Review on Norpro Mesh Ball Strainers 4 Inch by Rachel Mitchell

I love loose tea and have been mixing it directly with water in a teapot for years. When water is poured over leaves in a pot, they usually sink to the bottom and don't end up in your cup. However, the tea will become stronger and more tart if you return for a second or third cup. And for a cup, I've never found a good way to get the leaves to settle. So I decided to try Tea Balls to control the brewing process in a teapot or to make individual cups. I ended up ordering Norpro tea balls in all four sizes: 1-3/4, 2, 2-1/2, and 3 inches in diameter. Overall, Norpro balls are well made and serve their purpose well. I've also previously bought general purpose tea balls of a similar design, but cheap, with a looser fit. Norpro balls are of the best quality and cost little extra. Stainless steel is light-colored and typically has tighter fits. The two tea balls I received didn't have a perfect seal between the two halves, but I think that's common with these net balls. This is easily fixed with a wrench or pliers. Visually determine the gap and note which half is not perfectly flat on the rim; Then take your pliers and gently grasp the edge to slightly bend it into position. So I was able to get the perfect closure. As for the dimensions - the diameter is along the outside edge of the cap rim and not along the ball itself. You can really only add tea from one side of the bowl as it's difficult to seal tightly when tea is in both halves, since it squirts out when you try to close them. The 1-3/4" diameter works well for a single cup unless you are making very strong tea. The 2" diameter works well for small teapots (2 cups is typical), although small is enough to fit in a cup of tea. Cup too. The 2-1/2" diameter is suitable for medium-sized teapots (typically 4-6 cups). I had to return the 3 inch bowl because it was too big for my 6 cup Betty Brown teapot, the largest I have. . However, it would be nice if they had large kettles. In general, just measure the teapot lid size limit and get the largest tea ball that will fit.