Good tea cannot be found in a teabag.
To make a good cup of tea there is no substitute for loose leaf tea. I know that the vast majority of Americans use tea bags and I’m happy that tea bags were the way many people discovered tea and it’s incredible benefits but I want those people to enjoy the incredible world of loose leaf and I don’t think they’ll go back once they learn how to easy it is to brew and how much better it tastes.
Why are loose-leaf teas so much better:
Quality - Intact leaves vs. factory floor sweepings: an intact loose leaf dried tea leaf will gradually open up with each successive steeping of hot water. It’s a beautiful sight to see the shriveled needle of leaf slowly unfurl and expand into a lush leaf with serrated leaves and gentle curves. As it opens up, more flavor is produced as the surface area available grows and more importantly, the thick volume of the leaf is infused with water thus pulling out the rich complexities of the leaf. Tea bags are typically composed of low-grade fannings (specks of tea) that are often blends in order to create a homogenized flavor. Leaves of poor quality - old, tough, lots of stems, off flavors - are heavily processed into a consistent fine material that can be easily blended to balance everything out. It’s high surface area and low volume allow it to quickly infuse into a strong brew and then it’s done and meant to be discarded. The constrained tea bag by necessity must be composed of only small specs in order to prevent swelling and the bursting of the bag. It’s the equivalent of comparing a beautifully marbled and perfectly seared filet mignon steak to a homogenized ground beef burger patty. Don’t get me wrong, there are some delicious burger patties but the steak is going to be superior.
Quantity - Multiple infusions vs. One Infusion: loose-leaf teas have so much flavor to give and they can be brewed multiple times with each infusion subtly different than the previous one but all are exquisitely delicious. Surprisingly, it is often the 3rd or 4th brew when the leaves have fully opened up form their dried form that is most rewarding. Bag teas are made for one single brew and then they’re done.
Cost - Affordability: It’s generally accepted that high quality foods and beverages cost more because of the higher quality materials and craftsmanship associated with the items. The $20 wine bottle almost always will taste better than the $4 bottle of wine. We accept this. It’s no different with tea. However, high-quality tea per serving is extremely affordable. Considering you can achieve multiple infusions from a single serving of loose-leaf tea, a cup of tea made from tea leaves from the Redwood Tea will on cost you 62 cents! To enjoy high quality tea as such an affordable cost, why would you drink a low quality substitute?
Environment & Health: Let’s not forgot the tea bag itself. It’s an incredibly wasteful product that goes to our landfills and introduces unhealthy elements into your life. Trees have to chopped down and then go through industrial processes to create the paper, the natural dark color of the paper is dyed with bleach to turn it white and worst of all, to make the product durable in hot water there is typically plastic added. If you use silken pyramids, they are typically 100% plastic. Since all of that sounds very unappealing, some high-end tea companies that use bags made of cotton to avoid the toxic and wasteful traditional teabags but why pay so much more money for a bag when brewing loose leaf tea is just as easy and will offer much better taste.
How to easily brew loose-leaf tea:
Because loose leaf teas are composed of large leaves that remain mostly intact, you can simply add water to a gaiwan or kettle and then pour out the brewed tea water into your cup without fear of unwanted granules in your drink. An occasional leaf might slip out into your cup but its easy to pluck out if you are so offended. Simply add water and pour out, it’s just as easy as a bag but it only requires two cups instead of one.
Best,
Patrick