SWIRL Steeping Tool Review

If you’re intrigued by the beautiful piece of laser-cut something you’re currently looking at, then you’re in the exact same position I was in a couple months ago. I was browsing Kickstarter, and happened across a BEAUTIFUL and clever looking product for infusing tea. I reached out to the company, and they gladly sent over a sample for review. So this, is the SWIRL.

I’d like to start off by saying that I’m fully aware this product is not a necessity, and there are definitely less expensive infusers out there, but the goal of this product is to refine the tea making experience, and make it easier to enjoy while out on the go… And I can safely say that it does accomplish those two things.

The design-forward focus is immediately apparent starting with the packaging… once inside, the infuser itself is very impressive in the level of finishing. From the laser etched logos, to the high gloss resin body, to the laser-cut filter basket itself, this is a pretty slick looking accessory.

I would have liked to see thing same level of craftsmanship carried through to the optional tea caddy as well, but unfortunately I was a little let down.

The lid was very difficult to open, and I think they could have come up with a more pleasant to use mechanism. The body of the caddy is also very prone to fingerprints, being made of stainless steel. The one thing I did really like was that it is designed to fit perfectly into the opening of the infuser basket, which is a nice addition to the process flow.

So how do you actually use this thing?

As you’d expect, it’s pretty straight forward. Unscrew the infuser from the body. Twist to reveal the opening,

add in your tea of choice, twist again to lock the door closed,

and then as the name implies, swirl in your cup of hot water.

However, my favourite two features of this infuser come after you’ve finished brewing. Pulling the filter forward will easily eject the wet leaves…. and then the wet infuser can simply be twisted back into the body and put away with no risk of making your pocket wet. This system gets a big thumbs up for usability

Overall, this is a neat little product that would make a great gift for a tea-loving friend or relative. Would I use it at home? Probably not. But for making good tea on the go, and doing it with a stylish twist, the SWIRL system gets full marks from me.