Why do people use a teapot instead of a teabag for brewing tea? Is there any difference?
Loose brewed tea is thought to make a much better brew. The leaves are a higher end product. Many teabags are made of the fannings, the scraps left after making the loose tea. Some tea experts call this the tea sweepings. Although we doubt they would actually scrape the tea from the floor. Loose tea in a teapot gives the leaves a chance to incorporate fully with the water hot or cold. Whereas tea leaves stuffed in a tea ball are confined and many not fully open or infuse fully with the water. The Chinese call this process “tea soup” implying a product that is indeed free in the pot.
