Snap Ball Tea Infuser

Full disclosure: I’ve used the Harold Import Co. tea infuser for years in my own life. I’ve always had a pleasant time using it—it’s small enough to fit any mug and it disperses tea quickly and evenly throughout. (One minor hitch: If even a small leaf gets between the two halves of the ball, others can sneak out.) But I was still curious to see how it would stand up to the other tea infusers we tested.

Mine has looked a little worse for the wear for as long as I can remember—its delicate mesh denting from what I thought was too many washings. But after just two uses of the new one I used for testing, the mesh was already slightly dented. It doesn’t impede performance as far as steeping goes, but it’s a bit disappointing.

That said, it’s a solid choice for anyone looking for a simple tea infuser that’s a breeze to clean. Simply squeeze to open the hinge and watch all the leaves fall into the garbage. Just be careful with the scrubbing.