Tea bag maker? Where can I order one?

You can buy empty tea bags all over the place (for example,

sells them), and one just puts tea therein (crunching it up if necessary [it pains me to write that]), and just throw it in the cup (maybe stapling the bag first).

A better idea is to buy a Chatsford mug infuser (off

e.g.). It allows the leaves to expand better and to flow around, making better tea. you might have to rinse it out, but it is more convienent (and less messy, esp. if you get the one that includes a case). You don't have soggy bags lying around, and you make better tea (particularly since you don't have to crunch up a nice large-leaf thing).

For a newbie, that is probably the best idea, esp. if they don't know what teas they might be most interested in. Very versitile.

Another idea, is just throw the tea in any old glass or a guywan and drink it while it steeps. Particluarly good for green, but passable for Oolongs (light High Mountain or Formosa Jade, even Ti Kwan Yin). If you can get used to a guywan, you can then decant it.

Black is best decanted. A guywan or a simple little teapot will do. Loose tea is best, and maybe you'll find youself climbing up to higher grades of tea. When I started drinking tea, I never thought I would ever concern myself about it, and now I'm fairly obsessed (to the chagrin of my pocketbook).

:-)

Happy infusions, and please consider some tea-bag alternatives,

ZBL

I use the Bodum version of it (comes with their YOYO mug). Got it from Cost Plus. I assumed that the question had to with portability - how to get a good cuppa when on the road and paraphernalia is a pain.

My travel-tea eqipment--a guywan, a mug to boil water in and drink from, and a cheap little heating coil. Sometimes I pack an Yixing, too (for Pu-Erh, which I cannot live without). Not that strainers are bad, but just to point out that nice traditional stuff isn't necessarily inconvienient. :-)

ZBL

I've purchased both of these types of empty tea bags. The gauze bags work well for large leaf teas with little dust. The paper bags work well for cut tea or tea with lots of just (like moroccan mint). StashTea Gauze Filter Bags

StashTea Paper Filter Bags

-LG

I use a pot with strainer at home and at one of my jobs, but have to use bags at my second job. Can't take up the counter space and make a slight mess with the strainer. Although I would be interested in a mug infuser if it came in a 20-24 oz. size (I like to make a big cup). Then it might be self enclosed and convenient enough to work. Thanks, Allen

No idea where to get a tea maker, but...

Japanese markets stock empty tea bags where you put the tea in and turn a flap inside out to hold the tea in. I'm sorry this sounds complicated, but it's real simple. You might consider them for at-work use, I'll use them for teas or herbal mixes that have flowers, especially ones that are good for more than one dunk.

-sew

You know, if you don't crunch up the leaves like in a tea bag, you can often get more than one infusion out of the leaves (particularly with Chinese teas). That way, you don't have to brew a huge cup if you don't want to, just a few medium-sized ones. With an infuser basket and not-astronomical-grade tea, I wouldn't think you would get more than 2 or 3 infusions, but I would think 2 could be expected out of Chinese teas.

Alternatively, you might be able to get a seriously big tea sock for the big cup (a teapot-sized sock), and a sugar bowl would probably be just the right size to hold it (not unaesthetic, either), so your coworkers won't be exposed to a soggy sock of leaves. I hear that pantyhose works for this, but have never tried it.

Another thing I noticed is that, soon after I started "seriously" drinking tea, the amount I drank at a sitting sharply dropped.

I hear that Chinese folks with day jobs use a covered mug called a zhong (8oz, I guess), with one set of leaves, and add water when they run out as the day goes on. The tea is just drunk from mug while steeping. Perhaps you could do this with whatever container you now use, just throwing tea therein and drinking.

Good luck!

ZBL

Alternatively, you might be able to get a seriously big tea sock for the big cup (a teapot-sized sock), and a sugar bowl would probably be just the right size to hold it (not unaesthetic, either), so your coworkers won't be exposed to a soggy sock of leaves. I hear that pantyhose works for this, but have never tried it.

Another thing I noticed is that, soon after I started "seriously" drinking tea, the amount I drank at a sitting sharply dropped.

I hear that Chinese folks with day jobs use a covered mug called a zhong (8oz, I guess), with one set of leaves, and add water when they run out as the day goes on. The tea is just drunk from mug while steeping. Perhaps you could do this with whatever container you now use, just throwing tea therein and drinking.

Good luck!

ZBL

--------------050800070600070804020601--