There have been a lot of questions about the difference between loose leaf tea and your everyday big box packages of bagged teas, specifically relating to quality. There can be a lot of debate about which is better, loose tea or tea bags. Most people just go to the grocery store and pick out a box of tea bags without ever really experiencing loose herbal tea. This is too bad because there are many reasons why people should think about buying loose tea instead of standard tea bags. The actual size of a tea leaf makes a big difference when brewing tea. When you look closely at bagged tea people will find that it is very small broken parts of herbs or leaves. When brewing with loose leaves people are going to get more flavor's. This is because when the leaves are broken up into small pieces, they can lose the essential oils that make tea flavorful. Little pieces do not have the flavor and nutrients that big leaves are going to have. Loose herbal tea should have a strong and fragrant flavor which does not occur as well with tea bags.
Many people do not know that tea also brews a little better when there is room around the tea leaves. Loose herbal tea has room to swell, move, and brew in a natural way. Tea bags keep all of the broken tea leaves in a small space and does not allow for as much water circulation to extract flavors. The fragrance and flavor will be better when the leaves have more space. Since tea bags have already been broken down for easy storage and brewing purposes, they also will go stale faster than loose tea leaves. Loose tea can be stored for a long time without going stale as long as they are stored properly. Loose tea leaves can also be brewed more than one time and still extract flavor; giving them the advantage in many ways over tea bags.
You can think of tea bags as being mass produced for the public to make a quick dollar. The cost per cup is significantly cheaper when brewing loose tea. So, if for no other reason, drink loose tea for the health of your body and pocket book. Tea-drinkers have lauded the benefits of drinking herbal teas for years. This delicious drink, which comes in a variety of aromas and flavors, can combat a bevy of health issues that plague people on a daily basis. If you’re looking to start drinking herbal teas or you want to find a new tea for a specific purpose, take a look at this guide to the many health benefits that herbal teas provide.
So, what's the difference and which is better? Let's find out loose leaf vs. tea bags comparison.
Loose-leaf tea is tea that is brewed without the use of a teabag. When steeping loose-leaf tea, there should be enough space for the tea leaves to absorb water and expand as they infuse. This allows water to flow through the leaves, extracting a variety of vitamins, minerals, flavors, and aromas. Loose-leaf teas provide far superior tea quality than tea bags and are the primary reason to prefer loose leaf tea to tea bags. Even low-quality leaves have a better flavor and aroma, as well as more nutrients than any standard tea bag. If you're used to drinking tea from a bag, you'll be blown away by the difference. Having uninjured whole leaves (or large portions of the leaf) allows the full flavor and aroma profile of the tea to be released.
Tea Bag Teas were now easier and less time-consuming to prepare, with similar options. Teabags were also much cheaper and more widely available, eliminating surprises and the need to search specialty stores for the tea you desired. Traditionally, the teabags used a dustier grade of tea, which allowed a cheaper, and a stronger cup. But that is not necessarily the case any longer. Over the course of time, teabags have also gone under a lot of transformation. Various tea brands have recently decided to adapt the tea bag to the tea. Instead of using flat-tasting grades of tea (tiny, broken leaves known as "dust" and "fanning's"), they prefer higher grades with more sophisticated flavor profiles and aromas.
There are enormous differences between the quality of
loose-leaf tea vs. the quality of tea made from tea bags.
Here’s the thing: herbs and teas contain oils, essential oils. Those oils are what give the tea it’s flavor, aroma and most importantly, the health benefits. That bagged tea I just had, did not have any health benefits left. If you can’t smell it or taste it, it’s not there. Another thing to consider is tea that is wrapped in a paper box with paper wrapping will absorb all of those oils that make the tea healthy and tasty. When steeping whole leaf tea in an infuser or directly in water, you are allowing the water to flow through the tea, doing its job of extracting all the vitamins, minerals and flavors or the tea. The issue with teabags is what is actually surrounding that dusty tea. Basic tea bags contain a chemical compound called epichlorohydrin, which is used in the production of epoxy resins...
Quality
Loose leaf tea is made of whole, unbroken leaves. When you use hot water on the loose leaves, a wide range of vitamins, minerals, flavors, aromas and essential oils are released from the leaves. Tea bags are cheap and easy to mass produce and usually use broken pieces of low-grade tea leaves.
Freshness Tea bags are often filled with broken leaf pieces from different locations. These blends are created for standardization, so they have a consistent taste and limited flavor expression. Mass-produced tea bags lose their freshness in route from various locations to the supermarket shelves. Loose leaf teas, especially when purchased directly, are fresher and have a better, more varied flavor range.
Environment Another issue with tea bags is that they are not environmentally-friendly. Most tea bags are not compostable, whereas loose leaf tea can be thrown directly into the compost.
Variety There are a variety of flavors available other than white, green or yellow tea, which is reflected in whole leaf teas by the climate and geography but often not available in tea bag form.
Individuality and the Freedom of Expression
The best thing about loose leaf tea is that you can mix various teas together, allowing you to become your own tea artist and finding what works for you. You can mix to control the strength and flavor of the tea that you drink.
While there are pros and cons to loose leaf teas as well as teabags, it all boils down to “Which one do you prefer”!
Premium herbal teas are carefully hand-selected by small farmers and guarantee the best quality.
At SkinLuv we’ve always believed that beauty comes from within. We are committed to transparency, so you know exactly what's in every SKINLUV. We never use flavors or sweeteners from artificial sources. We care a great deal about what goes in our products and into your skin. therefore, our products are free from sulfates, parabens, mineral oil, silicone, alcohol and other nasty chemicals. not just that, to make our formulations nothing less than gentle, we (always) stay away from these known skin irritants.
What calms you? A good book, a long walk, a steaming mug of tea?
One of the easiest ways to add a moment of calm to your day is to brew a cup of tea. Enjoy the process. While it’s steeping, take a few deep breaths and stretch. Drinking loose leaf tea is a small way to slow down and be more present.
Caffeine-free herbals are an excellent option for night time relaxation. These herbal tea blends are naturally caffeine-free—we don’t use any chemical process to make them that way.
While teabags offer you the convenience of brewing tea on the go, it is ideal for the urban youth who is looking for a good cup of tea while multi-tasking his / her various other roles. On the other hand, loose leaf teas provide a whole experience of drinking tea. From steeping your tea and watching the leaves unfurl, to taking in the aroma and flavor of the tea while it brews. However, in the end, it is you who will have the final say. But, no matter which type you choose, the ultimate winner will always be the same – tea!
“When tea becomes ritual, it takes its place at the heart of our ability to see greatness in small things.”