How do you bag premium teas?

[msikri]

Consumers love the convenience of tea bags, but hate the low grade teas inside. The ideal would be for tea retailers to bag premium teas and tea blends in small quantities for consumers. For this the retailer would need inexpensive and easy-to-use systems.

[tingjunkie]

If a vendor would even consider putting a tea in a bag, then it's not premium at all. There are some vendors who put better than crap level "whole leaf" tea into pyramid shaped mesh sachets though.

[IPT]

If a vendor would even consider putting a tea in a bag, then it's not premium at all.

AMEN!!!!!!!

[betta]

If a vendor would even consider putting a tea in a bag, then it's not premium at all. There are some vendors who put better than crap level "whole leaf" tea into pyramid shaped mesh sachets though.

Regardless your writing which regards inferior quality teas as "crap level tea", I think everyone should be grateful that they do exist.

If teashops and farmers don't manage to sell these stuffs out, then today we'll have to purchase good quality tea at higher price to cover their loss. Added to that there're many people in some part of the world who can't even enjoy tea.
So, be grateful for their existence.

Furthermore, here in Europe and I believe also there in USA, there're many people drinking tea in bags; the main reason is because it's more practical especially at work, where people just don't have enough time for anything.
They'll not be happy to be called crap-quality-stuffs consumers, no?

[AdamMY]

If a vendor would even consider putting a tea in a bag, then it's not premium at all. There are some vendors who put better than crap level "whole leaf" tea into pyramid shaped mesh sachets though.

Regardless your writing which regards inferior quality teas as "crap level tea", I think everyone should be grateful that they do exist.

If teashops and farmers don't manage to sell these stuffs out, then today we'll have to purchase good quality tea at higher price to cover their loss. Added to that there're many people in some part of the world which couldn't even enjoy tea.
So, be grateful for their existence.

Furthermore, here in Europe and I believe also there in USA, there're many people drinking tea in bags; the main reason is because it's more practical especially at work, where people just don't have enough time for anything.
They'll not be happy to be called crap-quality-stuffs consumers, no?

While I am not saying bagged whole leaf tea is useless/pointless, I will say one thing. It removes what most of us love the most about whole loose leaf tea, the fact that we can customize exactly how we brew the tea, in terms of how much leaf and such. We are not limited to choosing between 1 bag or 2, also there is just something so unappealing about finishing up a steep by pulling a bag out of the cup, as opposed to pouring and distributing the tea from the brewing vessel to the serving vessels.

[JBaymore]

Every time I read the title line for this thread I want to say..........

"I typically use a 12 Gauge with birdshot, but if it is a big one maybe I'll bring out the 30 aught 6."



best,

............john

[IPT]

Haha! I prefer a 12 guage with a sabot slug. I don't like the pellets in my tea that the birdshot leaves.

[Xell]

Would be nice to have some premium teas in pyramid mesh bags on times when you can't use teaware. For me most important is tea, process of brewing is just a nice addition. So, when i can't use my teaware i rather have good cup of tea from bag, than nothing at all.

For now what i have is only some nice genmaicha with matcha teabags. Would love to have some first flush sencha in same teabags.

[JBaymore]

I don't like the pellets in my tea that the birdshot leaves.

You need to get a kyusu with finer strainer holes.

best,

.................john

[gingkoseto]

I am not against putting premium tea into pyramid bags for convenience. But I wonder how many people are willing to pay for it. I am not. I seal my own tea into bags for traveling. But I won't spend money buying something like it. Most, if not all, bagged teas have their most cost allocated on bagging, packaging and marketing, rather than on tea leaves. If some manufacture really cares for making really premium tea bags, I can't imagine how expensive it will be. Do people really want to pay big money for it while tea drinking experience is undermined by the bag?

I've seen some Lipton pyramid bags sold for $13 per box of 20 bags. It may not even be their most expensive one. Then it's $0.6 per bag. I bet we can easily find tea leaves 20 times more expensive than the tea leaf materials used by Lipton in these bags. Then with other costs calibrated, probably the "premium tea bag" will eventually cost $12 per bag. Let's say the tea is really good. How many non-millionaires would like to buy it?

[gingkoseto]

I hope we didn't freak out op.
To op's question - at retailer or consumer level, one can get heat-seal teabags (I got mine from an ebayer from Thailand) and a heat sealer (I got mine from Amazon). Then to keep the tea leaves fresh, the bags should be packed in light-proof mylar bags.

If it's done by a retailer, he can do it to kill time when the store is quiet. But if he hires someone to do it, these bags can be expensive with labor cost considered.

[solitude]

In my case, premium tea deserves premium attention when brewed to get the best of it. I don’t support tea bag style brewing of high quality teas at work place, especially if there is not a privet calm place.
Teabags are good for cheap teas, tisanes, to kill the thirst.