Loose-Leaf for Beginners: Everything You Need (and Nothing You Don't)
Loose-leaf tea has a reputation for being fiddly — all strainers and mess and things to wash up. It really isn't. It's barely more effort than a teabag, it tastes noticeably better, and it turns a two-minute wait into a small, calming pause.
What you actually need
Less than you'd think: loose tea, hot water, and one thing to hold the leaves while they steep. The nicest way in is an infuser mug — the basket sits inside, you brew and drink from the same cup, and lift the basket out when it's done. A clear glass infuser lets you watch it happen; there's a larger 450ml version for a bigger mug, a warmer stoneware one, and a ribbed-glass Karl mug as a middle ground.
Brewing for more than one
Making tea for two, or want a top-up without re-brewing? That's when a teapot with a lift-out basket earns its place — brew a pot, pour, and the leaves aren't sitting in the water going bitter. A little dish to rest the wet basket on sounds unnecessary until you own one.
How to brew
Roughly a teaspoon of leaves per cup. Water just off the boil for black and herbal, a touch cooler for green so it doesn't turn bitter. Steep two to four minutes, tasting as you go, then lift the basket out. That's it — don't overthink it; your own taste is the only rule that matters. One mug, some leaves, a couple of minutes of watching, and you'll see why people never go back to bags.
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