Using a strainer like a mesh ball is a good approach to making tea. I
prefer the strainer on the end of a spoon versus a chain. There are
strainers that rests across the face of the cup. Almost any strainer
will do. If you have access to a Chinatown you can buy the tea cup and
lid with infuser which is a removeable basket for brewing for about $5.
There are also cheap tea presses aka coffee presses where the strainer
is on a plunger. The tea brews in the cylindrical pot with the plunger
retracted and you use the plunger when ready to decant into a cup. If
you use larger leaf teas you can drink 'off the top' ie tea remains in
cup. The last couple of swigs might be a bit much so there is some
waste. However usually this type of tea can handle another infusion
and you can drink 'off the bottom' at some point. There is no correct
place to start or finish when making tea with pots. My pot is a
converted tea press. I remove the plunger handle and secure the
strainer to the lid. The volume of the pot should equal what you drink
in a cup. How the tea behaves in a pot basically determines how it
taste in the cup. You'll end up using a 'pot' but the individual cup
will work till you get there. The apparatus to make tea is important
but in the end all teas taste different. I'd spend more money on
different teas than investing in teaware.

Jim

wrote:
> I'm not too much of a tea drinker (yet!), but I've taken a liking to
> doing several infusions of the same pinch of loose tea in the cup
> directly. Getting the water to the right temp., then pouring it over
> one of those mesh ball infusers and letting it sit for a few minutes.
> But from what I've read in the faq, this isn't really the way to do it?
> What do others think of this method? Anyone do it themselves? Or would
> it be that much better to invest in a teapot and kettle.
>
> -andy