Loose leaf tea vs tea bags: is loose leaf really better?
Yes, loose leaf is better, and here is the honest version of why. It is not snobbery. It comes down to what is in the bag, how the leaf brews, and what you pay per cup. There is also a fair case for tea bags, so that is here too.
What is in a tea bag
Most supermarket tea bags are filled with fannings and dust, the smallest grades of leaf left after the whole leaf has been sorted out. Small pieces brew fast and strong, which is exactly what a bag is designed for, but they give up their flavour in one quick hit and turn bitter if left too long. Many bags are also sealed with a small amount of plastic, which is why some do not compost.
What loose leaf does differently
Loose leaf is the whole leaf or large pieces of it. It needs room to unfurl, which is why it is brewed in an infuser, a pot or a fill your own filter rather than a tight bag. It brews slower and gives a cleaner, rounder cup with more of the character of where it came from. Good loose leaf can usually be brewed a second time, which most bags cannot.
The cost per cup
This is where people are surprised. A 100g pouch of our Scottish Breakfast is £11.90 and makes around 40 mugs at one heaped teaspoon each, so about 30p a cup. A premium branded tea bag is often 10p to 20p, and a basic one a few pence, so bags are cheaper. But the gap to a decent loose leaf is pence, not pounds, and a second steep halves it again.
The honest case for tea bags
Bags win on speed and convenience. No infuser to clean, no leaf to measure, easy at work. If that is what keeps you drinking tea, keep a box. The middle path is fill your own filter bags: an empty paper bag you spoon loose leaf into, brew, and bin. You get the leaf quality with the bag convenience. We sell them in packs of 100.
How to make the switch
Start with one tea you already drink, like a breakfast blend, so you are comparing like for like. Use a tea infuser, a spoon of leaf, boiling water, 3 to 5 minutes. That is it. We include a free infuser with every first order so there is nothing else to buy.