Editing Tea strainer (section)

{{for|devices in which loose, dried tea leaves are placed for steeping or brewing|infuser}}

{{More citations needed|date=June 2023}}
[[File:Tea strainer 2.jpg|right|thumb|A tea strainer with a bamboo handle]]
[[File:Teacup&Strainer.JPG|right|thumb|A tea strainer on a teacup]]
A '''tea strainer''' is a type of [[strainer]] that is placed over or in a [[teacup]] to catch loose [[tea leaves]].

When [[tea]] is brewed in the [[tradition]]al manner in a [[teapot]], the tea leaves are not contained in [[teabag]]s; rather, they are freely suspended in the water. As the leaves themselves are not consumed with the tea, it is usual to [[filter (water)|filter]] them out with a tea strainer. Strainers usually fit into the top of the cup to catch the leaves as the tea is poured.

Some deeper tea strainers can also be used to brew single cups of tea, much as teabags or brewing baskets are used{{snd}} the strainer full of leaves is set in a cup to brew the tea. It is then removed, along with the spent tea leaves, when the tea is ready to drink. By using a tea strainer in this way, the same leaves can be used to brew multiple cups.

Despite the fact that tea strainer use has declined in the 20th century with mass production of the [[tea bag]], it is still preferred among connoisseurs, who claim that keeping the leaves packed in a bag, rather than freely circulating, inhibits diffusion. Many assert that inferior ingredients, namely [[Tea leaf grading#Fannings|dust]]-quality tea, are often used in tea bags.

Tea strainers are usually either [[sterling silver]], [[stainless steel]], or [[porcelain|china]]. Strainers often come in a set, with the strainer itself and a small saucer for it to rest on between cups. Tea strainers themselves have often been turned into artistic masterpieces of the [[silversmith|silver]]- and [[goldsmith]]'s craft, as well as rarer specimens of fine [[porcelain]].

'''Brewing baskets''' (or '''infusing baskets''') resemble tea strainers, but are more typically put in the top of a teapot to keep the tea leaves contained during brewing. There is no definitive boundary between a brewing basket and a tea strainer, and the same tool might be used for both purposes.

[[File:Strainer with rooibos tea.JPG|thumb|A mug of rooibos tea with a tea strainer]]