Loose Leaf Tea vs Tea Bags: An Honest Comparison
The format your tea comes in affects more than convenience — it affects the leaf grade you're actually getting and how much control you have over the brew.
What's Really Inside
Tea bags are typically filled with "fannings" or "dust" grade tea — the smallest broken particles left over after processing, which infuse fast but exhaust their flavour quickly and offer less depth. Loose leaf tea preserves whole or larger broken leaves, which hold more essential oils and release flavour more gradually, often across more than one infusion.
Brewing Control
With loose leaf, you control the exact amount of tea, water temperature, and steep time, which lets you dial in strength precisely and adjust for different tea types. Tea bags are pre-portioned for convenience but leave little room for adjustment — one bag brews roughly the same regardless of what you're actually trying to achieve.
Convenience vs Experience
Tea bags win on speed and cleanup — no infuser or strainer needed, no loose leaves to deal with afterward. Loose leaf takes a little more setup (an infuser, teapot, or strainer) but rewards that effort with a noticeably fuller, more nuanced cup, especially for Orthodox and green teas where leaf quality matters most.
Which Should You Choose?
For a fast, no-fuss daily cup, quality tea bags work fine, especially for CTC-style strong tea. If you're drinking tea for the flavour itself — particularly Orthodox or specialty green tea — loose leaf is worth the small extra effort.
Explore our Loose Leaf collection, packed whole-leaf straight from the garden.