Tovolo

I found this at TJ Maxx yesterday. It was too cute to leave behind!

I used it for the first time this afternoon. The bottom pops out and you’re supposed to fill the skinny part of the anchor with the dry leaf, which is actually difficult and annoying. I was using a CTC black tea, too, so it was already rolled into pellets, and I still scattered them everywhere trying to get them into the infuser.

I wouldn’t use this with whole-leaf tea. But once filled, it actually worked really well. It allowed a slower, more full release of the tea into the water, which improved the flavor. Additionally, since it’s not made of metal, it didn’t add a nasty metallic tinge to the cup, and it is very easy to clean.

Overall, it’s cute and it works, but it’s not overly efficient or practical for everyday use.