Loose Leaf or Dust? The Great Debate in the World of Tea Bags

Loose Leaf or Dust? The Great Debate in the World of Tea Bags

Jonas Allen March 30, 2023

The Great Debate in the World of Tea Bags

Back in the early 1900s, a tea merchant named Thomas Sullivan would send his tea samples to customers in small silk bags.

These bags were meant to be opened and the loose tea leaves were to be used in a teapot. However, some of the customers found it easier to just dunk the whole bag into hot water instead.

Surprised by this unexpected use, Sullivan had an idea. He started producing small, single-serving tea bags made of gauze, which would be easier and less messy for people to use. And thus, the modern tea bag was born.

Over the years, tea bags have evolved to include different shapes, materials, and even flavours.

Pyramid-shaped tea bags, like the ones we offer, have become popular for their ability to hold larger, higher-quality tea leaves. They allow for a fuller and more robust flavour to be extracted, making for a more enjoyable tea-drinking experience.

 

While tea bags have certainly made it easier and more convenient for people to enjoy their favourite brew, not all tea bags are created equal. 

Most traditional tea bags contain low-quality tea leaves that are often crushed into fine dust. This dust tea can lead to a bitter taste and lack of flavour in your cup, as the leaves have been stripped of their natural oils and flavour compounds.

 

 

In contrast, pyramid tea bags are specifically designed to hold larger, whole tea leaves. This allows for a better infusion and extraction of flavour and aroma.

The unique pyramid shape of our tea bags provides ample room for the leaves to expand and unfurl during steeping, resulting in a rich, full-bodied tea.

In addition to providing a superior tea-drinking experience, our pyramid tea bags are also more environmentally friendly.

While it may seem that using paper tea bags would be more environmentally friendly the current process to make this 'older' style of tea bag includes using a plastic heat sealant which can leak micro-plastics into the tea itself and your cup while brewing.

We are constantly researching the best way to produce tea bags that have the least amount of impact on the environment and will still be long lasting.

Our current tea bags are made from industrially biodegradable plant-based fibre called Soilon. You can read more here.

We are looking to move to a Non Woven (filter paper) PLA mesh in our next production round. This is the latest offering for sustainable pyramid tea bags and we can't wait for them to arrive. More on that later.