I drink tea over coffee (for digestive reasons), and I assume I am missing out on really good tea. Any readily-available loose-leaf tea recommendations?
Some tea bags may shed billions of microplastics per cup
121–130 of 270 posts
Re: Some tea bags may shed billions of microplastics per cup
#122Lidl (in Europe) has pyramid teabags that look the same but are made of cellulose and bio-degradeable (according to the packaging).
Re: Some tea bags may shed billions of microplastics per cup
#123The good thing, if you can call it that, is PET and nylon (what these silk teabags are made of) are some of the least reactive and most human-safe plastics you can put in your body.
Researching this it seems like PLA is also common. "Plastic" is a super vague term, and it seems like non-petroleum plastics are the norm for this application. One benefit is that these types of plastics readily biodegrade into lactic acid (which naturally occurs in many foods). From a health standpoint it seems like they could be safer than some petroleum based plastics. Would be interested to learn more from someone who knows this area better.
Re: Some tea bags may shed billions of microplastics per cup
#124Earlier quoted context omitted.
Tea bag tea is much finer dust compared to loose leaf of the same brand. So it brews faster (and worse). They change the blend to try and compensate. Tried Liptons once. On our very first trip to the USA, we needed a decent cup of tea. Visited Walmart, bought really expensive pack of Liptons which I think was one of just a very few teas among millions of coffees. Made tea, instantly regretted it. Surprising consideri…
> "Tea bag tea is much finer dust compared to loose leaf of the same brand." Right, the "tea dust" is what goes in to your regular cheap paper tea bags. But the contents of plastic tea bags are usually more "premium", basically the same as good quality loose-leaf tea. Some super-premium brands like TWG use cotton tea bags, which give you the same high quality tea and brewing without the dose of micro-plastics. Regard…
Here tea bags always seem to come with much shorter brewing times. So if the pack, nylon or paper, gives shorter than loose leaf brewing time it's dust - not necessarily the estate grade "dust". Perhaps from premium leaves and tips going into the blend, but cut/ground far, far finer than loose leaf.
By the time we get to super-premium, I'd just go loose leaf always. Quite agree nylon is an innovation we shouldn't have. :)
Re: Some tea bags may shed billions of microplastics per cup
#125There have been a lot of news stories about microplastics being basically everywhere recently.
Is there any good research on if it's a problem? What are the effects on humans of consuming them? What are the effects on aquatic ecosystems, etc?
Re: Some tea bags may shed billions of microplastics per cup
#126I drink tea over coffee (for digestive reasons), and I assume I am missing out on really good tea. Any readily-available loose-leaf tea recommendations?
I love tea from adagio.com
Re: Some tea bags may shed billions of microplastics per cup
#127Earlier quoted context omitted.
Make sure you actually buy loose leaf tea. Even "respectable" brands like Twinings in the UK sell what looks like dregs. Its definitely not leaves. I've not seen an appreciable difference in brew time using loose leaf. A mug of Earl Gray should be done in a few minutes either way.
ever tried T2?
We've been using Tea Pigs which is pretty good (and about half the price of T2).
Not sure I could taste the difference at that price point, but we have a T2 locally.
Re: Some tea bags may shed billions of microplastics per cup
#128Loose tea is often cheaper and of better quality in my experience. If you brew tea a lot using a reusable strainer seems like a much better choice. I'm also entirely convinced that these plastic pyramid-shaped bags are pure marketing. Then again, I find Lipton tea absolutely terrible regardless of the shape of the bag.
> Loose tea is often cheaper and of better quality in my experience. This is indeed my experience as well. Still, the convenience factor of Lipton tea cannot be understated. I'm personally willing to bring in my own tea, metal strainers + teaspoon measurement to my workplace for example (hot-water is usually available in most offices). But that's probably too much for a lot of people. In contrast, you can usually get…
I find tea-balls fiddly and hard to clean. The Ikea strainer looks better but still small. What I found easiest is a Chinese tea strainer: it's a metal mesh (stainless, hopefully) that is as large in diameter as a standard (American) mug, so it just sits on the rim and curves down half-way into the mug.
Put in your dose of loose-leaf (black or green), pour water over it, and when done steeping just let drip over your mug and place on a saucer nearby (as you would a tea-bag). Some strainers have a small handle, but the rim is usually cool enough to grab after steeping. When cleaning, put used tea into the compost, and rinse the strainer as you would your cup. Set to dry on your mug, ready for next time.
These are available in any Chinatown dry-goods store, and similar shops (or Chinese supermarkets such as Ranch 99 in California).
BTW, this article comes as no surprise, but I'm happy to see basic science prove what we often think about plastics. I've been drinking loose-leaf tea for years for flavor and lack of wasteful packaging.
Re: Some tea bags may shed billions of microplastics per cup
#129I drink tea over coffee (for digestive reasons), and I assume I am missing out on really good tea. Any readily-available loose-leaf tea recommendations?
[Rishi Teas](https://www.rishi-tea.com/) imports a rainbow of top-shelf teas and herbal infusions I really like.
I mostly drink [Jasmine Pearl](https://www.rishi-tea.com/product/jasmine-pearl-green-tea/lo...) or [Matcha Gyokuro](https://www.rishi-tea.com/product/matcha-gyokuro-japanese-gr...). If I want a no-caff drink instead, something based on [Rooibos](https://www.rishi-tea.com/product/ginger-lime-rooibos-organi...) or [Turmeric](https://www.rishi-tea.com/product/turmeric-ginger-organic-ca...).
If you like darker teas, their black, oolong or pu'er teas may be your speed.
Re: Some tea bags may shed billions of microplastics per cup
#130I drink tea over coffee (for digestive reasons), and I assume I am missing out on really good tea. Any readily-available loose-leaf tea recommendations?
I found a green-ish oolong tea I liked, it's one of these: http://teapedia.org/en/Formosa_oolong_tea (Formosa Jade mountain or Formosa dongding). I don't know about availability, you'll need to find a tea shop and I'm sure they have something similar.
The aroma of it is something completely different than cheaper green teas.