ECONPON Reusable Tea Steeper Extra Fine Mesh Infuser

Yes, and this is one of the surprises reviewers keep mentioning. People use it for spice infusions in soups and stews — bay leaves, peppercorns, star anise, cinnamon sticks — so you get the flavor without fishing out whole spices. It's been used for corned beef spice packets, herbs in pho broth, cardamom and vanilla infusions, fruit-infused water, and even cacao bean brewing. The fine mesh and secure screw caps make it versatile enough for any liquid infusion, not just tea.

It's actually ideal for beginners. The screw-on design is completely intuitive — there's no technique to learn. The hook and chain mean you won't accidentally lose the infuser at the bottom of a deep mug. The drip saucers prevent mess while you're still figuring out your routine. And the extra fine mesh is forgiving — even if you use a finely ground tea that would leak through a cheaper infuser, this one keeps your cup clean. You don't need any special brewing knowledge to get great results right away.

Reviewers consistently describe the stainless steel as feeling solid and high-quality — nine mentions of durable construction. It's not flimsy thin metal like some budget infusers. The mesh holds up to daily use and the screw threads stay functional over time. The one cosmetic note: stainless steel tea infusers can develop a brownish tint from tannins after extended use. This is normal for any stainless steel tea tool and doesn't affect flavor or safety. The split ring connecting the chain is a slightly finer gauge, but the infuser itself is built to last.

It sinks right away, which is what you want. Floating infusers are a common frustration because your tea leaves end up only half-submerged, leading to weak or uneven brewing. The ECONPON's stainless steel construction gives it enough weight to stay fully submerged from the moment you drop it in. The hook and chain system keeps it at the right depth and makes it easy to pull out when steeping is done.

Yes, it works well for both. For iced tea, brew hot with the infuser and pour over ice, or make sun tea by steeping the larger infuser in a jar of water in sunlight. For cold brew, fill the infuser with tea, drop it into cold water in the fridge, and let it steep for 6-12 hours. The secure screw caps keep everything contained during the long steep, and the fine mesh means no particles in your finished drink. The larger size is especially good for cold brew since you're typically making a bigger batch.

The larger infuser's chain works well for most cups, pots, and mugs. One reviewer did note that the chain on the smaller infuser feels a bit short, which could be an issue with very deep mugs or tall travel tumblers. For standard cups and mugs it's fine. If you're using it in a tall vessel, the larger infuser with its longer chain would be the better choice anyway since tall vessels usually hold more water.

The ECONPON actually comes with its own drip saucers, so you don't need a separate drip cup. When your tea is done steeping, just lift the infuser out by the chain and set it directly on the included saucer — it catches all the drips so your counter stays clean. Eight reviewers specifically mention appreciating this detail. If you're using the larger infuser for a pot, the saucer works the same way. It's a small accessory but it makes the whole experience much tidier, especially if you're re-steeping leaves for a second or third cup.

With the ECONPON, unscrew one end of the cylinder, fill it about two-thirds full with loose leaf tea (leaves need room to expand), then screw the cap back on firmly. Make sure both ends are secured tightly — if either end is loose, water will push leaves out. Attach the hook to your cup rim, lower the infuser into hot water, and steep for the recommended time for your tea type. When done, lift it out by the chain and set it on the included drip saucer. To clean, unscrew both ends and rinse under running water.

Look for three things: mesh fineness, ease of cleaning, and size. The ECONPON checks all three — its extra fine mesh catches even rooibos and CTC particles that slip through cheaper infusers. Both ends unscrew for thorough cleaning (15 reviewers highlight this), which matters because tea residue builds up fast in mesh. And the two-size pack means you're covered whether you're making a single cup or a full pot. Also consider whether it includes accessories — the drip saucers and hook chains included here save you from buying them separately.

Start by heating your water to the right temperature for your tea — boiling for black and herbal, around 175°F for green, 195°F for oolong. Use roughly one teaspoon of loose leaf per cup. With the ECONPON, the smaller infuser is perfect for a single cup and the larger one works for pots or bigger mugs. Fill the infuser, secure both screw caps firmly, and steep. The extra fine mesh means you'll get a clean cup even with finely cut teas. One tip from reviewers: don't overfill the infuser. Leaves expand significantly, especially rolled oolongs and gunpowder green, and they need space for water to flow through properly.

For most people, a cylinder-style mesh infuser like the ECONPON hits the sweet spot. Basket infusers give leaves more room to expand but don't work for travel. Tea balls are compact but often have mesh that's too coarse. The ECONPON's cylinder design gives decent room for leaf expansion while the extra fine mesh catches even the smallest particles — 12 reviewers specifically called out how it prevents debris and floaties. The screw-on caps also mean it won't pop open mid-steep like spring-loaded tea balls sometimes do.

A tea infuser holds the leaves inside while they steep — you fill it, close it, and drop it in your water. A tea strainer sits on top of your cup and you pour brewed tea through it to catch the leaves. The ECONPON is technically an infuser (you pack the tea inside the mesh cylinder), but its extra fine mesh works almost like a strainer in terms of how well it filters. Some people actually use it for double straining by nesting the two sizes together, which is a clever trick reviewers discovered.

It depends on what you're looking for, but the ECONPON 2-pack stands out for a few reasons. You get two sizes — a smaller one for individual cups and a larger one for pots — both with extra fine mesh that reviewers consistently praise for keeping even tiny tea particles out of your cup. The screw-on design on both ends makes cleaning straightforward, and the included drip saucers and hook-and-chain system are nice touches you don't always get. For the price, getting two infusers plus accessories is hard to beat.

The ECONPON isn't a traditional ball — it's a cylinder shape, which actually gives your tea leaves more room to expand than a cramped ball infuser. But the principle is the same: unscrew one end, add your tea, screw it shut, and submerge. The cylinder design is better than a ball for two reasons: leaves have more space to unfurl and release flavor, and the screw-on caps are more secure than the spring-clip closure on most tea balls. Just make sure both caps are screwed on straight — one reviewer noted the larger infuser can cross-thread if you don't align it carefully.

It's simple with the ECONPON: unscrew one cap, add your loose leaf tea, screw it back on snugly. Hook the chain onto your cup or mug rim and lower the infuser into your hot water. The stainless steel sinks right away — no annoying floating like some plastic infusers — so your tea leaves are fully submerged from the start. Steep for the appropriate time (2-3 minutes for green, 3-5 for black, 5-7 for herbal), then pull it out and rest it on the drip saucer. That saucer is a small thing but reviewers love it for keeping countertops clean.

While the ECONPON isn't a bottle-style infuser, the smaller size works well for travel mugs and insulated bottles with wide enough openings. Just fill it with tea, screw it shut, and drop it into your bottle using the chain and hook. The hook clips to the rim to keep it retrievable. Because it sinks immediately rather than floating, your leaves stay fully submerged even in a tall bottle. For cold brew on the go, fill it with tea, drop it in a water bottle, and refrigerate — the fine mesh keeps everything contained during the longer steep time.

If you have an infuser mug, the ECONPON's smaller size works as a drop-in alternative to the built-in basket that came with your mug. Some people prefer it because the ECONPON's extra fine mesh is often finer than what comes with infuser mugs, so you get a cleaner cup. Just hook it to the rim and let it steep. The advantage over a built-in mug basket is that you can also move the ECONPON to any other cup, pot, or even a travel bottle — it's not tied to one specific mug.

A tea infuser works by containing loose leaves in a perforated chamber while hot water flows through the holes, extracting flavor, color, and aroma. The ECONPON uses extra fine stainless steel mesh with tiny holes that let water circulate freely — reviewers note the good water flow — while blocking even very small tea particles from getting into your cup. The result is the full flavor of loose leaf tea with the convenience of a tea bag. When steeping is done, you simply lift the infuser out, stopping the brewing process so your tea doesn't get bitter.

The ECONPON makes loose leaf tea almost as easy as using a tea bag. Pick your size — small for a cup, large for a pot. Unscrew one end, add a teaspoon or so of loose leaf tea (don't pack it too tightly), and screw the cap back on securely. Both ends must be tight or you'll get leaves escaping. Drop it in your hot water with the hook on the rim, wait for your steep time, and pull it out. The fine mesh does the heavy lifting — even dusty teas like rooibos or finely cut CTC black teas come out clean. After, unscrew both ends to rinse out the spent leaves.

They're essentially the same thing — both let loose leaf tea steep in hot water while keeping the leaves contained. The ECONPON is actually marketed as both a 'tea steeper' and a 'tea infuser' because it does the same job. You fill it with loose leaf tea, submerge it in your cup or pot, and let the tea steep through the fine mesh holes. Some people use 'steeper' to describe the whole process and 'infuser' to describe the tool, but in practice they're interchangeable.

In the tea world, an infuser and a diffuser are the same thing — a device that holds loose tea leaves while they steep in water. 'Diffuser' just describes how the flavor spreads (diffuses) through the water. The ECONPON's mesh design allows good water flow through the holes, so tea flavor diffuses evenly rather than concentrating around the leaves. Outside of tea, a diffuser usually refers to an essential oil device, which is a completely different product.

A strainer is a passive tool — you pour liquid through it and it catches solids. An infuser is active — you put your tea leaves inside, close it up, and submerge it in hot water so the tea steeps through the mesh. The ECONPON is an infuser: you unscrew one end, fill it with loose leaf tea, screw it back on tight, and let it sit in your cup or pot. The hook and chain keep it from sinking to the bottom where you can't reach it, and the drip saucer gives you a clean place to set it when steeping is done.