You might think “they’re both tea, so I’ll get the conveniently packaged tea bag.” But then, you’d be wrong.

While they ARE both technically tea, the tea bags you pick up in the grocery store are vastly inferior to the quality you’d find in loose leaf teas. Some tea companies do produce high-quality tea bags that are filled with whole tea leaves, but that is the exception rather than the rule. So here’s a little rundown about the differences between the two:

• Loose Leaf Tea - Generally whole leaves/buds or at least large pieces. This keeps the oils that make your aromatic treat safe until it’s time to brew
• Tea Bags - Filled with “fannings” or the smallest parts of tea leaves that are left after all the good stuff is taken. Oils are allowed to escape, the tea becomes stale, and this results in a weak cuppa

• Loose Leaf Tea - Can be properly brewed by allowing water to circulate all around the leaves, and by giving the leaves room to swell
• Tea Bags - Tea is cramped. There is little room for the leaves (or fannings as it were) to expand.

• Loose Leaf Tea - Has been around for over 5000 years and is “tried and true”
• Tea bags - Were invented at the beginning of the 20th century

I know what you’re thinking… “I’m too busy for this loose leaf stuff. Tea bags are too convenient to give up!” Well, calm down! Loose leaf tea is really simple to steep, even one cup at a time. If you can’t get away from the bag idea though, there are options for you.

This reusable handmade tea bag can be filled with your favorite loose leaf teas, for the convenience of bag-brewing, but the flavor of “real” tea. The bag is also roomy enough to allow the tea leaves to expand as they take on water.

Or for a disposable alternative, you can fill these unbleached bags with your tea and seal the end with the heat from your iron. Drop them in your cup for a quick and easy cup of tea.

So treat yourself to high-quality loose leaf teas rather than those dusty stale tea bags, and let me know if you’re glad I told you to make the switch.

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