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Commercial Tea Accessories

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Commercial tea accessories are what let a cafe serve loose leaf in the time a customer will wait. Tea strainers, tea infusers, tea caddies, tea timers and drip trays all do the same job: getting the leaf out of the water at the right moment without making a mess on the pass.

Loose leaf tea equipment is chosen on mesh fineness, capacity and how quickly it can be cleaned between orders. A basket infuser with room for the leaf to open gives a better brew than a cramped ball; a strainer with a stand stops it dripping across a saucer.

They sit in the crockery range next to commercial teapots and espresso cups, and work with tea equipment, hot water urns and coffee kettles.

Building a loose leaf menu from scratch? The price guide covers the infusers, caddies, timers and drip trays with prices, so the whole station can be costed at once.

These are the top FAQs for Commercial Tea Accessories

Basket infuser or tea ball?

A basket. Leaf needs room to unfurl, and a ball squeezes it into a space that keeps most of the surface out of contact with the water, which is why ball-brewed tea tastes thin for the amount of leaf used.

A basket that drops into the pot and lifts out is also faster to clear between orders. See commercial teapots for pots sold with a matching basket.

How fine does the mesh need to be?

Fine enough to hold the smallest leaf you serve. Broken-leaf and fannings grades pass straight through a coarse mesh and end up in the cup, which is the usual complaint about loose leaf service.

If you serve a mix of grades, buy for the finest. A separate fine strainer over the cup covers you for the rest.

What is the point of a tea caddy?

Keeping the leaf dry, dark and away from strong smells, and making portioning repeatable. Tea picks up aromas from a shelf and stales quickly once it has been exposed to moisture and light.

Airtight tea caddies with a scoop give you consistent portions without a scale. The kitchen storage boxes and preserving jars ranges cover bulk storage behind the bar.

Do I need a timer for tea service?

If you want the same cup twice, yes. Steep time changes a tea more than leaf quantity does, and staff will consistently under-steep when the pass is busy and over-steep when it is quiet.

A simple sand or digital timer on the saucer also tells the customer what to do. See kitchen and food timers.

How are infusers and strainers cleaned?

Rinse immediately so the leaf does not dry into the mesh, then run them through properly at the end of service. Dried tannin builds into a brown film that flavours everything brewed afterwards.

Most metal items go through a commercial dishwasher. Soak anything heavily stained rather than scrubbing the mesh out of shape.

What stops the drips on the pass?

A stand or caddy for the strainer and a drip tray under the pot. A used infuser put down on a bench or a saucer leaves a stain that has to be wiped before the order goes out.

Give the station a dedicated spot for wet infusers. The bar mats and tea towels and cloths ranges cover the rest of it.

Does the water source matter as much as the accessories?

More, in practice. Tea brewed with water that has been sitting in an urn all morning tastes flat regardless of the infuser, because the dissolved oxygen has gone.

Draw fresh and keep the urn turning over. See hot water urns and tea equipment for the brewing end.