The Benefits of Tea Infusers and Strainers

Eversince I was a child, I've been drinking tea using two things only, a cup and a teabag. And as well all know, technology changes things. Now this opened up a new world, but using loose leaf tea changes the way you brew a cup of tea. So the search began for the right tools to cope with tea leaves. (Keep in mind that this search began about two decades ago, and the choices available in the U.S. were still fairly limited.)

Brewing whole leaf tea can be messy compared with nice, neat, packaged teabags. But anyone who drinks a lot of tea eventually realizes that brewing with whole leaf tea gives many benefits including a much broader palette of fine teas to choose from, a fresher and tastier brew—and more taste for significantly less money. A teabag is a packaged product, and you pay extra for packaging.

I didn't always know the function of different tea accessories, and I suspect that others have this experience too. In this section I'll explain different types of tea infusers and strainers…because there's lots of different ways to brew a cup.

They Provide Excellent Filtration

One of the problems with many tea infusers is that the holes are so large that tiny bits of the tea leaves filter out into the water. There is nothing worse than drinking a cup of tea only to wind up with a mouthful of tea leaves.

With most stainless steel tea infusers, the holes are typically incredibly small. This helps prevent bits of loose leaf tea from finding their way into your drink. Instead, you can enjoy all of the flavor of your tea without worrying about accidentally swallowing any leaves or stems.

They Come In Attractive Designs

Although looks shouldn’t be the primary consideration when buying a tea infuser, it is important to buy an infuser that is attractive. Part of the joy of drinking tea is the process of making it.

Being able to choose beautiful teacups, saucers, and other key accessories adds to the experience. The infuser is no exception, and by choosing an attractive tea infuser, you can help make tea time even more special.

Some samples of attractive tea infusers are, Tea Rex Tea Infuser, Silicone Shark Tea Infuser, Kitten Cat Kit-Tea Tea Infuser, and Tea Infuser Loose Leaf Strainer.

Read full blog at tealeafjournal.com and chefast.com

New Healthy Cooking Tool | Vegetable Spiralizer

We all like traditional pasta, but lately we've noticed a new type of noodles. We're not talking about rice, corn, or quinoa spaghetti—we're talking about spiralized vegetables. The spiralizer is an inexpensive tool (Bestoffer veggie spiralizer - one of the best in it's field, retails for $13.29) that turns fresh veggies into faux-noodles (zoodles, if you will, but we won't). It isn't just for the carb-averse; everyone from home cooks to restaurant chefs are spiralizing.

Many models are about the size of a large toaster and function like a giant pencil sharpener for veggies. A firm, peeled veggie is held in place with a clamp over the grinder, and as the vegetable disappears into the hold, the cook uses a hand crank to make the gears work. The result is a pile of extra-long, gently curled ribbons. Interesting, but what makes vegetable spiralizer so great?

The Spiralizer Is a Restaurant Chef's Best Friend

Restaurant chefs, who have mountains of chopping and slicing to slog through, have a lot to love in the spiralizer. Amanda Cohen, chef and owner of the vegetarian restaurant Dirt Candy in New York City, first encountered the tool when working at an all-raw restaurant. "It made some boring jobs a lot easier," she explains. Dirt Candy now frequently serves spiralized vegetables. Chef Joshua McFadden of Ava Gene's in Portland, first began using a TBestoffer veggie spiralizer because, "I wanted a way to make perfect consistent cuts of pumpkin for a salad." The more commonplace mandoline slicer performs the same task, but the spiralizer produces prettier results.

Jonah Miller, chef and owner of Huertas, also in NYC, just may be the tool's biggest fan. "I think we use it more than any other restaurant in the city," he says, adding that they used their spiralizer so much, they added a drill function to cut down on the manual cranking.

But it's not just about the functionality. Says Cohen: "People are conditioned to be dismissive about vegetables so you kind of have to sneak up on them and surprise them…in ways they aren't anticipating." For a culture of eaters who grew up with meat as the star of the show and vegetables playing second fiddle, eating a veggie-forward meal can be a radical change.

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