BETTER INFUSED TEAS

Flavorful infused teas can be made with a French press coffee maker. The press can hold boiling water, necessary for extracting many of the flavors. And the plunger not only helps strain out these bits but actually extracts more flavor from them as you press down. Remember: The better the black tea, the better the tea drink.

Test Kitchen Notes

• Wash the press well if you’ve used it for coffee. Disassemble the components and soak them in soapy water—or use warm water and baking soda if you fear any sudsy aftertaste. Rinse well with copious amounts of fresh water.

• Most importantly, dry your press well with paper towels after washing to remove more of the coffee oils.

• Then clean the press well after you make an infused tea—unless you want your coffee to taste like whatever you infused your tea with! Or skip some of this obsessiveness by buying a second French press to use for these infusions.

• Beware: Some manufacturers refer to a 32-ounce French press as an “8 cup” model (because they make eight small cups of coffee, rather than hold the volume amount of 8 cups).