Which tea bags are the safest?

The short answer to this question is that no tea bags are the safest. Well let me rephrase that so as not to put you off your tea drinking habits. It is ALWAYS better to drink loose leaf tea compared to tea bags. You may ask why, and I've done my bit of sharing below;

Generally, a small pouch containing tea leaves, the tea bags are used for easy and fast steeping. The string attached to the pouch allows for easy dunking and easy removal as well. This has been a key factor in the popularity of tea bags since its invention in America when loose leaf tea steeping is considered. The hassle of measuring accurate amount of tea, having to remove the tea after the steeping and making sure none of them are left behind can be a bit of a hassle.

Use of different materials

After the tea bag was patented in 1903, many tea bag producers tested out materials like cheesecloth, gauze and even paper. At the end of the day, paper fiber won out as the preferred tea bag material of the day. This itself was patented in 1930s.

Since then, the evolution of tea bags have been going through different waves. Starting from shape- the tea bag moved on to being from sack like bundle, to the standard rectangular shape. We can even find pyramid shapes as well as a new wave of sock shape hitting the market.

But are tea bags really good for your tea?

Despite being marketed for convenience, we argue that the tea bags actually hinder the true tea experience.

The tiny pouches usually found in supermarkets does not allow for tea leaves to unfurl and do its thing – let flavors spread and flow during the steeping process.  Whole-leaf teas jam packed into a tea bag will likely release only a portion of their flavor and nutrients into the cup. This is the exact reason why many tea bags actually do not contain whole-leaf tea but leaves that have been broken and curled to fit the size of the tea bags. 

Tea bags can actually hinder the subtle tones and notes that high-quality tea like ours.

Of course, as the world of tea sees new lovers every single day, the market is shifting accordingly. Our own teas have an option to be experienced through tea bags. Unlike the standardized bags, our tea bags contain whole leaf teas because despite not being the flagbearers of pro-tea bags team, we also empathize with the convenience aspect of it.

98% of American tea drinkers favor tea bags. I can’t help but adhere this statistic to the famous stereotype of how Americans will always be pro-convenience, anything that’ll save them time and effort to grab that American dream a bit quicker.

What are the alternatives to tea bags?

• If your heart is still torn to leave those store-bought tea bags behind, take your time to say goodbye.
• But once you’re ready, look for brands that are upfront about the materials of the tea bags.
• Take the leap to the loose leaf tea. If you love your tea, we guarantee that you won’t regret this decision at all. There’s a whole world of tea that you’re about to discover.

You don’t have to immediately invest in the fancy tools like gaiwan set, tea trays and tea cake display racks and as such. Start with a tea strainer or infuser or look into Wall Tea infuser cup. The cup makes loose leaf teas so easy that you’ll laugh at your forgotten love for tea bags.