The Tea Press

Tea drinkers love variety, and when it's not the tea, it's the vast array of steeping methods we employ. There are filter bags, grandma's Brown Betty, yixing pottery, and even a spoon. One of my favourite, and by far the easiest and cleanest, ways to prepare tea is with what I call the Tea Press.

Now, this may appear familiar to some, and rightfully so. The French Press is to many coffee lovers the purest way to brew coffee. Due to it's design, this marvelous brewer is equally useful for tea. In fact, most coffee press companies also make a wide variety (naturally) of tea presses and pots.

I just prefer the French press for it's simple design and ease of use.

What You'll Need

• French Press of your choice (Bodum is the brand preferred by many)
• Tea

The Tea Press is easy to use that I'm surprised this method is not used in every tea shop across the country.

1. Place the tea of your choice (or blend a couple together) into the Tea Press
2. Fill the Tea Press with water
3. Let steep for the desired length of time
4. Replace the filter and pour

There is one very important difference between how French Press is used for coffee and how to use the Tea Press. Coffee needs to be press down firmly to release the flavour. Tea leaves, however, can be easily damaged if pressed too hard. Instead, gently push the leaves down the bottom, leaving a couple inches and then pour.

What about cleaning? Easy. Just pour the leaves into your compost bin and rinse.

The Tea Press is a great device to use every day. You can steep just about anything in the tea press, because the tempered glass container doesn't stain like porcelain or absorb the tea like clay pots. So, you don't end up with the embarrassing situation where you brew black tea in a pot normally used for green.

Give the Tea Press a go.