When Were Tea Bags First Used? (Solved & Explained!)

Have you ever wondered about tea bags? When were they invented? Where were they invented? Why were they invented?

Tea bags were first used in the early 1900s. There were a few different tea merchants that used them. The first tea bags were meant only to give small samples. They were not intended to be put in the tea. Tea bags were initially only in the United States.

The history of the tea bag involves more than just the last 120 years. From the reasons to invent a tea bag to the reasons they became popular, tea bags have changed tea drinking forever.

Before The Tea Bag

Tea has been around for a long time. For most of the history of tea it was served loose leaf, with no container. Sometimes it would be left in the teapot. Other times tea leaves would be strained out before the tea was served. 

Tea infusers were popular in the Victorian area up until the invention of the tea bag. Tea infusers came in a few different shapes. Tea baskets, tea balls, and tea eggs were some of the most popular. 

Tea infusers were usually made of metal. They had an attached chain that would be used to remove the tea after it had steeped long enough. The biggest problem with tea infusers was that some tea would slip through the strainer. 

Where Were Tea Bags Invented? 

Tea bags were invented in the early 1900s in the United States of America. They were invented by a tea merchant in New York. Tea bags were a hit in the United States. However, they took a few decades to catch on in Europe.

Tea bag popularity in Britain was most influenced by the Tetley brand. Tetley was one of the first and biggest tea companies to introduce tea bags in the United Kingdom. The popularity of the tea bag was slow to catch on. 

Why Were Tea Bags Invented?

The invention of tea bags was partly an accident. Loose leaf tea that would be measured out and then put into small or large bags for the customer to take home. Customers would then scoop out the tea they would use and put it into an infuser. 

A few different tea merchants tried putting small amounts of tea into little fabric bags as samples for their customers. Some even went as far as to apply for a patent. 

Tea bags were invented for a number of reasons. Some tea merchants had convenience in mind when they started sending samples in tea bags. They wanted their customers to be able to steep tea quickly and easily. 

Some merchants were thinking about the clean up. Tea bags meant less of a mess when making tea. Some merchants were considering the best way to advertise their new teas. They sent samples of new teas in small bags in order to entice their customers to come shopping.

In 1908, Thomas Sullivan mailed out samples to his customers in small bags. His intention was for his customers to open the bags and put the tea in an infuser. Some customers just dropped the bags into their tea pots. Many of the customers loved the idea of individual tea bags. 

How Were Tea Bags Invented?

The only complaint that the customers had was that the mesh of the original bags was too fine and didn’t steep well. Thomas made some adjustments and sent out more tea bags. It took some time to find the right balance for the mesh. 

Thomas wanted to make his customers happy. He knew they wanted the mesh to be looser. However, if he made it too loose then too much tea would be left in the cup. Ideally, tea bags would prevent the waste of tea. Each tea bag would hold just enough tea.

Initially, there were two main sizes of tea bags. Thomas Sullivan produced tea bags sized for tea pots and tea bags sized for individual cups. 

The Evolution of the Tea Bag

In the 1920s, larger companies began to pick up the tea bag and commercially produce it for their customers. The first tea bags were hand stitched and made of fabric. 

In 1929, a German tea company created a machine for making small, individual paper tea bags. 

Lipton Tea is credited with the idea of putting the tea steeping instructions on the little paper tags that were attached to the tea bags. 

As tea bags grew in popularity, they became more and more common. Some companies remained loyal to using the highest quality tea, even in tea bags. Other companies started using lower quality tea in the tea bags. Lower quality tea meant being able to sell cheaper tea and still make a profit. 

In the 1950s, tea bags began to grow in popularity in Britain. It was the 1960s, before tea bags really caught on. Convenience was the key reason tea bags became popular in the United Kingdom. 

The Humble Tea Bag Today

As tea bags were introduced to Britain they were only about 3% of the tea sold. Whereas in the United States around the same time, tea bags were more popular than loose leaf tea. 

More recently tea bag popularity in both countries significantly outweighs loose leaf tea. Interestingly, tea bags are more popular now in the United Kingdom than they are in the United States. 

Fun Tea Facts

The following tea and tea bag facts might surprise you.

• 96% of all tea drunk in Britain is in a tea bag form
• 65% of all tea drunk in the United States is in tea bag form
• 51% of tea drinkers in the United States prefer tea bags
• 20% of tea drinkers in the United States only drink tea from tea bags
• China produces the most tea in the world
• India drinks the most tea in the world
• India is the number one producer of packaged tea (tea sold in tea bags)

Conclusion

Despite the trend of lower quality tea in tea bags that plagued the last half of the 1900s, the early 2000s have seen a marked difference. Tea bags have started moving in a higher quality direction. 

With the growth and popularity of reusable tea bags, metal tea infusers have become more popular in recent years. However, tea bags changed tea around the world and are here to stay.