What is Loose Leaf Tea: A Crash Course to Elevate your Brews

If your experience with tea has been limited to bagged varieties from the grocery store, you might be missing out on an entirely different level of flavor, freshness, and enjoyment. Enter loose leaf tea - the premium, full-bodied alternative that is redefining how people experience tea.

Loose leaf tea provides the most authentic tea-drinking experience, allowing whole leaves, dried flowers, and real botanicals to expand freely and release their full complexity of flavor. Without the constraints of a bag, the infusion is more balanced, the aroma more pronounced, and the taste more layered. While our biodegradable tea bags offer a convenient option made with the same high-quality ingredients, loose leaf tea gives you the freedom to customize every aspect of your brew - strength, steeping time, and even multiple infusions - making it the ideal choice for those who want to savor tea at its fullest.

For centuries, loose leaf tea has been the gold standard, enjoyed in ancient tea ceremonies and among connoisseurs who appreciate the craftsmanship behind each cup. But with convenience driving modern habits, mass-produced tea bags became the norm - often sacrificing quality for speed. Now, tea drinkers are rediscovering what they've been missing.

Why Loose Leaf Tea Is a Premium Choice

• More Room to Infuse – Loose leaf tea has the space to expand fully, allowing for a more complete extraction of flavors and aromas.

• Customizable & Versatile – Adjust the strength, blend different teas, or experiment with multiple infusions to suit your taste.

• Steeping as an Experience – Watching whole leaves unfurl and steep is part of the ritual, making tea drinking more immersive.

• Sustainable & Thoughtfully Packaged – Loose leaf tea minimizes waste, and for those who prefer the convenience of tea bags, ours are made from biodegradable materials like tapioca, ensuring an environmentally friendly choice.

At Revival Tea Company, we believe in the art of loose leaf tea. Whether it's the bold, floral notes of our Blue Tea, the rich, fruit-forward experience of Wild Berry Hibiscus, or the carefully balanced herbs in our Sore Throat blend, each cup tells a story of quality and intention.

Ready to elevate your tea game? Let’s dive into what makes loose leaf tea different - and why it’s worth the switch.

What Is Loose Leaf Tea?

Loose leaf tea is tea in its most natural form - whole or large pieces of leaves, herbs, and botanicals that steep freely in water, allowing their full flavor, aroma, and nutrients to be extracted. Unlike mass-produced tea bags, which often contain tiny, crushed fragments of tea leaves, loose leaf tea maintains its integrity for a more balanced and flavorful brew.

How Loose Leaf Tea Is Made?

After tea leaves and botanicals are harvested, they go through a meticulous process that includes withering, rolling, oxidation (for some teas), and drying. The way these ingredients are handled determines their final form. At Revival Tea Company, we don’t crush or grind our ingredients into dust or fannings, but we do break them down enough to create a more even infusion - ensuring every cup delivers a consistent flavor experience.

This approach allows our teas to steep evenly while still preserving the depth and complexity that loose leaf tea is known for. Take our Blue Tea, for example - made from whole butterfly pea flowers, it naturally brews into a stunning blue color while maintaining its smooth, earthy taste.

By choosing loose leaf tea, you’re embracing a tradition that values quality over convenience - without sacrificing the enjoyment of a truly great cup of tea.

How Loose Leaf Tea Differs from Bagged Tea

When it comes to tea, the choice between loose leaf and tea bags isn’t just about preference - it’s about how you want to experience your tea. While both can deliver a great cup, loose leaf tea offers more flexibility and control over the brewing process, while tea bags provide convenience without the need for extra tools.

Freedom to Customize

Loose leaf tea allows you to adjust the strength, blend different teas, and experiment with steeping times. Want a bolder cup? Add more tea. Prefer a lighter brew? Steep for less time. With tea bags, the portion is pre-measured, making it quick and easy, but with less room for customization.

Brewing Essentials

Steeping loose leaf tea requires a strainer, infuser, or teapot with a built-in filter, making the brewing process feel more intentional. Tea bags, on the other hand, are ready to go - just drop one in your cup and add hot water. Neither is inherently better; it’s all about what fits your routine.

The Best of Both Worlds

At Revival Tea Company, we craft our teas for both loose leaf lovers and those who prefer tea bags. Our Wild Berry Hibiscus Tea, for example, is packed with hibiscus flower, elderberries, rose hips, and wild berry flavoring. As a loose leaf tea, you can see and smell the whole ingredients as they steep, creating a full sensory experience. As a tea bag, the same ingredients are portioned for ease - without compromising the bold, tart berry flavor.

Whether you enjoy the ritual of loose leaf tea or need the grab-and-go convenience of a tea bag, both have their place. The most important thing? Drinking tea that’s made with real, quality ingredients - no matter how you brew it.

How to Brew Loose Leaf Tea (Step-by-Step Guide)

Brewing loose leaf tea is easier than you think! With the right method, you can bring out the best flavors, aromas, and benefits in every cup. Here’s a simple guide to help you brew the perfect tea every time.

Step 1: Measure Your Tea

The general rule is 1-2 teaspoons of loose leaf tea per 8 ounces of water, but this can vary based on the tea type and your personal preference. For herbal teas like our Sore Throat Tea, you might want a little extra to extract the full benefits of ingredients like licorice root and marshmallow leaf.

Step 2: Heat Your Water to the Right Temperature

Different teas steep best at different temperatures. Using water that’s too hot or too cool can affect the flavor.

Step 3: Choose Your Brewing Method

• Best for pouring desired amount of tea into cup.

• Hand Mesh Strainers

• Simple Stainless Steel Infusers that hold the tea while it steeps.

• Tea Ball

• Spring Handle

• Perfect for brewing multiple cups.

• Teapot with Built-in Strainer

• Ideal for Iced Tea.

• Iced Tea Pitcher

Step 4: Let It Steep & Enjoy

Once your tea is steeped to perfection, remove the leaves and enjoy. If you’re drinking a tea like Sore Throat Tea, you might want to add a touch of honey for extra soothing benefits.

Why Loose Leaf Tea is Worth It

Tea is more than just a drink - it’s an experience. When you choose loose leaf tea, you’re getting better flavor, higher quality ingredients, and the freedom to brew your tea exactly how you like it. From the full-bodied depth of whole tea leaves to the ritual of steeping and savoring each cup, loose leaf tea offers something special. While tea bags provide convenience, loose leaf allows you to customize your brew, experiment with flavors, and truly appreciate the craft behind every cup.

At Revival Tea Company, we believe in making tea the way it was meant to be enjoyed - whether you prefer the bold character of our Blue Tea, the rich berry notes of Wild Berry Hibiscus, or the soothing benefits of Sore Throat Tea. Want to know something exciting? Every single one of our tea blends come in Loose Leaf form. The possibilities are endless!

Shop now and experience it for yourself!