Let’s start by being honest – we like (or used to like) teabags because they are so convenient to use. I’ve heard countless times people saying that, because they are very busy, using a teabag saves them time. But then I wondered: do we drink tea to save time or to enjoy that time?! For me, the choice is clear. In a previous blog, I talked about the practice of enjoying tea time as a mindful ritual.

There are several reasons why you should buy loose leaf tea – quality, freshness, taste, health, sustainability and value for money. Let’s explain these benefits.

Superior quality

Most teabags contain dust fannings which are left over after the good quality loose leaves are used to make premium tea. Or the tea comes from farms dedicated to mass production, where the focus is on quantity and uniformity of taste, not quality. On the contrary, the best loose leaf tea comes from smaller farms dedicated to making delicious teas, usually in limited supply.

Health benefits

With better quality comes better health too. Many studies have proved the benefits that tea can bring to our health. If tea leaves stay mostly intact, that preserves their oils, vitamins and minerals, which will then be released into the cup.

Contrary to that, when cutting the tea leaves in small pieces for teabags, most of those health benefits will be greatly reduced and will be further compromised if artificial flavours are added (which we know it’s common practice).

Great and diversified taste

Before I came across loose leaf tea, I thought that supermarkets offer a decent range of teas, some of them with good taste. Now I laugh thinking about that. By comparison, if you check some of the more established tea shops, you will see that some of them sell hundreds of loose leaf tea types. That’s what I call real diversity. And it’s impossible not to find a few teas that satisfy the taste preferences of each of us. Let’s also point out that loose leaves can be reinfused, each infusion releasing a new flavour.

Freshness

Loose leaf tea is normally packed while still fresh and sealed to preserve that freshness. Then it’s shortly made available for sale. Teabags, on the other hand, lose their freshness much faster after they are cut into very small pieces. Moreover, they can sit in a warehouse or on store shelves for months or even years.

Sustainability

Disposing of teabags harms the environment because most bags contain plastic elements. Although there is an increasing focus on making biodegradable bags, there is still a long way until those will become the standard. Loose leaves are instead biodegradable.

Better value for money

We pay more for loose leaf teas than for teabags – that’s certain. But loose leaves can be infused more than once, which is not the case for teabags. Plus, loose leaves are used in smaller quantity. Hence, the price per cup is comparatively similar. I’d also go further and say that it’s definitively worth paying more for a loose leaf tea that captures all the benefits presented in this article.