The Tea Detective
Uncovering and Exploring the Facts About Tea
Tea Tools and Accessories Make
Brewing Tea Easier and More Enjoyable
The great thing about brewing tea is that it's a fairly simple process, yet it's also
gratifying and relaxing.  You don't need a whole lot of gadgets to brew a cup of
tea.  But that's not to say they aren't fun to use, and help simplify the process.
There are plenty of tea tools to
choose from, some because they're
pretty or traditional, such as decor-
ative china teapots, or elaborate silver tea sets.  
And then there are the functional tools that help to
simplify or make tea brewing easier.

Some of the useful tools would
include tea infusers, which go
by many different names, such
as leaf lockers, tea balls, tea
eggs, or can be plain baskets
or sieves.

Infusers are basically strainers
that hold the tea leaves during
brewing, and keep them out of
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your cup when done.  When the infusion is complete, you just remove the infuser and place it
aside.

The type of infuser you use depends upon how many cups of tea you're brewing at one time.  If
you're just brewing one cup for yourself, a tea ball or egg are fine.  But if you're brewing a full
pot of tea, you'll want a basket infuser that is larger, allowing the water to circulate freely
among the tea leaves.  

Other useful tea tools and accessories include:

                                                Infuser Mugs
                                                These are great for brewing a single cup of tea.  They are based
                                               on the Chinese covered brewing cup, or guywan (or gaiwan).
                                               They're large enough for the leaves to infuse properly, giving you
                                               a perfect cup of tea. A chawan or tea bowl was the precursor to
                                               the gaiwan.

The Basket Infuser
Just as its name says, it's a basket -- actually
it's shaped like a small mesh barrel.  It comes
in two sizes and works great to keep the
mess of the tea leaves in check.

Tea Press Pot With Plunger
The idea behind this pot is to isolate the
leaves after the infusion (brewing is done).  
Once the tea reaches its desired strength,
you depress the plunger, pressing the leaves
to the bottom of the pot with the strainer,
removing any contact between the leaves
and hot water.  This stops the brewing at
the exact perfect point, and removes the
drippy mess by keeping the infuser inside
of the teapot.

Tea Caddies
These are used to store tea.  They come in all shapes
and sizes, some decorative, others plain glass jars. The only thing to consider when buying a tea
caddy, is that it's airtight, to keep the tea as fresh and moisture free as possible.

                                          Tea Cozies
                                          Like a hot pad, the outer layers of the tea cozy are made from
                                         decorative cotton fabrics, with several layers of cotton batting
                                         between, to provide insulation.  They fit over the top of your teapot
                                         like a jacket to keep the tea nice and hot between servings.

                                          Chinese Tea Bowls
                                          These are basically small bowls without handles (called a gaiwan or
                                         guywan).  They are made for brewing your tea right in the cup, and
                                         come with a lid to keep tea hot.

Japanese Tea Bowls
These look similar to the Chinese tea bowls, but have no warming
lid.  You'll typically see them in use in all types of Asian restaurants
in the West.

                                    Yixing Teapot & Traditional Teapots
                                    The Yixing teapot is crafted from stoneware made from a special purple
                                   clay, believed to be some of the best in the world for brewing tea.
                                   Teapots come in all shapes and sizes, some whimsical and fun, others
                                   plain and utilitarian.  


                                    Tea Kettle
                                    Last but not least, every tea brewer should invest in a good, heavy duty
                                   tea kettle in which to boil water for tea.  The best in my opinion are
                                   enamel over steel, or stainless steel.  You should never use aluminum
                                   kettles for boiling water.  Enjoy.