Reinventing the Tea Bag

I was at Whole Foods yesterday doing some tea shopping (really… I ran out) and noticed a few kinds from Ineeka. This is not a company I had tried before (I generally drink Ito En) but the packaging was so cool I could not resist. I ended up with the Darjeeling, but there were a few other options available.

While the tea is good, I have to admit I was more impressed with the product design. The tea is not loose, rather it comes in 14 single-serving packages. Nothing too unique, until you check out the bags…

The bags have paper arms on the sides that fold out in order to make them into a single-use filter. In essence it is not that different from the function of a normal tea bag but now the tea inside is effective loose because before placing the tea in your cup you tear off the top and the let the leaves float around in the open bag while it steeps. By opening the top you are also able to pour the hot water directly onto the leaves without them scattering, which helps to make a fine beverage.

At $9.99 for 14 bags the tea is rather expensive, but if you appreciate fine packaging and brilliant product design, it is worth checking out Ineeka.