ctf premium thai tea strainer, large 5" wide by 11" deep cotton filter with handle, authentic fleeced cloth sock holds 2 cups loose tea leaf to make 2 quarts of thai iced tea, genuine stainless steel cooking thai food <b>how important is authenticity to you?</b><br>real thai tea and coffee filters use a specific type of traditional food-grade kitchen fabric called pa samli. it’s 100 percent thai grown cotton, hand woven in small quantities. the difference between it and western style cheesecloth is that the thai kitchen fabric has a fleeced surface on one side. even though two sided fleeced pa sami is available for certain tasks in the traditional thai kitchen, one sided is preferred for filtering tea and coffee because the leaves tend to stick to the fleece, which makes it difficult to clean. the fleece increases the filtering ability of the 42 by 26 thread mesh by blocking the openings, but allows microscopic particles of oxidized tea leaf through which act like a spice in real thai iced tea. you can see these particles when they collect together in the bottom of the glass as a dark swirl after your drink is finished - it's one way you can tell a brewed thai tea from a mix.<br><br> <b>stainless steel?</b> <br> handles on cheaper filters often claim to be made from stainless steel, when they are actually plain steel with chrome plating. chrome plated handles cost five times less than solid stainless steel and this is okay for disposable filters, but cheap chrome plating will rust over time and the plating process uses harsh chemicals. <br> <br> our strainer’s handle and frame are made from solid stainless steel with a hairline finish which shines like your modern kitchen appliances and provides more grip than a mirrored chrome surface, which is critical when dealing with slippery hot liquids. three laser welds provide superior strength while introducing no lead or foreign material. <br> <br> <b>overlocked, over taped seam</b> <br> our super strong overlock stitched seam is further strengthened with an unbleached cotton tape reenforcement.<br><br><b>dimensions</b><br><br> the opening measures 5 inches in diameter<br>the handle is 5 inches long<br>the filter bag is 11 inches deep.