• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
CoffeeAndTeaCorner
  • Coffee Facts
  • Coffee Products
  • Coffee Types
  • Coffee Drinks
  • Tea Facts
  • Tea Products
  • Green Tea
  • Black Tea
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Tea
  • Coffee
  • Green Tea
  • Herbal Tea
  • Black Tea
  • Coffee Drinks
  • Tea Products
  • Coffee Products
  • Coffee Types
  • Starbucks
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
search icon
Homepage link
  • Tea
  • Coffee
  • Green Tea
  • Herbal Tea
  • Black Tea
  • Coffee Drinks
  • Tea Products
  • Coffee Products
  • Coffee Types
  • Starbucks
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
×

Home » Tea facts » Why You Should Never Squeeze The TeaBag (Solving The Mystery)

Why You Should Never Squeeze The TeaBag (Solving The Mystery)

Modified: Sep 24, 2020 by CoffeeAndTeaCorner · This post may contain affiliate links ·

Have you ever heard about the one with the squeezed teabag ?

Apparently you're not supposed to squeeze it.

You're also not supposed to let it sit in you teacup more than it needs to.

But why shouldn't you squeeze the teabag after it's done brewing ? After some very interesting research, here's what I found.

teabag

Table of Contents

  • So why should you not squeeze the steeped teabag ?
  • 1. Tannins may make the tea more bitter
  • 2. Etiquette plays a role too
  • 3. You risk getting tea leaves in your tea
  • Final thoughts

So why should you not squeeze the steeped teabag ?

You should not squeeze tea bags or tea leaves, as you will release more tannins. This will make the tea become more bitter, and will darken the tea as well.

The end result is much like oversteeping - a tea that is too strong, too bitter. 

If you're using black tea, then you're definitely getting a big serving of tannins. If you're worried about that, don't be. They're fairly harmless if you don't go overboard.

There's more to this old debate than just tannin content, so lets get into detail.

1. Tannins may make the tea more bitter

When you brew tea, and use a teabag, you will most likely dunk it a few times, and then once it's done you might want to squeeze the life out of it.

Just for fun.

And flavor. You paid for that flavor, dammit.

But, especially with black or dark teas in general, tannins may get released in greater numbers if you squeeze the teabag.

Now, this does have a basis in truth, in that hot water moving rapidly through tea leaves makes the compounds release faster.

But the amount released by squeezing the teabag is negligible.

As in, you won't ruin your tea by squeezing the teabag, because you've got more tannins in it. You run a greater risk of contaminating the tea with whatever is on your hands, like hand cream or some food.

What are tannins  and why do they matter ?

They're a sort of antioxidant, much like the ones found in green tea. Too many of them can get your tea bitter and astringent. In short, it's something that must be kept in balance, otherwise your cup of tea won't be very good.

Respecting proper brewing methods will make sure your tea doesn't get bitter.

(If you like this article so far, you can pin it to your Pinterest board by clicking the image below. The article continues after the image.)

teabag

2. Etiquette plays a role too

Another reason, and I think this is more likely than the tannins, is that it's just bad manners to squeeze the teabag.

Especially when in company.

But we all do what we like when not in company, don't we ?

Like wearing pants, not squeezing the teabag is something you need to observe in polite company.

And after all, who wants to see you doing that ?

This has also led to the assurance that the tea isn't contaminated by food, or dirt, or whatever else is on your hands at the time of making tea.

Even something as unimportant as lotion can become an odd flavor in your tea, if tea drops trickle down your hands into the tea.

An annoying rule, I know, but apparently very useful.

3. You risk getting tea leaves in your tea

Yet another reason - they just keep coming - is that most people don't really know when to stop squeezing.

So they end up with broken teabags, which spill their contents into the tea.

Which will, again, ruin the tea.

I'm guessing that by all accounts it's just better not to squeeze the thing, and just be safe.

After all, who wants bits of tea to choke on ?

Final thoughts

Up until researching this topic, I never really stopped to think whether I squeeze the teabag or not.

But I did. So now I'll continue to do so, but be very careful to not break the teabags.

I also don't use black tea or green tea in teabags, only loose leaves. The only teabags I have are herbal/fruity teas.

So no harm done there.

If you want to know more about coffee or tea, feel free to check the related articles below. Who knows what else you might find ?

More Tea facts

  • What Is CTC Tea ? - Beginner's Guide To CTC Black Tea
  • How Is Tea Made - Each Tea Type, Discussed And Explained
  • Sencha VS Matcha - 7 Differences To Tell Them Apart
  • Shade Grown VS Sun Grown Tea - 4 Crucial Differences

Sharing is caring!

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email

Primary Sidebar

About Me

coffeeandteacorner

My name is Alexandra, and this site is born from my love for tea and coffee.

I've grown up with tea, and discovered coffee only in college. But I have a hard time picking a favorite between the two.

That's why you'll find articles both on coffee and tea, respectively.

I hope you'll enjoy these articles at least as much as I enjoy writing them for you.

Have fun, and have a great day !

Categories

  • Black Tea (19)
  • Coffee Drinks (55)
  • Coffee Facts (79)
  • Coffee Products (11)
  • Coffee Types (5)
  • Green Tea (30)
  • Herbal Tea (25)
  • Starbucks (4)
  • Tea facts (79)
  • Tea Products (4)

Copyright © 2023 Coffee and Tea Corner | All Rights Reserved | This site is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.