It turns out you like tea. Quite a lot, actually.
And now you’ve begun to wonder whether you should start upgrading. Maybe buy a new kettle and sample some loose-leaf tea. But is it really worth it? After all, loose-leaf tea can be significantly more expensive than the tea bags you’re currently enjoying. And it seems like it’s a lot more labor-intensive.
There’s only one way to find out. Stand by for a side-by-side comparison.
Freshness matters
Tea bags are very convenient. Snatch one from the box, drop it in a mug, fill said mug with hot water, let the tea steep for a minute, and you’re good to go. Not to mention, you can find an assortment of inexpensive tea bags at most grocery stores.
But you’re sacrificing quality for this convenience. Not all, but most tea bags are filled with tiny, often stale particles of widely available, low-quality tea. Whereas most loose-leaf tea is comprised of whole tea leaves that are comparatively fresher. As a result, loose-leaf tea tends to produce a more nuanced, bolder tasting tea than tea brewed from bags.
Ah, but I buy high-quality tea bags, you may be thinking.
OK. Then let’s assume your tea bags are on par with a typical loose-leaf tea. The loose-leaf tea would still hold an advantage, because tea bags are generally packed tighter than they should be. This is an issue because when tea steeps, it expands. And the more it expands, the more flavor it releases.
Freshness also matters if you’re interested in tea’s potential health benefits. Drinking two to four cups of brewed, unsweetened tea has been shown to reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers. It also may help reduce inflammation. But processing can diminish these effects.
Variations of convenience
Which brings us to preparation methods.
There’s no debating the ease of using a tea bag. As described above, it doesn’t get any simpler than that.
By comparison, brewing loose-leaf tea is, yes, more complex. But it’s also a straightforward process.
Connoisseurs prefer to steep their leaves directly in a pot, straining the tea through a handheld mesh strainer or cheesecloth into a mug. We respect their commitment to the craft, but this, in our humble opinion, is a lot to ask of the average tea drinker.
We gravitate to a basket infuser, measuring one to two teaspoons of leaves per mug. When the tea’s done steeping, simply pluck out the infuser and enjoy. In a pinch, a French press works about as well. Either way, it’s only marginally more labor-intensive than using a tea bag.
Which is right for you?
If you usually drink your tea on the go, stick with tea bags for their maximum convenience and easy cleanup.
If you’re attracted to the ritual of brewing and flavor is a priority for you, consider exploring loose-leaf teas.
And there’s nothing that says you can’t do tea bags during the rushed weekday mornings and loose-leaf during those meditative weekends. That’s what they call the best of both worlds.