Learn how to use a tea ball for your next cup of tea with our short guide.
Knowing how to use a tea ball is a simple yet effective way to elevate your tea drinking game. While the device may look complex, the process is easy once you know what steps to take. If you are a tea lover, you may want to look into investing in a tea ball infuser.
Below is a step-by-step guide to teach you how to use a tea ball effectively.
1. Choose An Infuser
A tea ball is also known as a tea infuser. The device is a mesh ball that holds loose tea leaves. By using it, you can create a cup of tea.
There are a wide variety of colors and styles for tea infusers. You will want a high-quality product to ensure that you will not have to replace it after only a few uses. It is also a good idea to select a tea ball that is not too complex.
Stainless steel is a material that tea balls typically feature, although there are multiple different styles. Silicone is also another common material.
2. Select And Measure Your Tea
The next step of the tea ball process is to select your favorite type of tea.
To fill your tea ball infuser, you will need to have loose tea leaves ready. While there is nothing wrong with a standard tea bag, they will not suffice when using a tea ball.
Loose tea leaves allow you to choose how strong you want your tea to be. You can find green tea, black tea, chai tea, and many more types of tea leaves. But to brew tea, you will need to contain the loose leaves in some way.
Once you select your tea, you will need to measure out the loose tea leaves. Most tea leaves will provide a measuring guide. You can follow the guide, or you can adjust the measurements to your specific tastes.
A general rule of thumb is one teaspoon of tea leaves for every 8 ounces of water.
The amount of tea leaves does matter when creating the perfect cup of tea. If you do not use enough, your tea will be weak, while if you use too many, the tea may be too strong or even bitter.
3. Fill The Infuser
After you measure out the tea, you will need to fill your tea ball with the leaves.
Tea balls work by steeping in hot water. The fine mesh on the tea strainers allows the tea leaves to soak in the water and disperse the flavor. At the same time, the steel mesh prevents leaves from getting into your cup of tea.
You mustn’t overfill the infuser. By packing the tea ball too tight, you risk excess tea leaves entering your water. Soggy leaves can ruin a good cup of tea, so be gentle when packing your infuser.
4. Boil Water
The next step in the process is to start boiling water. You can use a regular pot or a teapot if you have one. Once you have boiling water, you can fill up a mug of your choice.
Water temperature can make a difference in the flavor of your tea. Black teas should always be prepared with boiling water, while other types of tea, such as green or white, do better in water that is not quite boiling. Green tea leaves become bitter when steeped in fully boiling water.
Most tea will come with suggested brewing temperatures for optimum flavor.
5. Steep The Tea
Submerge the tea ball infuser as soon as your water has reached the ideal temperature. Like the measurement amounts, the steeping time of your tea is often dependent on the type of tea. Most teas should come with suggested times.
Two to three minutes is a good average steeping time. Some herbal teas may take a longer or shorter amount of time. In general, the maximum amount of time for any type of tea is around 5 minutes.
You can also use the steeping time to adjust your tea to your taste. Shorter steep times will result in a weaker tea, while longer brew times give a more robust cup.
After the steeping time is up, you can remove the tea ball. You will then have a perfect cup of hot tea. Let your tea ball cool before attempting to remove the leaves.
FAQs About How To Use A Tea Ball
As using a tea ball is not the most common practice, tea drinkers tend to have questions about the device. This part of the article will answer two common questions about tea balls.
How Much Tea Do You Put in an Infuser?
The amount of tea you put into a tea ball infuser can depend on the type of tea. There are many different types of tea, including oolong, herbal tea, and white tea. Follow the suggested amount on the tea package.
As we said earlier, a good rule is one teaspoon of tea per 8 ounces of water. The number of tea leaves you put into an infuser can also depend on how strong you like your tea.
Using more tea leaves will result in a more potent brew. However, you may want to do something else to get a stronger cup, such as increase your steep time, since using an excess amount of leaves can become costly.
Can I Use a Tea Ball for Coffee?
You can technically use a tea ball for brewing a cup of coffee. However, this is not the most effective method. The tea filter on an infuser is different from a coffee filter.
If you were to use a tea ball for coffee, you want to use coarsely ground coffee beans. Finely ground coffee beans will pass through the mesh of a tea ball.
