Tristan Infuser Pitcher

I love this pitcher. It is perfect for cold infusing the loose teas I prefer. 30g of tea over night in the fridge, and I have a lovely days worth of iced tea ready to go first thing in the morning.

I searched everywhere, both locally and online, before choosing this model. I wanted an infuser pitcher that:

1) allows me to brew a large amount of tea at one time
2) has an infuser that doesn’t permit even the smallest particles to escape
3) is easy to clean
4) is made of glass, not plastic, and has no plastic components
5) has clean lines and an elegant design (i.e simple shape and no primary or brightly coloured parts, etc.)

This model from Teavana fits the bill. In fact, it’s the ONLY one I could find that meets all of the above criteria. It’s a tad on the expensive side but the design is beautiful and it functions well.

The borosilicate glass is very strong even though it’s thin, and the removable silicone base and lid protect the vulnerable areas from accidental bumps. The infuser is large enough to hold the tea in addition to chunks of fresh fruit or whole flowers or herbs/spices, and the mesh is fine enough to prevent small particles from infiltrating the brew. I like being able to steep and chill a good-sized batch of tea without having to use any other container or filter, and being able to just pop the whole thing into the fridge to cool down. It’s easy to clean and fits in the fridge door or on the shelf.

The one drawback is that the lid leaks when pouring the tea quickly. The issue can be circumvented by pouring slowly or by not “locking” down the lid. I drink a lot of unsweetened iced tea and intend to purchase a second one so that I can have a couple of iced tea flavours going at the same time. It’s also great for storing and/or serving fruit juice, or water with sliced cucumbers or citrus fruits. Plus, it looks really really good while doing all of the above and has no plastic parts to come into contact with heat or to discolour after many washings.