Tea strainer

Sieve for catching loose tea leaves A tea strainer with a handle that is made of bamboo. 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. Despite the invention of the tea bag, it continues to be used widely as of 2026[update]. Function When tea is brewed in the traditional manner in a teapot, the tea leaves are not contained in teabags; rather, they are freely suspended in the water. As the leaves themselves are not consumed with the tea, it is usual to 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 – 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. Continued use after invention of tea bag 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 connoiss