Whole Leaf Tea

What's the difference?


Loose Leaf Tea vs. Tea Bags

The differences between loose leaf tea and traditional tea bags are numerous, and it goes far beyond the surface. The leaves used in most bags are actually the "dust and fannings" from broken tea leaves. This is a huge compromise in quality from full leaf tea. Finely broken tea leaves have lost most of their essential oils and aroma. When steeped, they release more tannins than whole leaf tea, resulting in bitter astringent brews. The material, shape, and size of the bags themselves are also important factors. Most tea bags constrain the tea leaves, keeping them from expanding to their full flavor and aroma potential.

Although not every day allows you the time and tools needed to make loose leaf tea, that doesn't mean you need to compromise quality for convenience. See for yourself.


Full Leaf Pyramid Sachets


pyramid tea bag

Tea leaves need room to expand for full-bodied flavor. This is the reason tea balls are not ideal for brewing loose leaf tea. Standard tea bag material is often low-flow, preventing the brew from diffusing beyond the inside of the bag. (Ever notice the dunking, swirling, and squeezing required to brew traditional bags?) Paper tea bags collapse onto the leaves, preventing their natural unfurling. Sometimes you can even taste the paper material in your brew, adding insult to injury.

This was precisely our motivation to create pyramid tea sachets filled with full leaf teas from our loose leaf collection. Behind it all is a patented open-weave biodegradable sachet that maximizes the flow of water, so you won't compromise your Earth-loving ways or your full-bodied brew. Our sachet tea bags are made using a certified non–GMO sugar cane-based material called NeoSoilon® and do not contain any plastics. This sachet material is a plant-based alternative, obtained from sugar cane fibers, which is 100% biodegradable, compostable, and completely free from petroleum-based plastic. It turns out, you can have your cake and eat it too - only healthier!

The tea bags will break down most efficiently (3-5 days) utilizing a municipal composting facility. They can also effectively break down in home composting, in the ideal conditions of being well-maintained and located in a sunny area. With simple, plain soil, the tea bags will take about three years to break down, far faster than regular paper tea bags will. 

Bottom line - whole leaf teas provide you with more flavor, aroma, antioxidants, and pleasure than the tiny leaf bits and stale tea dust in most mass-produced tea bags, and is earth-friendly. Typical tea bags are produced on an industrial scale and may sit in a warehouse or on a shelf for a long time before you ever get them. These low-grade leaves are usually picked, processed, and packaged by machines overseas. In contrast, our premium teas are carefully hand-selected and crafted by tea masters. We then micro-blend and pack them in the USA in small batches - into our air-tight tea tins, resealable bulk pouches, and premium tea sachets - assuring that you get fresh handcrafted tea from this year's crop. We do this so you never have to compromise quality for convenience again! Whether it's loose leaf or premium sachets, you will find only the finest quality full leaf teas at The Tea Spot - because life is too short for marginal tea.

If you have any questions on where our teas come from or want help finding the right teas for you, let's chat! Call us at (303)444-8324 or info@theteaspot.com or use our live chat button located at the lower-left of our site to start up a convo.