Help me infuse my water with tea

July 20, 2022 4:26 PM

Short & sweet: those of you who have used both the Oxo tea infuser basket (rigid mesh) and the Finum brewing basket (flexible mesh), which one do you find easier to clean? Which one did you like better, and why?

If you've had both and found something even better, I'm interested in that, too!

Context: I currently have the Finum brewing basket (I wanted to get rid of my bulky and ancient Adagio tea brewer that is probably riddled with BPA) and I find it very pesky to clean. I have to use a lot more water to fully empty this thing than I ever did my Adagio gadget, even when using a cleaning brush. I do like the large size of the basket because it allows me to brew a double size mug of tea, but it's such a hassle to clean I find myself just making a second 12 oz. cup of coffee using my Clever dripper rather than messing with the brewing basket.

Thanks!

posted by MagnificentVacuum to Food & Drink (8 answers total)

I highly recommend this based on several months of usage: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B08TCHDM5Y/

Generally easy to clean under the faucet.
posted by jtothes at 4:46 PM on July 20, 2022

I don't know if I've used those specific models, but I have used rigid mesh infuser baskets and flexible mesh infuser baskets. I find rigid mesh infuser baskets FAR easier to clean and pleasanter to use.
posted by Jeanne at 4:56 PM on July 20, 2022

I haven't tried the Finum brewer. I have the OXO infuser, and find it much easier to clean than the other metal one I have (tea sticks in it and is difficult to get out).

First I empty it over the trashcan, then I rinse it out. Sometimes I pick off the odd persistent leaf by hand. I find that using the spray mode on my faucet is helpful, vs just the regular flow.

I am also interested to hear if there's something even better!
posted by loop at 5:30 PM on July 20, 2022

Best answer: Hmm, this is an interesting question because I find the Finum much easier to clean than the OXO- but we have a hand sprayer to blast it with. I shake the leaves into the green bin, then blast out the rest with the sprayer from the outside, with the basket upside down. This is harder to do with the perforated metal basket because the spray loses all velocity and barely makes it through the holes. (unless we are talking about tea with extremely tiny particles like camomile, in which case they don't get stuck in the metal as easily). Occasionally I throw the Finum in the dishwasher. I don't use a brush or sponge unless I've forgotten and the tea has dried. I've had one of these Finum filters since the late 90s, and have one more from the early 2000s.

My favorite filter though is this one that sits on top of a mug. A quick tap knocks everything out, and then I quickly rinse upside down. I'm not a big fan of washing tea or coffee things with soap every use- just every few weeks to remove oils. Otherwise I can taste/smell dishwashing soap no matter how many times they're rinsed.
posted by oneirodynia at 6:35 PM on July 20, 2022

Best answer: I have the Finum basket. I find the IKEA RIKLIG teapot infuser easier to clean. After loosening the tea leaves by spraying water in from the open end and through the closed end, I turn it on its side at an angle so that the opening is facing down. Then I spray through the side of the basket, starting at its closed end and turning the basket while moving the spray so that most remaining leaves spiral their way out of the basket. Anything left is easily sorted by putting it in the dishwasher. Plus they're cheap.

If you really want the easiest way to clean up after infusing loose leaf tea, you can also buy disposable tea filters.
posted by grouse at 7:08 PM on July 20, 2022

I haven't used either model of yours.

I don't have the time and energy to brew loose tea leaves nowadays but when I did I used this super cheap iherb infuser. It's pretty easy to clean and fits most mugs.

I bought it after the built-in infuser for an expensive tea mug of mine broke. It was so cheap I figured I had nothing to lose.
posted by whitelotus at 7:30 PM on July 20, 2022

Best answer: The finum is definitely easier to clean than the mesh metal options above, but it annoys me that it still has plastic parts.

The tea generally comes out in one clump if I clean it while it’s still damp from the metal mesh ones like the iherb. I have an identical metal mesh strainer from adagio.
posted by limbicdigest at 9:59 PM on July 20, 2022

I have this Finium infuser (is that the one people are calling flexible?), and as someone who hates rinsing tea leaves down the drain (waste of water, the leaves stick to everything), I've taken to using two different infusers on alternating days. I knock out most of the wet leaves at the end of the day, use a different infuser the next day, and in that time the few remaining leaves in the first one dry completely and can be knocked out easily - and if I have to stick my fingers in there to dislodge any that are stuck, the fully dry leaves don't stick to my fingers.

So, my experience: anything's fine, just get two.
posted by kristi at 11:24 AM on July 25, 2022