Grandpa style vs a basket infuser
Both put loose leaf in a single mug and both are aimed at someone at a desk. The difference is whether the leaf is confined, and confinement turns out to be the variable that decides whether loose leaf feels worth the trouble.
brewing method
What is being compared
Point by point
| Aspect | Grandpa style | Mug infuser brewing |
|---|---|---|
| Where the leaf sits | Loose in the glass, free to circulate and expand to whatever volume it wants. | In a perforated basket, which is usually smaller than the wet leaf needs. |
| Leaf quantity | Small — extraction never stops, so the quantity has to be low enough that the plateau is drinkable. | Two to three grams per 250 ml, on the assumption that the basket comes out on time. |
| What ends the steep | Nothing does. Topping up with fresh water is what keeps it in balance. | Lifting the basket out — and the basket then needs somewhere to go. |
| Commonest failure | Using a western leaf dose, which becomes bitter with no remedy available. | A basket too small for the leaf to open, which is the main cause of weak loose-leaf tea. |
| Leaf grade it tolerates | Whole leaf only. Dust and broken leaf make the glass unpleasant to drink from. | Anything, though fine leaf will pass through the mesh and settle in the mug. |
| Cost of entry | Nothing at all. | One inexpensive basket, and it is worth buying the largest that fits. |
| How long one measure lasts | Hours, across four or five top-ups. | One mug. A second steep in a cramped basket is usually thin. |
The short answer
If loose leaf has been disappointing from a basket, the fault is far more often the basket than the tea. Removing it entirely — leaf straight in the mug, less of it — is a free experiment that frequently produces a better cup than buying a better tea would.
Not a ranking. TeaHQ publishes no ratings and does not know your occasion.