Do you recommend using a tea strainer or a teapot?
A friend of ours recently asked...
"Do you recommend using a tea strainer or a teapot?"
We recommend using a Gaiwan or a YiXing with full leaf teas. You can definitely get by using British style teapots too.
Some tea strainers/infusers are great, but it really depends on the size of the strainer/infuser. This type by ForLife is great
while these types, though cute, are only good for certain teas.
The reason being tea needs room to expand and infuse. A tiny strainer will choke most loose-leaf teas, so you don't get the full flavor out of your tea and end up wasting most of it.
At Mountain Tea, we tend brew our teas using Gaiwans and filter out smaller particles using these:
If the vessel you're brewing in is much bigger than your teacup, for added control over the strength of your tea you can pour out and strain the contents into a serving cup/pitcher so your tea isn't over-steeping while you drink.