Tea service
Moroccan Tea Strainers and Accessories
Once you have the teapot, glasses and tray, a small cast of accessories refines the Moroccan tea ritual: a strainer to keep leaves from the glass, a hammer to break the sugar, tongs and caddies to keep things tidy. None are strictly essential, but the right few make pouring and serving smoother. Here is what each does and which to bother with.
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- 7 min
- Guide
- Tea service
- Updated
- 19 July 2026
At a glance
- A strainer keeps mint leaves and tea dust out of the glass if the pot lacks a filter.
- The sugar hammer breaks chunks from a hard sugar cone the traditional way.
- Tongs and caddies are conveniences, not necessities, but keep the service neat.
- Buy accessories to match your pot and tray so the set looks and works as one.
The strainer and why it matters
Moroccan tea is brewed with loose gunpowder green tea and a generous bundle of fresh mint, both of which can escape into the glass on pouring. Many berrad teapots have a built-in perforated guard at the base of the spout that holds the leaves back, but if yours does not, a small handheld strainer held over the glass catches the stray leaves and dust for a cleaner pour. Some cooks strain regardless, for the tidiest possible glass.
A good strainer is fine-meshed, sits comfortably over a small glass, and is easy to rinse. It is the one accessory that does a real practical job rather than simply adding polish, so it is worth having if your pot pours leafy.
Sugar tools and the rest
Traditional sugar comes as a hard cone, and several tools exist to tame it and keep the service orderly.
- Sugar hammer: a small metal mallet to knock chunks off a sugar cone.
- Sugar box or caddy: stores the broken lumps or loose sugar between servings.
- Tongs: for adding sugar lumps and handling hot glasses cleanly.
- Tea caddy: an airtight tin keeps loose green tea fresh and aromatic.
- Mint holder or dish: a small vessel to keep fresh mint to hand while brewing.
Which to buy, and care
If you keep it minimal, a strainer and a sugar hammer are the two accessories that pull their weight; the rest are pleasant but optional. Choose pieces in a metal and style that match your teapot and tray so the whole service reads as a set, and favour solid construction over flimsy novelty items that will not last.
Care is simple: rinse and dry the strainer so it does not clog or spot, keep metal accessories dry to avoid tarnish, and store the sugar and tea in airtight caddies away from damp. To build the service around these, see the tea set guide, the berrad teapot guide and the sugar cone and tea tools guide.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need a strainer for Moroccan tea?
Only if your teapot lacks a built-in filter. Many berrad pots have a perforated guard at the spout that holds back mint and leaves, but a small handheld strainer gives a cleaner pour if yours does not, or if you simply prefer a leaf-free glass.
What is a Moroccan sugar hammer?
A sugar hammer is a small metal mallet used to break chunks off a hard cone of sugar, the traditional form sugar takes in Morocco. The broken lumps then go into the teapot or a sugar caddy for serving. It is a simple, characterful tool of the tea ritual.
What tea accessories are actually useful?
A strainer and a sugar hammer do the most real work, one for a clean pour and one for breaking sugar. Tongs, sugar boxes, tea caddies and mint holders keep the service tidy and fresh but are conveniences rather than necessities.
How do you keep loose green tea fresh?
Store it in an airtight caddy or tin, away from light, heat and damp, which dull its aroma. Buy in amounts you will use within a reasonable time, and keep the caddy closed between servings so the gunpowder green tea stays fragrant for the pot.