Loose Leaf Tea, Explained Without the Snobbery

I'm a certified tea sommelier and I still keep tea bags in the cupboard. Nothing in here is meant to make you feel behind. Most people who think they don't like tea have only ever had it brewed wrong: water too hot, leaves left in too long, or a tin that's been open since 2019. Every month I feature 1 blend and tell you what it actually is, and in between I answer what comes in through the shop. Caffeine, storage, brewing, and why yours tastes like regret. Everything I write about is in the tea shop.

Hibiscus and Rose Garden pink tea boxes with a ruby cup and a pale floral cup on a wooden table
Know Your Tea

Pink Teas for October: Hibiscus and Rose Garden, Brewed Right

Two teas on my shelf belong on October's pink table: tart, ruby hibiscus and soft Rose Garden. How I brew each one, and what to add to the cup.

Know Your Tea

Pink Teas for October: Hibiscus and Rose Garden, Brewed Right

Two teas on my shelf belong on October's pink table: tart, ruby hibiscus and soft Rose Garden. How I brew each one, and what to add to the cup.

Loose leaf tea sachets beside a teacup and saucer ready to brew
Know Your Tea

Loose Leaf Tea Without the Mess: Why I Pack Everything in Sachets

Somebody handed you loose leaf tea and you have no strainer, no thermometer, and no idea. Here is how I pack it, how to brew it, and the first 3 blends I would hand you.

Know Your Tea

Loose Leaf Tea Without the Mess: Why I Pack Everything in Sachets

Somebody handed you loose leaf tea and you have no strainer, no thermometer, and no idea. Here is how I pack it, how to brew it, and the first 3 blends I would hand you.

Earl Grey tea cake recipe result: a honey glazed loaf sliced beside a cup of black tea
Know Your Tea

Earl in the Garden Honey Tea Cake: Baking With the September Box

One loaf, one tea, and a honey glaze made from the same pot. The Earl in the Garden tea cake from my September box, written so you can bake it tonight.

Know Your Tea

Earl in the Garden Honey Tea Cake: Baking With the September Box

One loaf, one tea, and a honey glaze made from the same pot. The Earl in the Garden tea cake from my September box, written so you can bake it tonight.

A cup of dessert tea beside a slice of apple pie, cinnamon sticks and dried apple
Know Your Tea

Dessert Teas: Tea That Tastes Like Apple Pie, Candy, and Mint Chocolate

Somebody at every party tells me they do not like tea. This is the cup I hand them. Five dessert teas, what each one tastes like, and how to serve them.

Know Your Tea

Dessert Teas: Tea That Tastes Like Apple Pie, Candy, and Mint Chocolate

Somebody at every party tells me they do not like tea. This is the cup I hand them. Five dessert teas, what each one tastes like, and how to serve them.

Rooibos sachets beside a cup of deep red Caffeine-Free rooibos tea on a kitchen counter
Know Your Tea

Rooibos: The Caffeine-Free Red Tea That Won't Go Bitter

Rooibos is not tea at all, it is a South African red bush with no caffeine in it. Here is what it tastes like, how to brew it, and the vanilla cream recipe from this month's box.

Know Your Tea

Rooibos: The Caffeine-Free Red Tea That Won't Go Bitter

Rooibos is not tea at all, it is a South African red bush with no caffeine in it. Here is what it tastes like, how to brew it, and the vanilla cream recipe from this month's box.

Chai latte recipe and iced dirty chai made from one Classic Chai sachet
Know Your Tea

Chai Latte Recipe With One Sachet, Plus an Iced Dirty Chai

Two chai recipes off the September box recipe cards. One sachet each, real milk, no concentrate and no syrup, and the iced one takes a shot of espresso or cold brew.

Know Your Tea

Chai Latte Recipe With One Sachet, Plus an Iced Dirty Chai

Two chai recipes off the September box recipe cards. One sachet each, real milk, no concentrate and no syrup, and the iced one takes a shot of espresso or cold brew.

Tea questions I get asked

How do I brew loose leaf tea properly?

1 heaping teaspoon of leaves per cup, water off the boil rather than at a rolling boil for anything green or white, and a timer. Black teas want 3 to 5 minutes, greens 2 to 3, herbals 5 or more. Then take the leaves out. Leaving them in is what turns a good cup into a murky mess.

Is loose leaf tea better than tea bags?

Usually, and here is why. A lot of bags hold the broken dust left over once the good leaf has been sorted out, and a flat bag gives the leaf no room to open up. Loose leaf gives you whole leaf and space to expand, and that is where the flavor is. A good sachet splits the difference, which is what I reach for when I am in a hurry.

Which teas are Caffeine-Free?

Black, green, white and oolong all have caffeine in them, because they all come from the same plant. Anything truly Caffeine-Free is an herbal infusion: rooibos, chamomile, peppermint, hibiscus, ginger, fruit blends. And decaffeinated is not the same thing as Caffeine-Free. It still carries a trace.

How long does loose leaf tea stay good?

6 months to a year for most blends if you keep it airtight, dark, dry and away from the stove. Tea does not spoil, it fades. If it smells like nothing when you open the tin, it is going to taste like nothing in the cup.

How much tea do I need for a party?

Figure 2 to 3 cups per guest across the afternoon, and always put out at least 1 Caffeine-Free option. For a table of 8, 1 or 2 ounces of a blend is plenty. Brew by the pot instead of by the cup, or you will spend your own party standing at the kettle.

Send Someone a Tea Party

I started packing these boxes so I could send my kitchen table to people I could not get to in person. Every one holds loose leaf tea and something to do while it steeps, because the part that matters is the hour you sit down for. Pick the one that sounds like the person you are sending it to.

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