Tea Balls

The Taste Advantage: Using Tea Balls Instead of Tea Bags



For many tea drinkers, using a tea bag is a standard choice. Yet there are several easy-to-use brewing gadgets including that create better tasting tea and introduce the tea drinker to a whole new tea drinking experience.

The tea ball, a type of tea infuser, is a small perforated metal or mesh container that holds the loose tea leaves for the purpose of brewing tea.

It can also be used to brew multiple servings or only one cup of tea, because there are a wide range of sizes available. Besides having the shape of a ball, other common shapes for tea infusers include cylindrical, and conical. There is even one style that is a sphere that splits apart with long handles to open the basket for the loose tea.

The tea infusers allow the loose tea leaves, which are typically whole or large pieces of leaves, enough space to expand and open.

Unlike what happens in a cramped tea bag, the good water circulation around the leaves in the infuser is what helps to release the superior flavors of the tea.

To make a cup of tea using a tea ball, first open the ball and fill it with the tea leaves. Close the ball and attach the two sides together with the small locking mechanism.

The attached chain is designed to hang over the side of the cup as you allow the tea to steep. In some cases, the chain will clasp onto the cup to allow for easy retrieval without the worry of burning your fingers.

Then place the ball in a cup that is not quite filled with hot water. By using less than a full cup of water, it allows the tea leaves to all get wet and expand, releasing their flavor, while not spilling into the cup. It also allows for quicker brewing.

If you are using an infuser with large holes, some of the leaves may escape from the ball. In that case simply use a strainer to remove the pieces of tea leaves.

So for those who enjoy a good cup of herbal tea or are looking to bring their tea drinking experience up a notch, why not try the method of tea infusion for your next cup of pure tea flavor.

This article on the advantages of using a tea infuser was written by Mayoor Patel of http://tea-maker.tea-universe.com.

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