Cool Touch Tea Strainer

This works really well. You get the advantage of the loose tea being non-compressed so that you get the full flavor. It is very easy to use, and also very easy to clean. I have the Perfect Tea Maker, and to be honest, I think I like this better, mostly because of the cleaning. I like that it has a lid to keep the tea warm, and then the lid becomes a coaster to set the strainer on. No muss, no fuss.

As the title says, this is almost perfect.

Pros: This is great for pretty much everwhere. I use it at work to make 16 oz cups of tea. It does a GREAT job of being easy to use, clean, and in general take care of itself.

Cons: The rooibos and certain green teas can be VERY FINE which allows for parts of it to go through the holes. While I personally don't mind drinking in tea leaves or plant parts, some people did not like this. The rooibos teas can easily clog the holes and leave many floating parts.

It's not really a large con, but please be informed that it WILL happen. I am waiting for a new design that will allow for the use of rooibos teas without clogging/floating tea parts.

This solved my delima. I drink so much tea (approximately a gallon a day) and I need a way to make half a gallon of tea at a time. I use my glass canister from an old rock sugar purchase and I am in Teavana heaven. I love my tea pot, but this get the the quantity right in the container I chill it in. AWESOME!

This is a GREAT strainer. I love that there is very little residue left in the bottom of the pot/cup. I have two infuser tea pots, and without fail, they always leave a lot of debris on the bottom so I still have to use a strainer when I pour a cup. AND they are very difficult to clean too. I love that this strainer is so versatile, functional, and easy.

I have to agree with Matt from Fort Lauderdale, the lid works fine as a coaster. It's really a "no brainer." There are various ways to handle the condensation issue. I just wipe the lid off with a paper towel as I prefer to have as little clean up as possible and "Viola!"

The only reason I continue to use the infuser pots is for the tea pearls and blooming teas, as I enjoy watching them open up.

Excellent product!

This is a GREAT way for beginners to start with before investing hundreds into the cast iron kettles, etc. Honestly, I don't think I'll even get a tea pot now. I can make 1 cup at a time and might even get one of these for the office. Easy to clean and the lid doubles as a drip catch to put under the steeper when your transfering to left over leaves to the garbage. MUST BUY FOR NEWBIES!!

I really wanted to like this infuser, but alas, I went through two of them in just a few months. Both times, the handle broke off the saucer. It's not attached well, which I think is a design problem rather than a manufacturing problem.

Aside from that, the steeper does its job. I loved the stainless steel construction and the silicone "stay cool" rim. The mesh is fine grained enough to prevent larger leaves from getting away, but when you get down to your smaller leaves and leaf dust, you'll see them swimming around in your team.

My local Teavana store (at the Hillsdale Mall in the Bay Area) let me try a couple different CoolTouch infusers, then kindly let me trade in towards the Perfect TeaMaker, which I found superior in almost every way (one exception noted below).

=== Warning, the rest of this review really is for the Perfect TeaMaker. ===

The unit is a perfect size for larger (16-oz) mugs. It sits sturdily on the counter or on the mug or on its little coaster (the CoolTouch was much more prone to tipping over). The brewing section is larger, which lets the tea leaves unfurl more fully, improving the tea's flavor. The drain mechanism is ingenious, letting you steep leaves as long as you like--but not a second longer (try your microwave timer or the Teavana iPhone app if you want to be precise about the timing) without worrying about where you're going to put the leaves.

The only thing I don't like about the Perfect TeaMaker is that it's made out of plastic. Apparently it's BPA-free, so you don't have to worry about chemicals leaching into your tea, even with very hot water. But this really is a minor nit on an otherwise fabulous product. (And it is cool to watch your tea leaves unfurl as they do their tea thing.)

Bottom line: save yourself the anxiety associated with your, um, handle flying off, and just get the Perfect TeaMaker instead.

Use an extra saucer from cabinet to set the infuser onto as the condensation is going to be on the bottom side and can not be set on just any table.
Serving tray would also work as a barrier. Other wise....fits my large mugs with perfect snug to hold in the heat. Great intentions!

For a single guy that makes 1 or 2 cups every other day, this is the way to go. It really doesn't get any simpler. There are no moving parts and no places to get leaves and residue stuck, with further makes clean up a breeze.

As for the lid doubling as a coaster, it will work fine for this. Yes... there will be some condensation on the bottom, but seriously... I think most people would know to set it on a paper towel or something. Either way, you can't ding the product for something like that. What I prefer to do is, I keep a second empty mug nearby to put it in, and the lid never comes off. This system works the best.

This is much sturdier and larger than the classic single serving infuser. Its nice that it covers the entire mug (reduces spills somewhat). However, the lid (which has a nice heft to it) is not a good coaster. By the time the tea is brewed, the underside of the metal lid is covered in condensation and its hot. Unfortunately, that's the side that goes on the table. The much better silicone lid of the classic flips over so the dry top side goes on the table.

I have some Sencha from Teavana, and particles from it do go through, but if the holes were any smaller, it might be hard for the water to flow through.