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Tea Bags, Fill Your Own? Yes, You Sure Can – And Not Everyone Knows
It’s lovely to be able to brew your tea with high-quality loose leaves calmly, and this is the way that I prefer to purchase, prepare, and enjoy mine every chance I get. But when you’re out and about, at the office, or short on time … tea bags, fill your own is the way to go! These little portable tea infuser bags are lifesavers, and I’m so glad that I found and tried them.
These are my favorite ones, but there are several other good ones to choose from also on Amazon.
When I’m at home, no problem, I know I have my favorite things to heat up my water, measure and steep my leaves, etc. I’m a happy camper at home with my tea! But then when I’m away from home, whether at work, on vacation, or wherever I am that isn’t home, I am left to figure out other means by which to brew my leaves.
This predicament mostly happens when working, since one doesn’t have a whole heck of a lot of time, to just leisurely step away from duties and calmly make yourself some tea. Perhaps in a perfect world, but not in this one!
So, to solve this annoying little lack of time, no time to brew, but want to enjoy my leaves anywhere & everywhere I go issue; I resorted to other means. You know how it is; you gotta do what you gotta do!
I hadn’t yet discovered the tea bags fill your own method using empty tea infuser bags, so I purchased BPA free plastic containers that I could put my tea leaves into and keep some always on hand at work. Eventually, I graduated to fancier (and prettier) metal travel containers.
Needing to streamline the prep process, I also had a cute little mesh ball strainer (got lots of compliments on it from co-workers) for popping my leaves into for brewing and straining.
Oh, and I shouldn’t forget to tell you about my thermometers. I always keep one handy (click here to quickly see one on Amazon) to make sure I use the correct temperature for the type of tea I’m preparing. They work great for water, are inexpensive, are accurate instant-read thermometers, easy to see and show both Fahrenheit and Centigrade but honestly, at work, I pretty much just wing it most of the time. That’s right, lack of time!
After so many cups of hot water heated in the same microwave, I pretty much know right down to the second how long it will take to get my water to 170-175 degrees Fahrenheit for my green tea.
The challenge is to not let it steep for more than a minute, or it will become bitter. So of course, it usually never fails, the phone rings, someone or something needs my immediate attention, and there goes my perfect cup of tea! Damn it! Another cup of bitter and less satisfying green tea, but I do not let it go to waste No siree; I drink it down to the very last drop anyway!
Finally, after I’ve drunk my second cup of green tea and if lucky, the second one was perfect, I now need to empty my leaves (save for composting) and go rinse out my little metal ball and mug so that they will be ready for tomorrow.
After several years of going through this ritual at work or when traveling, I came across another brilliant little option that I couldn’t believe I hadn’t thought of before! That’s right, TEA BAGS, FILL YOUR OWN!
Not that I didn’t like my process, it’s just that when you’re not at home and pressed for time, the whole thing becomes less enjoyable. So you have to figure out a way to make it work better so that you can keep enjoying what it is you’re enjoying!
Disposable Tea Filter Bags everyone! I am so darn happy that I discovered these little guys. Like really, really happy! Yeah, I know they’ve been around forever, and I feel like a fool for not having had the light bulb go off earlier, but you know the saying “The master will show up when the student is ready”? Well, in my case, it was the fillable disposable teabag that showed up!
If you haven’t yet tried these fillable tea bags, and you are a committed loose leaf tea drinker (heck, even if you’re just starting), you should try them now! You won’t be investing a fortune to give them a go, as they’re very reasonably priced.
Besides, I’m pretty sure you’ll love these tea bags to fill yourself! Nothing not to love about the tea bags fill your own method! You can even pop them into your favorite tea maker (on occasion) instead of measuring your loose leaf tea when you’re in a hurry! They work great in the awesome Breville Tea Maker.
My favorite ones are the BStean Disposable Tea Filter Bags
The natural wood pulp filter paper they are made of is strong and 100% unbleached which means less nasty chemicals in my tea. They have a nice long string at that top that you can wrap around and tie securely. The cute little clip they include is useful if you want to secure the bag to the cup’s edge or handle. Not a huge necessity, but functional and fun.
These tea infuser bags are a lot easier and neater to deal with than a strainer ball (or any other type of strainer) since you just use and toss. Plus, even though I thoroughly wash and disinfect my strainers, these fillable disposable tea bags just seem to be a more hygienic option when you’re on the go. Another convenience is that you can buy them in the size that you will find most convenient for your tea drinking.
This is a short video if you’d like to watch the tea bags fill your own method in use:
The Medium size which measures 2.75” wide and 3.15” high, will fit (quite easily) two to three teaspoons, if you want to fill it with even more tea, choose the Large size ( 3.35” wide, 4.32” high). The larger sized bags would probably come in very handy for making full teapots of tea or when you’ll be using the larger travel mugs.
Now, let’s say that you buy these tea bags to fill yourself and discover that you just don’t like them, and won’t be using them for your tea drinking. You can always return them or, you can get creative and put them to use for you in other ways. Here’s a few to try:
- Scented herbal bath bags or scrub bags for your tub bath or shower
- Sachet bags to throw into your drawers, your handbags, your suitcases, your car, etc.
- Use to keep jewelry in. Especially those little backs of pierced earrings that are forever getting lost
- Hold small office essentials like thumbtacks, paper clips, etc.
- For those of us who cook, they make a great packet for your bouquet garni
- Orchid fertilizer bags (my personal favorite). Offers slow release feeding since potted orchids have a porous growing medium where otherwise, fertilizers are not as effective
And these are just a few off the top of my head. I’m sure you could probably come up with several more uses depending on your lifestyle, needs, and hobbies.
So bottom line, whether it’s for your loose leaf tea drinking enjoyment or something entirely different, the tea bags fill your own method – tea bags to fill yourself are the bomb! Do yourself a favor and give them a try 🙂
Click here to read my post: Are Tea Bags Biodegradable? Eco-Friendly Minds Want to Know