the.com/infuser
A tiny cage for leaves, so your water can finally make something of itself.
means A small perforated container that holds tea leaves (or herbs) in hot water so they can steep without scattering through your cup.
from Built from 'infuse,' which traces to Latin infundere — 'in' plus 'fundere,' to pour. The word originally described pouring one substance into another to let qualities transfer; by the 1600s 'infusion' meant steeping something, usually medicinal herbs, in liquid to draw out its virtues. 'Infuser,' the physical gadget doing the steeping, is a much later, practical offshoot — the noun form showing up once tea culture needed a word for the cage, not just the act.
- origin
- from latin infundere, to pour into
- upgrade
- replaced tea balls because flavor needs room to roam
- misuse
- oversteeping turns infusion into punishment
- beyond tea
- works for fruit, herbs, even cocktails now