Loose Tea, Tea Bags or Tea Sachets?

July 26, 2012

Which one to use? Well, that depends upon you.

Loose Tea

Brewing loose tea—which is made from large leaves and is the traditional way of making tea—makes for the best cup of tea. There’s a relationship between the size of the loose tea and its briskness. When the fresh teas leaves are rolled, the smaller particles turn brown the fastest, which makes the tea brisk. The British tend to like small tea because it makes the strongest brew and goes well with milk and sugar. The larger-leafed black teas are more mellow and complex.

Some people find brewing loose tea challenging because it requires various steps: You need to have more equipment at hand, as well as time. However, Harney & Sons is here to help! We offer teapots, strainers, permanent filters, and other convenient accessories. Though it’s more time-consuming, there’s also something soothing about preparing loose tea. Some appreciate the ritual of making a pot, letting it brew, and savoring the results. In fact, the Japanese have developed an entire ceremony around making loose tea.

Tea Bags

Tea bags are ideal for making a quick cup of tea. The smaller broken leaves found in tea bags infuse the water quicker than loose tea, making it good on the go. Plus with tea bags you don’t have to worry about the correct dose or straining out the leaves. The broken leaves make for a brisker cup of tea.

Sachet

Sachets are the best of both worlds. The tea leaves or herbals are larger than broken leaf tea used in tea bags, so their flavor is reminiscent of loose teas, but without the preparation effort. Yet, like tea bags, with sachets you don’t have to worry about how much tea to use or utilize a strainer. Thus, many tea drinkers are switching to sachets. We are pleased to offer an eclectic variety of teas and herbals in our elegant and convenient sachets.

Mike Harney

Michael Harney has been the tea buyer and blender of Harney & Sons for twenty years. He travels to Asia and meets with tea producers from all the major tea countries, looking for the season's best teas. A graduate of Cornell University's School of Hotel Administration, he lives with his wife and their three sons in Salisbury, Connecticut.

Adrienne Smith

Hi Mike – got introduced to your sachets this week at the Interncontinental this week in Boston. FABULOUS.
David Goodwin

I had a Harney’s organic English Breakfast tea (sachet) in a restaurant in Sheffield, England and liked it so much I kept the wrapper and am now buying from the website.
Tatiana

No matter how it comes, through tea bag, tea sachet or loose tea. Harney teas are some of the best teas I have ever tasted!
Joan

I love the cinnamon spice during the fall & winter, its the best!
http://twitter.com/WorldHarmony Allis☀n

I wish I could buy empty sachets that I could fill as I wish. THAT would be the best compromise for me!

SueMc

There are “empty” teabags available at Asian food stores that work quite well. You can find them on Amazon by searching for empty tea bags. Good luck!

LBennett

I also got some reusable, steel teabags from Crate and Barrel for Christmas that are perfect for Harney’s loose teas!

BeachGirl

Whole Foods sells compostable, self sealing teabags that work very well.

M. Leeds

Or you might just add a packet of Finum paper filters (sold at Harney’s as of February 2013) to your next order of loose tea.

I use the ‘large’ size Finum filter for individual brewing in my 12-16 ounce mugs. My personal preference is to put in 1 tsp tea for each 8 ounces of water, but the large filter bags will easily hold 4 or more teaspoons of tea. (I expect the ‘extra large’ tea bag filters are made for teapots). Unlike using metal or bamboo straining devices, the tea’s flavor is not affected by the fine tea-bag material (so fine that one must take care to remove only *one* ultra-thin teabag from the Finum box each time). And the sides of the filters are high enough to contain all the tea leaves; you will not have the tedious job of scraping soggy leaves from the bottom of your cup/s or teapot when time is short.

Rose

Also, you can make your own by using some floss or string and a coffee filter or an herb bag which are available pretty much anywhere.

http://www.facebook.com/sgoodmon Shawn Goodmon

am a chocoholic and was given the chocolate tea of yours..OMG I love it!! I am going to buy it and the chocolate mint now..my special treat for my nights off..
http://www.facebook.com/greta.williamshopper Greta Williams-Hopper

Hot cinnamon spice is a delight any time. We discovered your tea on a vacation trip abroad. I saved the wrapper hoping to buy it in my area. Thanks to the Internet, my husband found you and ordered some. Other products do not come close to the rich flavor of you teas. Keep sending those favors to try when you ship my order. You educational pages are quite informative.
Karen

As a devout coffee drinker, your tea is the only one I will drink after I have had my two cups of daily coffee. Your cinnamon teas are just the best…thank you!
WorfRat

I made a mead from your cinnamon spice tea, it could be the best mead I have made yet!

Jeff

Can you describe your method? I’m looking to home brew some beer with it.

WorfRat

I brewed a strong tea with the leaves, then added it to the secondary after it was done fermenting. I also added a couple tablespoons in the primary, but I don’t think that made a difference. I did use a LOT to get the flavor and color I wanted.

Jeff

OK. Can you say what alot is? 4 oz, 1 pound? I am assuming a 5 gal batch? What you added whs only tea correct? NOT the tea and spices?

WorfRat

I did a 6 gallon batch, I probably used 10-12 tablespoons or so. Probably 2 T in the primary, then the rest was made into a strong tea (5T per pot) and poured in. Make it strong since the flavor fades over time.

visala hohlbein

Are the tea sachet’s compostable? As an avid earth steward, I am really hoping they are. If they aren’t I think you should just sell the tea bags. You can compost tea bags. I don’t think the silk will break down…. Please tell me I am wrong.

http://twitter.com/laurapedia Laura

Actually, sometimes you can’t even compost tea bags: http://ratetea.com/topic/composting-tea/11/
Molly C.

On the FAQ section of this website, it says the sachets are made of nylon, so that would be a no.

BeachGirl

I love these teas. I have lived in Japan, Hong Kong and London, all very tea drinking places, and these teas do the trick for all types. The selection, taste and quality of their herbal teas is also wonderful. Thumbs up!
Lynne

The best tea I have ever had. My husband is not a tea drinker but is hooked on the Hot Cinnamon Tea.
dee

i was sent to a VERY boring conference for work at a hotel in long beach ( i cant remember which one). aneehoos, i was desperate to stay awake so i got up and made tea just so i had something to do. i was not a big tea drinker at the time. I just happened to pick up Harney & Son’s Tropical green tea and got a whiff of it as it infused with the hot water. I was in heaven and ended up drinking the entire mug. went back n stole all the tropical green tea they had left in the bowl. went home with about 5 tea bags :-p. SCORE! now i’m here buying my own cuz it’s all gone
Blissfulcupoftea

Is it really silk or is the “Silken” material really nylon? If it is silk then it should break down, but if it’s nylon like they have at Starbucks, then it will not.

M

I had the same question. After some research, I found that other tea “sachets” are made of polylactic acid (PLA). Although PLA is a plastic made from renewable materials such as corn starch, parts of the tapioca plant, and sugarcane, it is not biodegradeable. I don’t know if Harney & Sons uses this type of plastic for their sachets, but I thought I’d put it out there.
Also, after some highly scientific experimentation (involving an iron), I have concluded that Harney & Sons’ sachets are not made of silk.

Gigi

I was wondering about the term “silken” as well. It really is misleading. The box advertises “silken” sachets and one would expect a silken bag, however the bag does not have the silk’s texture at all, but a synthetic one. Nylon i suspect…. (

AzH

I feel in love with Harney Tea when I lived in Millerton, NY a few years ago as a neighbor of the Harneys. And now I’m a tea snob who can’t drink any other tea but Harney. Once you have Harney & Sons tea, you’ll never go back to drinking anything else.
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Jtomme

Had the cinnamon tea for the first time a spa in San Antonio this weekend, BEST tea I have EVER had. Noted the name of the company and have already placed an order!! Including gifts for friends. Can’t wait till order gets here!!
katbrock

My son gave me some Paris. Then we ordered together & I tried Hot Cinnamon Decaf, my favorite. Tried Diamond Jubilee, among others. Now my husband (who drank so much coffee that it took 5 years before I learned he could actually straighten his fingers out) has discovered the Diamond Jubilee. I’m now ordering for his afternoon habit. Cudos, my friends. So, we cultivate our own buying “clubs” and let the good times boil!
http://www.facebook.com/julie.jennings.395 Julie Jennings

I received some tea “sachets” when I ordered a new tea pot. They are not in a silken container. They are just a ball. Do I put that in the tea pot and pour hot water over it, strain, and drink? Thank you for your assistance.