One of the easiest ways to make better tea is to move away from single-serve bags and switch to loose leaf teas. This is because tea bags typically contain lower quality leaves that often sit on shelves for months (or years) and the entire process favors convenience over flavor. On top of that, the fabric or (more often) paper used to make the tea bags can also impart unwanted flavors.
If you know someone who wants to get into loose leaf teas, they're going to need an infuser, and the one from OXO is one of the best. Its stainless steel basket won't affect the flavor and its included lid traps heat when steeping while also functioning as a saucer to prevent dripping once the tea is ready to drink. The basket is also a perfect size, so it fits in virtually any mug (and even many iced tea pitchers), and at just $15, it's cheap enough to buy two or more, so there will always be one clean ready to use. – MR
