Tea Accoutrements
Of course, anyone can fill a cup with hot water, plop in a teabag and slurp down a cup of tea, but throughout the world many tea-drinkers give the beverage its own private ceremony. To enjoy our private tea ceremonies and habits, we have various accoutrements. Here are 7 accoutrements enjoyed by tea-drinkers everywhere.
- Strainer – A tea strainer is used when loose tea leaves are placed in a teapot for brewing. After infusion, use the strainer to strain tea into cups.
- Infuser – Tea infusers are metal or plastic compartments that hold tea for brewing. Small holes in the infuser let water in, but trap tea leaves inside. Only fill an infuser to half capacity with tea leaves to allow them to expand during brewing to release their essential oils.
- Teabag Squeezer – If you’re tired of burning your fingertips trying to squeeze every last ounce of goodness out of your teabag, then a teabag squeezer is just what you need.
- Measuring Spoon – Made either out of stainless steel or plastic, a measuring spoon is essential to making a great cup of tea. Measuring spoons come in fixed sizes with different sizes for different cups, or as adjustable measuring spoons where a single spoon can adjust for different size cups.
- T-Sac – A t-sac is exactly what it sounds like. A reusable sac that acts like a teabag. T-sacs are great for lovers of loose leaf tea.
- Lemon Squeezer – You will enjoy squeezing lemon into your tea with a stainless steel, lemon wedge shaped, lemon squeezer.
- Sugar Tongs – “One Lump or Two” is best said with sugar tongs in hand so that you are ready to serve your sugar cubes properly.
Whether you’re simply preparing a cup of tea for yourself or for friends, it’s nice to have the proper accoutrements to make the experience just that much more pleasurable.
