Quality loose leaf tea is the foundation of a delicious pot of tea, but the pot has a lot to do with it too. To begin, no plastic parts should be involved in the actual brewing compartment - heat and plastic shouldn't mix in the interest of both flavor and durability. Plastic lids or handles are okay.
Second, the brewer must have a stainless steel screen to filter the leaves from entering your cup when pouring. Third, the container should be made of glass, ceramic, enamel or metals — avoid plastic and acrylic. And last but not least, it should be reheatable on a candle tea warmer. (For folks who prefer reheating via microwave, make sure stainless steal parts are removable.)
Shown above from left to right:
1. Amandine Decanter, from Teavana $49.95
2. Forlife Mist Glass Ice Tea Jug , 51-Ounce, White, from Forlife $27.95
3. Assam Tea press with Stainless Steel Filter, from Bodum $60.00
4. Beehouse Teapot Aqua Mist 26 oz, from Bee House Teapot $30.95
5. Camellia Cylindre Glass Tea, from Teavana $39.99
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You can use a French press to do this, kill two beverages with one device.
I loooove the Beahouse pots! They're gorgeous and have the perfect, fine mesh filter. If you prefer brewing by the cup, you can always buy just a fine mesh filter for a mug which is what I normally do (way better than the tea ball).
Ooh, these are great. When I lived in Britain they made tea ten times better than I ever could. I wish I asked their secret.
There was another post about multiple uses for your French press besides making coffee, including making tea. You should have read the protests about how it would change the flavor of the coffee! For me, the Bodum tea press speaks Tea!
I make a lot of herbal teas mixing my own herbs. I have a glass pot similar to the third one and a Bee House pot. The Bee House seals better which is important when steeping medicinal herbs and it also retains heat better than the glass pot.
I've found that many bits of tea leaf wind up in the brew when using a french press. The Bodum Assam is a fantastic option! Have thoroughly enjoyed mine for 5+ years Plus you can find it at Crate and Barrel for $40, instead of the $60 listed above.
The screen on the top is my favorite feature about our Simple Brew (similar to the last one, but not as tall) and it was only $24. We use it every day. http://www.rishi-tea.com/product/simple-brew-loose-leaf-teapot/teapots
As we like 'weak' tea usually white or green tea we use a large tea ball and remove it when tea is to our liking. No leaves left floating.
I'd love online resources for great loose leaf tea. It's hard for me to find much variety locally.
Can't say enough good things about the Chatsford Teapot...
http://www.arborteas.com/product_images/o/253/Chatsford-Teapot-White__30390_std.jpg
I got mine from Upton Teas, an amazing store.
@Emmi
That's because the British *use* better tea. You can buy their brands here via Amazon and other online grocery vendors -- PG Tips, Typhoo, Taylor's of Harrogate.
Yes, I also use the Bodum and I paid a lot less than $60(!). For a while, I was using the glass and plastic filter one, but after my husband broke it (during a very complicated breastmilk storage incident), I promptly replaced it with the stainless steel filter. I'm still disappointed that it still has plastic components to it (the rim around the filter). But better.
British people, er, use teabags. Even in a teapot. And call them teapots. And never reheat tea. What madness is this? Tea does not go in the microwave!
But I do obviously also have loose tea in, and when I use it, I use a tea strainer, which is the normal thing -just a little tiny metal sieve that sits over your cup. They cost about 50p in the supermarket (or up to five whole pounds in John Lewis). Save your money.
http://www.teagschwendner.com/US/en/Homepage.TG (is the best!)
http://www.davidstea.com/
I think I prefer Gschwedner over Davids but both are great!
@Emmi: I really like this guy's method. He's from Ireland, is that close enough?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRmTVbujiQw
QDO also have a quirky range of tea prep products inspired by the orient and designed to make a fun statement in any contemporary kitchen QDO GLASS CYLINDER TEAPOT