Tea Strainer Insulated Stainless Steel Water Bottle

The leaves stay in the basket at the top and the tea comes through clear.

Eight in the morning, a spoonful of loose leaf in the little steel basket, boiling water over it, cap on. By the time the bus arrives the tea has brewed, and every mouthful for the next few hours comes through the perforations rather than around them. No bag to fish out, no leaves against your teeth, and the outside of the bottle stays cool enough to hold in one hand.

The body is double walled stainless steel in a soft matt finish with the maker's XZ wordmark down one side. The maker lists a 316 stainless liner inside a 201 stainless shell, and rates the flask at 6 to 12 hours of temperature holding. A steel lined screw cap covers the whole top and doubles as a cup, a moulded collar carries a wrist strap, and the strainer basket is named on the packing list rather than sold separately. Three capacities are offered: 600, 800 and 1000 ml.

Key Benefits

• Loose leaf without the mess A perforated stainless basket sits under the lid and keeps the leaves in the top of the bottle while you drink.
• The strainer is included It is on the packing list beside the flask, not an accessory you find out about later.
• Double walled body The maker specifies a 316 stainless liner inside a 201 stainless shell and rates temperature holding at 6 to 12 hours.
• The cap is a cup The screw top is steel lined and deep enough to pour into, which matters when you are sharing a flask outdoors.
• Carries by the strap A moulded collar at the shoulder takes a wrist strap, so it hangs from a hand or clips to a bag loop.

Best for: loose leaf tea drinkers, long commutes and desk days, and anyone who wants one bottle that brews and carries rather than a mug plus an infuser.

Why It Works

The usual problem with brewing tea in a flask is that the leaves keep brewing. After two hours you are drinking something closer to tannin than tea. Putting the strainer high in the neck rather than deep in the body means the leaves sit above the water line once the flask is upright, so extraction slows the moment you stop tipping it. The rest is standard vacuum flask construction done in named steels rather than unnamed ones, which is worth something on a product where the liner is the part that touches everything you drink.

Quick Product Facts: double walled stainless steel; 316 stainless liner and 201 stainless shell as listed by the maker; removable perforated tea strainer; steel lined screw cap that doubles as a cup; wrist strap on a moulded collar; 600, 800 or 1000 ml; the maker states 6 to 12 hours of temperature holding; packing list is one flask and one strainer.

How It Fits Your Routine

Morning: leaves in the basket, water in, cap on, out of the door. The first cup is poured from the lid at the desk, the rest is drunk straight from the bottle through the strainer.

Afternoon it becomes a plain water bottle. Lift the basket out, rinse it, and the same 600 to 1000 ml carries cold water for the rest of the day without any tea flavour left in it.

Wash the basket and the cap after every tea day, because leaves lodge in the mesh and stain it. Wash the body by hand with a bottle brush and leave it open to dry, and keep it out of the dishwasher: heat and detergent are what kill the seal on a vacuum flask.

FAQ

How long does it really keep tea hot? The maker states 6 to 12 hours and gives no test conditions, no split between hot and cold and no figure per size. That is the maker's number, we are passing it on rather than confirming it, and how long yours holds will depend on how full it is and how often you open it.

Is the strainer included? Yes. The packing list reads one thermos cup and one strainer, so it comes in the box.

Which colour do I get? Blue. The maker photographs the same bottle in white, black, green and yellow, but blue is the only finish on this listing.

Can it go in the dishwasher? No dishwasher rating is published, and a vacuum flask is a poor candidate for one. Wash it by hand, dry it open, and do not soak the cap.