Tea
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The easiest way to make non-toxic, plastic-free tea is to brew loose leaf in glass, porcelain or stainless steel. Tea has done this for centuries. Gaiwans, ceramic teapots and glass pots never needed plastic in the first place.
Where plastic sneaks in is the modern stuff: electric kettles, mesh infusers, plastic brewers and some tea bags. Below are ten tools where your tea only touches glass, steel or ceramic, from the kettle to the cup to the tin.
Tea is made with near-boiling water, and heat is when plastic is most likely to shed. A 2019 McGill University study in Environmental Science & Technology found that a single plastic mesh tea bag steeped at brewing temperature released billions of microplastic and nanoplastic particles into the cup.
What those particles do in the body is still being studied, and I'm not going to pretend it's settled. But it's an easy exposure to skip, and glass, steel and ceramic make better-tasting tea anyway. No plastic smell, no off flavors.
What to look for: 304 (18/8) stainless steel, borosilicate glass, porcelain or glazed ceramic wherever water touches. A small food-grade silicone seal is common and far more heat-stable than plastic. A plastic handle that never touches the tea is fine.
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Every cup starts with hot water, so start here. In the Saki Luna, nothing but 304 stainless steel touches the water or steam: no plastic window, no plastic filter, not even a silicone seal. It also has the temperature presets tea needs, from green tea to a full boil.
Price range: about $150 to $200. Check for current prices. Cheaper plastic-free kettles are in Blog: Best Electric Kettle Without Plastic for Tea.
The simplest plastic-free kettle is one with no plug. The Buono is stainless steel from body to lid, works on gas, electric and induction, and its slim gooseneck spout makes careful pours easy for gaiwans and matcha. You'll need a thermometer or a little patience for green tea temperatures. Check price on Amazon.
Most mug infusers have a plastic rim or frame. This one is 18/8 stainless steel with an extra-fine mesh and no plastic parts. The only other material is a food-grade silicone lid that doubles as a coaster when you lift the basket out. It fits most mugs and small teapots. You can find it here.
Borosilicate glass with a removable 18/10 stainless steel infuser and a steel lid. It's stovetop safe on low heat, so it can double as a kettle, and watching the leaves open is half the fun. One liter, about four cups, and one of the most-reviewed teapots on Amazon. Check price on Amazon.
If glass feels too fragile for daily use, porcelain is sturdy and holds heat well. The Sweese is porcelain with a removable stainless steel infuser, plus a small silicone gasket that keeps the lid snug. At 27 ounces, it pours two mugs or three teacups. Sweese porcelain teapot.
Made in Japan from heatproof glass, with a glass lid and a fine stainless steel strainer that's perfect for sencha's small leaves. It's an affordable way into proper Japanese green tea. Not sure where to start? Blog: Sencha vs Gyokuro. Check price on Amazon.
A gaiwan is just a porcelain bowl, a lid and a saucer. No mesh, no seals, nothing but fired porcelain. This small set packs a gaiwan-style pot and cups into a travel bag, and the built-in filter holes catch the leaves as you pour. It's how I learned to brew, and it's still my favorite way. Start here: Blog: Gong Fu Cha: The Chinese Tea Ceremony That Will Slow You Down. You can find it here.
A French press makes a great teapot. In the Chambord, your tea touches borosilicate glass and a stainless steel mesh filter, inside a steel frame. The handle is plastic, but it sits outside the pot. Press the leaves down as soon as the tea is ready and pour it all out, or it keeps steeping. Great for iced tea and yerba mate too: Blog: Yerba Mate French Press. Check price on Amazon.
I love the AeroPress for tea. It makes a clean, fast single cup, and I wrote about it in Blog: Tea AeroPress. But the original and the Clear version are plastic. The AeroPress Premium swaps in a double-wall borosilicate glass chamber with stainless steel and aluminum parts. The plunger still uses a silicone seal.
The warning: that glass chamber is the fragile part. A tile floor or a hard sink edge can crack it, and it's not something you want to toss in a backpack. If you're clumsy, travel a lot, or have kids around, look at the AeroPress Steel instead, an insulated stainless chamber that won't break. Either way, pair it with a reusable stainless steel filter disc instead of paper.
Price range: AeroPress Premium about $180 to $210 (check for current prices). AeroPress Steel about $150 to $180 (check for current prices).
Plastic-free tea doesn't stop at brewing. Loose leaf usually ships in plastic-lined bags, so move it into metal. This classic Japanese tin has a double lid that seals out air and light, holds about 200 grams, and is wrapped in pretty washi paper. More storage ideas: Blog: Best Tea Storage for Loose Leaf Tea. Check price on Amazon.
The silky pyramid bags many premium brands use are often nylon or PET plastic, and plenty of regular paper bags are heat-sealed with a little polypropylene. Loose leaf skips the question entirely.
If you love the convenience of a bag, fill your own. These unbleached filter bags are wood pulp paper, heat-pressed with no glue, and compostable. Spoon in your tea, pull the string, done.
Building out a whole tea corner? Blog: Tea Bar Setup at Home. And whatever you brew in, water temperature matters most for flavor: Blog: Why is My Tea Bitter? It's Time and Temperature.
Do tea bags have plastic in them?
Some do. Silky pyramid bags are often nylon or PET, and many paper bags use a little polypropylene to seal. Loose leaf or glue-free paper filter bags avoid it.
What's the safest material to brew tea in?
Glass, porcelain or ceramic, and 304 (18/8) stainless steel. All are stable at boiling temperatures and don't flavor the tea.
Is silicone OK?
Food-grade silicone is far more heat-stable than plastic. If you want to avoid it entirely, go with a gaiwan or a ceramic teapot.
Is the AeroPress plastic-free?
The original and Clear models are plastic. The Premium (glass and steel) and the Steel (stainless) aren't, though both still use a silicone seal.
Are glass teapots safe on the stove?
Only if the listing says so, like the HIWARE. Keep the flame low and never heat it empty.
Homework: look at whatever touches your tea every morning. If it's plastic, pick one swap from this list and start there.
Much love, Josh
Keep Reading
How to drink yerba mate without a gourd or bombilla: brew it in a mug, AeroPress, French press or cold brew. Seven easy methods and when a gourd is worth it.
The best electric kettle without plastic for tea: six kettles where only stainless steel or glass touches the water, from budget to splurge.
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