A tea ball infuser is a really great way to enjoy your favourite loose leaf tea in a very practical way. The main thing is to make sure you choose the right size so your tea leaves can infuse and unfurl in the space they require to give you the best flavour possible. Each tea infuser ball is 100% 18/8 stainless steel and has a chain attached that allows you to suspend your tea leaves in the infuser in your cup, mug, or teapot. Remember, of course, that tea leaves, herbs, and dried fruit pieces will all absorb water and swell, so there needs to be plenty of space in your tea ball to allow this process to happen and let the flavour out!
We have four sizes of tea balls and would offer guidance on the right size for you as follows:
Small Tea Ball Infuser - 45mm (1.75"): This is the perfect size for a one cup weight of small leaf tea or herbal infusion. However, if you are looking to infuse a larger leaf tea or herbal tea with larger pieces but still just for one cup, we would recommend using the medium tea infuser ball to provide more space for the leaves to unfurl. If you overfill the tea ball, you could find that as the leaves expand some might escape through the joining edge of the two halves of the tea ball. In addition, if your tea leaves don't have enough space to move and unfurl because they are too tightly packed together, they won't be able to release the full flavour of the tea.
Medium Tea Ball Infuser - 50mm (2"): Whilst this tea infuser ball is only 5mm more in diameter than the small infuser, it does make quite a difference when infusing larger leaf teas or herbal teas with chunky fruit pieces in the blend. Still a good size infuser for a cup or mug and great if you like a stronger cup of tea and as such always use more tea leaves.
Large Tea Ball Infuser - 65mm (2.5"): When you're looking to make a small pot of tea, this large tea infuser ball is ideal. There is plenty of space for enough tea leaves to make 4 cups of tea, where we use the measurement of around 230 ml of water per cup and one spoon of tea per cup. Always be mindful of the size of the leaf you're infusing, and if you're going to be making a pot of tea to serve guests for the first time, it's always worth testing the teapot beforehand!!
Extra Large Tea Ball Infuser - 75mm (3"): If you're brewing in a large teapot, for example, a 6 Cup teapot, this is the tea infuser ball for you! The same measurements of 230 ml per cup and tea leaves equivalent of 1 spoon per cup apply, and while you can trap the chain with your teapot lid, be careful as the weight of wet leaves for 6 cups is not insignificant, so keep a firm hold when pouring the boiling water into your teapot!
Whichever tea ball infuser you choose, once you've infused your tea, carefully remove the infuser from the water and let it cool before trying to open and remove the tea leaves. We find it's always best to open over the waste bin or compost heap as there will be some residual water amongst the leaves, but you want to avoid the wet tea leaves going down your sink drain if at all possible. Once you have removed your wet leaves, rinse and dry the infuser ball, and you're all set for the next cup of tea!
