Editing Infuser (section)

==Use==
A tea infuser performs a similar function as a [[tea bag]], a later American invention. The infuser is generally a small [[mesh]], perforated metal container, or covered [[spoon]] that holds tea leaves, in varying sizes, to steep single or multiple servings at once. Common shapes of infusers include spherical, conical and cylindrical. One style of infuser is a split sphere with [[tongs|tong]]-like handles to open its mesh container.<ref>{{cite book |title=Tea and Etiquette: Taking Tea for Business and Pleasure |last=Johnson |first=Dorothea |author2=James Norwood Pratt |year=2002 |publisher=Capital Books |location=Sterling, VA |isbn=1-931868-00-X |pages=70–71 }}</ref>

The infuser is placed in a cup or pot of hot or boiling water, allowing the tea to brew without loose tea leaves spilling into the pot or cup. A rod or chain is may be attached to the container of the infuser to simplify retrieval from the pot or cup. Infusers with large holes may not catch all the leaves, requiring the use of a [[tea strainer]] to remove the remaining pieces.<ref name="Zijderveld">{{cite web |url=http://video.about.com/coffeetea/How-to-Brew-a-Cup-of-Tea.htm |title=How to Brew a Cup of Tea |access-date=2009-02-16 |last=Zijderveld |first=Annelies |work=About.com: Coffee/Tea |publisher=About.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090204132723/http://video.about.com/coffeetea/How-to-Brew-a-Cup-of-Tea.htm |archive-date=2009-02-04 }}</ref>

===Alternative use===
====Quick water imbibition====
Water [[imbibition]] takes half the time for material that floats with half its area above the water surface when they are submerged with an infuser.{{huh|date=March 2025}}

Seeds are often pre-treated before sowing in order to verify that they will sprout. [[Imbibition]] of water through the membrane of the seed shell is the first step in the [[germination]] process in most seeds. Seeds can be submerged with an infuser, including [[Scarification (botany)#Hot water|hot water scarification]] treatment for tolerant species. Seeds can be weighed with a milligram [[Weighing scale|scale]] before and after they have been submerged to find out when they don't need to be exposed to more water imbibition. Floating seeds can be inspected when they have to sink inside mesh infusers submerged in transparent containers by shaking them. Seeds who don't absorb water will not germinate and must be modified with further [[Scarification_(botany)|scarification]].{{cn|date=March 2025}}

Also, hot water treatment at 90&nbsp;°C for 90 seconds followed by dip in cold water for 30 seconds can be an effective seed decontamination method against [[escherichia coli]] O157:H7 and [[salmonella]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Bari |first1=ML |last2=Inatsu |first2=Y |last3=Isobe |first3=S |last4=Kawamoto |first4=S |title=Hot water treatments to inactivate Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella in mung bean seeds. |journal=Journal of Food Protection |date=April 2008 |volume=71 |issue=4 |pages=830–4 |doi=10.4315/0362-028x-71.4.830 |pmid=18468042|doi-access=free }}</ref>