Why You Should Be Buying Loose-Leaf Tea

I'm going to be blunt: if you're a tea lover and the bulk of your tea purchases are tea bags, then you're doing it wrong. With the exception of some varieties that are only available by the bag, or transporting tea when traveling (tea bags are more convenient and less messy than their loose counterparts), loose-leaf is usually the way to go. Not only is the quality of tea leaves generally higher — most companies reserve their finest, intact leaves for loose-leaf versus crumbly dregs that can be concealed in a tea bag — but also, ounce for ounce, loose-leaf tea is often more economical. Consider the Republic of Tea's ginger peach black tea: for an extra 50 cents, you can have 60 cups' worth of loose leaf tea versus 50 tea bags, and it's likely higher-quality tea to boot. If you stick with loose-leaf, then you'll have tastier tea — and be able to afford more diverse offerings.