Often confused with an infuser, a tea strainer is used when you have placed loose tea leaves in your pot to brew. When ready to pour, you place the strainer over your cup and pour the brewed tea through it to catch any leaves. If you use a strainer, you don’t need to use an infuser; likewise, if you use an infuser, you don’t need to use a strainer. They both ultimately serve to keep tea leaves out of your cup. An infuser does it during brewing, while the strainer does it during pouring. They are often made of silver, silver-plate, porcelain, or stainless steel.  Please visit our Tea Infusers and Strainers category to view or purchase tea strainers.