Next to coffee, tea has quickly become one of the world’s favorite drinks. Whether caffeinated or not, this beloved blend has a rich array of flavors and a series of health benefits. However, when buying teas, many don’t realize that the type they choose can have a major impact on their experience. While they’re easy to find in stores, even the common bagged teas don’t come with as many benefits as shoppers think. These are five reasons why you should be brewing loose leaf tea instead and what sets it apart as a superior product.
An Increased Number of Vitamins and Minerals
One of the primary differences between bagged and loose tea leaves is the number of healthy vitamins and minerals they leave in your drink. While bagged varieties are convenient to brew, they require finer crushed leaves to fit in the pouch. These fragments also don’t have as much room to soak in water and expand. On the other hand, loose leaf teas need steeping in a specialized strainer. This device gives the leaves more room to expand when in contact with water, allowing nutrients to leach out more effectively.
Because of this aspect of the brewing process, loose leaf teas end up with more natural vitamins and minerals than other types of tea. Depending on the variety of tea you choose, some of these substances include antioxidants, vitamins B2, C, E, and essential minerals, like potassium and calcium. So if you’re looking for a healthier drink to incorporate into your routine, loose leaf teas are the best option out there.
A Fresher and More Complex Taste
Due to the more effective method of brewing loose leaf teas, they’re also better known for their high-quality flavors. As the leaf expands in hot water, these teas release more of their natural taste. This gives the resulting drink a more complex array of notes that can be herby, sweet, nutty, or floral.
Along with increasing the presence of natural flavors, loose leaf teas have a reduced bitterness. Since bagged teas can’t expand as well in their containers, as previously stated, they don’t leach as many characteristics into the water. This even affects the taste, making the drink more bitter and less pleasing to the palette. For this reason, loose leaf teas are the ideal candidate for those wanting a fulfilling and flavorful tea drinking experience.
Less Need for Artificial Additives
With a more vivid flavor palette at your disposal, you won’t need to add as many additional ingredients to get the taste you’re looking for. Part of what hinders the healthiness of tea is the amount of sugar and other substances you need to add to it after the fact. But, in drinking loose leaf tea with an already prominent flavor, you won’t need these materials, and you can reap the full benefits of the drink.
Best of all, you know that you have the freshest possible blend without any additional ingredients you didn’t account for with loose leaf tea. Some bagged products have minute traces of plastic that infuses toxins into the water along with the tea’s nutrients and flavors. This is a lot like drinking directly out of a heated plastic water bottle. Loose leaf teas take this bag out of the equation and, therefore, ensure you know what’s in every sip.
More Diverse Range of Options
Another important reason why you should be brewing loose leaf teas instead of bagged products is the increased number of options you have. Prepackaged bagged teas greatly limit the number of leaves you can steep at one time, hindering your control over its taste and density. On the other hand, loose leaf products make it possible to add as much as you’d like. Want a slightly stronger taste from your next cup? Add another half teaspoon. Was it too strong for you the last time? Reduce your measurement. Loose leaf teas provide you with the power to choose how you want to brew and control its resulting taste.
Opting for loose leaf tea also provides you with a new list of possible varieties to try. Since these leaves don’t need as much breaking down as bagged products, you’re free to try out combinations that weren’t available to you before. Maybe you’re interested in experimenting with earl grey and hibiscus, or perhaps a seasonal blend with additional spices. The world opens its doors when you embrace the possibilities.
Better for the Environment
Drinking loose leaf tea doesn’t just affect you personally. Believe it or not, it can impact the state of the environment as a whole. While many tea bags claim to have biodegradable properties, the fact is that many don’t. Worse, it’s often difficult to tell the difference between them. These products can sit in landfills for several years at a time. So, collectively, they can have a larger effect on the planet than you’d initially think.
Fortunately, loose leaf teas don’t have this outer casing, and they consist entirely of organic substances. As such, you never need to worry about throwing out their remnants or limiting the amount you drink for the environment’s sake. Also, you help the environment out by discouraging the production of additional tea bags in the future.
At Minnekahta Coffee, we provide tea and coffee drinkers a quality experience in every cup. Whether you like soothing blends to unwind at the end of the day or something caffeinated to start your day off right, we carry a wide variety of different types to try. With our website, you can buy loose leaf teas online without ever needing to leave the comfort of your home. And our Tea Shop is growing. We’re regularly adding premium loose leaf teas to our inventory to ensure everyone finds something to suit their unique tastes.
For more information about our selection, visit our website or contact us by phone. Our team of brewing experts will answer any question and help you on your journey to find the best tea or coffee for you.\
