Should I Switch from Bag Tea to Loose-Leaf Tea? Pros and Cons
What’s the first thing you do when you want a cup of tea? You go to the cupboard, choose a box, and put a teabag in a cup. At least, that’s how most of the world does it.
And it makes sense. Tea bags are convenient, available in almost any store you walk into, and easy to dispose of. But any tea drinking enthusiast knows loose-leaf tea is “better,” even if they choose bag tea for convenience.
So, if you adore teas, should you consider making the conversion from bag tea to loose-leaf tea? Are there other options? Let’s take a look at the pros and cons.
Advantage of Loose-Leaf: Better Quality
One of the main advantages of switching from bag tea to loose-leaf is simply that the flavor is worlds better. Normal store-bought tea bags are often filled with low grade tea called dust or fanning.
These are much smaller pieces of tea leaf, which results in a larger surface area than whole-leaf or loose-leaf teas. This larger surface area means you lose more essential oils – which give tea flavor – through evaporation, making your tea taste stale and dull.
Freshness can also be a major problem with normal bag tea, as it is usually mass-produced and then stored in warehouses for long periods of time in cardboard boxes, which is not exactly an effective method of preservation.
When you use loose-leaf tea, which has a much smaller surface area, there is plenty of room for the tea leaves to expand as they absorb water and infuse. The water flows through the leaves well, extracting all the beneficial vitamins, minerals, flavors, and aromas. This is also possible in pyramid-shaped sachets, which is what we use for our teas.
Advantage of Loose-Leaf: Better Taste
When normal bag teas are steeped, they release a lot more tannin (which is the compound that makes the water change color) than loose-leaf teas. Tannin gives tea a bitter flavor and causes people to add milk and sugar. Loose-leaf teas offer a more balanced flavor so you don’t need to add milk or sugar, which can be detrimental to your health.
Moreover, conventional tea bag material usually results in a low flow of water through the bag, somewhat obstructing the brew from diffusing properly, and paper tea bags can collapse onto the leaves, giving them even less room to expand.
When you use loose-leaf tea (or our pyramid sachets), the water can infuse easily, and the leaves can expand more than they do in a normal teabag, so you get more flavor.
Disadvantage of Bag Teas: Not Economical or Eco-Friendly
You can only use a normal tea bag once. Or at least you can only use it once if you don’t want a weak and kinda sad cup of tea. (We’ve all been there when we’ve run out, though!) Loose-leaf tea and our pyramid sachets can be steeped twice before the flavors are fully extracted, so they are much more sustainable. That, of course, also makes it a little kinder on your pocketbook, since you’re enjoying your tea more and getting two uses out of every sachet or serving.
Advantage of Loose-Leaf: Better Health Benefits
Although tea is always a healthy choice – especially if you add little or no milk or sugar – loose-leaf teas are able to offer better health benefits thanks to the larger leaves and better water absorption. Some of the health benefits are:
Full of antioxidants that help repair your cells and are very important for brain health and preventing aging (a major plus!)
Lowers your bad cholesterol
Improves circulation, which lowers the risk of stroke and heart disease
Helps you manage your weight and increase your metabolism
Has some anti-inflammatory properties
So, do you have to switch to loose-leaf for the full health benefits? No, of course you don’t have to trade convenience for health. But our convenient pyramid-shaped sachets allow for the loose tea leaves to expand more than they would normally in a teabag so that you get that full flavor and all the health benefits that go with it!
Disadvantage of Loose-Leaf: Not as Convenient
There aren’t many disadvantages of loose-leaf teas, and all the disadvantages come down to convenience.
The first is that loose-leaf teas take a few minutes longer to brew than a normal tea bag (but you get a much better flavor so it is well worth it!), and the second disadvantage of loose-leaf is that you need to buy a little extra equipment.
You’ll need a strainer, and you’ll have to portion it out yourself, at least unless you use Tea & I full-leaf pyramid sachets.
Our full-leaf sachets contain organic premium ingredients and give you all the benefits of loose-leaf teas without the mess or need for extra equipment. You can take them to work with you or to a friend’s, and our loose-leaf sachets are full of health benefits we only touched on today.
Ready to learn more? Read 6 Benefits of Drinking Matcha Green Tea.
The statements in this post have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
About Tea and I: Tea and I is a wellness tea brand for tea lovers who want to feel their absolute best. Our tea is fortified with nothing but the finest all-natural herbs and ingredients, as it should be. Whether you want to feel healthier, be more energetic, or boost your immune system, we have a tea to fit your lifestyle. Add a cup of wellness to your daily routine so that you can be—and look like—a healthier, happier you.
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