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I don't know the criteria for an item to be required to be immersed in the mikvah before use.

Does a loose tea infuser (images below) need to be immersed? You put loose tea leaves into it and then you steep it in a hot cup of water to make tea (just like a tea bag).

A tea infuser - two hemispheres of metal mesh that fasten together with loose tea inside

A tea infuser - two hemispheres of metal mesh that fasten together with loose tea inside

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  • It might not require tevilah because it is not used to cook food but to filter out the part that you don't want, i.e. the tea leaves. The tea is there to flavour the water.
    – CashCow
    Commented Nov 8, 2014 at 22:39
  • Because the tea is cooked inside this utensil is a reason it might require it. I don't know the answer which is why I have not given an answer, just the two sides.
    – CashCow
    Commented Nov 10, 2014 at 11:34
  • 1
    Many of the sources here would apply and suggest the answer is yes
    – mbloch
    Commented Feb 24, 2019 at 15:11
  • Why would you think not? It's used when making tea for consumption, and the tea is edible immediately afterwards.
    – MDjava
    Commented Sep 21, 2020 at 19:57

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I would assume it's no better than the pepper grinder - which needs to be immersed in the mikvah before use.

רֵחַיִם שֶׁל פִּלְפְּלִין צְרִיכִין טְבִילָה מִשּׁוּם הַמַּתֶּכֶת. ‏

(Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 37:9)

Actually, anything that touches ready-to-be-used food needs to be immersed in the mikvah before use.

אֵינוֹ צָרִיךְ טְבִילָה אֶלָּא כְּלִי שֶׁמִשְׁתַּמְּשִׁים בּוֹ לְמַאֲכָל שֶׁהוּא רָאוּי לְאָכְלוֹ מִיָּד, בְּלִי שׁוּם תִּקּוּן אַחֵר, אֲבָל הַבַּרְזִלִּים שֶׁמְתַקְּנִין בָּהֶם אֶת הַמַּצּוֹת, וְשֶׁחוֹתְכִין בָּהֶם אֶת הָעִסָּה, וְהַמַּחַט שֶׁתּוֹפְרִין בָּהּ מֻלְיְתָא (צואר עוף ממולא), וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּהֶן, אֵינָן צְרִיכִין טְבִילָה, אֲבָל סַכִּין שֶׁל שְׁחִיטָה, וְסַכִּין שֶׁמַּפְשִׁיטִין בּוֹ, כֵּיוָן שֶׁאֶפְשָׁר לְהִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ בְּסַכִּין זֶה לְמַאֲכָל שֶׁנִּגְמַר, וְכֵן טַסִּים (בְּלֶעכִין) שֶׁמַּנִּיחִים עֲלֵיהֶם מַצּוֹת, צְרִיכִין טְבִילָה בְּלֹא בְּרָכָה. וּדְרַיְפוּס (שָׁלֹשׁ רַגְלַיִם) שֶׁמַּעֲמִידִין עָלָיו אֵת הַקְּדֵרָה, כֵּיוָן שֶׁאֵין הַמַּאֲכָל בְּעַצְמוֹ נוֹגֵעַ בּוֹ אֵינוֹ צָרִיךְ טְבִילָה. אֲבָל שַׁפּוּד שֶׁל מַתֶּכֶת שֶׁצּוֹלִין עָלָיו בָּשָׂר, צָרִיךְ טְבִילָה בִּבְרָכָה. יֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים, דִּכְלֵּי זְכוּכִית גְּדוֹליִם (כְּגוֹן בַּקְבּוּקִים), שֶׁאֵין שׁוֹתִין מִתּוֹכָן, רַק שֶׁמַּחְזִיקִין בָּהֶן אֶת הַמַּשְׁקָאוֹת לְעָרוֹת מֵהֶן לְתוֹךְ הַכּוֹסוֹת, לֹא חֲשִׁיבֵי כְּלֵי סְעוּדָּה וְאֵינָן צְרִיכִין טְבִילָה. וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים, דִּצְרִיכִין טְבִילָה (יד אפרים), וְיֵשׁ לְהַטְבִּילָן בְּלֹא בְּרָכָה.‏

(ibid 37: 8)

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  • But tea leaves aren't ready to eat. Nobody eats them.
    – Double AA ♦
    Commented Nov 9, 2014 at 15:07
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    @DoubleAA - true. I didn't think of that. OTOH it does touch the water which is "food", and therefore the second part of my answe should still be good. Agree?
    – Danny Schoemann
    Commented Nov 10, 2014 at 8:20

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