Tea tips
Why is loose tea so much better than tea bags ?
Make it different!
Industrially bagged herbal teas have been blended for the mass market and you won’t experience the wonders of taste, aroma, essential oils and the magical components that make them so special.
Make it special!
Making ‘real’ herbal teas is also part of the experience. Take a little time for yourself away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life or enjoy the ritual with friends or family.
Its kind to the environment too!
Loose leaves can be thrown directly into the compost heap making it environmentally friendly unlike most tea bags that are not compostable. Loose-leaf herbal teas are not brewed in a teabag, they have room for the herbal components to absorb the water and expand as they infuse. This allows the water to flow through the leaves and extract a wide range of vitamins, minerals, flavours, and phytochemicals.
The age factor
Don’t forget that tea-bagged herbal teas are mostly produced in huge batches by industrial processes, only to sit in boxes or on shelves for months or years before they finally make it to your mug. The best quality loose herbal teas are young and fresh!
Take care, the joy of making herbal tea with loose leaves is highly addictive!
How to prepare tea properly
Use one heaped teaspoon per mug or two heaped teaspoons per teapot.
Mug
Place the tea strainer on top of your mug, pour one heaped teaspoon of herbs into the strainer, add just boiled water, cover your mug to keep the essential oils and leave to infuse for 10 to 15 minutes.
Teapot
A teapot is particularly recommended for ‘Warm’ or ‘Detox’ as the liquid intake is part of the process.
Place your herbs in a warmed teapot, add just boiled water, leave to infuse for 15 minutes, strain and drink (at least 2 mugs for ‘Detox’ or ‘Warm’ to get the full benefit).
The best tea moments
Afternoon tea in the sunshine, early evening tea next to a fireplace, every tea has different benefits for the different times of the day. Everyday is a tea day, every moment is a tea moment. We all have our favourite tea place, what’s yours?
Morning! What better way of greeting the day than with a cup of tea? Some like it strong with a splash of milk, some like it herbal and refreshing. Something to make the start of the day a little bit easier. A healthy morning routine to look after yourself and your body, because you deserve it.
After-lunch tea, not only a warm drink to help with the digestion, but also a little extra time just for yourself, before you go back to your busy day. Trying to cut back on caffeine ? Try a herbal tea instead, you will be amazed by the results.
The days are getting shorter, the evenings longer and the summer is slowly coming to an end. This is the time of the year when an evening infusion becomes part of the daily routine again. Snuggling up under a cosy blanket, on your favourite chair or sofa, letting the herbs envelop you with their aromas bringing a warming glow to your body.
"Everyday is a tea day, every moment is a tea moment..."
What is the best tea infuser?
Loose teas are far superior to tea bags, but brewing them can be messy without a proper tea infuser.
A lot of options are available : from tea balls to tea spoons, silicon animals dancing in your cup to ceramic infuser baskets.
By all means, feel free to try different ones for different occasions, some have truly beautiful designs, others are really cool and quirky.
If you are looking to get the best of your herbal tea and fully enjoy its flavour and the magic of its phytonutrients, then we would recommend a tea strainer.
Here are the important points to consider
- The more space you give the leaves, dried flowers, dried fruits and spices in your herbal tea to move around the better. Tea balls or tea spoons tend to cramp the leaves and you are not getting all the flavour or the benefits of your herbs.
- Extra fine mesh will prevent any stray bits from escaping into the cup and won’t leave particles into your tea.
- Stainless steel material is resistant to rust and scratches, they will be used for years to come, are dishwasher safe and sustainable (any stainless steel object has about 60% recycled content within it & the stainless steel industry is extremely environmentally friendly)
- Rest over the edge of your cup, so you can let the herbs infuse for a good 10 minutes without having to worry about the infuser falling into your cup. We would recommend double handles for practicality and they adapt to most cups and mugs. Watching the leaves floating and infusing can be therapeutic too.
- Easy to load / unload with tea
- Drip tray that can also be used to cover the cup while herbs are infusing, it keeps your cup warm and helps theessential oils to infuse for longer.
When you are on the go : thermos or tumblers with built-in tea strainers are available.
When friends are coming round (or you feel you might need more than just one cup) : tea pots with built-in tea strainers are a great option.
They come in different materials and design, the important detail is the size of the infuser basket – the bigger the better.