Once I started using loose leaf tea, I fell in love with it.

I rarely used tea bags for many years thereafter, even though some tea bags have very high quality tea (despite what some tea lovers will tell you). I never looked down my nose at tea bags. I did, however, appreciate the beauty of the whole tea leaves that I more often found in loose leaf. I also loved being able to admire the leaves and the aroma more clearly without the barrier of a sachet between the tea and me. And, the ritual of preparing loose leaf tea is typically a joy for me.

I’d often have some of my extended family members’ favorite tea bags on hand. Occasionally, I would buy tea in sachets for travel days–packing loose leaf for our destination. But, I didn’t think much about making sure to have tea bags in my cupboard. I think very differently now.

As I’ve written about before, there are pros and cons of loose leaf and tea bags. Making loose leaf tea takes more steps and more physical exertion. You need to reach for, carry, and manipulate more teaware–a teapot, cup, possibly a strainer, maybe a scale to measure the leaves. And, there are more things to clean up after. As a usually able-bodied person, the difference doesn’t typically have much impact on me. What’s more: I usually find the extra time well worth the effort. Still, there are times when the extra work can be a barrier to enjoying tea.

For example, last year I had my appendix removed. The first week after surgery was much more difficult than I imagined. My husband and my daughter took excellent care of me. But, after a few days, they had to work (albeit my husband worked from home for a while stay close during those early days) or go to school. Although they would have made me loose leaf tea had I asked, they were juggling meetings, deadlines, bus schedules, etc. I didn’t want to ask them to make me loose leaf tea.

After surgery (and for several weeks thereafter), it was really painful to change positions, walk, and reach for things. I really wanted to spend time with my dear friend tea. Having tea bags in my cupboard made it easier for my family to make me tea those first few days and then for me to make it for myself the next few weeks. Without this option, tea would not have been accessible to me.

It doesn’t take surgery to impair our strength! And, you can’t always foresee when you might become impaired. For example, the flu, or a bad cold can strike without warning, too. As folks who have chronic conditions or occasional physical flares ups know, anything that makes things easier can be a godsend.

I now make sure that some tea bags stay in my cupboard. A number of companies, I’m happy to report, offer their high quality teas as loose leaf or in sachets. For example, I have *really* enjoyed the sachets from Té Company and Den’s Tea. (They specialize in Taiwanese and Japanese tea, respectively.)* If you are a loose leaf afficionado like I am, you might want to consider keeping some tea bags on hand, too.

*This post is NOT sponsored. I’m simply sharing my experience with companies that have tea bags that I love to keep handy.

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Most Americans (and Brits!) prepare tea using tea bags (or tea sachets), not loose leaf tea. It was definitely in this category growing up.

Habit vs. Exploration

As I got into drinking and exploring a wider range of teas, I switched to primarily steeping loose-leaf tea. I usually couldn’t get the kinds of tea that I wanted to try in tea bags. And, for teas where I could buy grocery store sachets or loose leaf at a tea shop, I noticed the loose leaf teas were usually different. The tea leaves were bigger and more intact. The tea steeped more gradually. I could notice a greater range of flavors. For a while, I started to assume that loose leaf teas were always higher quality. But, now I know better. 

Quality is a Complex Issue

While it’s still true that the tea from the camellia sinensis plant (tea with caffeine, not herbal teas) sold in most U.S. groceries stores aren’t usually the highest grades of tea, it’s a much more complicated story. For example, I may want a brisk and hearty cup of tea made with fannings if I want a tea that infuses quickly and has a robust flavor that won’t be lost after I add milk. Or, I may just love a brisk cup of tea. I firmly believe THE BEST tea is the tea that speaks to your heart (and taste buds). 

Importantly, some tea companies now sell a wider range of teas in sachets, including some with larger, more in-tact leaves (which isn’t always a plus for every kind of tea, by the way) that make it easier to customize how you steep them. Some tea companies sell some of the same loose leaf teas in sachets. These observations have me reflecting on some of the advantages tea bags vs. loose leaf tea.

Advantages of Each: Tea Bags vs. Loose Leaf Tea

Accessibility of Tea Bags

The question of whether to use tea bags or loose leaf is personal and can turn on any of the advantages raised above (or others). We have to weigh the trade-offs. And, our choices may vary.

One important thing I’d like to underscore is the importance of tea bags for accessibility. Many of the advantages of tea bags spelled out it in the chart above point to how tea bags can be easier to buy, to prepare, and to dispose of.

In other words, tea bags can make tea preparation and clean-up tea easier and, thus, enable more people to enjoy tea. That’s a great thing!

Questions & Follow Up

I’m curious what makes you lean toward tea bags vs. loose leaf tea. You’ll notice the list in the chart above is numbered. I’d love to hear which numbers you tend to value most. Although #2 leads me to keep a tea sachet in my backpack, #6-10 have me more often drinking loose leaf teas.

Thinking about this post has encouraged me to run some experiments that I have been thinking about for a while. I am exploring the question of whether I can taste the sachet material when I prepare tea using tea bags. So, check back on the blog if you’d like to see my results!

Interested in more on this topic? You might enjoy these posts!

Other posts on this topic:

• “How Popular Are Tea Bags?“
• “How to Get Started with Loose Leaf Tea“
• “Companies that Sell Loose Leaf Tea Samples“

Interested in some tea history? Nicole Wilson shared a very interesting post “Who Really Invented the Tea Bag?” on her blog. The answer surprised me!

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