Attn: Loose leaf tea drinkers.
 

I was drawn into a tea shop recently, given samples to taste while there and bought a blend and a clearance tea pot to steep the tea. Now I am totally hooked after the first pot. I can not believe how well the tea blend I bought made me feel.I have had four pots over the last few days and it really does make me feel great. I would like to learn more about all of the diffrent teas such as white, oolong, black,mate ,herbals , ect and their benifits. also where is a good place to buy on line . The shop I went to was an hour and a half away and VERY expensive . I hope there are some tea drinkers on here that will share their knowledge.

Thanks,
Rae

There are sure to be avid tea drinkers here. I also prefer loose tea and am trying to drink more green tea but since it isn't my favourite taste, I'm using the green teas that are blended with various other things. Tea must be more popular around here because there is a tea shop in every small community but for big variety I like to drive in to the city and shop at David's Tea. They sell on-line and have a wide variety of teas. Theirs are well-identified as whether they are an infusion, green, black, white, etc. I like the nutty flavours.
Something that has really boosted my tea intake is buying myself a good travel mug for tea. It has a strainer lid, an infusion basket AND a space in the lid that keeps leaves dry for a second cup. I can make a cup in the morning, take it with me for the morning break and make a second cup at lunch time. When you buy tea, find out how long it needs to steep. Some infusions especially can be left in the cup for the entire drinking time and won't become too strong.
Be aware when drinking herbal teas that a lot of herbs have medicinal properties and can interact with medication and provide their own side effects. It's worth a bit of research to know what you are drinking.

You should be able to find loose tea in your grocery store. You may have to search a bit since they aren't always in the tea aisle (I don't know why). Sometimes you can find it in the international foods aisle. If you can't find it in the grocery store, Twinings makes a good loose tea and you can order it online.

IMHO All loose teas are not created equal. Yes, you can purchase in your grocery stores, but again IMHO, they are usually no where near the quality. To me, hardly worth buying! I have bought loose teas from many shops that promote themselves as being specialty tea dealers, and many times been disappointed.

The best by far ... http://www.davidstea.com/

They have shops across Canada and USA. You can order online and have it shipped direct to you.

It may seem costly ... the enjoyment is well worth it!!

As a hint ... if you're on the go, look for a bodum press style travel mug. David's sell them ... I use on that I got in Starbucks. And for the convenience, I have found that I use it for myself at home more so than brewing in a tea pot!

stash tea has some very good loose teas- and lots of information on their website. we've been enjoying stash teas for 20 years

My online source of loose tea is Upton tea. They are very good & have excellent service

Be careful with some of the teas. A friend of mine (original health nut before it was popular) decided to test out some tea for medicinal purposes. His son had just been diagnosed with bladder cancer. Needless to say he became dehydrated and his daughter had to take him to the doctor. Thankfully, the doctor was educated about herbal remedies and advised him about them.

Thanks for the posts so far. I am excitrd to get some variety.

I drink Irish Breakfast Tea. Have a five lb. bag in the pantry. Look online at Coffe Bean Direct. A large selection and good service.

I got a bunch of different teas at Teavana , at the Mall of America. They also have a shop in Burnsville Center. and you can order online. Also The Republic of Tea has a good variety, I ordered online ; they have round tea bags, and samplers. and loose teas. Very reasonably priced.