How to brew a zero waste cup of tea

Melanie
Apr 16, 2019
7 min read

Updated: Apr 30, 2019

ONE: LOOSE LEAF TEA

It wasn’t until a couple of years ago when I made the switch from tea bags to loose leaf tea. Initially it was for the taste and quality but actually there are so many other benefits from making the switch.

Loose leaf Tea vs Tea bags

Quality: One of the main reasons why people prefer loose leaf tea is that, in general it is of a higher quality than the tea in tea bags. As the tea inside tea bags is hidden, companies can often fill it with dusty broken bits of leaves. Loose leaf tea however is exposed, so the quality obvious to those using it. This does not mean that all tea bags are of a lower quality than loose leaf tea, but as a general rule of thumb, this is the case.

Environmental: Almost all tea bags contain plastic. Conventional tea bags are around 10-25% plastic because of the material that most manufacturers use to seal them, so they do not decompose with the tea leaves. There are also companies which use fully biogradable tea bags but they cost more and are harder to find in your local shop. Loose leaf tea however do not require the use of tea bags and have no problem decomposing.

Cost: Although each brand is different, in general if you compare tea bags with loose leaf tea from the same brand, tea bags will be more expensive when comparing like for like weight.. In addition, you can often re-add boiling water to loose leaf tea and it will still have taste, unlike tea bags which loose their flavour after the first drink.

Tips for choosing loose leaf tea

A general rule of thumb when looking at tea is the larger the leaf, the higher the quality and the better the flavor. You’ll also want to smell the tea to make sure it hasn’t gone stale. For herbal teas, you want to focus on colour and scent; if the herbs are faded or don’t have a fragrance, they are probably too old.
Always check your ingredients! If a tea is full or artificial flavors or sweeteners, there’s a good chance those things are trying to hide a low quality tea. This is also a good opportunity to see if your tea is fair trade or organic, especially if that’s important to you.

Which tea will suit my taste?

In the UK, most of us have been brought up drinking black tea with milk. However, there are tonnes of other teas and herbal teas out there which also deserve a look in.

We have a blog here XXX which looks at the health benefits of a range of herbal teas.

In terms of flavour, for those with a sweet tooth, you could try honeybush or rooibos which are both from the same family. A peppermint and liquorice blended tea also serves to satisfy a craving after dinner whilst helping with your digestion.

Other great loose leaf teas for beginners are anything with fruit. The tart and citrus flavors balance out the tannins in tea and can create a nice balance; that is likely one of the reasons Earl Grey (black tea with bergamot, a type of orange) is perhaps the most popular tea blend of all time.

Lastly, you could try chai blends. They are essentially black tea with added spices, great for warming you up on a winter's day.

I personally prefer the flavours of non-herbal teas such as green, white, oolong and pu-erh. Most people are put off by the bitterness, but if you make sure that the tea is not over brewed (by using the equipment we've listed below), I think you will be pleasantly surprised by the flavour that these teas have.

TWO: TEA INFUSER

Unlike tea bags, in order to drink loose leaf tea we need a tea infuser, which are very easy to use. You first place the loose leaf tea inside the infuser, the place the whole thing inside your cup of hot water to brew. The infuser will have small holes / mesh which will enable to flavours to infuse the water whilst keeping the leaves inside. Once the tea flavours are released you can then remover the infuser and enjoy your drink.

Below we will discuss how to use some of the most commonly used tea tea infusers.

Tea Ball

The tea ball is in the shape of a ball and usually has a latch in the middle where the ball opens up into two halves.

Fill one half with a teaspoon of tea leaves, close it up so it’s a ball again, and then switch the latch to lock it. Place in your cup or teapot and fill with boiling water. Cover your cup or teapot and steep your tea. Remove the tea ball after the tea has finished steeping.

Enjoy your cup of infused tea and when you've finished drinking, open your tea ball and discard the used tea leaves. Rinse your tea ball and keep it handy for your next relaxing tea experience.

Tea Strainer

I personally prefer the tea strainer to the tea ball because there is less faffing about trying to close the tea ball and there is more space for the tea leaves to unfurl and infuse the water.

First place the tea leaves inside the strainer, then place the strainer inside your cup or tea pot. Pour boiling water on top and allow to infuse the water. Remove the strainer and enjoy your drink.

Teapot

This is completely optional but I love having a classic teapot around. I love serving tea in a pot or the idea of making a pot of tea when a friend comes over. I only need one and it is an elegant and simple teapot – perfect for everything from tea parties to a big pot in the afternoon.

Teapots that have built-in mesh infusers are one of the best ways to brew a large amount of loose leaf tea at once.

Teapots can be made from different materials such as glass, cast iron, ceramic, or stainless steel. Most teapots can be used with or without the infuser.

It’s important to remember that if using a teapot, you cannot heat it directly on top of a stove (as opposed to kettles, which can be).

THREE: KETTLE

Of course we need a method for heating the water. As an ethical consumer we are then faced with the decision of what is the best way to heat a cup of water.

Sometimes changing tiny, seemingly insignificant actions can add up to big differences for our carbon footprints and energy bills. Making a cup of tea is a great example.

Now, we all know that we should only boil as much water as we actually need. But what is the best way to boil it and can we do it better? We looked at the difference between boiling water using a kettle vs over the hob.

In terms of speed, the electric kettle appears to win hands down. In every study I discovered, the electric kettle came out on top, the microwave second and the gas hob third. According to studies in The Guardian and Treehugger blog this was the case. ‘The clear winner is the electric kettle at 81% efficient, followed by the microwave at 47% efficient with the stove, being the Hummer H2 of the bunch, at 30.5% efficient’, according to Treehugger. Problem solved.

However, speed is not the only factor. There are many questions which need to be answered to determine the most enerft efficient way to boil water. How much water are you boiling? How much energy is used to produce the electricity? And perhaps most importantly, how much C02 is used in its production.Trying to balance and calculate all these factors in practice is not realistic so for now I'll be sticking with the kettle.

FOUR: CADDIES

All of my tea is loose leaf and stored in tins or jars. This not only looks beautiful on a shelf but it is also infinitely reusable and doesn’t involve plastic. I just refill the jars when they start to get low. I typically only buy tea at bulk stores (only if it’s organic) or online at my favourite natural ingredients store. This way I get bulk tea grown organically and sourced sustainably.

Store your jar, caddy, or airtight container and keep in a cool dark place like a kitchen cupboard or pantry. This will help preserve the tea's potency and flavour, avoiding your tea from going off before you've had a chance to enjoy it. You don't need anything fancy; look out for suitable jars and pots in secondhand shops or repurpose containers you already own. So long as your container is airtight and either opaque, if it's sitting on a counter, or glass and kept out of sunlight, your tea will last all year.

FIVE : FOR TEA ENTHUSIASTS (OPTIONAL)

The world of tea is very large and the more you look into it, the larger it gets.

Brewing a cup of herbal tea is relatively simple to make. However those who are serious about non herbal tea (black, green, white, oolong, pu-erh) will soon find out that the type of tea you are drinking will determine the water temperature and steeping times, both of which affect the taste of the tea. The water itself can even change the flavor of the final beverage, so tea enthusiasts will use filtered or spring water.

Tea equipment:

scales - to weigh the amount of tea leaves required
measuring jug - to ensure the optimal amount of water is added to infuse the water
temperature controlled kettle - different varieties of tea need varying levels of temperature. Delicate teas can be spoiled by using water that is too hot. As a general rule, white and green teas need cooler water (70 to 80 °C) than oolong, black and puerh tea which are more robust and can handle higher temperatures (80 to 100 °C ). or
thermometer - to ensure the water is at the optimal temperature before the tea leaves are added
timer - to time how long the tea has been brewing. Try not to overboil water as it becomes over-oxygenated and can taste 'flat' and affect the resulting brew.
water filter - to use filtered water to brew the tea for the optimum taste