The tea bag was invented as a packaging accident in 1908 when Thomas Sullivan sent samples in small silk pouches. Customers dunked the entire pouch, and an industry was born. Over a century later, the tea bag remains the dominant format worldwide — despite being, in almost every measurable way, inferior to loose leaf.
What Goes Into a Tea Bag
Most commercial tea bags contain what the industry calls "fannings" and "dust" — the smallest particles left over after the production of whole-leaf teas. These particles brew quickly and produce a strong colour, but they lack the complexity and nuance of larger leaf grades.
Think of it this way: ground coffee and whole bean coffee are the same plant, but no speciality coffee drinker would argue they produce the same cup. The same principle applies to tea.
Surface Area and Flavour
Loose leaf tea needs room to expand. When you brew a whole leaf in an open vessel — a pot, a gaiwan, even a large mug with a strainer — the leaves unfurl fully, releasing their oils, amino acids, and polyphenols in a gradual, balanced way.
A tea bag constrains this expansion. The result is a brew that is simultaneously over-extracted (too bitter, too astringent) and under-developed (lacking in the subtler floral, fruity, or mineral notes that make great tea compelling).
Freshness and Storage
Loose leaf tea, stored properly in an airtight container away from light and moisture, retains its character for months. Tea bag contents, with their vastly increased surface area, go stale much faster — often before the box reaches your kitchen.
The Environmental Case
Many tea bags contain polypropylene — a plastic that helps seal the bag but does not biodegrade. Even "biodegradable" pyramid bags often contain small amounts of plastic. Loose leaf tea, brewed in a reusable strainer or pot, produces nothing but compostable spent leaves.
Making the Switch
You do not need elaborate equipment. A simple stainless steel strainer that sits over your cup is enough. Use about one teaspoon of tea per 200ml of water, adjust the temperature based on the type of tea, and experiment with steeping time until you find your preference.
The first time you taste a properly brewed loose leaf tea — watching the leaves unfurl, smelling the steam rise from the cup — you will understand what you have been missing. It is not snobbery. It is simply a better cup of tea.