Best Tea for Chai Makers: CTC vs Loose Leaf vs Bags — Which Wins?

Best Tea for Chai Makers: Loose Leaf vs CTC vs Tea Bags

Last updated: 2026-03-31

Finding the best tea for chai makers is harder than it looks. I get this question every other week on Instagram: "Which tea should I use in my chai maker?" And I understand why. Use the wrong type and your machine clogs, the filter gets gunked up, and your chai tastes nothing like what you make on the stove.

I tested all three types — loose leaf, CTC, and tea bags — over two months in both our Glass and Steel Auto Chai Makers. CTC wins, hands down. But the details matter, and there are a few tricks that make even loose leaf workable if that is what you prefer.

This is a straightforward guide. No fluff — just what works and what does not.

Quick Action Checklist

1. Make But the details matter, — But the details matter, and there are a few tricks...
2. Brew That fixed brew time — That fixed brew time means your tea needs to release...
3. Pick Pick the right tea — Pick the right tea from day one and you avoid all of this
4. Compare How Does CTC Compare — How Does CTC Compare to Loose Leaf?
5. Use After two months of — After two months of daily use with CTC, I have...
6. Dry The leaves absorb water — The leaves absorb water and expand to 3-4 times their...
7. Start Start with 1 teaspoon — Start with 1 teaspoon per cup instead of 1.5 and...

Why Tea Type Matters in an Automatic Chai Maker

An automatic chai maker is not a kettle. It has a brew cycle — water heats, moves through a filter or whisker, and extracts the tea within a fixed window (8-12 minutes depending on your model). You cannot keep it on the stove for 20 minutes like you would with a saucepan.

That fixed brew time means your tea needs to release flavour fast. If it takes too long to extract — as with full-leaf teas — you get weak, watery chai. If the leaves are too large, they expand during brewing and clog the filter mechanism. One Reddit user put it perfectly: "These machines aren't built for daily masala chai with loose tea — clogs every week."

The tea type also affects how your machine ages. Repeated clogging means more residue in the filter, harder cleaning, and eventually a machine that brews inconsistently. Pick the right tea from day one and you avoid all of this.

Here is what I found across 60+ brew sessions.

CTC vs Loose Leaf

Why CTC is the clear winner

CTC tea — Crush, Tear, Curl — is processed into small, dense granules. This is what 90% of Indian households already use: Tata Tea Premium, Wagh Bakri, Red Label. The granules are designed for quick extraction. They release colour, flavour, and body in 3-5 minutes, which is exactly the window an automatic chai maker operates in.

The small particle size also means CTC flows through the filter without getting stuck. After two months of daily use with CTC, I have not had a single clog in either the Glass or Steel model.

Why loose leaf is a problem

Full-leaf tea looks beautiful in a glass teapot, but in a chai maker it is a disaster. The leaves absorb water and expand to 3-4 times their dry size. This blocks the filter and whisker mechanism. Worse, the machine's brew cycle is too short for full leaves to release proper flavour — you end up with weak chai and a clogged machine.

If you absolutely love loose leaf, there is a workaround: drop a stainless steel tea infuser ball into the carafe. It contains the leaves and prevents clogging. But honestly, the chai will still be milder than what you get with CTC.

Fair warning about the steel infuser approach: It is risky — the infuser has to be set up carefully by closing the lid, and it should not reach the bottom of the carafe. If the infuser touches the bottom, it will come in contact with the whisker and affect the brewing process. This is why I call the steel infuser a workaround, not a recommended method. It works if you are careful, but CTC is still the safer everyday choice.

Tea bags — workable but not ideal

Tea bags technically work. The tea is contained, so clogging is not an issue. But the bag material restricts water flow, which means weaker extraction during the auto brew cycle. You are also paying Rs 8-15 per cup instead of Rs 2-3. And flavoured tea bags — avoid them entirely. The artificial flavours taste different when machine-brewed at high temperatures.

A word of caution with tea bags: They are not as hassle-free as they look. Tea bags can tear during the brew cycle, causing loose tea to leak into the carafe and create a mess. Even worse, a torn or loose tea bag can clog the whisker from spinning, which disrupts the entire brewing process. This makes tea bags unreliable for daily use in a chai maker — they are fine once in a while, but I would not depend on them.

What about dust tea?

Dust tea (the very fine grade below CTC) works in a chai maker — it extracts even faster than CTC. But be careful with quantity. Dust tea is so fine that it can make your chai bitter and overpowering if you use the same amount as CTC. Start with 1 teaspoon per cup instead of 1.5 and adjust from there.

Which Option Is Best for You?

Not all CTC teas are the same. Here are five brands I have tested in the Auto Chai Maker, with notes on flavour and price.

All five work well in the chai maker. If you want kadak masala chai, go with Wagh Bakri or Taj Mahal. For everyday use, Tata Tea Premium gives you the best balance of flavour and price.

One thing I noticed: store your CTC tea in an airtight container. If it absorbs moisture, the granules clump together and do not disperse properly during brewing. A simple steel dabba with a tight lid is all you need.

What Are the Key Benefits?

After two months of testing, here are the things that actually made a difference: Use 1.5 teaspoons of CTC per cup for the Glass variant (400ml). For the Steel variant (600ml), go with 2–2.5 teaspoons. Going above that does not make it stronger — it makes it bitter.

After two months of testing, here are the things that actually made a difference:

1. Use 1.5 teaspoons of CTC per cup for the Glass variant (400ml). For the Steel variant (600ml), go with 2–2.5 teaspoons. Going above that does not make it stronger — it makes it bitter. I personally found 1.5 teaspoons to be the sweet spot for the Glass variant. For the Steel variant’s larger 600ml brew, I go with 2 heaped teaspoons. But everyone’s taste is different — adjust up or down until you find your own perfect ratio.
2. For stronger chai, use more tea — not more time. The machine controls the brew duration. You cannot extend it. Adding an extra half teaspoon of CTC gets you kadak chai without bitterness.
3. Clean the filter after every use. Even CTC leaves behind fine residue. A 10-second rinse under the tap keeps the filter clear. Use the Self-Clean mode once a week for a deeper clean.
4. Add masala at the start, not the end. Drop your ginger, cardamom, or masala powder in with the tea before the brew cycle starts. The heat extracts the spice flavours properly. Adding masala after brewing gives you a fraction of the taste.
5. Do not use flavoured tea bags. Artificial flavours (strawberry chai, vanilla chai) taste off when brewed at the machine's temperature. Stick to plain CTC and add real spices if you want flavour.
6. If you must use loose leaf, use an infuser ball. A stainless steel mesh infuser ball (Rs 100-150 on Amazon) sits inside the carafe and contains the leaves. Not as good as CTC, but it prevents clogging.
7. Steel model for bigger batches. The Steel Auto Chai Maker brews 600ml (vs 400ml for Glass) with a slightly longer brew cycle of 10-12 minutes. The longer brew means better extraction — especially useful if you are making chai for 3-4 people.

Which Option Is Best for You?

If you are using an automatic chai maker — ours or any other brand — use CTC tea. It is what these machines are designed for. The granules extract fast, flow through filters without clogging, and give you the strong, kadak chai that most Indian households want.

For the specific brand: start with Tata Tea Premium or Wagh Bakri. Both are Rs 200-250 for 500g, widely available, and work perfectly in the Auto Chai Maker. That gives you roughly 150-200 cups of chai per packet — about Rs 1.50 per cup for the tea alone.

Pair that with our Auto Chai Maker and you have a setup that makes consistent chai every morning with no boil-overs, no babysitting, and no clogged filters.

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