Do you leave your tea bag in your green tea whilst drinking?

🍵 Do You Leave Your Tea Bag in Your Green Tea Whilst Drinking?

Do you leave your tea bag in your green tea whilst drinking? It’s a common habit — but if you’re aiming for a smooth, flavourful cup, you might want to rethink that. Let’s talk steeping, bitterness, and how traditional Chinese tea takes a very different approach.

 🥴 Over-Steeping: The Bitter Truth

Green tea is sensitive stuff. Leave a regular tea bag in too long and you’ll taste the consequences — bitterness, dryness, and that weird mouth-puckering astringency. That’s because most mass-market tea bags are filled with crushed leaves or “dust” and “fannings,” which release tannins fast.

This is especially true when using boiling water (which is way too hot for green tea, by the way — it prefers 75–85°C). According to Afternoon Tea Reads brewing guide, this combo of high temps and long steeps is a guaranteed way to destroy delicate green tea flavours. So yes — leaving the bag in while sipping can wreck your brew before you’re halfway done. 😬

 🎎 Not All Tea Bags Are Equal

Now, not all tea bags deserve to be tossed under the bus. Most supermarket brands cram in super-fine particles for convenience and speed — which unfortunately also means over-extraction happens fast. But some traditional Chinese teas in bag form do it differently.

Higher-end Chinese tea bags often use larger leaf fragments or even full leaves — a huge step up in quality. These teas infuse slower and more gently, giving you a smoother drink that doesn’t instantly turn bitter if you forget your timer.

 🌿 Loose Leaf: The Tea MVP

If you really want to do green tea justice, loose leaf is where it’s at. With loose leaf, you get:

• Better leaf quality (often whole leaves or buds)
• Fuller flavour and natural sweetness
• The ability to re-steep multiple times
• More control over brew strength and timing

Traditional Chinese green teas like Longjing (Dragon Well) or Biluochun are meant to be savoured over several short infusions — not dunked once and tossed. These leaves open gradually and reveal more flavour with each pour. It’s a more mindful, less rushed way to enjoy tea.

And don’t worry if you don’t have fancy gear — a simple infuser basket, French press, or even just pouring off the tea into a second cup works fine. The important thing is letting the leaves breathe and steep properly.

 🫖 So… What Should You Actually Do?

If you’re using a supermarket tea bag: steep for no more than 1–2 minutes in water that’s slightly cooled from boiling, then take it out. If you’re using a high-quality Chinese tea bag, you’ve got a bit more flexibility — but even then, don’t leave it swimming for ages.

But if you’re ready to elevate your tea experience, ditch the bag entirely and try loose leaf. It’s not just better tea — it’s a better ritual. 🍃

 💡 Final Sip

Leaving your tea bag in while drinking might seem harmless, but it’s a habit worth breaking — especially with green tea. Whether you’re sipping budget brews or high-end Chinese blends, controlling the steep makes all the difference. And once you go loose leaf? You won’t look back.

Life’s too short for bitter tea. 😉