The 14 Best Loose Leaf Teas

Best Black

Taylors of Harrogate Yorkshire Gold Loose Leaf Tea

$14 at Amazon

Yorkshire Gold has been a trusted and beloved black tea blend for decades. It's the higher-end version of Yorkshire Red, which is also produced by English tea company Taylors of Harrogate. Gold has a versatile and malty flavor, balancing heartiness with a hint of astringency. It's actually milder than Red and focuses instead on notes more subtle and nuanced. But it's still robust enough to pair well with milk and sugar without tasting watered-down.

While there are far more expensive black teas out there which surpass Yorkshire Gold's quality, this is the best option for a well-priced, everyday cup with a gourmet feel. The bags of loose leaf are sold in two sizes, 250 or 1,000 grams. Yorkshire Gold is also available in tea bags if you like to keep both options around.

Size: 250 or 1,000 grams | Origin: More than 20 locations, including India, Sri Lanka, Kenya, and Rwanda | Organic: No

Best Green

The Republic of Tea Honey Ginseng Full-Leaf Tea

$13 at Amazon

Combining the gentle earthiness of green tea with a sweet touch of honey, this loose leaf blend from The Republic of Tea appeals to all tea drinkers. It's approachable for those who are new to green tea and possibly leery of its innately grassy flavor. It's also well-rounded and smooth enough to please longtime green tea lovers. The inherent sweetness of the Honey Ginseng blend makes it an excellent choice for iced tea, as well. As a bonus, it doesn't contain any sugar.

The tea is reasonably priced and widely available—though, perhaps more common in bagged form. It's sold in two sizes: a 50-serving tin and a 200-serving bulk option. Unfortunately, it's not certified USDA organic, but the brand has several other green teas that are.

Size: 100 or 453.5 grams | Origin: China | Organic: No

Best Gourmet

Rishi Tea & Botanicals Nishi First Flush Sencha

View on Rishi-tea.com

This first-flush sencha showcases exactly why loose leaf is worth experiencing. It's difficult for bagged tea to create the same fullness of flavor. Even though Rishi Tea & Botanicals sells many excellent teas in bagged form, a tea of this quality is only available in loose leaf.

The Nishi First Flush Sencha, which is a green tea varietal, has a rich and enveloping umami flavor. It's grown on an organic tea farm in Japan owned by the Nishi family—hence its name. First-flush tea is especially desirable because the leaves have the liveliest flavor.

One of the few possible criticisms of this tea is that it's expensive, but that's expected given the quality. You can also steep the leaves twice, although the second cup may be slightly more astringent.

Size: 50 or 250 grams | Origin: Kagoshima, Japan | Organic: Yes

Best Earl Grey

Art of Tea Earl Grey Crème Tea

$21 at Amazon

Earl Grey is typically made with black tea leaves and bergamot oil, the latter of which comes from the rind of a bergamot orange. These two simple ingredients have been enjoyed together for the past 200 years. When Art of Tea created its Earl Grey Crème blend, however, the brand took this two-century-old recipe and threw in an extra touch: French vanilla. The hearty and sweet flavor is a welcome addition to Earl Grey's usual briskness, yet the vanilla is subtle instead of overpowering. The blend also includes cornflower petals for a beautiful color to match Art of Tea's stylish tea tins.

This organic blend is sold in three sizes that include 71, 113, and 453.5 grams. The two larger sizes come in pouches instead of the brand's artisanal tins, however.

Size: 71, 113, or 453.5 grams | Origin: Proprietary blend | Organic: Yes

Best Sampler

Tea Forté Single Steeps Tea Chest

$28 at Amazon View on Teaforte.com

Tea samplers are the best way to test different varieties and blends that you might be curious about, and our favorite option comes from Tea Forté. This box contains 28 packets of loose leaf tea, each one individually portioned to brew a single cup. The convenience is similar to that of tea bags; all you need is a trusty tea infuser.

We especially like this sampler because it has a balanced collection of varieties. There are nine black teas, nine green teas, eight herbal teas, two white teas, and one oolong tea—the majority of which are organic. And if you're interested in experiencing teas of a more specific type, Tea Forté offers 10 different sampler boxes like this one.

Size: 28 single-serve packets | Origin: Varies by tea | Organic: 23 out of 28 teas are organic

Best Rooibos

Tea Forté African Solstice

$18 at Amazon

Rooibos (pronounced "roy-boss") is an herbal tea that's naturally caffeine-free. The flavor is a unique combination of sweet and nutty, which Tea Forté complements with a variety of ingredients that range from tart to floral in creating its African Solstice blend. Notes of blueberries, elderberries, and rose hips stand out in each sip, softened a bit by the fragrant addition of rose petals. A hint of vanilla is also detectable in this all-organic tea, which Tea Forté lists as one of its bestsellers.

African Solstice is sold loose in two sizes of 100 and 453.5 grams. The brand also offers it in large tea pyramids, which provide a more thorough steep than standard tea bags.

Size: 100 and 453.5 grams | Origin: South Africa | Organic: Yes

Best Organic

Numi Breakfast Blend

$30 at Amazon View on Numitea.com

From bagged to loose leaf, every single one of Numi's teas is organic. We chose to highlight the brand's Breakfast Blend because it has an all-around appeal, similar to English breakfast tea. The main difference is that Numi uses Darjeeling tea instead of Kenyan, which adds a sweeter, muscatel flavor to the overall robustness. It's high in caffeine, aptly named to get you going in the morning. The Breakfast Blend, like other Numi teas, is Fair Trade Certified, too.

One of the few drawbacks is that it's only sold in a large 1-pound bag. If you're interested in sampling the tea without that large of a commitment, it's sold in tea bags, starting with an affordable 18-count box. The flavor may not be as strong as the loose leaf version, though.

Size: 453.5 grams | Origin: Assam, Ceylon, Darjeeling, and Anhui Province, China | Organic: Yes

Best Chai

VAHDAM Original Masala Chai

$15 at Amazon $10 at IHerb $20 at Macy's

There are many minor variations on masala chai out there, but Vahdam sticks with the basics for this blend, adding five simple but high-quality ingredients: cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, black pepper, and Assam tea. It checks all the boxes longtime chai drinkers look for: sweet, spicy, and malty. The tea also pairs well with milk and sugar if you lean toward chai lattes.

Vahdam's Original Masala Chai is available in two sizes, 100 or 340 grams, both of which are reasonably priced. The same blend is sold in tea bags, as well. If this tea piques your interest, Vahdam makes numerous other types of chai, including vanilla, earl gray, double chai, and more.

Size: 100 or 340 grams | Origin: India | Organic: No

Best Peppermint

Teapigs Peppermint Leaves

$14 at Amazon View on Hivebrands.com

The brisk aroma of Teapigs Peppermint Tea will hit you as soon as you open the box. The ingredient list is easy to remember—nothing but peppermint leaves—and it shows. The flavor is vibrant, and since it doesn't have any caffeine, you can drink it to wind down before bed.

There are only two small size options for this tea. One yields about 25 servings, the other around 50. So depending on the amount of tea you drink, you may have to restock every month. Teapigs also sells its Peppermint Tea in biodegradable tea temples, the largest of which also yields around 50 servings per box.

Size: 50 or 100 grams | Origin: Not specified | Organic: No

Best Oolong

Brook37 The Atleier Moonlight Stroll

View on Brook37.com

Oolong tea is commonly referred to as a bridge between black tea and green tea as far as strength and taste go, making it a terrific option for all sorts of tea drinkers. Our favorite oolong tea is Moonlight Stroll from Brook37 The Atelier. It's a single-estate tea, which means all the leaves are cultivated from the same garden—in this case, one located in Darjeeling—giving it a purer and more consistent flavor. To take the quality a step further, the leaves for Moonlight Stroll are, aptly, only plucked at night under a full moon to ensure they're never exposed to sunlight after being harvested.

Upon opening the 50-gram tin, you'll be greeted by an aroma that's fruity and gently evocative of peaches yet crisp like black tea. This dynamic flavor comes through in every sip, which we tried ourselves firsthand. I spoke with Mou Dasgupta, founder and CEO of Brook37 The Atelier, who recommends steeping 2.5 grams of Moonlight Stroll at 196 degrees for four minutes.

Size: 50 grams | Origin: Darjeeling| Organic: Yes

Best Herbal

DAVIDsTEA Calming Chamomile

$23 at Amazon

Known for its soothing properties, chamomile is one of the most popular herbal teas. This one from DAVIDsTEA uses large, fragrant chamomile flowers for a delightful cup you can drink at any time of day, especially right before bed. It's organic, caffeine-free, and produces a lovely golden color when steeped.

This chamomile is on the expensive end, but it's sold in three different sizes, the largest of which is slightly more cost effective. The chamomile is sourced from Croatia, which, along with Egypt, is among the most prominent exporters of the flower.

Size: 50, 100, or 250 grams | Origin: Croatia | Organic: Yes

Best Jasmine

Harney & Sons Dragon Pearl Jasmine

$29 at Amazon $23 at IHerb

To make this delicate and fragrant tea, Harney & Sons hand-rolls jasmine petals with green tea and white tea into small balls, known as dragon pearls. The tea unfurls when steeped, diffusing its floral and gently sweet flavor throughout the cup. Keep in mind that this tea contains a mild amount of caffeine. It's certainly not enough to keep you buzzing all night, but some may be surprised that a tea this mellow has even a smidge of caffeine. Harney & Sons Dragon Pearl Jasmine is sold in three loose leaf sizes, as well as four other sizes if you're interested in tea sachets.

Size: 112, 227, or 453.5 grams | Origin: Fuan, China | Organic: No

Best White

Tealyra Bai Hao Yin Zhen Silver Needle Tea

$27 at Amazon View on Tealyra.com

White tea is the lightest and most delicate type of tea, partially because it's less processed and oxidized than other varieties. The most coveted type of white tea is Silver Needle, like this one from Tealyra.

The reason Silver Needle is so popular—and, unfortunately, expensive—is because it solely consists of the fuzzy white buds of the tea plant, not the leaves. It imbues a complex but easily palatable flavor, in this case similar to dried apricot (it's not as intensely sweet as a fresh apricot).

Tealyra offers this organic tea in four sizes ranging from 25 to 200 grams. It's a little pricey no matter the size, but for those interested in a top-of-the-line white tea, look no further.

Size: 25, 50, 100, 200 grams | Origin: Fujian Province, China | Organic: Yes

Best Sweetened

DAVIDsTEA Brown Sugar Bourbon Tea

View on Davidstea.com

This black tea blend combines flavors that evoke the holidays, but luckily it can be enjoyed year-round. Two Chinese black teas, one of which is a hearty pu-erh, are paired with several sweet ingredients for a unique and dynamic cup. Standout notes include vanilla, caramel, and brown sugar. These sweet elements, particularly the brown sugar, mix with the tea's inherent maltiness to create a gentle bourbon-like undertone.

The tea is crafted by DAVIDsTea and is available in a 100-gram tin or 48-gram pouch. The brand recommends steeping it at 200 degrees for three to five minutes. Note that it contains ingredients certain tea lovers may avoid, namely nuts and dairy. There are also some finer pieces that slipped through my infuser when I tested a sample, but it wasn't nearly enough to affect the cozy experience of this Brown Sugar Bourbon Tea.

Size: 48 or 100 grams | Origin: China | Organic: No