Teapot and loose tea question

[user1471523870]

I will start this thread by saying I am not originally from the UK, so please forgive the naivety of the question!
After so many years of living in this beautiful country, I am finally grasping the passion for tea. Still, I make my own (and everyone else's) by putting an individual tea bag in an individual mug.
Occasionally I might brew some loose tea in a teapot, but only if it's a party of at least 2/3 people.
And I believe this is still in line with what most do.
However....if you happen to really like loose tea and you are alone, how do you manage? Do you use tea strainers? Do you brew a whole teapot and you slowly go through it?
I really want to up my game tea-wise, but

you can get a tiny tea pot for one or two, and a tea cosy, and ur away!!

So you can get these little mesh things that go straight in your cup to act like a bag for your loose leaf tea. Some are like little balls attached to chains when you put in the tea then close the ball and pop it in like a tea bag. Another kind (which I use) is like a mini cup made is mesh with the sticky outty bits on the sides. You pop it in your cup, the mesh goes inside and the sticky out bits go over the edge (so that you can remove it easily) you then put your tea into the mesh thing and just pull it out when brewed. Both of those alternatives you just dump the tea in the bin once used and wash and reuse the mesh things. You can also buy individual empty silk tea bags. You fill them up and use like regular tea bags. You can also buy teabags of loose leaf tea. You can also use mini teapots or special teamsters (these act like tea pots with mesh strainers that are built in and heat the water to the right temperature. You can also make tea on the stove by boiling it in water and milk then straining the liquid into a cup (mostly applicable to chai). Where do you live? I would strongly reccomend popping into your nearest T2 shop. They should be able to explain (and sell) it all to you.

I would reccomend you start with loose leaf tea in bags seeing as that is his you normally brew tea. Most nice teas can be purchased in silk pyramid tea bags. Teapigs for example is widely available (and their Darjeeling early grey is very good).

I use loose leaf tea in a teapot all the time, and it's usually just for me! I usually drink at least 2 cups, so I half fill a medium sized teapot, and keep the tea warm with a tea cosy. But you could buy a smaller teapot which would make two mugs of tea, and also use a tea cosy to keep the second cup hot while you drink the first. I also use a tea strainer, as I don't like the leaves in the cup.

I have a teapot, tea strainer and tea cosy. My tea pot easily holds 4 mugs worth of tea so I rarely fill it as I'm the only tea drinker. It's fine not to fill it completely.

I have a two mug teapot and use a tea strainer. I buy tea from Bluebird - they have a subscription service too

Brew Tea Co teapots! V easy to clean, which was always the main problem for me - can't be bothered with fishing tea leaves out of a spout. The pot is big enough for two small teacups, or one big mug.
www.brewteacompany.co.uk/collections/our-tea-pot

Just wanted to agree with the PP who recommended the mesh strainer things to put in a cup from t2 (lovely tea there too). Life changing! I find them much less messy to use than the ball type devices and there’s more room for the tea to brew.

Amazing suggestions, thanks!
Looking at the T2 website...I want to buy everything! I need to plan a trip to the nearest shop (I live live in Surrey) and get myself a mesh strainer and a small teapot. Love the Brew Tea Co teapots too...what a difficult decision:-).

I strongly reccomend the T2 monk pear tea. It's like earl grey but a thousand time better.