How Much Should Good Loose Leaf Tea Cost? What Price Actually Tells You

Loose leaf tea can cost very little or a great deal, sometimes within the same category. A price alone tells you less than people assume. Here is what actually drives it, and how to judge value.

What makes tea cost more

• Harvest timing. Spring pickings are often the most prized and the most expensive. Late-season tea is generally cheaper.
• What is picked. A pick made mostly of buds takes more leaf and more labour per gram than a mature-leaf pick.
• Plant age and place. Teas from old trees and named mountains carry a premium. Because "old tree" is an easy claim to make, look for detail, not adjectives.
• Processing labour. Hand-fired, hand-rolled or heavily roasted teas take more skill and time than machine-made ones.
• Age. For pu-erh, a well-stored older tea costs more, which is why reading about aged tea and fakes matters.
• Scarcity and fame. A famous name pushes the price up regardless of the cup. See Da Hong Pao for an example.

How to compare value

1. Compare per gram within the same category and year. A package price tells you little. 2. Think in sessions. If you use 5 g per session, then a 100 g bag is 20 sessions. A gongfu session gives many small infusions, so the price per cup falls fast. For a fair comparison with a tea bag, see loose leaf vs. tea bags. 3. Compare tasting amounts. A sample set costs more per gram, but it protects you from buying a large amount you will not like.

Signs of poor value

• A very low price for a tea described with very high claims.
• A very high price with no origin, year or harvest information.
• Leaf that is mostly broken or dust.
• Vague words, such as "premium", with nothing behind them.

Signs of good value

• Clear origin, year and processing on the listing.
• Photos of the dry leaf that match the description.
• Brewing instructions that are specific.
• A seller who says plainly what they do not know.

Where to spend and where to save

Spend on the tea first, then on one good gaiwan. Save on gadgets you may never use. Start with a first-order guide or with what to check when buying Chinese tea online. You can see the whole range in the tea shop.