Tea infusers are a device in which loose tea leaves are placed for steeping, usually in a cup; they are often called a teaball or a tea maker, and sometimes a tea egg. The tea infuser gained popularity in the first half of the 19th century and by the time of Queen Victoria no respectable British household would be without one.

A tea infuser performs the same function as a tea bag. The infuser is generally a small mesh or perforated metal container or a covered spoon that holds tea leaves, in varying sizes to steep single or multiple servings at once. The most Common shapes for infusers include spherical, conical and cylindrical. One style of infuser is a split sphere with tong like handles to open the mesh container. Many of the varieties can be purchased below.