The Best Tea Tumbler With an Infuser (for the Office, Car and Travel)

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The best tea tumbler with an infuser is The Tea Spot's Steepware tumbler: 22 ounces, a fine stainless infuser you can lift out, and a slim body that fits a car cup holder. If you want something smaller and prettier, get the Teabloom Cosmopolitan.

A good tea tumbler means real loose leaf tea at your desk, in the car or on a plane, without a kettle and a mug. Here's what a tea tumbler is, the seven worth buying, and the one trick that keeps your tea from turning bitter by lunch.

What Is a Tea Tumbler?

A tea tumbler is an insulated travel bottle with a built-in infuser. You put loose leaf tea in the infuser basket, add hot water, let it steep, and take it with you. Most are double-wall stainless steel, so they keep tea hot for hours and the outside stays cool.

The one feature that matters most: the infuser has to come out. Tea left sitting in hot water for hours goes bitter. Every pick below has a removable infuser.

The 7 Best Tea Tumblers With an Infuser

1. The Tea Spot Steepware 22 oz: best overall

The Tea Spot is a Boulder tea company, women-owned and a Certified B Corp, and this tumbler is built by people who drink loose leaf all day. A removable ultra-fine stainless filter, a leak-proof screw-down lid, and a slim 2.875-inch body that fits standard cup holders. It's rated to keep tea hot for up to 6 hours or cold for 12. Check price on Amazon.

2. Teabloom Cosmopolitan 16 oz: best for fine teas

Teabloom says its filter holes are half the size of a standard infuser's, which matters for fine teas like rooibos, chamomile and broken-leaf black tea. The two-way filter handles hot tea, cold brew tea and even cold brew coffee. It comes gift-boxed, so it's an easy present. Check price on Amazon.

3. Pure Zen Insulated 15 oz: best for long days

An extra-long infuser that holds plenty of leaf, a leak-proof lid and vacuum insulation. Pull the strainer out and it doubles as a regular water bottle. A solid pick for commuters and long shifts. Check price on Amazon.

4. HEMLI Ceramic Lined 22 oz: best for no metallic taste

If stainless steel ever makes your tea taste like a spoon, this one has a ceramic-lined interior and a micro-mesh stainless infuser. The lid does both sipping and a straw, which is handy for iced tea in the summer. Check price on Amazon.

5. LeafLife Bamboo 17 oz: best budget

A bamboo outside, stainless steel inside, and a two-piece infuser that lets you steep short (leaves near the top) or long. It's one of the most reviewed tea tumblers on Amazon and the warmest-looking one here. Hand wash only because of the bamboo. Check price on Amazon.

6. GiNT 17 oz Travel Mug: best dishwasher-safe

More mug than bottle, with two lids (an infuser flip lid and a slide lid), 316 stainless steel and a dishwasher-safe design. The wide mouth makes it easy to clean and to add milk. It's the one I'd keep at a desk. Check price on Amazon.

7. Pure Zen Glass 13 oz: best for watching your tea

Double-wall glass with a stainless filter, so you can watch the leaves open and see when the color is right. Glass keeps the flavor clean, but it won't hold heat like vacuum steel, so it's best for a commute, not an all-day thermos. Check price on Amazon.

How to Use a Tea Tumbler Without Bitter Tea

1. Use about 1 teaspoon of leaf per 8 oz of water. A 16 oz tumbler takes about 2 teaspoons.
2. Match the water to the tea. Boiling for black and herbal tea, cooler (around 175°F) for green tea. More in Blog: Why Is My Tea Bitter? It's Time and Temperature.
3. Steep for the normal time, 3 to 5 minutes for most teas.
4. Lift the infuser out and screw the lid back on. This is the step that saves your tea.
5. For iced tea, cold brew overnight with the infuser in and the tumbler in the fridge. Cold water doesn't go bitter the same way. My method: Blog: How to Make Iced Tea with Loose Leaf Tea.

Or Keep It Simple: Brew at Home, Carry It in a Tumbler

You don't need an infuser in the bottle at all. Brew a cup at home, then pour it into a great insulated tumbler. It's the setup I recommend for work: a MiiR tumbler (get the 16 oz). It fits a cup holder, the slide lid is splash-proof, and there's no infuser to rinse at the office.

If you'd rather keep your tea hot at your desk all day, see Blog: Is the Ember Mug Worth It for Tea? and my full desk setup in Blog: The Best Tea for Work.

Quick Questions

Can you put hot tea in a tumbler?
Yes, as long as it's a double-wall insulated tumbler. Leave a little room at the top and close the lid slowly with very hot water.

How do I clean tea stains out of a tumbler?
Fill it with hot water and a tablespoon of baking soda, let it sit 15 to 30 minutes, then scrub with a bottle brush and rinse. Do the same for the infuser basket.

Can I use tea bags in a tea tumbler?
Sure. Drop the bag in the infuser basket or straight into the tumbler, then pull it out when it's ready.

Which tea is best in a tumbler?
Sturdy teas that forgive a slightly long steep: black tea, rooibos, herbal blends and roasted oolong. Some easy picks are in Blog: Best Loose Leaf Tea Samplers.

Homework: tomorrow morning, steep your tea, pull the infuser, and take it with you. See how much better it tastes at 10 a.m. than the office coffee.

Much love,
Josh