Loose Leaf vs Tea bags

Hello NB23

I prefer loose tea myself because the tea leaves are more concentrated with their aromatic oils which means a lot more flavour.

Tea bags are fine for quickness but most commercial tea bags are stuck together with adhesives and are also bleached. This hinders the infusion and stops the leaves from reaching it’s true potential flavour!

Never compromise on taste.

P.s. It’s my birthday today so please raise your tea cups and give me a toast :-)

I prefer loose tea and prefer to drink puerh tea which can be had in a tea bag and sometimes they are decent. Dayi makes puerh tea teabags. However when I drink teabags it is usually decaf and because it is convenient. During the day I rarely drink from teabags.

Welcome to Steepster NB23!

Loose leaf for me, because I can control how much leaf I am infusing. I also prefer loose leaf because in general I find the quality to be better.

Happy birthday Oliver!

I use loose tea and will put it into tea bags for convenience. I gave up on commercial tea bags as the ones I liked were a PITA to find and buy.

I drink both. Teas from the grocery store/dollar store/bulk store are cheap and convenient. Some of my favourites (or previous favourites) are cheap bagged teas. You can also get high grade tea that comes in teabags. A few local brands (like Silk Road) as well as brands like Mighty Leaf offer good quality tea in teabag form.

That being said, loose leaf teas are often higher grade and taste better.

I have mostly looseleaf at home, but do buy bagged teas. I actually buy DIY empty teabags and fill them with looseleaf if I want to keep some in a travel purse/bag. Strainers are a bit of a pain to find in my household. I have at least 5, yet can never find any of them.

Loose leaf is my preference as well.

Loose leaf tea every time. Why?

1. Most commercial tea bags are the “leftovers” of their original loose leaf state. So, you’re getting the scraps.

2. When steeped properly, the flavor potential of a fresh loose leaf tea is much higher than a store-bought tea bag.

3. Higher concentrations of polyphenols with a high quality loose leaf tea compared to bagged tea.

4. Rich flavors of complex Pu-erh teas can only be enjoyed in their “loose leaf tea” state. Anything that’s packaged, put in a tea bag, and sitting in a plastic-wrapped box on a shelf for commercial distribution is NOT pu-erh tea.

5. I prefer the rewarding experience of a proper steep. The brewing process by itself is very calming. Tea bags are quick and convenient, but don’t offer the same experience.

I could go on for awhile, but once you go loose, you’ll never go bag!

Total loose leaf snob..

never ever go back to bags again

I prefer loose leaf when I have the time, but use tea bags more freqently these days at school because of convenience. I do tend to search for full leaf when I can afford to. Full leaf tea bags are pricey given how many servings there are. Loose leaf tends to be cheaper, in my experience, depending on the type of tea.

I have to admit that teabags can be convenient, but they also limit your options and quality. So for me, I usually drink loose leaf, although I do have a few tea bags around for those times when I am being lazy or want a quick cup. I find loose leaf much more fun and interesting though. You get to examine the leafs, watch them steep, and evaluate the wet leaf afterwards. It provides for a much more thorough experience. Not to mention the options and levels of available quality. Although there are good quality tea bags, you will rarely find rare teas packaged in a box :) That being said, I also buy empty teabags that I can fill myself for when I am traveling etc. It combines the quality of loose leaf with the convenience of teabags. Probably not the best way to steep the tea, but it works when it’s your only option.