Kratom Powder vs Crushed Leaf: Which Is Better for Kratom Tea?

It is one of the most common kratom questions. You want to make kratom tea at home. Should you get powder or crushed leaf? The short answer is that both work. They are the same leaf, just cut two different ways. The difference is how the tea comes out in the cup and how much cleanup you want to deal with.

Here is a plain look at both, so you can pick the one that fits how you brew.

What is kratom powder?

Kratom powder is dried Mitragyna speciosa leaf that has been milled into a fine, flour like powder. It is the most common way kratom is sold. Ours comes in red, white and green vein Maeng Da, and it is plain leaf. Nothing is added and it is not an extract.

Because it is so fine, powder can be stirred straight into a drink or brewed into tea. The fine grind also means it gets into everything. If you brew it, plan on straining it well.

What is crushed kratom leaf?

Crushed kratom leaf is the same dried leaf, broken into small flakes instead of ground into powder. You will also see it called tea cut. It looks a lot like a loose leaf herbal tea. This is the older way of making kratom tea, where whole or broken leaves are steeped in hot water and then strained out.

Our crushed leaf is white vein. It is sold by weight from 1 ounce up to 5 kilos.

How each one brews

Both start the same way. Heat water, add the kratom, let it steep or simmer, then strain. The difference shows up at the straining step.

• Powder: it mixes into the water fast. A lot of very fine particles stay in the liquid. You need a fine mesh strainer and usually a coffee filter or cloth to get a clear cup. If you skip that, the last few sips will be gritty.

• Crushed leaf: the flakes are big enough to catch in a normal tea strainer or French press. The tea comes out cleaner with less sludge at the bottom. It usually needs a longer steep or simmer, since there is less surface area than powder.

Some people add a squeeze of lemon to the pot while it simmers. Others add honey or ginger after straining for taste. Kratom tea is bitter either way, so do not expect it to taste like a sweet herbal tea.

Is crushed leaf the same strength as powder?

Gram for gram it is the same leaf, so the leaf itself is the same. What changes is how much ends up in your cup. When you stir powder into a drink and drink it all, you take in the whole leaf. When you brew tea and strain out the leaf, some stays behind in what you throw away. That is why people who brew tea often use more leaf by weight than people who mix powder into a drink.

We are not going to tell you how much to use. Weigh what you use on a kitchen or gram scale so you know exactly what went into each pot.

Which one should you get?

It mostly comes down to how you like to do things.

• Get powder if you want one bag that can go into tea or straight into a drink, or if you want to try red, white and green vein side by side.

• Get crushed leaf if you only brew tea, you hate a gritty cup, and you already own a tea strainer or French press.

Plenty of people keep both: powder for a quick drink, crushed leaf for a slow pot of tea.

What about extracts?

Extracts are a different thing. A product like our 70% mitragynine extract is concentrated, so it is not the same as brewing leaf. It is measured in grams, not ounces, and it is made for people who already know kratom. If you are here because you want to brew tea, start with leaf.

Sizes and prices

Both are sold by weight, so you can start small or stock up.

• Kratom powder: 1 oz from $6.49, up through a pound, a kilo ($51.99), 2 kilos and 5 kilos. Red, white and green are the same price at every size.

• White kratom crushed leaf: 1 oz from $5.99, up through a pound, a kilo, 2 kilos and 5 kilos.

Need more than 5 kilos? Call us at (934) 259-8902 for bulk pricing. You can see everything else we carry in our kratom shop.

Pick it up in Port Jefferson

Live on the North Shore? You can skip the shipping wait and grab either one at Roots Kava Bar, 250 East Main Street in Port Jefferson, Suffolk County. We are open noon to 11pm Sunday through Thursday and noon to 1am Friday and Saturday. Call (934) 259-8902 to make sure your size is on the shelf before you head over. Directions and parking.

All kratom products at Roots are for adults 21 and older. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Quick FAQ

Can I use powder in a tea bag? Yes. Empty tea bags or a fine mesh tea ball keep most of the powder out of the cup.

Does crushed leaf work in a French press? Yes. That is one of the easiest ways to brew it.

Can I mix powder into a drink without brewing? Yes. A lot of people stir it into juice or a shake. Crushed leaf is too coarse for that and is meant for tea.