OXO Brew Tea Infuser Basket

The fine mesh perforations do an excellent job — reviewers consistently praise the clean cup it produces, and it even handles fine-particle teas like rooibos that give most infusers trouble. That said, it's not perfect. A small number of reviewers note that some very fine sediment can still pass through, particularly with powdery herbals or tea dust. If you need absolutely zero sediment, you might want to double up with a paper filter inside the basket. For the vast majority of loose leaf teas, though, the mesh is more than fine enough.

One of the things reviewers love most is its versatility — the silicone-coated handles adjust to fit a wide range of vessels. Reviewers confirm it works well in standard mugs, wide-mouth mason jars (great for batch-brewing iced tea concentrate), and small to medium teapots. The handles won't scratch your favorite ceramic mug thanks to the silicone coating. The only limitation reviewers mention is that on very wide mugs, the lid doesn't fully seal the opening, which means you lose a little heat retention. For most standard mugs though, it sits securely.

You don't actually need a separate drip cup — that's one of the clever design features of the OXO Brew. The lid flips upside down and becomes a drip tray when you remove the basket after steeping. Just lift the infuser out and set it right on the inverted lid. It catches drips neatly without needing any extra accessories. This is a detail that reviewers specifically appreciate, especially for desk or countertop brewing where drips would be a nuisance.

In a good way, yes. The stainless steel produces no metallic taste — reviewers specifically call out the clean flavor. The large basket allows proper leaf expansion, which means better extraction and fuller body. And the lid trapping aromatic oils during steeping is a detail that multiple reviewers say makes a real difference — you get more of those volatile flavor compounds in your cup instead of losing them to the air. The result, according to reviewers, is tea that's full-bodied, flavorful, and aromatic without the bitterness that comes from cramped infusers.

Reviewers say yes, and there's good science behind it. The lid traps steam and volatile aromatic compounds that would otherwise escape during steeping. These aromatic oils contribute significantly to the perceived flavor and aroma of tea. Multiple reviewers specifically mention that the lid helps maintain water temperature during steeping — which matters because different teas extract optimally at specific temperatures. The added bonus of the lid doubling as a drip tray means it's useful before, during, and after brewing.

It's one of the best entry points into loose leaf tea. The design is intuitive — it works like a familiar teapot basket, just sized for a single cup. Add tea, pour water, wait, remove. There's no learning curve. OXO includes an instruction card with water temperatures for different tea types, which takes the guesswork out of your first brews. The large basket is also forgiving — even if you add a bit too much tea, the leaves still have room to expand, so you're less likely to get a bitter, over-extracted cup. Reviewers who switched from tea bags specifically mention how easy the transition was.

Yes, and this is actually where it outperforms many competitors. The fine mesh perforations are tight enough to handle small-particle teas like rooibos, herbal blends, and even fannings (the small broken leaf pieces in many herbal teas). Reviewers specifically mention success with medicinal herbal blends and rooibos — teas that typically slip through coarser infusers. Some very fine herbal dust may still get through, but for the vast majority of herbal teas, it works well.

It's ideal for daily loose leaf tea drinkers who brew at home or at the office. If you make one to three cups a day in a standard mug, this is exactly what it's built for. It's also great for people who brew in mason jars for batch iced tea. Tea enthusiasts appreciate the large capacity for proper leaf expansion and the lid's oil-retention feature, while beginners love how simple and intuitive it is. It's not the right pick if you need a portable travel solution or if you demand absolutely zero sediment in your cup.

Yes, though you might not need to — the OXO Brew Basket essentially turns any regular mug into an infuser mug. Its silicone-coated handles sit on the rim of standard mugs, and the lid keeps heat in during steeping. Reviewers confirm it fits a wide range of vessel sizes including mugs, mason jars, and small teapots. If you already have an infuser mug with its own built-in basket, the OXO would be redundant for that mug — but it gives you the flexibility to brew in whatever vessel you grab.

The OXO Brew Tea Infuser Basket isn't designed for travel bottles — it's a sit-in basket meant for mugs, mason jars, and teapots. It doesn't fold, collapse, or seal into a bottle. If you need a portable brewing solution, you'd want a dedicated infuser bottle or travel tumbler with a built-in strainer. The OXO is best suited for home or office brewing where you have a stable surface and your favorite mug.

Surprisingly, yes. Some reviewers have used it to brew ground coffee in a pinch, and it works reasonably well — the fine mesh handles coffee grounds. It's not going to replace a proper pour-over or French press, but if you want one versatile brewing basket for both tea and occasional coffee, it can pull double duty. Some creative reviewers have also used it for infusing broths and sauces with herbs and spices.

Focus on three things: basket size, mesh quality, and what vessels you'll use. The OXO Brew scores well on all three — its large capacity lets leaves expand fully for proper extraction, the fine mesh perforations handle even small-particle teas like rooibos, and it fits mugs, mason jars, and teapots thanks to its silicone-coated handles that adjust to different rim widths. If you mostly brew single cups at home, a basket infuser like this is ideal. If you need something for travel, you'd want a collapsible or bottle-integrated option instead — the OXO doesn't fold down.

OXO is consistently mentioned as a top pick for basket-style infusers. Their Brew Tea Infuser Basket stands out for a few reasons: the fine mesh perforations handle even delicate teas and fine particles like rooibos without letting much sediment through, the stainless steel construction is durable, and thoughtful design touches — like silicone-coated handles that won't scratch your mugs and a lid that doubles as a drip tray — show real attention to the brewing experience. That said, if you want zero sediment or need something portable, you might look elsewhere. OXO's strength is reliable, well-designed daily-use gear.

Basket-style infusers like the OXO Brew are generally considered best for flavor because they give tea leaves the most room to expand and circulate — which directly translates to better extraction. Ball infusers and pincer-style infusers cramp the leaves, leading to weaker or uneven flavor. The OXO basket is large enough for a generous serving of leaves with room to spare, and its fine mesh handles everything from large rolled oolongs to fine rooibos particles. The one trade-off is portability — baskets don't fold or collapse, so they're not ideal for travel.

A strainer sits on top of your cup and catches leaves as you pour brewed tea through it — you brew the tea separately first. An infuser like the OXO Brew Basket sits inside your cup while the tea steeps, so the leaves brew directly in your drinking vessel. The OXO basket is an infuser: you place it in your mug, add leaves and water, steep, then remove the basket. It gives you more control over steep time and is more convenient for single-cup brewing since you don't need a separate teapot.

A tea infuser holds loose tea leaves in a perforated container while they steep in hot water. The OXO Brew Basket uses fine stainless steel mesh perforations that let water flow freely through the leaves — extracting flavor, color, and aroma — while keeping the leaves contained. The large basket design is key: it gives leaves room to unfurl and circulate, which means more even extraction and fuller flavor. The lid serves double duty by trapping heat and volatile aromatic oils during steeping, then flipping over to catch drips when you remove the basket.

The difference is significant. Tea balls cramp leaves into a small sphere, which restricts expansion and leads to weaker, less nuanced flavor. The OXO Brew Basket gives leaves a large open space to unfurl and circulate freely, which reviewers consistently say produces fuller, more flavorful cups without bitterness. The OXO's fine mesh also handles small-particle teas like rooibos and herbal blends that would slip right through a tea ball's holes. The trade-off is size — a tea ball is more compact and portable.