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Where Can I Find Loose Leaf Tea

How Online Tea Stores Bring Value To You And The Farmers

Loose leaf tea 101: Paleo Drinks

The best tea brands have personal connections with tea-growing communities. They export directly from the producers as opposed to wholesale importers. Tea drinkers get their garden fresh loose leaf tea in a matter of just a few weeks. This economically straightforward business model eliminates the middleman. As such, the value goes only to the two key parties the consumer and the tea grower. Moreover, since harvesting, processing, and packaging in one place leaves more money within the tea growing community, this business model also supports better social programs such as schools for kids and healthcare for families.

Buying Guide For Best Tea

Coffee might be the caffeinated drink of choice for many, but there’s always a place in our hearts for tea. It’s always time for a cuppa!

The variety of teas on the market can be baffling, however. Which is the right type to choose? How should you prepare it?

We at BestReviews intend to answer all these questions and more! We test products, gather information from experts, and talk to a wide range of customers in order to create our in-depth shopping guides and matrices.

So whether you like it hot or iced, sweet or sugarless, read on for our full guide to tea and discover how to find the right kind for you.

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Why Shop At Our Herbal Tea Store

We believe that a cup of tea should not only offer you benefits and great flavor but lots of fun and happiness too. To achieve this, we are dedicated to sourcing premium quality pure loose leaf tea, unique tea blends and tisanes. Behind Simple Loose Leaf is a passionate family business that believes that drinking green tea can make a great difference in your life too. But our mission doesnt stop here. We are dedicated to making positive changes in our community by caring about people and the environment. Thats why our tea containers are made from 100% Recycled Paper and 70% + Recycled Aluminum End Caps, meaning you can recycle them again or re-use them for storing other tea or items. All our teas are hand-packaged through our partnership with a local nonprofit called Bost, offering job opportunities for people with developmental disabilities.

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How To Brew Loose Leaf Tea: Everything You Need To Know

January 28, 2020 By Fresh Tea

12 min read

Disclosure: This site contains affiliate links to products. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links.

Learning how to brew loose leaf tea takes tea drinking to the next level when it comes to adding variety to an everyday cup.

A cup of loose leaf tea is usually the beverage of choice for a true tea connoisseur. The brewed leaf combines everything you want from a tea making experience. It is dependent on patience and perfect timing. If you want to get the best-tasting tea loose leaf is usually the way to go.

However, you may be asking yourself how to drink loose leaf tea in an optimal way. Fear not, well cover that and more!

While tea bags are convenient, they dont always allow users to create blends that suit their specific tastes. This is because already-sealed bags contain a pre-mixed blend of tea leaves, spices, herbs.

Brewing loose leaf tea elevates the tea experience because you have 100 percent control over what goes in your cup. In addition, you have control over the intensity of the flavors chosen.

This allows you to experiment with different infusions, flavors, temperatures, and colors. If you love tea you should definitely consider learning more about how to brew loose leaf tea.

Where To Buy Loose Leaf Tea How To Choose Quality Tea Online

How to Keep Loose Leaf Tea between Infusions

Are you still scared of buying tea online? If you are new to tea, there may be hundreds of questions keeping you away from meeting the tea of your life. Which tea is the best for me? Is it safe to buy tea online? How to choose the right tea shop? Thankfully, buying tea online has never been easier.

Read our guide on how to choose the best high quality tea online.

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Water Temperature & Steep Times Are Important

If youve ever had a tea that you thought was too strong or too bitter, chances are that it was steeped for too long or the water was too hot. This is especially true for green and black teas as they have more tannins that can taste bitter when brewed incorrectly. To get the best flavor out of every cup, follow the guidelines provided here:

TEA TYPE

This is the ONLY tea I’ve ever tried in my life that actually helpedrelieve stress and gave me a good nights sleep. And I’ve triedmany other teas off the shelf. Wow! I couldn’t believe that afterdrinking 2 cups of tea I felt the tension melt away and got one ofthe best nights of sleep I’ve had in a long time. This stuff seemedto have the power of a prescription drug. Without the harmful sideeffects of popping a pill. I’m a fan of these guys. I’m finally abeliever. Thanks for putting together this awesome blend!

Bigger Is Not Always Better

Do not use tea brand recognition as your only guide. Larger brands may play it safe and limit their portfolios to basic choices to market to more consumers. In contrast, smaller tea companies are typically more enthusiastic and passionate about their business. New tea brands often create unique artisan tea blends, smart teaware, and inventive packaging. Many online merchants specialize in bringing rare loose leaf teas to the market in limited quantities. These products wouldnt fit large tea brands due to their lack of scale and limited supply.

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You Dont Like The Flavor

Not all teas are the same. For example, Earl Grey loose leaf tea may be completely different from an Earl Grey tea bags from a supermarket. In fact, every tea shop is likely to have at least slightly different Earl Grey, or any other type of tea. When buying tea online, be prepared to receive a tea that is slightly different from expected or from the tea you tried before. Even the same tea type from the same shop will be slightly different each year. Experiment with brewing and learn what to do with the tea leaves you dont like.

Several Alternative Shops That Also Do Everything Well

How To Brew Loose Leaf Tea

If you are looking specifically for Chinese teas, Teavivre is a great store.

Their website is not quite as nice but their teas are excellent and while their prices are definitely higher than many stores, you get what you pay for.

They also have customer reviews and offer sample sizes for all of their teas. They even give away several free samples with every order. I love this tea shop, but as mentioned, they only carry Chinese teas.

A good alternative to Art of Tea that offers teas from all over, not just China, is Mighty Leaf Tea . They are very similar to Art of Tea, but lag just slightly behind in everything, especially when it comes to the look of their website.

In the past they did not ship outside the US, but they have since changed that. Since this is a new feature, I have not tried it, but I have not heard of any complaints concerning their shipping. Nevertheless, if you are not located in the US, you might want to use a different vendor.

Finally, Ill mention Teavana .

They are the biggest and best known online tea seller. They also have brick and mortar stores located in shopping malls in America.

They are a good store overall, but I have always felt their teas cost more than they should. Thats a personal opinion though and I have nothing bad to say about them otherwise, although I do not have much experience ordering from them.

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Which Is Better: Loose Tea Or Tea Bags

Loose leaf tea almost always beats tea bags in terms of quality. Teabags typically contain broken or shredded tea leaves and tea dust. They rarely come close to the flavor, complexity, and depth of loose leaf teas that include full or partially cut leaves and buds. You can expect better flavor and less bitterness from loose leaf teas. These teas can also be re-steeped without majorly compromising their taste. Plus, they tend to retain their freshness for longer durations and come in more varieties than tea bags. Teabags do win points for convenience, though. They are typically quicker to brew than loose leaf tea and leave less mess for you to clean up after.

Quality Loose Leaf Tea

We source, import, & blend with only the finest premium teas, herbs, spices, & botanicals the world has to offer. This is why whenever possible, we use organic ingredients. Along with tasting better & being farmed more consciously, these premium ingredients lead to the highest quality beverage in your cup, and ultimately, your body.

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Japanese Green Tea Powder

Matcha is famous around the world for its variety ofhealth-boosting benefits. Matchas unique powersmainly derive from its high levels of L-Theanine,which helps your body and mind relax whilemaintaining your focus and concentration.Matcha can be enjoyed on its own or mixed intoyour favorite beverages.

What Is The Difference Between Loose Leaf Tea And Tea Bags

Empaths Organic Loose

Grades of tea can get pretty technical, but to save you time, weve simplified it.Dust & FanningThe teabags you buy at the grocery store contain dust and fanning grades of tea. Brands that sell this tea must crush the leaves when packaging into tea bags.Broken & Loose LeafYou can find broken leaf or whole leaf tea at your local health-focused grocery store or online. Whole leaf tea, also known as loose leaf tea, is your best choice for flavor, quality, and health benefits.Brands that sell broken leaf teas use a spacious tea bag. Tea is still broken, but less so than dust or fanning grades.Whole leaf tea, also known as loose leaf tea, comes in bulk form, such as a bag or tin. Loose leaf tea is better for you, the environment, and your wallet! Plus, its tastier!

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Heavenly Tea Leaves Variety Pack

Most people are used to only a small selection of teas, primarily green and black. But there are so many varieties around the world all with different flavor profiles and aromas. This pack of nine different types allows you to get a rich sampling that goes beyond standard supermarket fair, each one with about ten servings. Some of the more exotic options included are white tea, herbal tisane tea and rooibos herbal tisane tea. The entire selection is packed in environmentally friendly packaging that also makes for a lovely housewarming or holiday present.

Courtesy of Amazon

Comparing Quality: Loose Leaf Vs Tea Bags

One of the main points in favor of loose leaf tea is that, generally speaking, its higher quality than the tea in tea bags. Sometimes, tea bags are used as a way to disguise lower quality tea leaves, but with loose leaf you cant get away with that. If you bought loose leaf tea and found shredded, crumbled leaves mixed in with dustiness, youd probably not be too pleased, but thats common to see in bagged teas. According to theteaspot.com, many tea bags are made up of the dust and fannings of full leaf tea.

This doesnt mean that there arent companies putting high quality teas into bags, and it doesnt mean that all loose leaf is automatically superior, but as a rule of thumb, youll usually pay a bit more for loose leaf tea and it will be of a higher quality than that in tea bags. But not always!

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Read The Full Description And Ingredients List

Never judge a tea by appearance only. Descriptions are important, and so is the ingredients list. Sometimes, it may even be lifesaving. If you are allergic to nuts and unknowingly buy a tea with walnuts simply because you couldnt see any on the photo, this could have a serious impact on your health. Furthermore, some ingredients may interact with medicine, such as St. Johnt Wort.

So How To Find The Best Tea Brand

Brewing Loose Leaf Tea

It depends on what you like. Theres no single best online tea store or tea brand that is the optimal choice for every tea lover. Some tea shops focus on specific tea varieties, while others focus on select regions. Some of our favorite tea brands are well-established tea companies that sell quality loose leaf teas at bargain prices. Others are relatively small businesses that export directly from tea plantations and create artisan flavored tea blends.

Use the website navigation to find your favorite tea type or flavor and discover carefully selected products from the most awesome tea stores across the internet. Weve picked the best loose leaf teas of all styles and placed them in logically organized niches. Browse the tea menu, read interesting tea facts, and use our Top 10 lists for recommended products from the most reputable tea stores online.

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Brewing With A Teapot

Loose leaf tea is best brewed with a teapot designed to brew loose leaf tea. These teapots have built-in infusers or tea strainers, which you can remove to avoid over steeping. Teapots come in different sizes, so youll need to follow the one tablespoon per 8 ounces.

  • Depending on how much tea you plan to serve, bring your measured water to a boil.
  • Place 1 tablespoon of loose leaf tea per 8 ounces into the strainer inside of your teapot.
  • Once your teapot comes to a boil, remove the strainer.

Brewing With A French Press

Steeping with a french press is easy and great for steeping more than one cup of tea.

  • Depending on how much tea you plan to serve, bring your measured water to a boil.
  • Place 1 tablespoon of loose leaf tea per 8 ounces into the bottom of your french press.
  • Place your french press lid into position and allow the tea to steep for the appropriate amount of time .
  • Slowly push the french press plunger down, this separates the water from the tea.

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All The Best Online Tea Stores Under One Roof

Looking for online stores that sell great loose leaf tea? Not sure what tea brand to choose? Youre in the right place! At MadTeaClub, we do not sell or produce tea. Instead, we share secrets to finding the best loose leaf teas and quality teabags on the market. Weve searched through hundreds of tea brands online and thousands of products and handpicked just a few to showcase them under one roof.

How To Steep Loose Leaf Tea

DIY Loose Leaf Tea Blends

You dont want to just throw your tea leaves into hot water. Pour your hot water over loose leaf tea slowly. Allow the tea to steep between two and 5 minutes, depending on the type of tea leaves youve chosen.

This allows the leaves to oxidise and release the flavor. Of course, if you prefer tea weaker or stronger, you can leave it less or more time. Just be aware that too long might cause a bitter taste from over-oxidation.

The instructions on how to make loose leaf tea that come with your blend should tell you how long to steep. Your local tea store should be able to help too.

How to Make Loose Leaf Tea Without a Strainer

You want to make great loose leaf tea but you dont have a strainer. Fear not! There are ways to fool the system and cut corners so that you can enjoy a proper cup of tea. You may also need to find an alternative method if you are unable to find an infuser. So here it goes.

There are two main ways of making loose leaf tea without a strainer that we suggest you try.

1. Steep In A Cup

This is the standard way of preparing tea in China. It is part of an old-age tradition and you will be able to get great tasting tea using this method.

Steeping in a cup is exactly what it sounds like. Pour hot water into your cup. Add your tea leaves of choice to the cup. Now it is time to be patient. Watch as your tea leaves float for a while in the hot water. They will eventually glide down and settle at the bottom of the cup.

2. Double Cup

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Harney & Sons Black Earl Grey Loose Leaf Tea

Blended using superb teas from India and China, this classic Earl Greywhich derives its name from a long-ago British Prime Ministeris mixed with oil of bergamot for a pleasantly strong citrus note that comes through in every sip. The handsome tin helps preserve freshness and holds 4 ounces of productenough to brew approximately 40 cups of tea. Hand-packed in upstate New York, it has one of the boldest flavor profiles of any pick on our list with a rich medium body thats a pleasure to drink. Simply add a teaspoon of tea for every cup desired and allow it to steep for five minutes before enjoying.

Courtesy of Amazon

How To Make Tea With Tea Leaves Temperature & Boiling Loose Tea

Weve already talked about how brewing loose leaf tea is beneficial, so how does one go about it? Brewing tea, loose leaf or bagged, takes more effort than simply boiling a pot of water. Depending on the tea leaves youve chosen, youll want to monitor either the temperature or watch for it to boil.

While many teas can tolerate boiling water, there are some, such as white and green tea, that is too delicate to handle boiling water. White and green tea leaves can end up being cooked in boiling water due to how delicate they are.

Most other tea leaves can tolerate boiling water, but the best way to determine how hot your water should be is to give it a taste. If its too bitter, you may want to try steeping your tea at a slightly lower temperature.

What about the proper amount of tea per cup? The standard is usually one teaspoon of ingredients per 8 oz of water. This is equivalent to approximately 3 grams of tea per cup. This should ensure that you get the full flavor of the tea in every cup. As with everything, tea is all about balance.

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