Is tea from tea bags always bad?

Europeans love their tea. Even or especially in times of Corona, many people are looking for healthier alternatives to sweetened beverages like cola or sodas. Often this tea comes from tea bags. Can the stuff inside the tea bag be any good?

As so often in life, the answer to this question is not so simple. Tea bags are not always the same and their contents certainly is not. But let’s start simple: What are tea bags made of?

There are two commonly used materials: paper (often with hemp admixture) or plastic/nylon. In the former, a small amount of plastic is often mixed in for stability. The latter are often sold as pyramid bags. For health reasons, plastic tea bags are not recommended in any case because, as a study by McGill University in Montréal (Canada) found out a few years ago, they release large quantities of micro- and nanoplastic particles during infusion. These then end up in the drink and later in our bodies.

For environmental reasons, tea bags, whether paper or plastic, are not a good choice.

And what about the tea in it? It depends. If you buy cheap, you usually get cheap content, too. In the case of bagged tea from supermarkets, the cheapest tea that can somehow be found on the world market will be processed. You can taste it especially strongly in orthodox blends, those that come from the tea plant. These are, for example, green, black or white teas.

Herbal and fruit teas often contain cheap ingredients, as they are hardly noticeable when shredded small. This is then compensated with heaps of additives to get flavor into the cup. But teas from tea bags do not have to be bad per se. There are numerous premium teas in bags that can convince in terms of taste.

But you should always keep in mind that bag teas can be quite expensive. If you compare the price per 100 g – many bags contain only 2 – 3 g – then many teas are not so cheap anymore.

With us you will find only loose tea. Besides the sustainability, this also has the advantage that you have the full control over how much tea you use. This way, you can easily determine the intensity yourself. And our filters make brewing almost as easy as using a tea bag. In those large strainers, the tea leaves have enough space to develop their aroma.