Start here! Best tasting tea for beginners
This post contains affiliate links, which means Steeped Dreams earns a small commission if you purchase with these links or discount codes. But don’t worry - there’s no cost to you! Please know all opinions in reviews on Steeped Dreams are genuine and not influenced by affiliate partnerships.
Tea is second in the world only to water in terms of how often it’s drunk [1]. And the vast majority of American households - 80% to be exact - have some sort of tea at home.
Tea has been a favorite beverage worldwide for as long as anyone today has been alive, spanning traditions and cultures. But what if you’re in that small minority of people who have never gotten around to enjoying this delightful brew? Or, what if you just (*gasp*) don’t like tea?
Don’t fret! There are hundreds of teas from which to choose, each with its own flavor and health benefits. The best part is that a cup of tea will only cost you about three cents to make at home [1].
Here’s how to get cozy with the world’s most popular non-water beverage - tea.
General tips to get started with tea
While there isn’t a single way to enjoy tea, getting familiar with some standard best practices can ensure your tea is at prime flavor and quality. There are a few tips that science tells us makes the best cup of tea, as well.
1. Use filtered water
Water plays a big role in tea’s taste, aroma, and quality [2]. Filtered water is the best way to go, as it removes chlorine and other minerals found in tap water that can change tea’s taste. Hard water can also leave a nasty layer of scum on the top of your cup of tea.
2. Decide between tea bags and loose leaf
Tea beginners may be lured by the convenience of the tea bag and scared away by the steeping ware needed for loose leaf tea—all very valid perspectives. Let’s face it, tea bags are so much easier. But what if I told you that you can enhance your tea with loose leaf tea?
One study published in the Journal of Food Science and Technology found that tea leaves had more room to swish around and steep with loose leaf tea vs tea bags, resulting in that deeper, more satisfying taste [3].
3. Follow correct steep times
The Tea Spot includes amount of tea, ideal water temperature, and steep times for their teas directly on the packaging.
How long you leave your tea leaves in hot water (steep time) impacts your tea flavor, caffeine content, and antioxidant levels [4]. While many people use the color of their tea water as an indicator of whether or not tea is ready to drink, it’s a little more complex than that. Steep time also depends on the type of tea, with herbals taking several minutes longer than a Ceylon black tea, for example.
Tip: Don’t worry too much about memorizing steep times. Your tea’s packaging will almost always give you a range, such as 3-5 minutes.
4. Learn about health benefits
Different tea types have different health benefits and effects. For example, green and black teas are great choices for energizing stimulants due to their caffeine content [5]. Herbal teas can have stress-reducing and soothing effects. Before chugging a cup of matcha before bed (please don’t), be sure to familiarize yourself with how each tea impacts your body.
5. Start with a tea sampler
As a newbie entering uncharted tea waters, the sheer selection alone is overwhelming. Luckily, there are tons of tea sampler packs to choose from that include a wide variety of teas, so you don’t have to risk buying a type you won’t drink. While tea doesn’t technically expire, it does lose flavor and quality over time if you don’t use it [6].
Get started with a tea sampler like this one from The Tea Spot that bundles some of the best tasting teas for beginners in adorable little tea tins that won’t go to waste. The Signature Tea Sampler includes a black tea blend, twist on Earl Grey, rooibos blend, white tea blend, fruity green tea, and yerba mate chai.
Most likeable teas for every taste
These teas for beginners not only have a delightful taste that most people can agree on, but are generally easy to find online and in stores.
Green tea: Sencha
Sencha is your standard Japanese green tea and a gateway green tea to more sophisticated varieties like oolong or hojicha. It’s a caffeinated tea with a clean, refreshing taste that also works well for iced tea. While bottled green teas are often solid with a bit of sweetener or honey in stores, sencha tastes best pure and with no add-ins.
Black tea: English Breakfast
A whole 84% of tea consumed in the United States is black tea, so it’s not surprising that it’s a highly likeable tea for beginners as well [1]. I recommend English Breakfast tea for an energizing morning cup that doesn’t lean too bitter or thin. Add a bit of sugar and a dash of milk to complete this comforting black tea tradition.
Best in lattes: Chai
Most people are already familiar with this latte favorite, especially in the fall, so a step closer in the tea direction is an easy transition. If you’re making chai tea at home, loose leaf with real spices will give a more concentrated kick than tea bags. Froth your own milk with sugar for more of the coffee shop taste or pour in some milk straight from the fridge. Chai even without sweetener and un-frothed milk is still delicious, so experiment with what works for you and save $$$ by making it at home.
Timeless classic: Earl Grey
Taste a delicious spin on Earl Grey in The Tea Spot’s Signature Tea Sampler!
The man that Earl Grey tea was named after, or the real Earl Grey, lived in the early 18th century. Earl Grey tea is a wonderfully citrusy black tea, infused with bergamot oil and sometimes lavender. It’s typically drunk with milk and sugar, and you may also see Earl Grey scented candles and pastries in chic shops too. I’ve never met someone who doesn’t like Earl Grey tea, so I would strongly recommend this tea to beginners!
Fruity herbal: Rooibos
Unlike green, black, and oolong teas that all come from the same caffeinated tea plant, rooibos stems from its own South African bush and has no caffeine at all. It has an almost fruity taste and while on its own rooibos can be a bit strange for tea beginners’ taste buds, it’s an absolute hit in herbal blends. If you like flavored water and soda, rooibos can be a great flavorful substitute!
Try The Tea Spot’s Blood Orange Smoothie Rooibos blend in the Signature Tea Sampler that tastes and smells like a delicious orange creamsicle. There’s no need to add any milk or sugar and you can enjoy iced or hot.
(Bonus) Tastes like coffee: Chaga ashwagandha mushroom tea
This exotically named blend is the perfect place to start for tea beginners who want to start with a tea that tastes like coffee. While black tea will give you a similar robust brew, this nutrient-packed herbal tea has the most coffee-like taste and body that I’ve tasted in a tea. Although there is no caffeine, the chaga mushroom combined with other botanicals give a natural energy boost (along with a lot of other good stuff).
Coffee drinkers may certainly be raising an eyebrow at a mushroom tea that tastes like coffee, but trust me on this one. Teeccino is the perfect tea brand for coffee fanatics curious to dip their toes in tea.
-
[1] Tea Fact Sheet 2021. Tea Association of the USA, www.teausa.com/.
[2] Keating, Brian, and Long, Kim. How to Make Tea. United States, ABRAMS, 2015.
[3] Yadav, G.U., Joshi, B.S., Patwardhan, A.W. et al. “Swelling and infusion of tea in tea bags.” J Food Sci Technol 54, 2474–2484 (2017). https://doi-org.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/10.1007/s13197-017-2690-9
[4] “How You've Been Making Tea WRONG Your Entire Life - BBC.” YouTube, 14 Jan. 2019, youtu.be/Fhuc6qOGNPc.
[5] “Tea.” Linus Pauling Institute, Oregon State University, 1 Jan. 2021, lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/food-beverages/tea.
[6] McKay, Diane. “How Long Can You Store Tea before It Starts to Lose Its Taste and Nutritional Benefits?” Tufts Now, Tufts University, 2 Dec. 2015, now.tufts.edu/articles/tea-storage-length-time-fresh-nutrients.
![[Review] Firebelly Tea - Sleekly designed functional blends](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6008e4b84dfdb80938cd0442/cdd4b217-3704-40dd-b11e-bc18ff413610/firebelly+tea+review.JPG)
![[Review] Harney & Sons - Paris tea and two similar blends](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6008e4b84dfdb80938cd0442/5cf20e59-ce49-4fba-b9dc-16f1f43a1349/harney+tea+with+plant.JPG)
