Is it possible to put the lid on without the infuser (for blooming teas)?
1757073
Yes - Leo.. you can do that.. Not a problem at all. It is a great tea pot but the infuser is a tad fragile
1757074
Yes! you can put the lid on without the infuser too....enjoy the blooming tea...I love this pot
1252532
I personally don't because the loose tea can get into the lid. Once its done I take out the basket and close the lid.
770766
There is a metal insert to support the lid and to hold the infuser basket. You can remove the infuser without removing the insert.
1915336
Yes, you can use it without the infuser. The infuser can come off-- it screws into the top.
248940
Hi Laura, the inside of the pot is all porselen and has seven small holes built in at the base of the spout. No infuser. I put the tea directly into the pot and then use a strainer to capture the tea leaves when I pour. The top has a notch built in that you align with the pot and then give a turn to lock it in and keep the lid from falling off when you pour but it is hard to break the habit of holding it. Not sure it it will fit a tea ball as i do not have one to compare but the opening of the pot is 2-1/2" and the depth is about 3-1/2" with the base about 4-1/2". The overall height of the tea pot is about 6". Hope this helps. Hi Laura, the inside of the pot is all porselen and has seven small holes built in at the base of the spout. No infuser. I put the tea directly into the pot and then use a strainer to capture the tea leaves when I pour. The top has a notch built in that you align with the pot and then give a turn to lock it in and keep the lid from falling off when you pour but it is hard to break the habit of holding it. Not sure it it will fit a tea ball as i do not have one to compare but the opening of the pot is 2-1/2" and the depth is about 3-1/2" with the base about 4-1/2". The overall... » Read More Hi Laura, the inside of the pot is all porselen and has seven small holes built in at the base of the spout. No infuser. I put the tea directly into the pot and then use a strainer to capture the tea leaves when I pour. The top has a notch built in that you align with the pot and then give a turn to lock it in and keep the lid from falling off when you pour but it is hard to break the habit of holding it. Not sure it it will fit a tea ball as i do not have one to compare but the opening of the pot is 2-1/2" and the depth is about 3-1/2" with the base about 4-1/2". The overall height of the tea pot is about 6". Hope this helps. « Show Less
418332
The lid and infuser are separate, but the lid is designed to fit inside the infuser. Removing the infuser makes the lid loose fitting requiring a 2 hand pour
322310
No .... The lid sits loosely on the top of the strainer. The lid is a nice feature because while the tea is steeping it covers the top. But then, when the tea is ready, the lid is a place to set the strainer on.
221613
The infuser is much smaller than a cup so I don't see the point of transporting it with the tea. The lid does screw in a little, but I not sure it's leakproof.
1811484
The lid does work without the infuser, the metal band is part of the infuser and I have never put the pot in the microwave so I can't answer that. I wouldn't put the pot in the microwave, but as long as the infuser is out I don't see why it couldn't be done. Keep in mind, borosilicate glass is pretty fragile. Secure the lid when pouring, otherwise u run the risk of making the same mistake I did. Hope this helps
2090821
The holes at the base of the spout are appropriately small, though loose tea would probably go through them. The holes "are not pin hole" sized like you would see on an infuser. Stephanie in Virginia Beach
1811486
The lid does work without the infuser. The steel band is part of the infuser. I have never put mine in the microwave. I would think you could however. This is such an attractive tea pot but as with other glass pots it is fragile. I love mine.
623243
No, I've not found that to be a problem. I do remove the lid carefully using 5 fingers to pick up, turn it over so flat side down, set on the table then remove the tea bag putting in the well then pick the lid up again and put it on top of the cup, keeping tea hot. Hope this helps answer your question.
1052029
Yes, I just put them in the glass infuser instead of the tea flower. Or you could take out the infuser and just put the tea bags in the pot, the cover fits with or without the glass infuser. Loose tea I would always put in the infuser unless you plan to strain the tea. I love my pot and use it all the time! Hope this helped.
2097320
No, the lip that holds in on the cup edge would prevent that. I do think it would be plenty to keep heat from escaping too much while the tea steeps. Edit: actually, I think I have to take this back. if you don't flip it upside down, but just rest in on top, it does fit snuggly in the infuser. but... there will still be room around the edges of the infuser and your mug. I wouldn't call this a downside of the infuser. This one is my favorite.
1729620
The little detachable "flower" is meant to act like a cover AND a safeguard against boil-overs. I don't see why you couldn't also place a small cover over the center opening.
1914911
I ditched the glass infuser long ago and use a stainless steel, classic 1 cup infuser from TEAVANA. No plugging of leaves and possibility of breaking. It's about 3 inches tall. I lucked out and bought a few on a clearance sale a couple of years ago. They don't have the same model anymore. The closest I can find on their site is the cool touch tea strainer. My older version is entirely made of stainless steel; no silicone top. Check it out in one of their stores and see if you think it will work for you.
1168477
As other people said, yes, the strainer is removable, of course - how otherwise you would wash it? BUT the cover sits on this strainer. It'll not fall inside the pot but became loose and you should hold it carefully when pouring the tea. I would recommend to place the blossom teas to the pot without the strainer and then install the strainer. BTW, this way blossoms would be closer to glass wall and thus better viewed. Of course, you can't use big blossoms this way. For this case, I would recommend other Hario pot - it's lower but wider and there is more space outside of the strainer.