OXO BREW Twisting Ball Tea Infuser

I have purchased various infusers and this is one I really like for a cup of tea. This infuser is easy to fill, keeps the leaves in, and easy to empty and clean. I was going to purchase a cheaper brand but decided to go with OXO because of past use of their products appearing to be sturdy and well made. Read more

Love this loose leaf tea infuser! The twisting mechanism is tight and sturdy, and turns the ball shut smoothly so as to not spill any precious tea. It perfectly holds a standard serving of tea, but should you like a stronger brew, I find it quite easy to twist the infuser half way shut and add additional tea. It has not rusted one bit and it’s been used at least 2 dozen times since purchase. It’s gone through the dishwasher, been hand washed, and even has sat in a sink with water on a busy day for a few hours. Honestly, I think tapping out the tea leaves and giving it a good rinse before placing it in the drying rack works plenty well. Read more

Love the setea infusers, they do their job exactly perfectly. And they’re brilliantly designed. They’re the perfect length and weight to sit on top of your tea cup while you fill it. The twist is smooth enough to easily turn to open. The ball itself is a good size - assuming you’re using the right amount of loose tea, there’s lots of room in there for the tea to move and swish about. The mesh is fine enough to allow for a good strong brew without any “bits” escaping and floating in your tea, and they stir the honey in too, saving a teaspoon a job. They don’t seem to drip too much if you give them a little shake on removing from the cup. They’re really easy to clean, the tea falls right into the compost and easily rinses free of bits. I also love that they’re really simple to store and don’t have bits that can fall off or go missing Read more

Fantastic product! This is one of my favorite tea infusers out there. While it might not have the charm of some of those other "cute" tea infusers this one makes up for in quality and functionality. It is made very well and I can see myself using this for years to come. Super simple, just twist near the handle and it opens, then you can use it to scoop your loose leaf tea. Close it and put in the water and you're done! I use this on a daily basis and it doesn't let me down. Pros: Easy to use Doubles as a scoop Great quality tall enough to not be submerged in cup Cons: It will still let some little bits of the tea through into your drink. (not a big deal to me) Read more

I honestly can't imagine why someone would not like (if not love) this tea ball infuser. It's easy to clean, easy to fill, and works great! I drink tea all the time and it is my favorite way to drink loose leaf tea. I'm a field hand and a dairy farmer who loves video games and the taste of a nice pinot noir. After working a long day at a Petaluma ranch, I need a hot and soothing drink to help me relax. This is where my new OXO BREW Twisting Tea Ball Infuser comes in and plays a vital role in my daily routine. I fill the ball with my favorite organic loose leaf tea, heat my filtered water to the optimal temperature (more on that below) and pour myself a delicious cup of organic hot tea. Perfection. I sometimes will brew caffeinated tea (like black or green tea) in the afternoons to give me that final boost to get through the rest of the Petaluma day, then brew non-caffeinated herbal tea in the evening to unwind right before I get in my comfy Petaluma bed. I don't think I'm exaggerating when I say that my love of wine is only rivaled by my love of a good organic loose leaf tea. And drinking loose leaf is key. “Loose-leaf tea” means tea that’s primarily made up of whole, unbroken leaves. Teabags are usually made from the opposite – low tea grades, such as dust and fannings. Dust and fannings are smaller pieces of tea, so they have a larger surface area than whole leaves. A larger surface area means more opportunities for the essential oils (what makes tea flavorful and aromatic) to evaporate, leaving the tea dull and stale. Freshness can be a major issue with typical teabags for this reason, especially if they are packed in a paper box with paper wrapping. When you steep loose-leaf tea, it has (or should have) room for tea leaves to absorb water and expand as they infuse. This allows the water to flow through the leaves and extract a wide range of vitamins, minerals, flavors, and aromas from the leaves. When you steep tea in a teabag, its infusion is limited by the size of the teabag. Not great. Also, temperature is crucial! Most of us in the western world are brought up thinking that all we need to do to make a cup of tea is heat water, add tea, wait a few minutes, then drink it. Although this is basically true, paying attention to the water temperature will help get the best flavor from your tea. Chances are you’ve wondered why your tea doesn’t always taste great or doesn't even taste the same from day to day. While this could be caused by several factors, water temperature is an important one to consider. Every type of tea has a “right” temperature. When tea is brewed, tannins, amino acids, aroma and flavor compounds are released from the leaves. Some kinds of tea require less heat, while others need more to maximize their distinctive attributes. Brewing at the optimal water temperature for each kind of tea allows the compounds to be released in a balanced way and leads to great tasting tea. Water temperatures that are too hot dissolve tannins and destroy the other desirable compounds in tea. Thermal shock from overly hot water can also burn sensitive tea leaves. The result will be a bitter, astringent, and unbalanced brew. At the opposite end of the spectrum, you also don’t want the water temperature for brewing tea to be too cool. The same compounds that are destroyed with over-heated water won't dissolve properly in under-heated water. The finished tea will definitely lack balance and simply won't have as much taste. A longer steeping time may compensate, but only a bit. Here are some general guidelines for the different categories of tea. White teas: 160–185°F (71–85°C) Yellow teas: 175°F (79°C) Green teas: 140–190°F (60–88°C) Oolong teas: 180–200°F (82–93°C) Black teas: 190–200°F (88–93°C) Pu'er teas: 200–212°F (93–100°C) Rolled oolongs and other teas in pearl form are notable exceptions to the guidelines. These not only withstand, but are best when brewed in water near boiling. For these, more heat is required to slowly unfurl the leaves and release their distinctive aroma and flavor compounds. You’ve probably heard the expression “a watched pot never boils.” Well, in order to judge the temperature of the water for tea using your ears and eyes, you have to watch the pot—and certainly remember to never boil the water. So maybe the adage should be changed to “watch the pot so it never boils.” When using your senses to gauge the temperature, you’ll need to pay attention to the bubbles and steam rising from the water while listening for different sounds. These change during three different stages of heating water. If using a saucepan you’ll be able to see as well as hear the changes. If you’re using a kettle then you’ll need to rely mostly on sound, although you might also see some steam escaping through the spout. But I digress. Whether you're a field hand and dairy farmer in Petaluma, or a big shot corporate suit from San Francisco, this tea ball infuser is a MUST for your tea drinking needs. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!! Read more

You really cant go wrong with the OXO brand. So easy and functional. Read more

Easy to fill, empty and clean. Best tea infuser I found to date! Read more

Wanted to love this, who wouldn't want to wave a magic tea wand into a cup? I like how it offers the perfect measurement for 1 cup of tea (I drink green tea). But my issue is that it's not efficient, due to the lack of exposure the tea leaves have to the water. I really dislike this craze of putting tea into metal plates with holes poked into the metal. Go with a good ole fashioned MESH. I did a back to back comparison, and my mesh strainer produced a way stronger cup of tea with much less work (all I do is put a plate over it while it steeps to retain heat, then squeeze the leaves with a spoon before drinking). With this contraption, you have to constantly 'stir' or move the want around, which might be nice for people who like to constantly fidget. Even after doing this for 8+ minutes, the tea was not as strong as I would have liked. Too much work! And tea isn't exactly cheap, so if I'm not getting as much out of it as I can, then I'm just wasting it. So I will be using this as a 'scoop' to measure the tea, but not for steeping! Read more