and hopefully a few good laughs!

I'd love a new tea infuser.

Awwdorable

This dragon light would be my first choice but it is just over $10. And it comes in three colors. :)

But for under $10... I mean, to me, this shark fin tea floater is pretty dang cute. I have other, more conventionally cute things but they aren't under $10.

[Most posh Englishman] (http://www.amazon.com/Shell-Stainless-Steel-Infuser-Drip/dp/B002UC9IWM/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=3P6HB5UR8AV1&coliid=I2L6JDIK5PMI0S) $5 and under.

[Most "oh god, I would never be seen with this in public" looking item:] (http://www.amazon.com/Ultra-Black-Bondage-Restraints-System/dp/B00BOL2A98/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pd_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=FUJNWWZ9FSPQ&coliid=I24BVSFQTUF0BV) NSFW list

Most phallic looking item: NSFW

[Most Geeky Item] (http://www.amazon.com/Buffy-Vampire-Slayer-Sunnydale-Juniors/dp/B00370IZFM/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=JZM1WCTDFOUW&coliid=I22Y8N41ZCL2QC&psc=1) For My Kiddo list

Item which would most help you achieve a goal: 50+, so I could be a more useful baker. ;)

[Best item to bring to a deserted island:] (http://www.amazon.com/Daisy-Jacobs-Women-Toilette-Ounce/dp/B0012RQZ72/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=1U7ZPLJ58TSEB&coliid=I301UI2DAOPK9R) 20-50 list, because a girl has to smell awesome regardless.

Thanks for the contest guys. ;)

A basket or large ball style (not mesh) with super fine holes and with plenty of room for the leaves to get water circulation and room to swell. Ideally metal so you can get the finest holes.
Those funny ones are cute but far from practical or useful for a good cup of tea.
Unfortunately, they no longer seem to make the Swiss Gold Basket style tea brewer. I love mine and have used it for 20+ years. https://www.amazon.com/Swissgold-TF-300-Tea-Filter/dp/B000G72D70
These types are readily available now:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OGJMK9U/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01CVMIGSC/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The water lays calm and undisturbed in my mug. Each H20 particle relaxed and at rest going about doing what ever it is still water does. Then things begin. The water resting in the mug becomes shaken, as if an earth quake has just hit, as I place my mug in to the microwave. There is a loud bang as I shut the microwave door. Then all seems calm again for the water for a few brief seconds. Then the beeping begins. With each button push on the microwave its like a siren goes off to the the helpless water within the mug. A flash of light goes off, the water inside burning. Steam begins coming off the mug, the water dieing as its spirit leaves the cup here it once laid so peacefully. I open the microwave looking down at my victims. they seem helpless but they still haven't suffered enough to satisfy my appetites. Thats when i grab the bomb I open it up and fill it with leaves herbs and spices, although delicious to us, these things are poisonous and deadly to the citizens of my mug. I drop the bomb in and the chemical explosion happens instantly. You can see the corpses of the water rapidly turn brown, all the while their souls still leap from my mug. But this is still not enough for me. I reach for a spoon and stir, the mug has become an inescapable vortex of death with my tea bomb right at the center. I celebrate my victory by adding some honey, as victory is sweet. then to savor that victory I slowly sip from the mug, feeling empowered and ready to start my day.

Change Jar, just in case.

I think the issue is that most people who care enough about fine mesh aren't using tea balls anymore (too cramped for proper infusion). In any case, good luck and let us know if you find one.

Edit: I take it back, I forgot about this. I've got the larger, non-tea ball, version and it is wonderful.

For brewing, you can't go wrong with a simple in-the-mug infuser.

An electric kettle is great, too. It frees you from stoves and microwaves, so you can brew right at your desk.

Oh, and you may wish to check out Mellow Monk's Green Tea -- green tea from independent artisans in Japan. /selfpromotion

Happy brewing!

I like my robot guy better ;) That dino's pretty cute though!

It's cute, but I don't know if it would have enough room for the tea leaves to expand. It would go great with this though.

In the town where I wasn't born,

lived a gal who loved some tea.

She said it tasted so much sweeter

from a yellow submarine.

So she added it to her wishlist

so someone hopefully would buy.

So her tea would be as majestic

as a girl with diamonds in the sky.

We all want tea from a yellow submarine,

a yellow submarine, a yellow submarine.

We all want tea from a yellow submarine,

a yellow submarine, a yellow submarine.

Thanks for the contest! :-)

You can always get cheap steepers from amazon. :) I have this and this. They are both a little small, so the teas can't fully expand, though. My personal favorite is something like this because it has tiny holes that stop anything from escaping, and still plenty of room for larger tea leaves to fully expand.

I LOVE my FORLIFE Infuser. I hardly have any particle steep through. Highly recommend.
EDIT: And just in case this is important to you, this FORLIFE infuser fits small teacups as well as mugs. (That was my selling point.)

Quick tip I came up with for doing the potatoes: Grab yourself a tea infusor like this to hold your garlic cloves (I use garlic cloves and black peppercorns). Makes them super easy to remove after the potatoes are ready!

If you're looking for an "in the cup" type solution, I'd really recommend getting an in cup infuser like this one but if you're dead set on a tea ball you won't find a better one than this one. It has tons of room for a tea ball. I've used both of these products and they're both great.

Edit: You could probably find a better infuser though. It's good but I was just using that one as an example.

The next step after a ball strainer is giving the leaves room to expand and infuse better. You want a basket infuser or teapot+strainer.

The next step after supermarket tea is loose-leaf tea from a good vendor (see the sidebar). I suggest buying a sampler that includes green, oolong, and black teas.

List of "Promotional" Sample Sets

Curated sample set

Happy Birthday! make sure you treat yo self first. Stainless Steel Tea Ball $1.99

My husband prefers CTC assams so he uses this one. I also use it for my rooibos teas.

In my office where I have a smaller pot with a large opening I use this one that floats. At home I mostly use this one. It has larger holes but is much easier to clean than the mesh one. It fits the mouth of most of my tea pots.

a used book, valued at $5 or less

$4 or less if you look at the other options

$3 or less

$2 or less

I give up, I can't find the last one haha... happy birthday!

https://www.amazon.com/Infuser-Cooking-Stainless-Extended-Seasonings/dp/B075K57B73/ref=sr_1_3

Things like that work pretty well. Some of the DE pieces will be too large tho and collect in the bottom. Try to find a cheap one as they tend to have bigger holes.

If you can, rent an ozone generator and use it after spreading DE around. Ozone is good at killing stuff, but isn't really going to do much to bed bugs by itself. However, it will irritate the crap out of them thus making them come out of their hiding spots, run around, and get DE on them. You have to stay out until the Ozone dissipates / breaks down, but otherwise is safe. (Also, put a note on the doors to let ppl know about the ozone.) If you have bedbugs, you may have other pests / mold situations that the ozone will also help.

My grandfather was a small time slum lord. I've done this more times than I care to remember. It works, and it's cheap, but it may take a couple treatments.

The tea gizmo also works well for spreading baking soda on carpet to get rid of smells.

You want a tea ball infuser. It's basically like a mesh teabag.

The leaves won't swim as freely as in a teapot, and a mug won't keep the heat as much, but a tea ball infuser is probably the next best thing. Cover the mug with a saucer.

I have this nifty little Yellow Submarine Tea Infuser for $2.37!

Thanks for the contest :)

I got an OXO Good Grips twisting one that Iike, but like others said if you’re concerned about constriction and don’t want something big, you can also consider a pack of tea bags which I also use sometimes.

https://www.amazon.com/OXO-Good-Grips-Twisting-Infuser/dp/B008H2JMFW

http://www.amazon.com/Tea-Sub-Yellow-Submarine-Infuser/dp/B003TP0QJ8

If they are tea drinkers too, this would be awesome. I am getting my two daughters who are hardcore fans one each for Christmas!

https://www.amazon.com/Fu-Store-Stainless-Strainers-Strainer/dp/B014KJ5WLI/ref=sr_1_5?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1506513986&sr=1-5&keywords=tea+infuser

I've got these and they're OK. I actually prefer using my french press though. I seems silly to use my french press for only one cup of tea, but I feel like it really lets the leaves unfurl properly

look through the cabinet above,

Tea bags are what youre out of

yellow sub for your tea,

Take it from me

:singing:: all you need is love

When I am thirsty I love to drink tea. I will never drink whiskey when I am thirsty.

The place I go to gives strainers to sit in the cups, which I like because it allows me to brew for however long I like and I can just get more hot water instead of a pot going cold on me.

She has one like this.
Worth an upgrade?

These are my go to. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005PON7QU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_oicNAbYN9145W
I like that they are a solid metal instead of a mesh. Occasionally I get some leaves that go through, but they're really fine and fall to the bottom of the cup.

Gaiwan, Fair cup, strainer :)

https://www.amazon.com/International-4254-Frog-Infuser-Green/dp/B00B4GJ5ZA

Floating frog infuser. Its cute and I use it when I want a single cup of black tea, which tbh isn't often since I brew a liter at a time most of the time.

I personally use tea bags, but otherwise I believe you would use something like this. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B014KJ5WLI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_LFZPybGH1AKQX

get yourself one of these and crush it up on a plate a bit and then pour it through this. use a spoon to swirl it around and grind all the big pieces through. comes out like fresh powdered snow

Most teapots have a filter. Edited to add - I really love this for my loose leaf tea - https://www.amazon.com/Good-Grips-Twisting-Ball-Infuser/dp/B008H2JMFW/

I have this one which comes with a nice ceramic dish for it to sit in.

For single cups I use this basket.

For the pot you should just brew loose and pour through a teacup strainer like this or similar. You get the benefits of a strainer while allowing the tea leaves to fully expand.

I have a little strainer (this one) that I put over my cup to catch the leaves when I pour a cup.

Also, note that that style of teapot probably was developed from Western brewing practices in the 18th and 19th century when tea was brewed by pouring 1/3 of a pot of boiling water over the leaves, brewing for 15 minutes or so, and then filling with more boiling water to dilute the strong tea, so it's possible that you're not necessarily supposed to completely empty the pot into the cup (I know with my tea-for-one set if I completely fill the pot, it doesn't fit in the cup) like with other brewing styles.

My infuser is like this, which I use in my pot and I have a smaller one if I'm just making a cup.

You usually have a ball like this. There are better ones but the concept is the same. You could also just mix everything together and then strain it.

Could it be not cut up well enough? Try out a tea ball strainer like this on a hot plate (microwave safe plate in for 1:30sec) and you shouldn’t have a stuffy nose unless it’s cut with some powder that isn’t water/mucus soluble. A razor makes too sharp of an edge and will leave you with a bloody nose and a card is usually too blunt and too easily clumpable. Good for on the fly but if you’re kicking back this is a must try.

It looks similar to this variety from Adagio.

This site says to steep at 195°F for 2-3 minutes.

You can use a teapot or a tea strainer like this or this.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001JP1KPO/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

This one works well

I use this one. It looks nice and has a drip tray. Common from what ive seen of English tea service.

The Empress Tea Strainer https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002Q710ZY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_BztLBb4FA8JQH

Looks good, but why not just use your regular tea ball ?

Personally I much prefer the method of steeping the tea loose in a teapot and then straining. I use these strainers and absolutely love them.

maybe this one?
https://amzn.com/B002Q710ZY
Porcelain ones are out there too, but you'd need to find one that coordinates with your pattern.

I have this little guy.

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41raQKigp7L._SX425_.jpg

Here he is.

I'll pass. But I'm totally buying this.

there's always sediment, I use an extra fine tea strainer similar to THIS and it gets most of it but there is still a bit at the bottom of the cup when I'm done though I don't notice any when I'm drinking.

That's a metal mesh reusable tea bag.

I buy tea leafs and fill it, It's so much better!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B014KJ5WLI/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=metal+tea+bag&qid=1562581949&sr=8-1

A replacement is fairly cheap

Una amiga tiene uno de estos y conseguir té para infusión dice que sabe mejor que el de bolsitas (no me consta, soy totalmente cafedicto).

toss up between these coasters and this tea infuser

I've used these:

https://www.amazon.com/Fu-Store-Stainless-Strainers-Strainer/dp/B014KJ5WLI/ref=pd_lpo_vtph_79_bs_t_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=D850A169VBFXRCTH9TBZ

I have the Yellow Submarine and every time I use it I start to hum the song.

Here you go

Conventional teabags also have plastic in them, which a lot of people don't know: https://www.greenchildmagazine.com/plastic-in-tea-bags/

​

Try stainless steel tea infusers;

https://www.amazon.com/HIC-Infuser-Stainless-Mulling-Spices/dp/B000I1ZZ24/ref=sr_1_13?keywords=stainless+steel+tea+strainer+for+loose+tea&qid=1558316465&s=gateway&sr=8-13

These are similar to the ones I use: https://www.amazon.com/Fu-Store-Stainless-Strainers-Strainer/dp/B014KJ5WLI/ref=sr_1_9?keywords=stainless+steel+tea+strainer+for+loose+tea&qid=1558316500&s=gateway&sr=8-9

[The infuser I use](
https://www.amazon.com/Infuser-Threaded-Connection-Stainless-Extended/dp/B075K57B73/) came with a little saucer that I can set it on until I get around to emptying out the leaves.

Seriously though... adorbs

Put one of these over your cup and it will catch the loose leaves as you pour.

I unfortunately don't have a picture, but many years ago my brother came to visit. One morning, I opened the drawer where I keep my mesh tea balls and discovered they were completely smashed up and destroyed. Asked my brother what the hell happened.

• Him: "I made tea."
  
• Me: "Yes, but how did they get all smashed up?"
  
• Him: "Well, I squeezed them."
  
• Me: ಠ_ಠ
  
  Turns out he thought you had to treat them like you treat a tea bag and squeeze out all the liquid.

The only thing that goes in my electric kettle is water.

The tea goes in a strainer ball that goes in my teacup. Zero mess except for cleaning out the strainer.

https://www.amazon.com/Fu-Store-Stainless-Strainers-Strainer/dp/B014KJ5WLI/ref=zg_bs_3737181_2/141-3397101-7057565?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=PM3ADSDE323TFHV19JDQ

Skip it. All of it.

Get a fine-mesh strainer like this or this.

Use coarse ground coffee, put it into the strainer, and steep for as long as you normally would.

These strainers are multifunctional (I guess you've already figured out that they can be used for tea as well), dishwashable, and unless you do something crazy with them they will last forever. There are no moving parts to break and no things made of glass or plastic to crack.

You can use it in any mug or cup. It doesn't get better than that.

Out of convenience, I usually use an artisan instant coffee like Voila.

If I really want actual coffee grounds, I’ll bring the grounds in a plastic bag and use a tea strainer. It works well. Just get water near boil, drop in tea strainer with grounds, lightly stir. This is the exact one I use: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075K57B73/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_UUA6BbJCMDBJN

As for a stove, I use this ridiculously light and cheap Chinese stove. Quantity is not great but it’s dirt cheap and I’ve never had one show up not functional. Some will leak gas for an instant when you screw the stove on (more than you’d expect), some don’t. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NNMF70U/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_2VA6BbGGSBA02

It seems like what you're saying is that your tea tastes fine, but when you get towards the bottom of the cup, it starts to taste bitter. If that's the case you have a straining problem. Tiny parts of the tea leaves are sitting in your drink the entire time you drink it, which causes it to slowly steep more. You need to either infuse your leaves in a finer strainer, or pour your liquor through some sort of mesh or paper towel, and strain even the tiniest particles out of it.

tl;dr :

• This may be your solution