Tea Infusing Tube
About a week ago I picked up the Tea Infusing Tube from LEAF. This is a really simple little tool which has helped speed up the tea making process dramatically. You half fill the tube with loose tea, put it in your cup and fill with water. Let it steep and then you can remove the tube with minimal fuss and dripping. The end unclips for "easy cleaning too", though I still don't find it a cinch to get the wet tea out myself. This is much better than the huge leaky infuser that came with my tea mug, and still steeps well.
Still, it's not perfect. The holes are well sized to allow the flow of water, but they are a little big for some of the teas I drink. The Irish Breakfast for example is a little broken up and can leak into the cup. It's not a huge deal as I don't drink the dregs anyway, but it could be improved. The cleaning of such a device will likely never be easy either, and the clipped end does take some of the strain away. Still, I'd like to see it come in half so I can really get a finger in there to clean it.
This is not the first product of this kid that made it to market, and it's likely not the best. I particularly like the look of The Teastick, available from Gamila. Kevin Rose pointed this one out to me only today actually, via his new Twitter account @goodtea. I recommend you check it out. Still, I am enjoying the simplicity of using my new infusing tube and would recommend one, or one like it for those looking to make tea brewing a little more convenient for your life on the go.
