Combined vessel lid and tea bag receptacle and method of using

A method of making an infusion using a tea piece, a vessel, and a tea bag, the tea piece comprising a shaped disc comprising a perimeter, a first principal surface and a second principal surface on opposing sides of the perimeter, wherein said second principal surface comprises a well spaced inside the perimeter, said well being impervious to aqueous liquids and configured to contain aqueous liquids when the tea piece is inverted and placed on a horizontal surface, wherein the perimeter comprises a perimeter recess, wherein two end points of said perimeter recess along the perimeter define an angle relative to a vertex disposed at a geometric center point of the tea piece, wherein the angle is less than 80° and greater than 25°, wherein the second surface comprises a drip projection and a ledge, wherein the tea piece is configured to act as a lid on the vessel which contains hot water with the first surface uppermost such that a ventilation aperture is formed between a rim of the vessel and the perimeter recess and such that the drip projection sits within a rim of the vessel such that an outside of the drip projection faces an inside of the rim of the vessel while the ledge sits on the rim of the vessel,

• wherein said ventilation aperture has a maximum dimension of less than 30 mm,
• wherein when the tea piece is pushed against the inside of the vessel diametrically opposite to the perimeter recess said ventilation aperture has an area of less than 300 mm2,
• wherein said drip projection comprises a continuous loop drip projection spaced inside a portion of the tea piece perimeter, said drip projection forming a perimeter of the well,
• wherein when the tea piece is placed to act as a lid on the vessel containing hot water with the first surface uppermost, said drip projection provides a lateral restraint against the inside of the vessel when the tea piece is pushed laterally,
• wherein said drip projection is coterminous with a portion of the edge of the perimeter recess, wherein said well comprises a continuous well wall comprising the inside surface of said continuous loop drip projection,
• wherein the height of said continuous well wall is greater than 1 mm,
• wherein the vessel comprises an annular cross-section,
• wherein an inside rim diameter of the vessel is between 65 mm and 90 mm,
• wherein the tea piece is configured to be inverted and placed on a horizontal surface with the second principal surface uppermost and the first principal surface supporting the piece after said inversion such that the inverted tea piece is configured to act as a receptacle for a used tea bag such that tea which emanates from the used tea bag is contained on the second principal surface within the well and does not spill onto the horizontal surface,
• wherein when said tea piece is inverted on said horizontal surface, the well has a cubic capacity of greater than 3.0 cc,
• wherein the tea piece and vessel are shaped and configured such that the tea piece can be inverted and docked against the vessel with both the tea piece and the vessel resting on a horizontal surface such that a portion of said perimeter recess edge is contiguous with an outside of the vessel,
• said method comprising:
• (i) placing hot water into the vessel comprising the rim,
• (ii) placing the tea bag in the hot water,
• (iii) placing the tea piece on the rim of the vessel such that the first principal surface is uppermost, wherein the ventilation aperture is formed between the rim of the vessel and the perimeter recess of the tea piece,
• (iv) allowing time for the tea to infuse,
• (v) removing the tea piece, and
• (vi) removing the tea bag from the hot water.