4 ms·

I drink a decent amount of tea, and I feel like this is largely confined to the mid-grade teas that are fancier than your basic Lipton or Twinings, but not-so-f

I drink a decent amount of tea, and I feel like this is largely confined to the mid-grade teas that are fancier than your basic Lipton or Twinings, but not-so-fancy as to be loose-leaf. I'm thinking specifically of stuff like Harney and Sons, that you often see for sale at your nearest B&N or Starbucks: https://www.amazon.com/Harney-Sons-Hot-Cinnamon-Spice/dp/B0065JA1IQ/ https://www.amazon.com/Harney-Sons-Hot-Cinnamon-Spice/dp/B00... I also see grocery-store versions at Target and such. Those appear to be the ones that employee the plastic triangle satchet. The cheaper stuff, from what I can tell, is still using paper.

lefty2 7y ago
Don't be too sure. Even the paper tea bags have been found to contain plastic: https://www.irishcentral.com/culture/food-drink/barrys-tea-plastic https://www.irishcentral.com/culture/food-drink/barrys-tea-p...
- jimclegg 7y ago
  They also contain traces of the bleach used to whiten them from what I understand.
theobeers 7y ago
This kind of “silken” sachet is what you get when you buy sachets from Harney, but they also sell a lot of loose-leaf. I would even say that’s closer to the original core of their business. I used to order big bags of hot cinnamon spice, a decade or so ago.
bstar77 7y ago
Many cheap Lipton teas have this type of sachet. Using this plastic is a horrible trend and I'm not sure how it started. My worry was always more about leeching, but the microplastic results might even be more disturbing. Such a shame that a natural simple solution is compromised. I'm sticking to my looseleaf. https://www.amazon.com/Lipton-Tea-Fruits-Rouges-Red/dp/B00JNS8L9C/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_2?keywords=lipton+iced+tea+sachet&qid=1569434867&sr=8-2-fkmr0 https://www.amazon.com/Lipton-Tea-Fruits-Rouges-Red/dp/B00JN...
- AdmiralAsshat 7y ago
  If I had to guess, the "plastic triangle" is a bit larger and would potentially allow larger tea-leaves to move more freely within the water and infuse better. The cheapest end of commercial tea bags are all basically tea powder, so they don't need the larger bags to infuse.
  - bstar77 7y ago
    That's possible, but I think you've already reached a point of diminishing returns with a standard teabag. They do have a more premium feel, so it's probably a combination of perceived quality and cost savings.

lefty2 7y ago

Don't be too sure. Even the paper tea bags have been found to contain plastic: https://www.irishcentral.com/culture/food-drink/barrys-tea-plastic https://www.irishcentral.com/culture/food-drink/barrys-tea-p...

jimclegg 7y ago
They also contain traces of the bleach used to whiten them from what I understand.

theobeers 7y ago

This kind of “silken” sachet is what you get when you buy sachets from Harney, but they also sell a lot of loose-leaf. I would even say that’s closer to the original core of their business. I used to order big bags of hot cinnamon spice, a decade or so ago.

bstar77 7y ago

Many cheap Lipton teas have this type of sachet. Using this plastic is a horrible trend and I'm not sure how it started. My worry was always more about leeching, but the microplastic results might even be more disturbing. Such a shame that a natural simple solution is compromised. I'm sticking to my looseleaf. https://www.amazon.com/Lipton-Tea-Fruits-Rouges-Red/dp/B00JNS8L9C/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_2?keywords=lipton+iced+tea+sachet&qid=1569434867&sr=8-2-fkmr0 https://www.amazon.com/Lipton-Tea-Fruits-Rouges-Red/dp/B00JN...

AdmiralAsshat 7y ago
If I had to guess, the "plastic triangle" is a bit larger and would potentially allow larger tea-leaves to move more freely within the water and infuse better. The cheapest end of commercial tea bags are all basically tea powder, so they don't need the larger bags to infuse.
- bstar77 7y ago
  That's possible, but I think you've already reached a point of diminishing returns with a standard teabag. They do have a more premium feel, so it's probably a combination of perceived quality and cost savings.