(Part 2) Best tea strainers & filters according to redditors

Ok sorry it took so long but here is the recipe! A few people have asked, I'll put them here so they get the update. Let me know if I missed someone!

AMightyWolf me2pleez lexxx223 captainvyvanse RedQueenHypothesis katekowalski2014 funkinatrix

Materials:

The Thai tea itself! I tried a few different mixes and this one's my favorite.

Because the Thai tea mix is so fine and powdery, I recommend using a very fine cloth strainer. It's not required, but it makes it better (in my opinion). I use something similar to this. This has gone up in price since I got it years ago. But paper tea bags, cheesecloth, or reusable cotton tea bags will all work as well. Whatever you use it WILL be stained orange and brown.

If you don't mind powder and fine particles getting in there (which can make it more bitter), whatever strainer you currently use for loose leaf tea will work.

​

Recipe:

My mom found this recipie (and many others) and we thought this one tasted the most like restaurant Thai iced tea.

I boil 4 cups of water and steep 1/3 cup of Thai tea mix for 20 minutes. Then I add 1/3 cup of sugar. I add in 2 cups of cold water, or 2 cups worth of ice (instead of boiling all 6 cups at the beginning) just to help it cool faster cause I am impatient and want to drink it.

Pop some in a cup with ice, and then add your milk, cream, whatever you want. I like it most with half and half, but usually I don't keep that around so I just do regular milk more often.

Originally the recipe calls for 15 minute steeping and 1/2 cup of sugar, but I liked it stronger and a bit less sweet. You play around and see how you like it. I find the 20 minute steep and 1/3 cup of sugar is as close as I can get to restaurant Thai iced tea. Half and half also gets it closest to restaurant as well (imo). I ask sometimes when I go to Thai restaurants what they use for cream, and most of them tell me half and half. Once someone told me sweetened condensed milk with an extra splash of milk. I have not yet tried that.

As you noticed the recipe is for a large quantity. It keeps well in the fridge, so you can have some ready on hand. Mine doesn't usually last very long.

Have fun!

They usually sell them at Kohls and places like that! I have a sloth one.

Here's one on Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Fred-TEATANIC-Titanic-Tea-Infuser/dp/B00BU1IWJO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1524233247&sr=8-1&keywords=teatanic

As big as possible to give the leaves adequate room to open up. I have this one but any "basket" style infuser will suffice.

Looks good, but why not just use your regular tea ball ?

I would do what /u/AIO12 suggests, but with emphasis on using coconut oil. If you want to use butter, I suggest clarifying it first; this way it will keep longer. My method is to put the AVB in a jar, and then cover it with coconut oil (you may have to pre-liquefy the coconut oil if it is not hot in your house).

I fill the crockpot (or slow cooker) about half-way with water, and loosely tighten the top of the jar with the oil and AVB (I do this because some additional decarboxilation occurs, and this releases gas, and I don't want to risk the jar exploding -- although I realize this is highly unlikely). I make sure the water comes up about halfway to 3/4 of the way up the side of the jar of oil and AVB.

I also suspend the jar of AVB and Oil using the rings from canning jars. This way the jar of oil and bud is not touching the ceramic cooking vessel. This way you ensure that your product will never get hotter than ~212 degrees Fahrenheit.

I put other empty canning jars in the slow cooker around the edges so that things don't float or move around. I put the crock pot on high and leave it at that temperature setting for about 6 hours.

Once every hour or so, I will take the jar out and give it a shake, or open it up and give it a stir.

I usually end up adding extra water to top off the ceramic cooking vessel about 3 hours in, but since I keep the glass cover on the slow cooker, most of the water re-condenses and stays in the ceramic cooking vessel. But keep an eye on it! If the water evaporates you might damage your slow cooker (unlikely) or burn your infusion (likely). That would be so sad!

I also throw in a few pinches of fresh bud mixed in with the AVB -- I think this gives a slightly more full-spectrum infusion. Also, I think it tastes good. Also, I will add a couple of whole crushed cocoa beans and maybe half a stick of cinnamon during the infusion. It comes out smelling and tasting pretty damn good! The toastyness of the AVB, the smooth sweetness of the coconut oil, and the richness of the cocoa bean and cinnamon go really well together.

After 6 hours (or more), I remove the jar of oil and AVB. I let it sit for about 20 minutes so it cools down a little, but still stays hot and liquid.

Then, while still liquid, but not so hot as to burn me, I strain the bud and oil through a large cotton muslin bag (like this http://www.amazon.com/Cotton-Muslin-Bags-Drawstring-Count/dp/B004YTLW0K - which I also use for steeping loose herbal tea and for preparing kava kava). The reason I use these is because I can sinch off the bag, and use all my strength to twist and squeeze every last drop of precious infused oil out of the AVB. There is a LOT of oil that that will stay in the bud otherwise, and I have found this method to be best and quickest at salvaging almost all of it!

You should end up with a a lot of a very potent infusion. My latest batch is so strong... if I eat more than 1 teaspoon, I am practically wasted for the rest of the day. For me and my body, I have found that it takes, on average, TWO hours for the effects to kick in. Surprisingly long. Then the effects stick around and get more intense for a few hours, and then peak, and I am pretty much stoned for about 8 hours. Infused oil using AVB really rocks me. I get so stoned that I don't even feel like smoking pot or drinking alcohol. I am just all set.

One thing I will mention, if you are feeling adventurous or experimental: I want to try this, but haven't had a chance yet -- but I want to try doing the infusion in a pressure cooker. This will increase the temperature to 240 degrees Fahrenheit, which won't burn the bud or oil, and could result in an even more complete extraction of the AVB and infusion of actives into the oil. I have a pressure cooker which I use to sterilize substrate for the purpose of cultivating mushrooms at home, but that is all I use it for, so it would be nice if I could find another use for the pressure cooker. Ideally, my plans are to save up a bunch of AVB, and do 3 or 4 different infusions and then compare them. One theory I have is that the higher temp and pressure in the pressure cooker might be able to achieve an equivalent infusion (or an even BETTER infusion?!) than the slow cooker, but in half or even a quarter of the time. Time will tell...

Finally, another consideration for you might be to invest in something like the "cap-m-quick." This is a little "machine" that holds 00 gelatin or vegetable-based capsules. The oil will not leak through the capsules, as long as your oil is free of all water, and as long as your oil is as cool as possible while remaining a liquid. This is the idea: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVIVL1YkF48

It would be nice to have capsules containing even quantities of the oil. It is discreet, pretty much odorless, and perfect for transportation, or for sharing with others. I plan on doing this today actually! I plan on storing the filled capsules in the freezer, for freshness. I will post something to this sub once I give it a try and let you guys know a) how it goes, b) if it seems worth doing, c) how much weight each capsule weighs, d) how consistent each capsule's weight is, and e) how effective they are at doing their job ;)


In any event, please do post your results back here! I for one would love to hear how your end product comes out :)

The water lays calm and undisturbed in my mug. Each H20 particle relaxed and at rest going about doing what ever it is still water does. Then things begin. The water resting in the mug becomes shaken, as if an earth quake has just hit, as I place my mug in to the microwave. There is a loud bang as I shut the microwave door. Then all seems calm again for the water for a few brief seconds. Then the beeping begins. With each button push on the microwave its like a siren goes off to the the helpless water within the mug. A flash of light goes off, the water inside burning. Steam begins coming off the mug, the water dieing as its spirit leaves the cup here it once laid so peacefully. I open the microwave looking down at my victims. they seem helpless but they still haven't suffered enough to satisfy my appetites. Thats when i grab the bomb I open it up and fill it with leaves herbs and spices, although delicious to us, these things are poisonous and deadly to the citizens of my mug. I drop the bomb in and the chemical explosion happens instantly. You can see the corpses of the water rapidly turn brown, all the while their souls still leap from my mug. But this is still not enough for me. I reach for a spoon and stir, the mug has become an inescapable vortex of death with my tea bomb right at the center. I celebrate my victory by adding some honey, as victory is sweet. then to savor that victory I slowly sip from the mug, feeling empowered and ready to start my day.

Change Jar, just in case.

https://www.amazon.com/Fred-OCTEAPUS-Octopus-Tea-Infuser/dp/B00FY88KDW

Prime shipping isn't immediately but is pretty close.

To me a gadget is neither a full on appliance (like a stick blender) not a tool (like a thermaPen), though I love both, but a small convenience that might be overlooked or mistakenly thought to be a unitasker, so I nominate the large tea basket. I use one that is 50 years old and perforated sheet metal that screws together, rather than the spring clip mesh one linked, but yards of cheesecloth and miles of twine for tying bouquet garni have been saved by using a large tea basket. Put yer stuff in there, simmer, remove and run through the dishwasher. Because it is large, you get good circulation for flavoring; because it is essentially indestructible, it never goes on the "to buy "list; because stem tying is not in play, you never have to fiddle with matching sprig lengths/sturdiness.

[The infuser I use](
https://www.amazon.com/Infuser-Threaded-Connection-Stainless-Extended/dp/B075K57B73/) came with a little saucer that I can set it on until I get around to emptying out the leaves.

If you want easy, you can buy a mug strainer or empty tea bags to pack yourself:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001JPA3Y8

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01JIRDSCC

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000J3JFJU

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HW1C7VK

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00027CM5C

Irish Breakfast is a good strong one that a lot of coffee drinkers might enjoy but I'd also say the London Tea Room English Breakfast or the Keemun would be very good, all very good with a splash of cream/sugar if that's the coffee style, but also very good black. The boldest choice is the Assam if that's why she likes coffee. A genmaicha (iron goddess) would be good but might lean a little more into the green tea camp, though my husband likes it and he isn't as into greens.

Similar to a Chai is the Rooibos from LTR (their nutcracker at Christmas is fantastic) but I'd also try the Big Heart Cup of Sunshine (from Soulard but I've seen it at Bowood Farms or even Anthropologie now). Teatopia has a nice vanilla chai.

Definitely go for loose teas. If you buy from LTR their 4 ounce teas are resealable but their smaller teas need a dark canister to go into. I use these from Amazon but I know Teatopia has their own style. I brew my tea using these.

Not a ball, but what about something like this? Tea socks are very fine mesh, and this particular one says it's 9 inches long. Should provide lots of space for the leaves to steep in a large pitcher or jug.

Around here, most people I know use an electric kettle for coffee at home. My team uses one in the office. Then again, I'm in Portland and we love our pour-over coffee.

And I'm extra weird because I usually drink tea instead of coffee (acid reflux issues). I prefer loose leaf tea, but I'm also lazy, so I use mate straws in a mug.

Edit: At home I sometimes use our hot water dispenser we installed next to the sink. It doesn't get exactly as hot as I want for tea or coffee, but gets really close.

When people ask for the best xyz food in town, I hate when redditers respond with, "You should make it yourself, it's easy/cheaper/better!"

So I'm going to hate myself for saying this, but you could take your favorite loose tea with you in tea bags like these or these.

Perhaps more helpfully, though, I'm partial to Harney & Sons Hot Cinnamon Sunset/Spice Black Tea, and you can get the bags/sachets at our Target.

I'll try this tonight. Thanks! I suggest, as it was suggested to me, to use this Thai tea filter. It's much quicker than the coffee filter method.

I grind fresh coffee the day I leave for a trip. Espresso grind (number 2 on my grinder). I bring fillable tea bags

Tiesta Tea Loose Leaf Tea Filters, 100 Count, Disposable Tea Infuser for 100 Cups of Tea https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00S8XOL88/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_zE8MDbGJBMT6E

Then fill one of those up with 1-2 spoons. Drop it in for about 4 mins.

They are super light.

Much better tasting that the instant stuff.

A replacement is fairly cheap

Try these http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B002WB12IO/ref=mp_s_a_1_9?qid=1421792081&sr=8-9&pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70 it will let you use your loose leaf tea, but you can fill the bags before you leave the house.

Similarly a giant spice ball http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000ROGNQO/

I wonder if tea bags for loose tea would work.

Something like this

Would be a quick and easy solution if it did.

Green teas are very fragile and need to be brewed at a specific temperature. If your water is too hot, your tea will become bitter. I highly recommend investing in a variable temperature kettle so that you can brew at the right temperature. Quality of tea is also important. You want nice, whole leaves, not dust & fannings. The latter indicates poor quality and in addition to broken up tea leaves, you may also get twigs, stems, pebbles, etc.

If you are planning on brewing loose, get a stainless steel infuser basket that are large enough to allow tea leaves to expand. Don't get one of those mini-size tea balls - there isn't enough room. They also have these silicone animal-shaped tea infusers, and although they are adorable, I don't think they're big enough for loose leaf tea.

Alternatively, you can also buy paper tea bags instead of a mesh infuser.

Here ya go. Amazon has them in packs of 25. Drawstring cloth bags

Here it is! Be warned: it's awesome.

Happy Birthday! make sure you treat yo self first. Stainless Steel Tea Ball $1.99

Also on Amazon -- thats a non-referal link BTW

You shall kill 4 mice by the time the sun sets on the thirtieth of August. No more. No less.

To help you on your journey, I present a [a companion of infinite value] (http://www.amazon.com/Kikkerland-Monkey-Infuser-Drip-Tray/dp/B005SQ4BJW/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pd_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=16Q1M9X9GOLAF&coliid=I3UICS49GSTJLJ).

You sound kind of like me, I wasn't into tea because I thought tea meant Lipton and then I had to quit the Red Bull and got into tea for the variety.

Personally I use these empty tea filters from Tiesta Tea for making tea at work. You can choose whatever loose tea your feeling at the moment and how much you'd like to use and then let it steep like any other tea bag. I try to only make 8oz glasses because there isn't that much space for a lot of tea. Hope that helps, enjoy the variety of tea.

A happy medium may be these little disposable bags. I use a similar product and have had great results.

Ok look at getting a metal tea strainer like this https://www.amazon.com/Schefs-Premium-Tea-Infuser-Stainless/dp/B012T8SX1I/ref=sr_1_3?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1466302962&sr=1-3&keywords=tea+pot+strainer make sure the arms are wide enough to stay on top of your pots rim.

Honestly, I haven't found a great tea infuser that doesn't leave little bits and pieces in my cup. That's really a peeve of mine. Its a little wasteful, but I really like these filters: Tiesta Tea Filters

Bittersweet is easy! Many teas are naturally a little bitter, and there's a reason why it's common to add sugar (or honey). I'd stay away from the darker teas here, but a basic oolong tea is going to be light and a little bitter. I drink this one regularly, but there's plenty of other alternatives. Green teas are also going to be a good choice here, though I don't know them well. If you want something with a little extra body, try a Genmai Cha, which is a green tea with toasted rice added.

Fruity is also easy, but I may be the wrong person to ask here; the only fruity teas I get into tend to be tangy. That said, virtually any fruit or berry can be turned into a tea, and I'd wager all of them have. In my experience you can find fruit teas in two major categories, standard teas with fruit added and teas that are literally just fruit; the former generally include caffeine, the latter don't.

(Caffeine rule of thumb: black teas have caffeine, green teas have a little caffeine, if it doesn't actually have tea leaves in it, it contains no caffeine.)

Most tea vendors online have a "sample" option that gives you enough tea for half a dozen cups at a very low price. If you're just experimenting with teas, picking up half a dozen to a dozen samples is a pretty good way to start. I'm linking to Upton because I buy most of my teas from them and I know their samples are good - they often include a free sample or two in the box just for fun, in fact - but there's plenty of other good tea vendors online.

Finally, here's the tea snob in me; you know teabags? Teabags suck. They're more expensive and lower quality and have less variety. You get the absolute lowest-quality tea in them, pay a premium for the bag, and your options are sharply limited. I strongly recommend picking up a tea infuser which makes looseleaf teas both easy and convenient to brew. If you're just experimenting with teas and don't want to put out the money for the infuser, there's cheaper solutions, but IMO they're more awkward and annoying and also don't provide as good of a result if you're dealing with a tea that seriously rehydrates.

And note that looseleaf teas have to be kept in a reasonably airtight and opaque container. Most vendors will sell you teas either in a competently-made tea tin or at least a resealable pouch - everything Upton sells you will show up sensibly packed - but you can't always guarantee that. I bought this set a while back and the first thing I did was move them into resealable tea tins (sold by Upton, natch.)

Now you know more than you wanted to about tea :)

You could get one of these guys. I've always thought about trying it but never have. Maybe I'll order one for use at work now tho

https://www.amazon.com/Norpro-Inc-5509-Stainless-Infuser/dp/B000SSYR94

This one is super highly rated and recommended.

This is nice since it will work with any mug.

Something like this looks really nice and works well.

I had one just like this that I loved.

I had one like this that was cherished until it broke. It worked amazingly well. And there's this if you want to make more than one cup!

You really want to find something large that gives the tea leaves room to expand. The cute novelty ones are adorable, but don't steep the tea very well. You can also reuse the leaves so don't throw them away after one use!!

Also if you have one near you, David's Teas have super cute stuff. There's also a /r/tea subreddit :)

Sorry, that I can't help you with. I just drank a shit load of coffee and tea when I was in Thailand and went on a food tour that stopped at one of the thousands of little stands that make coffee or tea. All of it had sweetened condensed milk it. Thai people love sweet foods and drinks.

I never saw anybody drinking black coffee, very rarely even hot coffee. Knowing how poor most of them are, its probably not the best coffee, though I would assume its grown in Thailand but might be Robusta not Arabica.

I also just remembered, the coffee is made using basically a cloth filter, https://www.amazon.com/Standard-Filter-Natural-Strainer-Thailand/dp/B01HIKU16M/ref=pd_sim_325_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=KJ4Z79NY9AZZP7EH3932

Edit - I know how she feels too, summer wasn't exactly great for me, especially since last summer I went to Thailand (Bangkok & Phuket) and absolutely loved it, such an amazing place.

Bombilla. You're right, it's a mate straw.

ECOTEAS Tea Straw Stainless Steel Spring Bombilla https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B0012BUGZU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_4u3mDbRSV0PSR

I recommend this one:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01JIRDSCC

I have multiple infusers I like, including Forlife, but this House Again one has really impressed me. I think if I had to buy one, this one would be it--it's all steel and will keep any particulates out of the water. Finum is good too, but has plastic if that's a concern.

I just chop/grind up the shrooms and steep them in boiling water for 10 minutes or recently boiled water for 20. Add your favorite tea bag and some sugar, and there's no need to eat the shrooms after making tea from them so you can either strain them out (or use a tea ball/empty teabag) or eat them if you want to get the tiny bit left in them.

BTW you can buy empty tea bags on Amazon. Great for shrooms and loose leaf teas.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XCT9BLZ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_NWbFDbPXKQ8V9

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fred-Friends-TTAN-TEATANIC-Infuser/dp/B00BU1IWJO

We've used lots of infusers. Finum and Forlife have been our favorites.

We recently purchased this House Again infuser and have been very happy with it. It might be our favorite infuser. The pore size is far smaller than any other infuser we've used, except the Finum infuser we have, which isn't actually Finum--it's an older brand that's not sold anymore that was bought out by Finum years ago.

The Forlife is more durable than the other two, but has larger pore size, so it can be kind of irritating. If I were going to have one infuser, it would be the House Again infuser. I usually reach for the Forlife infuser if I know it's a larger-leaf tea, just because it's so sturdy, but for anything where there might be particulate, I use the House Again infuser.

This is a good one..

And you'll need one of these too.

You don't need a gourd unless you really just want one. I use a regular coffee mug.

a used book, valued at $5 or less

$4 or less if you look at the other options

$3 or less

$2 or less

I give up, I can't find the last one haha... happy birthday!

Non-mobile link:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002WB12IO/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

This is what I use for single mugs, it's a nice roomy infuser. It's deep so it could possibly work well with a thermos too.

Out of convenience, I usually use an artisan instant coffee like Voila.

If I really want actual coffee grounds, I’ll bring the grounds in a plastic bag and use a tea strainer. It works well. Just get water near boil, drop in tea strainer with grounds, lightly stir. This is the exact one I use: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075K57B73/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_UUA6BbJCMDBJN

As for a stove, I use this ridiculously light and cheap Chinese stove. Quantity is not great but it’s dirt cheap and I’ve never had one show up not functional. Some will leak gas for an instant when you screw the stove on (more than you’d expect), some don’t. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NNMF70U/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_2VA6BbGGSBA02

These are very common for tea enthusiasts who buy loose leaves. There's also reusable metal strainers.

I've had some success using hop pellets in tea bags- that allows enough diffusion for 2F dryhopping and they are way easier to fish out than it would be to strain the final product.

you can get big tea balls.

Here is the mobile version of your link

I have several bombillae, and two 1, 2 of them can be opened and scrubbed with a small diameter brush as needed. Tho' mostly I just scrub the outside, and run hot water thru them to clean.

I believe it was World Market. But I found it on Amazon also.

https://www.amazon.com/Kikkerland-Monkey-Infuser-Drip-Tray/dp/B005SQ4BJW

It's a little metal ball for loose leaf tea. You put your tea in it, close it, drop it in your cup! I found this particular one on Amazon.
^^^^^^Sorry ^^^^^^mods

yes, i indeed read that, but not knowing what these things look like or how each feature that sets them all apart makes my seeking after one more challenging. so is this: https://www.amazon.com/Schefs-Premium-Tea-Infuser-Stainless/dp/B012T8SX1I/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1479147565&sr=8-1&keywords=tea++basket+infuser something i'd want? if so, i'm imagining filling the basket up with leaf then pouring hot water over it into whatever drinking device i'd like, in my case a thermos? how are the leaves allowed to steep in this setup?

Things for relaxing: Lavender $15.99, Bath Caddy $14.97, Muslin Bags $7.49 and finally Chocolate $10.48 all items are located on RAoA list

I have one like this: https://www.amazon.com/ECOTEAS-Straw-Stainless-Spring-Bombilla/dp/B0012BUGZU
Would this be fine?

Relevant

If you mean the steel mesh tubes, I recently picked some up. That being said, I use mine for a single addition, not intending to try to add more hops later on. I've used them once for a keg hop (just threw them in, didn't try to chain it up or down) and it seems to have worked fine, had a small amount of tiny hop debris when poured. For dry hopping I have a chain I scavenged from one of these, a prior tool idea for hops, and I hook it onto my three piece airlocks that have a plastic cross at the bottom.

As far as sanitization, I gave them a good first clean with soap just to get rid of any manufacturing oil/grease. Then just prior to use I give it a generous spray down with starsan and load up the hops.

I've bought them all from Amazon, the bamboo bombillas are all the same but my favorite metal bombilla is this one. You have to pull more with your mouth than the other typical bombillas because of the fine mesh filter, but it's worth it for finely ground teas

You can use whole coffee beans. It takes longer to brew, but there are zero grounds.

Another way is to use a Muslin bag. I empty, rinse and reuse. You can get a lot of times out of one bag.

Should I buy it for dry-hopping?: http://amzn.com/B004X4LGIO

Do you think it has enough room for 2 - 3 OZ of hops?

You can't go wrong with this type of strainer: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GNWKPIQ

An open cup-shaped strainer is the best because it allows moderate room for the leaves, and it's easy enough to fill, empty and wash. A sealable ball is more practical only if the opening in your pot is incompatible with open strainers.

This infuser is too damn cute

Yes, the pot I use does have a mesh infuser, but I think you're right - it's not big enough to let the larger leaves "unfurl" and brew properly. I don't think it goes deep enough into the pot for whole leaves, but I'm guessing. Instead of replacing the pot, I was looking at options and found these loose leaf teabags -

Loose Leaf Tea Filters

I thought that if I used a bag like that and bypassed the infuser entirely by putting the tea in one of those bags, dropping it into the bottom of the pot, and pouring the water directly over it might give the tea more room to "breathe" and brew properly.

Bingo

You should really look at Tea Filters.

THIS!

You could also substitute the water boiler for an electric kettle.


I use a single cup infuser, a coffee cup, and a microwave at my work.
I have something like this

http://www.amazon.com/Teapot-Strainer-Infuser-Steeper-Handle/dp/B00GNWKPIQ/ref=sr_1_36?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1458247170&sr=1-36&keywords=tea+infuser

or this

http://www.amazon.com/FORLIFE-Brew---Mug-Extra-Fine-Infuser/dp/B001JPA3Y8/ref=sr_1_29?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1458247170&sr=1-29&keywords=tea+infuser

It is! He lives on Amazon!

Skip the Keurig, buy a pack of these, buy your coffee at Trader Joe's and pick up a coffee grinder. This is my recipe for great tasting single serving coffee without a giant unitasker on your countertop or having to buy anything from Keurig.

re: # 3 - I bought one of these and cut a small hole to fit my dip tube in. It goes on the inside of the kettle to be clear. And it does a great job of keeping hops out of the fermenter. https://www.amazon.com/Happy-Sales-Spice-Infuser-Stainless/dp/B004X4LGIO
edit congrats on first AG batch.

Here you go, $8

Pro tip - get a spice ball.

https://www.amazon.com/Infuser-Cooking-Stainless-Extended-Seasonings/dp/B075K57B73/ref=sr_1_3

Things like that work pretty well. Some of the DE pieces will be too large tho and collect in the bottom. Try to find a cheap one as they tend to have bigger holes.

If you can, rent an ozone generator and use it after spreading DE around. Ozone is good at killing stuff, but isn't really going to do much to bed bugs by itself. However, it will irritate the crap out of them thus making them come out of their hiding spots, run around, and get DE on them. You have to stay out until the Ozone dissipates / breaks down, but otherwise is safe. (Also, put a note on the doors to let ppl know about the ozone.) If you have bedbugs, you may have other pests / mold situations that the ozone will also help.

My grandfather was a small time slum lord. I've done this more times than I care to remember. It works, and it's cheap, but it may take a couple treatments.

The tea gizmo also works well for spreading baking soda on carpet to get rid of smells.

This is so neat :D

Heres one on amazon. I bought all of mine in argentina and that's the closest you'll probably get. Personally, I love the ones with the complete flat top. whereabouts do you live? maybe I can send you one?

The Eve and Malachi series by Abigail Hilton are wonderful books for a 7-10 year old girl. It's by an author who is rather unknown, but she is my favorite! They are delightful books about a baby rat who discovers and befriends a snake who longs to become a dragon. Anyway, it's a very sweet series about friendship. and contains some important lessons to be learned by the reader. Do not, however, have her read any of Abbie's other books, as they are all either too advanced/violent for a 7 year old, or meant for adults. E&M is her only children's book series, and it is a very good one! Please let me know if you decide to buy it for her, as I would love to know if she enjoys it!

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Another idea for things to put in the basket is tea! Tea is wonderful to drink while reading, and it's good for you as well. I love drinking a high-quality loose-leaf tea while reading a good book! To add to the fun (if you decide on loose-leaf rather than tea bags), you could include a fun tea steeper! They have many fun, colorful options on amazon and in other stores that a young girl would probably get a kick out of! As for the tea , I highly recommend Plum Deluxe. Their decaf and low-caf teas would probably be best for her age,especially the Reading Nook blend! Good luck on your search!

Links:

Eve and Malachi Book Collection

Plum Deluxe Homepage

Reading Nook Blend

Some example infusers: Rubber Duck (my personal favorite!), Flowers, Unicorn, Pig, Owls, Mermaid

I'm not familiar with that particular tea, so it's possible it's just a subtle tea to begin with. Many teas are very subtle and it can take a while to developed a taste for it when you're used to strong iced tea. That said, there are a few things it could be.

Tea balls can be restrictive of the leaves - tea leaves need to unfurl and have room to soak up water, otherwise you may not get as much flavor as you should out of them. I generally recommend infuser baskets instead of tea balls, like stainless steel infusers. A big benefit to loose tea over bagged is giving it room to expand and release flavor, but balls can be too tight.

You can also double up the leaf. Adding more time won't necessarily make it stronger, it will just make it bitter if you steep too long. Try three or four teaspoons for five minutes and see what you get.

If it's still bland after that, toss the brew, and try re-steeping the same leaves. Many teas are good for multiple infusions, and some actually get MORE flavor the second time.

If that all fails, you may just have a tea that doesn't suit your taste. Don't be discouraged from tea in general though, there are so many out there. We may be able to provide recommendations for stronger blacks depending on what you're looking for :)

I bought these. They're cute and work good.

https://www.amazon.com/House-Again-Extra-Fine-Infuser/dp/B01MRZLHAE/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1510026349&sr=8-4&keywords=flower+tea+infuser

I just fill them with the desired amount of kratom and boiling water and let it steep.

This green contraption?

I'm going to see if this fits in there when mine comes. I use it for straining my oil now, It is much shorter and wider than the pod that comes with the LEVO. Dimensions are 3 inch tall X 2 3/4 inch wide at the top rim.

This (but I paid less) not the best, but it gets the job done...

[Tea infuser ](jokari healthy steps total tea infuser https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003Y3B8T2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_d2NgAbXX11FMZ)

Before you go out and buy a lot of tea, only to find out it's not to your liking, explore your options a bit by trying out sampler packs.
A bunch of good samplers where linked to over here, but that's mostly for straight unblended teas.

I hardly drink flavoured teas myself, so I can't really give you any good recommendations on that, but perhaps someone else will chime in.
Adagio carries a lot of samplers, many of them containing fruity tea blends, so you might want to check that out.

If you don't have anything to steep your loose leaf in, I recommend picking up an infuser basket that allows you to brew directly in your cup/mug. If you end up liking hot tea, you can always invest in teapots and whatnot later. (And so begin the hopeless teaware addiction many of us suffer from!)

This, and this should do well. Avoid smaller infusers such as this, as your leaf needs the room to expand and interact with the water while steeping. A cramped infuser will not allow your leaf to do so, and may lead to an inferior brew.

> I think I will start with some fruity tea, is it acceptable to put honey/sugar into that?

It's your tea, you're free to drink it however you like it best. I do recommend steering away from your usual preferences every now and then to experiment a bit. There's a lot of different flavours to be found in straight tea, and it'd be a shame not to give it a shot. If you like it better with sweetener though, by all means drink it with sweetener.

> I had some tea bags but wasnt a huge fan, not very strong of a taste, would loose leaf tea be better?

You betcha!

I have a Teatanic

Most likely a herb infuser. http://www.amazon.com/Jumbo-Spice-Ball-Herb-Infuser-3-1/dp/B000ROGNQO

I have a Breville one-touch, which is similar to the Hamilton Beach 40865 Glass Kettle except it has the basket. You definitely will need something that allows you to monitor water temperature or else you run the risk of scorching your tea, which makes it very bitter.

I'm personally more of a mug person, because I like to drink my tea 16oz at a time so things like Travel Tea Set by Music City Tea don't appeal to me because size. When I was new to loose leaf and before I got my Breville I used this because it's a low-cost, low commitment apparatus that's super easy to use. That way, you're not spending a lot of money on something you don't know if you'll even be into. It's not as cute, or as fancy, but it's a cost-effective introduction to loose leaf.

That being said, you definitely want an infuser that allows the tea leaves to expand, like a basket or teapot-basket combo because tea leaves love to expand. I also think expanded tea leaves produce better flavor, but that might be just me.

It appears to be the Total Tea Infuser made by Jokari

what kind of tea infuser/teaspoon is that?

edit Never mind, I found it Jokari Total Tea Infuser

Meh, an empty bag is simpler then this tea infuser but a normal stainless steel infuser like this one has literally none of the drawbacks you describe.

My mom got me a Mr Tea and my friend got me an Oc-TEA-pus