How to Buy Good Tea

Tea is an amazing substance. There are new studies almost weekly on how it boosts your immune system, reduces cancer risks, and aids in weight loss. But, besides the hype, good tea can be an almost spiritual experience.

I was always a tea drinker. I loved flavored black teas, the kind that came in little card board boxes, pre-bagged from the grocer. It tasted nice, with the spicy additions and extra sweeteners, and helped with a variety of problems from sour stomach to insomnia. However, it wasn't until about a year ago that my eyes were opened to a whole new world of tea : loose leaf.

Loose leaf tea tends to get a bad rap among penny-wise consumers. It's expensive, it's messy, and it's not nearly as convenient as it's bagged counterpart. If you're one of these thrifty consumers, read on so I can share my conversion from bagged tea to the cult of loose leaf.

While walking through a mall I saw, in big letters 'Teavana.' I walked in, overwhelmed by the amazing scents of freshly brewed, loose leaf tea, and remembered all the pitfalls I had always associated with premium teas. Staring at the price tags, I was shocked : $15 for 100 grams of tea? The sweet girl behind the counter assured me of the longevity of that amount. I wasn't convinced. 100 grams is next to nothing. But, it was my birthday, and my husband insisted we try the variety (blood-orange black) that I had quickly fallen for. We parted with the $17, and left with a small bag of tea and a single cup tea strainer.

At home, I stared at the leaves as I tried to decide how to brew them. We had been given a small scoop (free of charge) with our purchase, and I used that to measure out my cup. I still didn't believe, while looking at the tiny amount filling the bottom of the strainer. My tea bags held three to four times that amount. I assumed it was a marketing ploy to make consumers slowly add more until the bad would only make 6 or 8 cups. The idea of spending $2 for a cup of tea made me think of Starbucks. But I brewed my tea, and let it cool. This would be my test, I decided, my control subject. I would add no sweeteners, I would follow the directions exactly, and it would be terrible, proving the loose leaf vendors were just playing some sick game with customers.

Three minutes later, I took a sip. It was, despite my negative attitude, the best sip of tea I had ever had. It was sweet, without sugar. It was flavorful, without the chemicals. It was full bodied, without using a tablespoon of tea. I was hooked. Later I learned that many loose leaf teas can be brewed up to 4 times. So here I sit now, in the 100 degree weather of mid-July, about a year and a half later, sipping iced blood-orange black tea that I brewed in my little tea pot.

Do you want to make the switch? If you're a tea lover, most definitely. Loose leaf teas tend to be less bitter and more aromatic than bagged teas. You'll cut down on sugar intake, since you just won't need to sweeten them. You'll reduce waste by no longer needing to throw out tea boxes and bags. You'll enjoy your tea more, since brewing loose leaf tea is a very calming, natural process.

How can you make the switch? Here are a few hints.

Don't be overwhelmed. Many tea shops will have, literally, hundreds of canisters of different tea varieties. Don't look at the big picture. If you like green teas, stick with those. A good sales person will ask you a few questions to narrow it down (bold or subtle? citrus or plain? herbal?) and make suggestions from there.

Don't be fooled by pretty names. It's all marketing. Some teas have exotic, intriguing names to lure you in. Focus on what type of tea it is and what it's made of, rather than the name on the label. A pretty name isn't going to make a bad tea taste good (no matter how imaginative it is).

Try it first. I've learned that almost all tea shops will brew a cup for you, either for free or a low price ($1 to $2 for hot, $2-$4 for iced). Many also have favorite or new variety samples available upon request.

Ask to sniff. While most good tea shops will just assume you want a whiff, not all will. So, go ahead, and ask to smell their tea. Since your taste buds and strongly linked to your scent sensitivities, if it smells bad, sharp, or overly pungent, you probably won't enjoy the taste. This will also counteract a sneaky practice of sampling I've run into a few times : some tea shops will mix two complimentary types of teas in samples to balance the negatives, but won't tell you they did. What you are tasting might not actually be what you are buying. (Note : I have never found this to be true when I had a cup prepared upon request. I've only seen this in table top sample displays.)

Buy small. You may like a tea once, or even the first few times you try it, but then it may start to wear on your taste buds. My experience with Rooibos (or red tea) was just that. I had about half a dozen cups, then the taste was no longer appealing. Since I had purchased too much the first time, I was left with about 75 grams of tea I just hated.

Ask for estimates. Most tea shops sell by weight. However, the amount of cups you can expect will vary between different types of teas. Since green tea can generally be brewed four times, 100 grams will get my husband farther than 100 grams of my favorite black tea, which can only be brewed twice before losing flavor. So ask your tea sales person how much it used per cup and how many times it can be brewed.

Don't be fooled. Some tea shops will advertiser 'flavored' teas or 'premium' teas. And they will charge much more for them. Request to read the ingredients, and you might just find that the featured flavor doesn't actually exist in the list. Unless that pomegranate tea has real pomegranate seeds in it, it isn't worth the extra money.

Buy tins. But not at the tea shops. I've seen simple tea tins selling for $20 a piece, with intricate designs or even tacky logos. Instead, I buy tins for my tea and even coffee at places like IKEA or Wal-Mart. I can generally find a glass container for $2-$3, that holds more and looks nicer than the tin at the tea shop.

Don't buy at grocers. Don't buy your loose leaf tea at a grocery store. It won't be nearly as fresh, flavorful, aromatic and high quality as what you will find at a dedicated tea shop (no matter how much it costs).

Find a place you like. And stick with it. After shopping there a few times, I rarely stop into Teavana anymore. It isn't because of their quality, but because of their prices and service. If I want tea today (if I'm having a party or other special event) I will visit a small chain named Teagschwendner. However, if I'm just refilling, I'll order online from Adagio Teas. I like Adagio because they send you teas in tins, saving the hassle of buying a new one, and they have significantly lower prices for the same quality. My husband likes SVTea online as you can buy in bulk.

Find a variety you like. And move out from there. I originally purchased blood-orange black, and have used that as the starting point in many of my new purchases. If a shop has it, I'll ask them what they have that is similar, and go from there.

Buy a pot. For $20 to $30 you can purchase a nice tea pot with a loose leaf strainer built in. You'll add your leaves, pour boiling water, and then cover the leaves with a stopper to prevent further brewing. When you're finish, simply remove the strainer and dump out the leaves. These are very nice, easy and clean when making large amounts of tea for yourself or guests.

Ready to make the jump? Despite talking about online shops, the best advice is to start at a free standing, walk in shop. You'll pay a little more up front, but will be able to make your first selection with more information. As you develop a better sense of what you like and don't like, you can shop online with ease and confidence that you're getting the best deal on what you like.