Infuser facts for kids
A tea infuser is a handy tool for making tea. It's a small container where you put loose, dried tea leaves. Then, you place the infuser into a mug or teapot filled with hot water. This lets the tea leaves steep, or brew, their flavor into the water. People often call it a teaball or tea maker. Tea infusers became popular in the early 1800s. They make it easy to brew tea from small or broken tea leaves.
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How to Use a Tea Infuser
A tea infuser works much like a tea bag, which was invented later in America. The infuser is usually a small container made of mesh or metal with tiny holes. It can also be a covered spoon. These tools hold tea leaves. They come in different sizes to make one cup or a whole pot of tea.
Common shapes for infusers include round balls, cones, or cylinders. One popular type is a split ball with tong-like handles. These handles help you open the mesh container.
You put the infuser into a cup or pot of hot water. This allows the tea to brew. The infuser keeps the loose tea leaves from floating around in your drink. A small rod or chain is often attached to the infuser. This makes it easy to pull the infuser out of your cup or pot. Some infusers have larger holes. These might let a few small tea pieces escape. If this happens, you can use a tea strainer to catch them.
Other Ways to Use an Infuser
Tea infusers can be useful for more than just tea!
Helping Seeds Grow
Sometimes, people use infusers to help seeds get ready for planting. Seeds need to soak up water to start growing. This process is called imbibition. It's the first step for most seeds to sprout.
You can put seeds into an infuser and submerge them in water. This helps them soak up water quickly. Some seeds need a special hot water treatment before planting. An infuser can help with this too. For example, some tough seeds need hot water scarification. This means soaking them in hot water for a short time.
You can even weigh seeds before and after soaking them. This helps you know when they have absorbed enough water. If seeds float in the infuser, you can shake it to make sure they sink. Seeds that don't absorb water might need more help to sprout.
Infusers can also help clean seeds. Soaking seeds in hot water (like 90 degrees Celsius for 90 seconds) and then cold water can kill harmful bacteria. This includes bacteria like E. coli and salmonella.
Types of Tea Infusers
Ball Infusers
Ball infusers are a common type. You place them in the pot or cup while the tea brews. Once the tea is ready, you simply remove the ball infuser along with the tea leaves.
Snap Ball Infusers
Snap ball tea strainers are a special kind of ball infuser. They seal automatically when you close the handle. The handle works like a spring. Because they use more metal for the spring handle, they are usually a bit more expensive.
Snap ball infusers are very practical:
- You can use them like a spoon. This helps stir the tea leaves. It also helps the tea flavor dissolve faster in the water.
- Sometimes, air gets trapped inside an infuser. With a snap ball infuser, you can easily shake the handle. This gets rid of the air and makes sure all the tea leaves are under the water.
Shut-off Infusers
Some infusers are designed to stay in the pot after the tea has finished brewing. These are called shut-off infusers.
Other Ways to Brew Tea
French Press
A French press is usually used for coffee. However, some people use it to brew tea. Most teas should only steep for a short time. If they stay in the water too long, the drink can become bitter. This is why a French press is not the most common tool for tea.
In China, there is a traditional way to make tea called gōngfu chá (功夫茶). For this, people use special tools like a gàiwǎn (盖碗), a tea pot (茶壶), or a gōngdào bēi (公道杯).
See also
In Spanish: Infusor de té para niños
