Single-use implements. It’s been a while since I featured a sterling silver single-use implement… These rather handsome and useful sterling silver tea infusers, designed for Asprey & Garrard of London (they have since split up and now known as Asprey & Co., and separately, Garrard again), were purchased in 2000 or so. Essentially, if you are feeling like having a posh cup of tea, don’t want to use a tea bag (which I do 90% of the time) but rather loose leaf tea, this doodad is one option for you…
I prefer tea to coffee, and whenever possible, by force of habit I have an Earl Grey tea… black tea infused with bergamot (a type of citrus) oil. Perhaps 90% of the cups of tea I have ever consumed were made from a Twinnings or tea bag (I have a few in my handcarry or office bag so they come with me wherever I am) but every once in a while we have properly made tea that’s brewed in a pot, or if it’s just for one, infused in a large cup or mug. During the holidays, when the weather cools down and the tree bears gifts of several tins of tea, these fancy tea infusers inevitably emerge from their boxes and hang out for a month or so with all their other silver relations.
Before you use these infusers, make sure you clean them well and rinse them several times so they don’t have any silver polish left in any nooks and crannies. Add a full teaspoon or two of fresh tea to the infuser.
Next, put it in a cup of just below boiling point water for a few minutes until you achieve the desired strength of tea.
Take a close look at the top of this tea infuser. It’s just beautiful.
5 Responses
They look like aspergilla and the finials appear as though they came from George Jensen. I stepped into Asprey’s on Fifth once and the place was empty of clerks that I had to wait quite a few long minutes before somebody finally took notice of my presence. Turned out everybody was looking after the utterly detestable Joan Rivers.
Very elegant tea infuser indeed! Today, there are lots available made in silicone….. in different colors and designs. Lately I have been forgoing my morning cup of coffee because of upset stomach instead, a lightly brewed tea or hot choco. I like earl grey too!
MM, have you considered dipping your silver in a baking soda hot bath to remove tarnish? This is so much easier than polishing and also avoids the need for re-washing after polishing. More importantly it does not remove any silver during the de-tarnishing process. I have been doing this for years and highly recommend it.
https://scifun.chem.wisc.edu/homeexpts/tarnish.html
https://chemistry.about.com/cs/howtos/ht/silverdip.htm
lovely- you have beautiful things- i like shapes too .
Travelling with a stash of teabags is a nice idea. And I love single-use implements: they’re precise instruments to perfect the trifles of life.