Hi Folks,

I used to think I enjoyed teas, but after recent reading on the subject
I discovered that loose leaf tea is more highly regarded.

I've started trying and enjoying a variety of loose leaf teas, using a
wire mesh clamshell infuser. All was going reasonably well until I
tried a can of Twining's English Breakfast, for a boost early in the day.

Unlike the other teas I've tried it is extremely fine, and has no
trouble escaping the fine mesh of the infuser. I wind up with a thick
layer of leaves floating on top of the tea. Then I have to choose
between spooning them out or having them with the tea.

My question has to do with how this is usually handled. Is the tea
expected to float around in the cup? Do the British have a means of
containing it that I haven't discovered? I'm tempted to stay with
teabags for this product.

I have some older tea ball infusers that have even larger holes. I
thought the mesh one was a step forward...

Thanks for any advice.

-dreq

Derek Mark Edding wrote:

....
> Unlike the other teas I've tried it is extremely fine, and has no
> trouble escaping the fine mesh of the infuser. I wind up with a thick
> layer of leaves floating on top of the tea. Then I have to choose
> between spooning them out or having them with the tea.
> My question has to do with how this is usually handled. Is the tea
> expected to float around in the cup? Do the British have a means of
> containing it that I haven't discovered? I'm tempted to stay with
> teabags for this product.
> I have some older tea ball infusers that have even larger holes. I
> thought the mesh one was a step forward...

No, leaves are not expected to float around in the cup.
Yes, not only the Brits but others have a means of containing it.

If you infuse your tea one cup/mug at a time, you can buy a mug
infuser from lots of places (for openers, try Upton or Special Teas
on the web) that has an extremely fine mesh - much finer than any
wire mesh clamshell. Even extremely fine leaf pieces will not
escape them. And, they have the addition benefit of allowing leaves
to expand to their heart's content.

Many good teapots also have infusers made from the same ultra-fine
mesh.


Randy

On Fri, 05 Mar 2004 16:10:41 GMT, Derek Mark Edding
> tripped the light fantastic, then quipped:

>My question has to do with how this is usually handled. Is the tea
>expected to float around in the cup? Do the British have a means of
>containing it that I haven't discovered? I'm tempted to stay with
>teabags for this product.
> -dreq

I use the very fine mesh infusers to which Jim (SpaceCowboy) referred.
Depending on the tea, I sometimes still have a fine dust that settles
to the bottom of the cup. I drink all but the last sip that has the
dregs in it, although sometimes, I forget and swallow those, too.
They haven't killed me yet, and I've been drinking tea for a very,
very long time. The clamshell infuser you use is okay, but, referring
to Jim again, the larger the infuser, the more flavorful the tea; the
leaves should be allowed to unfurl fully. Bodum makes a single
cup/infuser set called the Yoyo...I use it or an infuser called a
"People's Brew Basket" when I'm not making a pot of tea. Also
available is a tea sock, which is a filter made of a finely-woven
fabric. You can also use a T-sac or Minit Filter to make your own
teabags, but, like with your infuser, the tea leaves are crowded
together, and you just don't get the complete experience of flavors.

If you're lucky enough to have a shop nearby that carries loose teas
and accessories, you may be able to find one of the above infusers.
If not, like me, you can shop online.

Welcome to the wonderful world of tea. Please don't restrict your tea
consumption to those available only in tins...there's a vast world of
loose teas not mass marketed that are extraordinary.

Tee
http://www.geocities.com/tee_king
Remove -no-spam- to email me.

On Fri, 05 Mar 2004 14:47:03 -0500, Tee King
> tripped the light fantastic, then
quipped:

I should have been referring to Randy's (RJP) advice, not Jim's
(SpaceCowboy). I apologize!

>I use the very fine mesh infusers to which Jim (SpaceCowboy) referred.
>Depending on the tea, I sometimes still have a fine dust that settles
>to the bottom of the cup. I drink all but the last sip that has the
>dregs in it, although sometimes, I forget and swallow those, too.
>They haven't killed me yet, and I've been drinking tea for a very,
>very long time. The clamshell infuser you use is okay, but, referring
>to Jim again, the larger the infuser, the more flavorful the tea; the
>leaves should be allowed to unfurl fully.

Tee
http://www.geocities.com/tee_king
Remove -no-spam- to email me.

Hi Derek,

> Unlike the other teas I've tried it is extremely fine, and has no
> trouble escaping the fine mesh of the infuser. I wind up with a thick
> layer of leaves floating on top of the tea. Then I have to choose
> between spooning them out or having them with the tea.
>
> My question has to do with how this is usually handled. Is the tea
> expected to float around in the cup? Do the British have a means of
> containing it that I haven't discovered? I'm tempted to stay with
> teabags for this product.

I don't know what the British do. Personnally, I wouldn't care if a few
leaves are in my cup, but I know some guests don't like it. The easier way
in your case is to buy a finer mesh or vinyl cloth strainer and use it to
filter the tea as you pour it into the cups. If you prepare for only one
person, get one cup for infusion (put the leaves without strainer, the
water, use the saucer as a lid), and one to drink. That way, if there is a
little dust (that no strainer can retain without also retaining flavor), it
stays in the bottom of the infusing cup and you get a very clear drink.

Kuri

In article k.net> (Fri,
05 Mar 2004 16:10:41 +0000), Derek Mark Edding wrote:

> [...] Twining's English Breakfast, for a boost early in
> the day.
> [...]
>
> My question has to do with how this is usually handled. Is the tea
> expected to float around in the cup?

No.

> Do the British have a means of
> containing it that I haven't discovered?

I don't know about the British, but I use a (German import) Teeli brand
"Tea Brewing Basket". It's made of a very fine, "double twilled"
stainless-steel mesh with a "heat-tolerant" plastic frame. It was about
US$7 from Special Teas.

My conclusion: It's great for a mug or small pot of tea.

> I have some older tea ball infusers that have even larger holes.

Mine did. And, once upon a time, I overfilled one and it broke; I've also
broken spoons.

> I thought the mesh one was a step forward...

It must depend on the fineness of the mesh.

The mesh infuser is pushed opened by the infused fines therfore
leaking into the cup. Only load the infuser 50%. Upgrade tea size
from fines to broken leaf or minimum CTC. The British brew loose tea
in a teapot then strain into a cup.

Jim

Derek Mark Edding > wrote in message thlink.net>...
> Hi Folks,
>
> I used to think I enjoyed teas, but after recent reading on the subject
> I discovered that loose leaf tea is more highly regarded.
>
> I've started trying and enjoying a variety of loose leaf teas, using a
> wire mesh clamshell infuser. All was going reasonably well until I
> tried a can of Twining's English Breakfast, for a boost early in the day.
>
> Unlike the other teas I've tried it is extremely fine, and has no
> trouble escaping the fine mesh of the infuser. I wind up with a thick
> layer of leaves floating on top of the tea. Then I have to choose
> between spooning them out or having them with the tea.
>
> My question has to do with how this is usually handled. Is the tea
> expected to float around in the cup? Do the British have a means of
> containing it that I haven't discovered? I'm tempted to stay with
> teabags for this product.
>
> I have some older tea ball infusers that have even larger holes. I
> thought the mesh one was a step forward...
>
> Thanks for any advice.
>
> -dreq

> My question has to do with how this is usually handled. Is the tea
> expected to float around in the cup? Do the British have a means of
> containing it that I haven't discovered? I'm tempted to stay with
> teabags for this product.

As many will have pointed out by now, there are multiple solutions to the
precipitate problem. The Yorkshire side of my family was not bothered by a
few leaves in the cup. When I lived in the UK, posh types poured through a
sieve. But most British folk use bags now - or drink c*****.

I like those dusty teas, too, for a fast infusion of great strength. But
they go stale very rapidly, and the sediment isn't pretty (or readable, if
you're the Gypsy type). You might try moving up to a broken leaf - same
general taste and brewing characteristics, without the mess.

-DM