Part of Mindful Moon’s mission is to promote the advantages of brewing loose-leaf tea. We appreciate traditional loose leaf because it is better for you and the planet than mass-produced tea bags. Loose-leaf tea preparation is also a calming and simple act to practice mindfulness. 

What Is Loose Leaf Tea?

Loose-leaf tea is defined as dehydrated partial or full leaves from the tea plant, Camellia sinensis, which are not stored in individual tea bags. There are also loose-leaf herbal blends, which use different plants, flowers, and buds than the tea plant. For this article, “loose-leaf tea” refers to both the tea plant and other herbs. 

Brewing tea, in both its loose leaf and bagged form, is the process of infusing the herbs in water or some other liquid. When brewing loose-leaf tea, you select the quantity of ingredients and place them into a straining device. This method of preparation differs from steeping individual tea bags, which are pre-packaged and pre-measured. 

At first glance, it may appear tea bags are more convenient, but there are many tradeoffs for this convenience. We would also argue the added convenience is minimal at best. More on that later. 

Why loose leaf vs tea bags?

Function and Flavor

The main benefit of loose-leaf tea is the drastically increased flavor and effectiveness of the ingredients. Loose-leaf tea consists of higher quality leaves that are either fully intact or only slightly broken, compared to tea bags which contain broken-grade leaves known as dust and fannings. As Steve Schwartz, the founder of Art of Tea, states: 

“Consider…a bag of potato chips. The chips at the top of the bag — whole, unbroken — are like loose-leaf tea; the crumbs at the bottom are like your grocery-store tea.”

Loose-leaf tea maximizes the water absorption of the herbs you are infusing. The more water the leaves absorb, the more beneficial oils and flavors in your tea! 

Mindful Moon Tip 

Remember to cover your tea as you are steeping it, whether in a french press or some other infuser. This will retain more of the oils and increase the aroma and flavor. 

Sustainability

Loose-leaf tea is also more sustainable for the environment since it decreases the amount of packaging. Tea bags are often not compostable, and the individual packaging creates more litter. Think of loose-leaf tea as filling your reusable water bottle compared to buying plastic water bottles. Of course, loose-leaf tea still comes in a container of some sort, but these are oftentimes biodegradable or recyclable, and you only need one for dozens of servings.

The Experience

Finally, brewing loose-leaf tea is, in our opinion, a more pleasant experience than using tea bags. Loose leaf blends offer a greater diversity of ingredients, and you are more involved in the overall process. It is a time to be present and enjoy a moment of peace. Watching the colorful herbs unfurl in the water, smelling the aroma of the natural oils — it all contributes to a beautiful process of which you are an integral part. 

Convenience?

The only extra step in preparing loose-leaf tea vs tea bags is having to strain the tea yourself. Straining your tea is a repeatable process that generates no harmful waste, and the whole process of brewing loose-leaf tea takes perhaps 10 minutes. Ask yourself, is using a tea bag, which you still have to steep and dispose of, convenient enough to negate the incredible benefits of loose-leaf tea?

Conclusion

Thanks for reading this article, and we hope you learned something about loose-leaf tea and its amazing benefits. If you would like to try out some 100% organic loose-leaf tea blends, check out our collection at Mindful Moon, where we expertly combine different herbs to optimize well-being and flavor.