A health food store nearby where I work sells loose tea leaves, hibiscus tea (green tea with hibiscus) and chamomile as well as plain green tea leaves. I love green tea but I'm not sure the best way to prepare the loose tea leaves. the lady at the store said I could just put boiling water in a travel coffee mug and put maybe 2 or 3 tablespoons of leaves In there and let it sit for 10 in then drink, and I see a lot of Asian tourists doing this as well in the city I work in but is the best way to do it? it sounds like simple water extraction, that should do the trick right?
you should get a tea brewing kettle. cast iron ones are probably the best, but some are pretty expensive. either something like this: https://www.google.com/search?q=tea+iron+cast#q=tea+iron+cast&tbm=shop or like this: https://www.google.com/search?q=glass+teapot&tbm=shop you add the desired amount of tea to the basket (which is inside the teapot) pour in hot water and let it brew. http://www.sevencups.com/about-tea/brewing-tea/
You can get disposable bags or a metal tea ball so that there's not a shit ton of leaves in your tea Sent from my iPhone using Grasscity Forum mobile app
You can get one of those strainer tea balls, or a tea jar with a screen on the top to filter out leaves. Or just put the leaves in the hot water, let it brew and strain them out with a sieve. Doesn't matter. In China, many people drink looseleaf tea and just spit the leaves into a cup. You could do that if you want, though people might look at you weird here. Or get a kind of tea where the leaves sink to the bottom (I know many green teas do) and then you don't have to worry about it.
Put it straight in or buy a metal screen. My grandmother just puts it in and doesn't drink it all the way and just refills her cup with hot water when it gets low.