At WiseGEEK, we're committed to delivering accurate, trustworthy information. Our expert-authored content is rigorously fact-checked and sourced from credible authorities. Discover how we uphold the highest standards in providing you with reliable knowledge.
What is a Tea Bag Squeezer?
Michael Pollick
Michael Pollick
One of the least pleasant aspects of brewing bagged tea is removing and squeezing the tea bag itself. Getting the last bit of water and tea essence often requires squeezing a boiling hot bag with bare fingers, and an unsqueezed bag seems like a waste of perfectly good brewed tea. One elegant solution to this problem is a tea bag squeezer. A tea bag squeezer allows the user to squeeze the last few drops from a hot tea bag without burning his or her fingers in the process.
There are actually several different tea bag squeezer designs available, each with their own advantages and disadvantages. One popular design resembles a pair of flat-bladed tongs, made from heat-resistant and food safe materials such as stainless steel, plastic or wood. The user places this type of tea bag squeezer directly into a tea cup or mug and extracts the tea bag with a pinching motion. The trapped tea bag can then be squeezed over the cup and disposed of without the need to touch the hot bag itself.
Another type of tea bag squeezer is ingeniously design to double as a heat-retaining lid. The tea bag is first threaded through the clam shell hinged lid and placed in a mug or cup containing hot water. As the tea brews, the lid keeps the contents protected from spilling or heat loss. When brewing time is over, the user pulls the tea bag up by its string until it is reaches the lid. The sides of the tea bag are then pinched together, which allows the final drops of tea to fall into the cup while protecting the user's fingers from the heated water. The tea bag can then be discarded and the lid replaced on the mug for insulation.
Some people may encounter a third kind of tea bag squeezer which combines elements of both designs. This small stainless steel gadget has a slot which allows the user to thread the finished tea bag's string through the top. The sides of the tea bag squeezer form a pincher around the bag, and the ends are doubled back to insulate the user's fingers from the heat of the squeezed tea bag. The tea bag squeezer and used tea bag can then be placed on a small saucer to contain any remaining liquid.
Michael Pollick
A regular WiseGEEK contributor, Michael enjoys doing research in order to satisfy his wide-ranging curiosity about a variety of arcane topics. Before becoming a professional writer, Michael worked as an English tutor, poet, voice-over artist, and DJ.
Learn more...
Michael Pollick
A regular WiseGEEK contributor, Michael enjoys doing research in order to satisfy his wide-ranging curiosity about a variety of arcane topics. Before becoming a professional writer, Michael worked as an English tutor, poet, voice-over artist, and DJ.
Learn more...AS FEATURED ON:
AS FEATURED ON:
-
![A tea bag squeezer is used to squeeze the last drops from a hot tea bag without burning a person's fingers.]()
By: karandaevA tea bag squeezer is used to squeeze the last drops from a hot tea bag without burning a person's fingers.
Discussion Comments
We have always used the first type of squeezer (and it is the only kind I have encountered), but I would never put it in to the cup. Rather, the way we use it is to lift the bag by the tab/string, and then squeeze it above the tea. The reason is not so much to avoid waste (although this is not undesirable), but to increase strength (I'm not sure if it is really efficacious in this respect) and of course to prevent dripping on to surfaces during transfer out of the cup.
I really hate trying to squeeze out the tea bag with my fingers, so I'm glad there is such a thing as a tea bag squeezer. I try to use a tea ball with loose leaves when I can, but there are times when a bagged tea is more convenient. Maybe a local tea store will have a tea bag squeezer set for sale.
I remember when I was growing up, my mom would brew tea by putting the bags directly in a pot of water and boiling it for a while. We would leave the bags in the pot and just drink the hot tea. When I got older, however, I asked for hot tea at a restaurant and the waitress brought out a little metal pot of boiling water and a dry tea bag. I had to steep the bag in the water, then squeeze it out with my fingers. Steeped hot tea definitely tastes different that the boiled tea "soup" my mom made.
My son came home from school one day with a pair of wooden tongs, and he said his class made them in a sampler wood shop class. The instructor said it could be used to pull toast out of a toaster or as a tea bag squeezer. I have to admit it has come in handy a few time, since I didn't have any real tea bag squeezers in the house.
Post your comments