How to enjoy a decent cup of tea

I've been on a tea kick for a couple of months, and my ritual at work is a curiosity among colleagues. The spring-clip infuser is an invention on par with the mousetrap. Because of it, I can drink leaf tea brewed in a cup, and clean up easily afterwards. Here's the routine:

1. Place napkin on small tray, and two cups (large and small) on napkin.
2. Locate teaspoon in desk drawer.
3. Select desired tea(s) from among five small tins – yes, I blend them occasionally.
4. Transfer a teaspoon of leaves to the infuser.
5. Take the lot to the kitchen.
6. Warm the large cup with hot water from the urn. Remove water.
7. Place infuser in cup and fill with hot water.
8. Take the lot to whereever the tea is to be consumed.
9. Wait five minutes.
10. Transfer infuser to small (empty) cup so tea is no longer brewing.
11. Imbibe!
12. Empty leaves from infuser into bin.
13. Remove stubborn leaves from infuser by running under tap.
14. Rinse both cups.
15. Take the lot back to my desk, ready for next time.
    

It's sooooooo much nicer than a teabag. Open a teabag sometime – even a good one – and empty out the tea. It's like powder or dust. It's what they sweep off the floor when all the tea leaves have been packaged!

The infuser doesn't match a teapot for flavour: a pot allows the leaves more room to unfold and more contact with the water; it also traps the aroma. But teapots are a nuisance to clean. So I thank goodness for my infuser during the week and use a single-cup teapot on the weekend.

My selection of teas includes: Assam for straight-up tea taste; Russian Caravan with a smoky flavour; Prince of Wales for a fuller body that's good for blending and great with a snack; Earl Gray for that classic citrus aroma; and Stockholm Blend containing Assam tea, vanilla pieces, dried fruit peel, and probably other such stuff. I'm hoping to acquire some green teas with various accompaniments soon.