Yes, this IS a tea strainer but it is invaluable for pickling and copperplating granules and other small elements without having to pick them up one by one OR the dreaded dropping them into the pickle pot or down the sink (even worse!). This strainer's all plastic design is safe in the pickle and will keep all your small metal bits safely together, while the mesh sections let water or pickle in and out. Absolutely indispensable for granulation!