Using coffee filters to make tea

I recently bought some mesh bags for use as tea bags — useful for the chamomiles and chrysanthemums I drink at work, both of which clog up my teapot basket with their fine bits. This weekend, though, while flipping through an old Cook's Illustrated, I saw a curious item in the Quick Tips. It's two suggestions for using coffee filters to make tea.

The first: place loose-leaf tea in the center of a filter, gather the edge together and tie the satchel with cooking twine. Voila, instant tea bag. Leave the twine a little long on one end and you can pull it from the cup like any bag.

Second: Line your teapot or cup with a coffee filter, folding it over the rim. Fill with tea, pour the water. When it's steeped, pull the filter and squeeze like a tea bag.

Sounds like a nifty trick when traveling, perhaps.