Why We Don't Use Tea Bags At Good Life Tea

Good morning, sippers! We hope that you are all having a wonderful week and today we'll be tackling a question that Susan and I regularly receive here at the tea shop. Customers come in almost weekly inquiring about why we don't use tea bags or sell our teas in tea bags at Good Life Tea. There are many reasons why we prefer to only offer loose leaf tea, and in this article, we will delve deeper into these reasons and provide a comprehensive guide on how to use a tea infuser to brew loose leaf tea. Read on for the details!

Quality Control

One of the main reasons why we choose not to sell tea bags is that we prioritize quality control over convenience. Tea bags are often filled with lower quality tea leaves that are broken, powdered, or otherwise damaged. These lower quality tea leaves result in a weaker and less flavorful cup of tea. By selling only loose leaf tea, we can carefully select and package the highest quality tea leaves available, ensuring that our customers are getting the best possible cup of tea.

Additionally, when you use tea bags, you lose the control over the amount of tea that is brewed. This can result in tea that is either too weak or too strong for your liking. With loose leaf tea, you can adjust the amount of tea used to your preference and have full control over the strength and flavor of your tea.

Variety

Another major reason why we choose not to sell our tea in tea bags is that they limit the variety of teas that we can offer. With loose leaf tea, we are able to offer a wider range of teas from around the world, each with their own unique flavor and aroma. We source our tea from the best tea gardens around the globe, from traditional tea-growing regions like China, Japan, and India to lesser-known regions like Nepal and South Africa.

By limiting ourselves to tea bags, we would be unable to offer the variety and depth of flavor that our customers seek. With loose leaf tea, we can provide customers with access to a wide variety of teas, including black, green, white, oolong, and herbal blends. This variety also allows customers to experiment with different teas and discover new favorites.

Versatility

Similarly to a wider ranger of variety, not limiting ourselves to tea bags allows for our customers versatility and the ability to utilize their own creativity with the option to mix our teas together and create their own blend! While we do offer over 120 different types of teas, and consistently add new varieties, if you don't see something that you are looking for, perhaps you can create it yourself! Think about mixing a few of our teas together to create your own personal or unique blend. We have many customers who have done this in the past and come back regularly for their signature ingredients! 

Eco-Friendly

Tea bags are often made from non-biodegradable materials, such as nylon or polypropylene, which can take hundreds of years to decompose in landfills. By only selling loose leaf tea, we can reduce our environmental impact and promote sustainability. We are committed to reducing waste and promoting sustainable practices in our business, and we believe that selling loose leaf tea is one way to accomplish this goal.

In addition to reducing waste, using a tea infuser to brew loose leaf tea is also a more eco-friendly option than using tea bags. The tea leaves can be composted, and many of our customers use the leftover tea leaves as fertilizer in their gardens. This reduces the amount of waste that ends up in landfills and promotes a more sustainable lifestyle.

If you are new to the tea world, you may be wondering to yourself, "If I don't use a tea bag, how do I make tea then?". No worries! We hear this quite a bit, too and are happy you are here! The best way to make tea is using an infuser.  Using an infuser allows the water to interact with all of the leaves and provide you with the most flavor possible. It is also eco-friendly as it can be used over and over again. At Good Life Tea, we have a variety of infusers including those that come already in a mug, teapots with infusers, and even our Menna travel mug with a built-in infuser! 

Using any of our infusers is easy, as well. Here are the steps to follow:

1. Choose your tea: Start by selecting your preferred loose leaf tea. As mentioned, we have so many to try and infusers can be used indefinitely so the world is your oyster! Try them all! 

2. Heat water: Boil fresh water to the appropriate temperature for the type of tea that you are brewing (i.e. a black tea, a green tea, a herbal tea, etc) All of our teas come with instructions on both temperature and steeping time. 

3. Add tea leaves: Add the loose leaf tea to the tea infuser. The general rule of thumb is to use one teaspoon of tea per 8 ounce cup of water. If you are using a larger mug, or just like your tea a little stronger, go ahead and use a bit more tea. 

4. Brew: Place the tea infuser in a cup or teapot and pour the hot water over the tea leaves. Let the tea steep for 2-3 minutes, depending on the type of tea (Again, the instructions on the bag specify how long to steep each tea.). 

5. Remove infuser: Remove the tea infuser from the cup or teapot and place it either on a plate or one of our adorable tea dishes. You can either dispose of these leaves once they have cooled or use them again for a second steeping! This is a perk of loose leaf teas! 

Step into the light of using an infuser as opposed to staying in the dark ages of tea bags. We promise you won't regret it! Let us know if you do and how you fare. We would love to hear your feedback! Happy sipping! - Kaytea :)

P.S. Don't worry, if you are getting worked up over the thought of not being able to bring your infuser with you on trips, to work, or everywhere you go, we do sell disposable tea bags (both in 20-count or 100-count) that you can fill individually with your favorite of our loose leaf teas. These bags are biodegradable, unbleached, and environmentally friendly!