Althaus Pure Teas

Althaus Tea is a German tea company with a commitment to sustainability, organic sourcing, and above all, excellence in tea. They’re a member of the German Tea Association with a goal of having 75% of their catalog organic by 2026. There’s a lot more to say about their sustainable practices, but Althaus themselves actually say it best. The topic of this article, Pure Tea, is Althaus Tea’s line of accessible organic teas that are designed to make it easier than ever to brew and enjoy high quality tea at home while supporting a company that’s dedicated to minimizing their impact on the planet.

Compared to coffee, tea has significantly less caffeine, so if you're looking for some low-caf or decaf alternatives for your afternoons and evenings, Althaus' Pure Tea line has a wide range of black, green, and herbal teas that you can sub in for your coffee. 

The Story Behind the Names

A signature of Pure Tea is that each variety is named after a person; these names add a playful but also very personal element. The team at Althaus chose each name from people who they’ve met and collaborated with personally in order to ground the tea and its story to a person.

There is actually a Namira, a Jinjin, a Bongani, and so on, so you get to know their stories and their tea better as you try each one.

Easy to Brew

If you take a look at the steeping instructions, you’ll notice that every Pure Tea starts the same way, add a 1 tea pouch to 0.4L of water just off the boil. Steeping times vary, but everything else remains the same. Each pouch is calibrated with the correct dose of tea or herbal ingredients between 1.5 - 3.5g so you simply drop in the pouch and steep for the recommended time.

If you’re an espresso machine owner, this workflow is great for a few reasons. First of all, espresso machines can produce hot water on demand. And, if you own a heat exchanger or dual boiler machine, frequently dispensing hot water from the tap keeps the water in the boiler fresh and eliminates the need to periodically flush it. Having some tea on hand is likely to be appreciated if you find yourself entertaining guests who aren't coffee drinkers.

Brewing with Kettles

If you brew pour-over coffee at home, you likely own a digital kettle with variable temperature settings. While Pure Tea is intended to be easy to brew regardless of your chosen variety, if you feel like experimenting with steeping times and temperatures to tease out different flavors from your teas, having a digital kettle like the Varia AURA Flux Edition will allow you to program your temperature to the exact degree.

Pure Teas

Black Teas

Black tea is generally what most people tend to think of when applying the blanket term “tea.” Made from certified organic black tea, Pure Tea offers a variety of robust and crowd-pleasing black teas like English Breakfast, Earl Grey, Darjeeling and Chai. These teas are delicious when drunk straight or paired with some cream and a sugar cube.

Green Teas

Herbaceous and naturally lighter and lower in caffeine than black tea, green teas are beloved for their grassy and floral flavors. Pure tea offers both fragrant traditional green teas and a juicy mango flavored tea with more fruit-forward character. These delicate teas are delicious when enjoyed on their own. We recommend experimenting with steeping temperatures around 170° - 180° F for the expression of more delicate flavors. 

Herbal Teas

Herbal teas are a flavorful and decaffeinated alternative to the traditional tea plant. Althaus offers a wide variety of delicious herbal teas including invigorating Rooibos, soothing peppermint, and juicy berries and vanilla to name a few. If you’re looking for nighttime friendly teas that are delicious hot and on ice, you should definitely check out Pure Tea’s herbal offerings.

Final Thoughts

Having worked at Whole Latte Love as long as I have, I'm happy to see tea making a return to our catalog. Pure Teas in particular are an easy way to go the extra mile with your espresso machine, all while enjoying premium organic tea. Whether you love tea, you're looking to cut back on caffeine, or simply trying some new flavors, I'm happy to say that it's tea time at Whole Latte Love!

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