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Today, chain and independent cafés line every street corner. However, the cost of these hot and cold beverages adds up.
What is a Tea Infuser Pitcher?
The name tells all. A tea infuser pitcher is a teapot or water jug with a filter infuser to hold coffee grounds, loose tea, or various fruits and herbs. The pitcher itself is often made of durable materials like glass or heavy-duty plastics, while the filters are usually a fine metal mesh, plastic, or a combination of the two. All you have to do is fill the infuser up with coarse coffee grounds, loose tea, or fruits of your choice, add water, and let steep or chill. The results are fresh, thirst-quenching drinks that won’t burn a hole in your wallet to make!
Versatile Value
Kitchen gadgets are a dime-a-dozen these days. Much of this stuff is single-utility (banana-shaped fruit holder, anyone?). A tea diffuser, unlike many modern kitchen products, isn’t a single-utility item. Tea diffuser pitchers can brew iced coffee and tea, encourage your family to drink more water by infusing it with fruit or even be used as a plain old teapot on the stove. Many people drink coffee and tea daily, so purchasing a versatile teapot like a tea diffuser may be a good investment if you enjoy such beverages often.
Ditch Plastics!
It’s hard to imagine what a world without plastic would be like today. It’s in our furniture, electronics, cars, clothes, and so much more. Plastic is often combined with paper to produce single-use, disposable drink cups. That means we can’t recycle them, unlike many other types of plastics. These coffee and teacups fill landfills, scatter along roadsides, and float in streams, rivers, and oceans. Cutting down on single-use plastics, including single-use tea and coffee cups, would help make our green spaces, water, and communities cleaner.
Besides, those fancy tea bags you can buy at the café or grocery store may not be as innocent as they seem. Research has shown that teas with plastic bags, when steeped in hot water, can release up to “11.6 billion microplastic and 3.1 billion nano plastic particles” per cup. These minuscule pieces of plastic can be invisible to the naked eye, and scientists aren’t sure how they affect human health yet. What is for sure is that microplastics have infiltrated oceans, putting the health of marine life at risk. Making tea, coffee, and other drinks at home can help reduce our dependence on plastic.
Choosing the Best Pitcher for You
We have reviewed five tea diffuser pitchers. All have a relatively similar purpose and design, but their primary use is different. The most important thing is to determine which pitcher is right for your lifestyle.
You may want to ask yourself what you would like to use this pitcher for. Are you looking for more of a loose-leaf teapot or an iced coffee maker? Don’t care for cucumber-infused water, or is it your everyday go-to? The pitchers we reviewed are appropriate for making hotand cold drinks, and most of them are suitable for coffee, tea, and infused waters.
However, some of these products are targeted towards making certain beverages and not others. For example, a pitcher may be great for coffee, but the filter isn’t wide enough to hold fruit. I recommend you choose a pitcher depending on what you drink the most, as well as how you would like to use it (steeping a teapot vs. cold brewing).
Tea Diffuser Pitcher Reviews
Large Glass Teapot with Infuser by Tartek
Tartek’s diffuser pitcher is fantastic for steeping your own hot and cold drinks. This pitcher is made of borosilicate glass, commonly associated with Pyrex cookware.
Due to its materials, this pitcher is suitable for both the stovetop and freezer. The filter is a fine metal mesh, preventing the seepage of tea leaves or coffee grounds into your drink.
Included with the pitcher is a recipe for brewing your perfect pitcher of tea or coffee. This pitcher would be a versatile and attractive addition to your kitchen!
Pros
- Perfect for steeping both tea and coffee, as well as water and other hot or cold beverages.
- Can be placed right on the stovetop to steep drinks or even put into the freezer.
- The pitcher, mesh, lid, and sealing ring all come apart easily and are dishwasher safe, making cleaning up a snap!
Cons
- Borosilicate glass is durable. However, glass can still break or be damaged when shocked with cold temperatures when hot and vice-versa.
- The infuser itself is on the narrower side, so cucumbers, lemons, and other fruits and may not fit in it well.
Fruit & Tea Infusion Water Pitcher by Mami Wave
This pitcher is made of Tritan, a robust and durable plastic that can handle both hot and cold temperatures.
Available in various colors, this pitcher has diffusers for both teas and water: a fine metal mesh filter for teas, and a wider-holed infuser for pitchers of naturally flavored water.
The top of the pitcher opens and closes by pushing a button and sliding the lid backwards or forwards. Such a mechanism for the lid keeps your infused tea or water sealed away, preventing the spread of odors in your refrigerator.
The purchase of this pitcher includes a silicone ice ball tray, perfect for chilling your freshly infused water!
Pros
- Includes an ice ball tray.
- Includes two filters: one for teas and the other for infused water.
- Dishwasher safe and suitable for hot and cold drinks.
Cons
- Filters may not be suitable for coffee.
- Open-and close mechanism on the lid may become loose and/or break from use over time.
- Due to being made of plastic, this pitcher isn’t stovetop friendly.
Glass Teapot Kettle with Infuser Set by Kitchables
Like Tartek’s diffuser pitcher, Kitchable’s teapot has a simple elegance to it. The pitcher is made of borosilicate glass, giving it extreme temperature durability (-30°C to 150° C), and it’s safe to put directly on the stovetop.
The fine stainless-steel mesh infuser will steep your favorite teas to perfection, either hot or iced.
The pitcher is composed of only three pieces – pitcher, lid, and infuser – this product easily comes apart for storage and cleanup, either by hand or in the dishwasher.
Pros
- Comes with a lifetime warranty.
- Stovetop and dishwasher friendly, suitable for hot or iced teas.
- Fine mesh keeps leaves in and lets flavors out into your drink.
Cons
- Holds less liquid in comparison to Tartek’s pitcher (40 Oz. vs. 50 Oz.), yet both products are similar in style.
- The teapot lid doesn’t fit on top of the pitcher unless the infuser is attached.
Airtight Cold Brew Iced Coffee Maker and Tea Infuser by Ovalware
Ovalware’s borosilicate glass pitcher uses the unique process of cold brewing to make great-tasting coffee.
Coarsely-ground coffee is spooned into the fine stainless steel mesh infuser, room temperature water is poured in, and then it’s stored in the refrigerator for the coffee to brew for twelve hours or more. However, this pitcher also works great for hot coffee and hot or cold teas (loose or teabag).
A BPA-free silicone ring, along with the lid, makes the pitcher airtight. The pitcher keeps your coffee or tea fresh for up to two weeks.
This pitcher is available in two sizes, so you can get the one that best suits your caffeine-fuelled needs. And, Ovalware will send you an ebook of cold brew recipes, free with the purchase of the product!
Pros
- Comes in two sizes to suit your needs.
- Suitable for cold and hot coffee and tea. Dishwasher safe.
- Purchase includes an ebook of cold brew recipes sent to your email.
Cons
- Not meant for infusing water with fruits and herbs.
- Glass is thin, which requires gentle handling to prevent breakage.
Cold Brew Coffee Makers by County Line Kitchen
Rustic charm meets modernity with this cold brew maker. This product, like the other diffusers, includes a filter to brew coffee and tea or infuse water but uses a mason jar instead of a pitcher. All you have to do is fill the stainless-steel infuser with coffee grounds or tea, pour water, and leave overnight in the refrigerator.
You can also fill the filter with various fruits and herbs to make great-tasting infused water.
If you are trying to accumulate less plastic in your life, this mason jar brewer may be the right choice for you.
Pros
- Mason jars are tough and unlikely to break.
- Not just for cold brew coffee. Make cold brew tea or infuse water with fruit and herbs.
- All parts of this product are dishwasher safe.
- Includes instructions and recipes.
Cons
- Intended for cold beverages.
- Cannot be used as a teapot on the stove.
- Pouring may be messier without a spout.
Our Choice
Out of all the tea diffuser pitchers we reviewed, our favorite is the first one: the ‘Large Glass Teapot with Infuser’ by Tartek. Tartek’s pitcher is a multi-utility kitchen product. It can steep tea and coffee right on the stovetop or chill them in the refrigerator. Though the filter is a little on the narrow side for infusing water, you could put larger pieces of fruit directly in the water. The teapot’s lid should help prevent pieces of fruit from being poured into your glass.
With a capacity of 1.5 L. (50 oz.), you’ll be able to make lots of tea, coffee, or infused water to serve you and your family and friends. Tartek’s pitcher is the most versatile of all five, due to its ability to make all three beverages hot or cold, as well as being stovetop friendly and easy to clean.
The ‘Large Glass Teapot with Infuser’ by Tartek is not only a beautiful piece of kitchenware but allows you to enjoy a hot cup of tea, iced coffee, or infused water.