Aladdin Perfect Cup Tea Infuser 12oz, Chai

I enjoy loose teas for their freshness and many fruit varieties, but every standard, metal infuser I've tried leaks bits of the tea into the water, doesn't stay shut, or is hard to clean and quick to start rusting. Mesh-type infusers I've tried didn't leak or rust but they generally rest on the lip of the tea cup, which causes other problems. First, you have to fill the cup with enough boiling water that the infuser will sit below the water level, which makes the whole thing prone to spills and burns. Second, it's impossible to tell how dark the tea is without lifting the infuser out; this is messy and kind of a hassle, since you must keep checking till the tea is to your desired strength.This cup solves all of those problems and more! The mesh-type infuser does not leak and snaps shut securely --- just don't overfill it, since loose tea increases in volume as it absorbs water. The infuser is also easy to clean: tip the used tea out into the bin, then run the infuser under the faucet to remove any remaining bits. Because the cup is clear, you can watch as the tea brews without removing the infuser or taking off the lid. And the lever mechanism that lowers the infuser into the hot water and then lifts it out and stows it in the lid when the tea is brewed to your desired strength is truly ingenious!The double-walled construction of the cup is fantastic, since it keeps the tea warm for a good hour or more, but the exterior surface is never too hot to hold---not even immediately after pouring in the boiling water to start brewing! There are lots of double-walled tumblers like this out there, but this one is both microwave and dishwasher safe. All that, plus the fantastic infuser mechanism, make this cup a real winner for me.

I picked this up at a Coffee & Tea Festival earlier this year in NYC. Spent $20 for it & it was the best $20 I ever spent!This is prefect for the tea lover who cannot bring themselves to use teabags, but must enjoy fresh tea leaves. The basket is big enough for whatever tea you want & the mesh is perfect for finer tea leaves. Yes, you will get the occassional tea leaf that makes its way out of the basket....deal with it. Nothing is 100% perfect....but this mug comes very close to it!I have been using mine every day for several months now & I have no problems with it. My tea stays warm for hours on end, the mesh of the basket is holding up wash after wash & there are no cracks or other issues for me to worry about.Cleaning - I soak the cap with the basket in a bowl of hot soapy water. I gently wash it with a cloth & let it air dry on the drain board being careful not to knock it or put anything on top of it. This simple little step is surely helping to prolong the life of my mug.AGain, it's used daily. Sometimes the same tea, sometimes other teas depending on my mood. I love having it at work for loose leaf tea which clearly I cannot make in a teapot. I'm sure my bosses would not like seeing me in my cubicle having a tea party!Overall, I would buy this again....in fact, I might just buy another for a spare. And I would highly recommend this mug to any tea lover in need of a way to make loose leaf tea on the go or at work.8/27/12Bought two more since I had the first one. Have to say, I still love it. I haven't found another that comes even close to doing the job for me. Now I can bring loose leaf tea to work & not worry about needing paper filters.

I now proudly own two Aladdin Perfect Cup Tea Infusers, 12oz mugs. That is I am more than a little happy.At the office, I had been using tea bags for brewing my tea and mostly Bodun made coffee presses for brewing coffee. The Tea infuser handles the one much better and, allowing for user error both can be better done in this mug. I love a good gimmick and this one comes close to its advertised perfection. In one assembly, you add your fresh coffee grounds or fresh lose tea leaves into a small mesh cup that hides up in the lid. Into the double walled plastic BPA free container you pour your hot water. There is a lever arm that pivots the cup down into the water and allows the steeping to begin. At desired strength, you move the lever and the cup is drawn back into the lid and above the level of the water. The lid does double duty as your drinking on the go drinking cup, lid.The assembly is designed to facilitate cleaning, but it can be tricky to completely empty the mesh cup and to completely clean the entire assembly. I have used the dish washer to no ill effect.What is odd is that I am better at making tea than coffee, and so far I much prefer this device for my office cuppa joe. There is no device related reason, but so far I am not getting the best tea out of this Perfect Tea Infuser. I think one part is that the small infuser cup only allows in about one table spoon of fresh grounds. This is a tad too much for tea, and allowing for reduced measures of tea, it is possible that in comparison, the retained coffee grounds do not continue to drip flavor into the coffee to the same degree as the drippings from the same infuser with tea.Good:The lid is a threaded, screw attachment to the cup -This is a Huge item for me as I have had to abandon 6-8 snap on lid type cups. The snap on lids can lose their snap and they can become leaky. The screw fitting is more reliable, should last longer and is less like to come off when the cup is older.Easy and intuitive to useYou control your resultsYou can use any fresh grounds/tea leaves you wantYou can ignore the mesh cup and use tea bags, or cold beveragesKeeps the beverage hot enough, long enough for me. Your experience may varyCould be better:The snap cover over the drinking spout can be hard to open, often taking both hands. (while driving?)Once open the snap cover does not secure in any way. It will flop about and can leave your restraining forefinger wet.The lid on the mesh cup is held shut by a simple friction latch. This latch will fail over time.Forget that your coffee/tea is still brewing, you can get some very strong drink.Minor note:The Amazon offering was cheaper than the major mall chain stores where I got my first one. That vendor had only one color choice.