Take your tea to the next level with a tea infuser mug – Baltimore Sun

2023-02-15 17:23:56 By : Ms. Tina Hu

Loose-leaf teas require more care in their preparation to make the most of their flavors, so read brewing instructions carefully. For example, green and white teas should be brewed at lower temperatures than black teas. (BestReviews)

Loose leaf tea is usually superior in flavor to bagged tea, but brewing it can be a pain. Tea infuser mugs make it more straightforward to brew tea for one and make cleanup easier in comparison to using a teapot. 12Oz Vacuum Mugs

Take your tea to the next level with a tea infuser mug – Baltimore Sun

Infuser mugs come in two or three parts. All feature a mug and an infuser insert, while some also come with a lid. If you're looking for a practical and attractive option, the Tea Forte Kati Cup Noir is an excellent choice.

While infuser mugs almost always come with lids, the lids are loose-fitting and mainly serve to trap heat and as a tray for the infuser when your tea is done brewing. Plus, the mugs tend to be made from breakable materials like ceramic. This means tea infuser mugs are usually best suited to getting your tea safely from the kettle to your desk or couch. If you want to use your infuser mug outside the home or in the car, ensure it comes with a tight-fitting lid and consider shopping specifically for durable and leakproof travel infuser mugs.

In the wide world of tea consumption, some drink tea from cups with handles, while others use vessels without handles. Whether the infuser mug is made from ceramic or stainless steel, double-walled construction or standard, it’s easy to find one with or without a handle, according to your preference.

Depending on the materials used, your tea infuser, mug or both may be hand-wash only. Most stainless steel infusers can go through the dishwasher, but some ceramic mugs, including double-walled mugs, should not. Be sure to rinse soap out thoroughly to avoid getting it in your tea later, and let stainless steel infusers air-dry completely before putting them away.

Stainless steel is the best material for the infuser part of your infuser mug, thanks to its durability and how easy it is to clean. It also has minimal impact on the flavor of the tea. Stainless steel is frequently laser-drilled into a mesh with extra-fine holes that let flavor, not particulates, into your drink. Look for a wide infuser basket that gives tea leaves and water plenty of room to mingle.

Depending on the materials used, an infuser mug may offer double-walled vacuum construction to help keep your tea warm for much longer than a standard mug. This feature can be found in glass, stainless steel and ceramic infuser mugs. If you tend to work your way through a big cup of tea over the course of your day, you’ll appreciate how double-walled mugs keep your drink at the perfect temperature for hours.

While tea infusers come in a variety of shapes and sizes, tea infuser mugs are frequently designed to act as a set. If you want to be able to use the infuser portion of the set in other mugs, check its dimensions to make sure it can fit into other drinking vessels.

Ceramic tea infuser mugs, either with or without handles, generally cost $12-$25. Tea infuser travel mugs are slightly more expensive at $25-$30.

A. For a travel mug, double-walled vacuum-sealed stainless steel will keep your tea warm for hours. If the travel mug has plastic components, make sure they're BPA-free. Some travel mugs have a ceramic lining that can help protect the tea's flavor, but they generally don't keep tea as hot as a stainless steel travel mug.

A. The safest and most popular tea infuser materials are stainless steel and silicone. Silicone is a popular choice for shaped novelty infusers because it's colorful, BPA-free and dishwasher-safe. For tea infuser mugs, though, almost all infusers are made from stainless steel formed into baskets or tubes. Mesh infusers allow plenty of contact with water while keeping finely ground tea leaves from entering your drink. Infusers with a wider basket shape give tea leaves more room to move around in the water and release their flavor better.

Tea Forte Kati Noir Cup and Infuser: available at Amazon

Our take: These popular infuser cups are available in a range of colors, but this striking black and gray leaf-print version makes an elegant addition to any collection.

What we like: This mug is made from sturdy double-walled ceramic and can hold 12 ounces of tea. The fine stainless steel infuser has a convenient handle for lifting it out of your tea.

What we dislike: The rounded lid makes it tricky to use as a tray for the infuser. The exterior gets very hot despite the double-walled construction.

Mora Ceramics Tea Cup with Infuser, Spoon and Lid: available at Amazon

Our take: This modern mug is specially shaped to help you brew the perfect 12-ounce cup of tea.

What we like: The earthy color scheme and modern design set this mug apart, as does its titanium-plated infuser and spoon. The titanium coating gives it a unique copper hue and is nonreactive and better resists corrosion.

What we dislike: A few users felt that the mug turned out to be smaller than depicted. The ceramic can be prone to staining, and the mug's handle is a little too slim to hold comfortably.

Bruntmor 16-Ounce Tea Infuser Mug: available at Amazon

Our take: Available in a range of vibrant colors, this roomy mug offers a fine mesh stainless steel infuser and a flat lid that doubles as an infuser tray.

What we like: The micro-perforated filter lets tea leaves make contact with water without allowing small bits into the tea. The handle is well-balanced and comfortable to hold. All of the components are microwave- and dishwasher-safe.

What we dislike: The mugs are somewhat heavy.

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Lauren Corona is a writer for BestReviews. BestReviews is a product review company with a singular mission: to help simplify your purchasing decisions and save you time and money.

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Take your tea to the next level with a tea infuser mug – Baltimore Sun

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