Apace Loose Leaf Tea Infuser (Set of 2) with Tea Scoop and Drip Tray - Ultra Fine Stainless Steel Strainer & Steeper (Silver, Large)

After using one of those mesh "globe" type tea strainers for my darjeeling and being constantly annoyed by it either not fitting in half of my mugs, the clasp coming undone and releasing all the leaves into the cup, the chain coming off all the time, falling in half while cleaning, etc. - I thought it was time to try something new. Looking out for something different to the strainer I was using and conscious about price and value for money, I settled on these strainers. They are lightweight and easy to use and much easier to clean that my last set. Just rinse with water after each use and give them a proper wash with soapy water if they get grubby. Standing it on the drip tray eliminates the need for me to waste kitchen towel, which is what I used to rest my previous strainer on. So far I have used two different types of tea in it. The darjeeling was fine, absolutely no mess in the bottom. I have another fruit blend that contains pieces of dragonfruit - the dragonfruit disintegrates when it meets hot water and the seeds escape. There were a few seeds floating around the bottom, even with the small holes in the strainer, but still far, far less than there was previously. I would imagine that for even very fine loose leaf tea there would be little or no floaty bits in the cup, and I appreciate the issue I have with this blend is absolutely no fault with the strainer as it is a bit of a special case. The only thing I could label as a criticism of the product would be the measuring spoon. Previously I had just been using a regular teaspoon to measure my tea, and the spoon provided here is a lot smaller. I'd say it's probably about half a teaspoon? So if your loose leaf advises you to use one spoonful, I'd use at least two spoonfuls if using the one that comes with the strainers. Admittedly this could also just be down to personal taste, I may well just prefer my tea a little stronger. Overall a fantastic product, great value for money and would recommend to anyone looking for a tea infuser.

I bought these tea infusers nearly 5 months ago. I've used them everyday since and absolutely love them. I buy loose leaf tea of the supermarket kind. Shocking, most of them are very fine but they brew a good cup if you get a decent quality tea in about 5 minutes and still have a bank account afterwards. I have a large mug, about 500 ml which I brew my tea in. I have a teapot but not for this type of fine tea. Using the diffuser I use a half teaspoon kitchen measurer that I just leave in the tea caddy with the loose leaf tea. I put three level measures of tea into the diffuser and fasten the lid on. A point to note. Whenever I close the lid to the diffuser bottom always make sure that there's a good stiff grip from the clips, there's three in the lid. Listen out for a small click. That tell you it's secure. If there is not a nice secure grip it's possible that the diffuser will come apart in the cup. Follow this you can't go wrong. The lid comes with a chain and at the end of it there's a hook. I place this over the side of the cup once I've dropped the diffuser into the mug. Now it's time from boiling water. I use water that just finished boiling boiling. Whilst pouring bubbles come out the diffuser and sometimes the diffuser vtips upside down. No worries. Once the waters in I unclip the hook from the side of the mug keeping the diffuser in the hot water, I give it 3 or 4 twirls around inside the cup. Then I clip the clip on the side of the mug again and let the diffuser rest in the water. 5-minutes later I take up the clip and give the diffuser 2-3 bounces in the water. Job done you good to go. I use supermarket bought Yorkshire tea, and Assam tea, it is fine as dust but that's cos it's fine tea designed to brew quickly. The diffuser comes with a little tray thing that is very handy coz it keeps that dust off my counter and easy to tip into the dustbin. For cleaning I have a soft toothbrush that I use for cleaning the diffuser. I don't like to use soap with my teapots or equally so the diffuser. Simply cool running tap water and let the toothbrush and do the work inside the lid. Give the tea leaves a squeeze into the sink to remove some water left in the diffuser and then tip the used leaves it into the bin. Same thing cleaning the bottom. Then a quick double check that the holes and nice and clear. And set it to drain on the drainer. Milk two sugars please. And there you have it. One happy camper. Couple of doughnuts please and we're good to go. I highly recommend these if you like a good strong cup of tea that's not going to cost you an arm and a leg. Buy only advice is make sure those clips are nicely tight when you close the lid. The instructions clearly show you how to do it, I use my nail every now and again to squash them down very gently. Lovely item and so happy I brought it. A little sideline. The the diffusion does come tarnished from brewing the tea. They say that helps give a better brew as you break it in, similar to a teapot. However to bring it back to it's nice sparkly shiny silver look. I put a little bit of bleach into my tea mug and fill it with some hot water. An hour later I come back and everything plus the mug is lovely and clean again. As long as you rinse everything well with warm water. You will not have any after tastes.

These were bought as a gift. I already have the big and the small versions. I use loose tea all the time, as I have a family source for tea direct from China. The big ones a good for teapots and the small ones for cups. Slightly fiddly to put the lids on, but easy, once you have the knack. Easy to clean. Tea doesn't leak out, except if it is dust! Haven't used the spoon provided as my tea is easier to dispense using fingers. Handy trays to put them on as Chinese tea is meant to be infused more than once, unlike teabags. Great strainers and wouldn't be without them.

Beautiful tea strainer, at a reasonable price and one year guarantee. Need to see now if the colour will last

This little item is just what I needed. It works perfectly, just read the instructions first. I am expecting it to last a long time as it's made quite strong for it's size. The tea tastes better as well which is a great plus. There wasn't any bits at the bottom of my cup like there used to be, that's another plus. It's as if all the goodness of the tea leaves have gone into the drink instead of leaving some of them in the cup.

I love a good cup of tea and my first cup of the day has to be with loose tea leaves. I bought this as my ball type infuser broke within the first week of purchase. This however, is fantastic, you just put your loose tea in, turn the lid till it catches, place in the cup , add hot water and leave to steep. The chain makes it easy to pull out of the cup and it even comes with a little tray to stand the infuser on. I have also used it in the teapot. It also comes with a sturdy metal spoon for using with your loose tea. (I use 2 level spoons of leaves which is the equivalent of a normal teaspoon). It barely leaves any sediment as the holes are small, less I think than a normal strainer. The lid fits nicely with a good seal. Would highly recommend.

Amazing product which was recommended to me by a friend, easy to use and clean and makes a great cuppa. The customer service team were amazing and really easy to get hold of. When I had an issue with my order they rectified the issue straight away. Again very happy with the service and the product would definitely buy again :)

I love these little infusers, they are just the right size and hold enough of my favourite Assam tea to make a good mug of tea. They are easy to use, the top comes off really easy, but fits back very well when you have put your tea inside, and ready to steep and does not come of in the process, and the lid has a chain and clip that you can hook to the side of your cup, pot or handle so you can lift the infuser out when ready. The little spoon is really nice and very handy, I keep it in my tea caddy now, and use 2 heaped spoons (they are half tsp) for my infuser and the little tray are super, lift out the infuser, I give mine a little shake or two to let the drips run out, and then pop it on the mini tray. The whole set looks really nice, is super easy to use, super easy to clean, it is made of high-grade steel, is a fine mesh, and the finish on the whole kit is really quite good. I would highly recommend if you are wanting a nice bit of tea making kit, and fancy moving away from tea bags, even if only for the odd cup, and fancy making a few cups with loose leaf tea in either cups or a pot, though to be fair, I only really use these in single cups to replace using tea bags.