Tea Strainer vs Tea Infuser: What’s the Real Difference?
Every tea drinker has their own perfect brew. Some love the convenience of tea bags, while others enjoy the ritual of steeping fresh loose leaves. But if you’re stepping into the world of loose-leaf tea, one common question arises: what’s the difference between a tea strainer and a tea infuser? With so many brewing tools and styles, it's easy to feel overwhelmed—but choosing the right method can transform your tea experience.
Here’s the quick answer: A tea infuser is placed directly in your cup or teapot and stays submerged while the tea steeps, allowing for a richer and more controlled brew. In contrast, a tea strainer is used after steeping—catching loose leaves as you pour the tea from pot to cup. Both have their strengths, and your choice depends on how hands-on (or hands-off) you like your tea ritual.
In this article, we break down the differences in simple terms, so you can confidently choose the tool that suits your tea style. Whether you're aiming for bold flavor or a no-fuss process, we’ll help you become your own tea expert—one cup at a time.
How To Use a Tea Infuser and Strainer?
When brewing loose leaf tea, flavor takes center stage—and the method you choose can make all the difference. A tea infuser is used during steeping. It holds the loose tea leaves in a contained device—often a metal mesh ball, silicone holder, or small basket—which you place directly in your mug or teapot before adding hot water. It allows water to flow through while keeping the leaves contained, making it ideal for single servings and easy cleanup.
On the other hand, a tea strainer is used after the tea has steeped. If you brew your tea leaves loose in a pot or pan, a tea strainer helps filter out the leaves as you pour the tea into your cup. Typically made of fine mesh, it sits over your cup and catches any stray leaves, allowing only the liquid to pass through.
While an infuser is a brewing tool, a strainer is more of a filtering tool used post-brew. Both tools are essential for loose leaf tea lovers and offer convenience depending on how you prefer to brew your tea.
How to Use a Tea Strainer?
To get the best out of every tea you brew, it’s good to know how to use a tea strainer in the right way. First, make sure you spoon in the right amount of loose-leaf tea needed. Depending on how strong you want it, a tablespoon is usually the right amount. Once you’ve spooned in the tea leaves, you’ll then want to place the tea strainer over the cup. The boiling water will then go over the tea strainer, which you’ll then allow to brew for 5-10 minutes. The longer you leave it, the stronger the tea will be.
A tea strainer is good when you want to let your tea sit for a while before drinking.
How To Use a Tea Infuser?
With a tea infuser, you’ll heat your water and add the tea leaves into the infuser. The infuser then gets placed into the teacup. Depending on how much water you want will depend on how quickly it infuses and how strong the tea will get. Steep the infuser until it’s at the desired strength and then remove it.
Both tools used for brewing tea are similar and can be used briefly or taken out when the flavor of the tea has reached its preferred level for the drinker.
Do Teapots Need Infusers?
Ceramic teapots usually come with built-in infusers. Remember that ceramic teapots can’t be heated on the stove though. Heat water to a rolling boil in a separate kettle and add the water and tea leaves to the infuser to then brew in the ceramic teapot.
How Do You Steep Loose Tea Without an Infuser?
You can still steep tea with hot water, loose tea and a cup! Here are some directions below on how to steep loose tea without an infuser with answers to the following questions:
Can You Use Tea Bags in a Teapot?
In a pinch? You can put two tea bags in a regular teapot of hot water for steeping. For a mini teapot you can add one tea bag to your hot water.
How Much Tea Do You Put in a Teapot?
If you’re looking to steep tea leaves in a teapot, try one teaspoon of tea leaves per one cup of water
Can You Put Tea Bags in an Infuser?
You can place tea bags in an infuser for steeping if you are in a pinch to make some tea. However, when you use a tea bag, the tea bag itself acts as an infuser. It’s technically not needed to place a tea bag inside an infuser, but you can do so if you like.
French Press vs Tea Infuser
The French Press is one that provides a great amount of space for the tea leaves to infuse with the hot water. Just like it’s used for coffee where it separates the coffee from the water, the same is done with a French Press. A lot of seasoned tea drinkers prefer the French Press because they believe it gives the right amount of space for the leaves by constricting them like a tea infuser or strainer basket would.
With a French Press, you’ll also find that you can make larger quantities of tea than using a tea strainer or infuser that makes a limited amount in comparison. For a tea strainer, you may only be able to make one or two cups.
Which Option is Best to Use?
If you’re a beginner to loose tea leaves, then it’s certainly a good idea to try each option to see which one works best for you. It can often boil down to the type of loose leaf you’re using and whether it works best in a tea infuser or a tea strainer.
Trying them out for yourself is the best way to find out which option is going to be right for you when it comes to brewing tea. Just like coffee types, every method is different, and it really is more about personal preference.
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