Best tea 2020
Which is the best tea in the UK?
View the best offerReview of the 10 best teas to buy in the UK
The top 10 list of the best teas compares various manufacturers and prices
Review10Best compares the best teas in the UK and nominates the one by Yorkshire Tea as the best tea. In our teas review, you can read more about our experiences we made with the different teas and follow our recommendation on which tea to buy in the UK in 2020. With the tea comparison, you can be sure to buy the best tea on the market and save a lot of money if you buy it online.
Table of contents
- Read the ultimate tea buying guide
- View our tea picks and see how they rank in the top list
- See other reviews related to teas
- Watch recommended videos about teas
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Best teas: A complete buying guide
All you need to know before buying a great tea
Tea is one of the most popular drinks in the entire world, being the second most consumed beverage after water. Given its long-lasting popularity, it’s safe to say that tea is very enjoyable, with a variety of flavours available to suit every palate.
Choosing the best tea is very subjective. Originating from many countries and available in countless flavours, deciding which tea you like best is usually a case of trial and error. However, buying a great tea is much easier if you know what to look for in the product!
What are teas?
Tea is beverage produced by pouring boiling water over cured tea leaves. All tea comes from a single plant (Camellia sinensis) native to Asia, although the plant is now widely grown throughout the entire world, and the leaves can be treated and processed in many ways to achieve unique types of tea. There are many varieties of tea available, all of which provide their own distinct aromas and flavours. Herbal teas are infused with herbs and fruits, resulting in very flavourful beverages.
Why should you buy a good tea?
The best tea beverages are not just delicious and refreshing, they also offer some health benefits. For instance, green tea is rich in antioxidants that help keep the body healthy, while studies suggest a range of other health benefits gained from drinking tea, such as protection against cardiovascular diseases, cancers, and possibly even Parkinson’s disease.
To gain these benefits, the tea much be actual tea, meaning it shouldn’t be infused with other plants (e.g. herbal mint tea.)
How to choose the right tea?
Choosing a good tea is all about personal preferences, so it can be difficult to know what to look for without trying it first. Here are some things to consider that make choosing a good tea that bit easier:
- Health Benefits: If you are seeking health benefits from tea, then the best tea to go for is those that are produced using only Camellia sinensis leaves. This includes, black, white, green, and oolong tea, with green and black teas usually being the most popular for health benefits. Avoid herbal teas and any other tea infused with other ingredients if you are seeking mainly health benefits.
- Flavour: A great tea flavour for one person isn’t always enjoyed by everyone, so it’s important to consider the overall flavours when buying tea. For example, black teas usually have the strongest flavours, while white and green teas tend to be milder. Herbal teas offer distinct flavours that are often quite pleasant, with fruit and herb infusions offering a delicious tasting beverage. Remember, teas can be mixed with milk and other ingredients to create more unique flavours. Black tea often pairs great with milk, although you may prefer the more pronounced flavour of straight tea.
- Preparation: A common misconception is that all tea requires boiling water and cup to make. While true with some types of tea, there is a lot of different ways to prepare tea, with factors such as tea type, water temperature, and the duration of infusion all impacting how you make it. Make sure you have the necessary items to make the tea, as not all tea comes in a bag ready for infusion, and be sure to check the preparation instructions before you buy.
What is the best kind of tea in the UK?
All tea comes from a single plant, but the there are many varieties to this plant and different ways to process (namely oxidization) the leaves, resulting in many types of tea. However, pure tea can be categorised into four main types:
- Black Tea: The best tea for anyone starting out, this is the most widely consumed type of tea. It’s dark in appearance and comes with the strongest flavours, while caffeine content is typically higher too. Black tea is great on its own or can be combined with milk, sugar, or lemon.
- Green Tea: Green tea has not been oxidized, resulting in high levels of antioxidants and other minerals and vitamins, making it one of the healthiest teas out there. It comes in a pale green or yellow colour, and comes with a light flavour and body. Green tea tastes best when drunk without any additives like milk or sugar, although lemon and honey can make a pleasant addition.
- Oolong Tea: This partially oxidized tea can vary in flavour and colour based the duration of oxidization. For instance, darker oolong that tastes similar to black tea has been oxidized for longer, while shorter oxidization leads to a milder tasting beverage similar to green tea. It can be steeped to produce a very unique tea as well, so there is plenty of choice when it comes to oolong tea.
- White Tea: Having been processed the least, white tea offers the mildest flavour and lightest colour of all teas. It tends to have a very low caffeine content but is high in antioxidants, and should be drunk without adding anything to preserve the flavour.
Top 10 list of teas in the UK (June 2020)
Our top 10 list shows how manufacturers and their teas rank and which tea is the best.
- We are a member of Ethical Tea Partnership - Rainforest Alliance & Kosher Ce…
- We've built relationships with some of the top tea estates in Africa and India to…
- Seriously refreshing & kind to the people who grow it - we go to great lengths…
- An assorted collection gift set of individually wrapped speciality Pukka teabags,…
- We are proud to be 1% for the planet. The packaging comes from renewable sources…
- 100% organically grown and ethically sourced ingredients. Vegetarian, kosher and…
- SUSTAINABLE: At Tetley, we strive towards creating not merely the perfect brew but…
- ETHICAL: We are committed to working with the Rainforest Alliance and The Ethical…
- MORE THAN JUST A CUPPA: Discover our wide range of delicious natural fruits, herb…
- We support our lovely tea farmers, ensuring that they earn just wages, with access…
- PG tips tea is made with tea leaves from rainforest alliance certified estates
- Our signature one cup blend, designed for perfect brewing times out of home
- At Twinings, we recognise Twinings responsibility to source ethically and Twinings…
- Great Taste Award Winner 2019- This tea is made from premium quality teas sourced…
- Mornings deserve Twinings. Perfect for that all important first cup in the morning…
- Wholly organic tea
- 100% natural ingredients
- Hand picked luxury tea
- Also includes Strawberry and vanilla green tea, White hibiscus and peach green tea,…
- Varieties include: Sweet rhubarb infusion tea, Rose lemonade infusion tea, Mandarin…
- Variety packs include six tea bags of each variety
- Wholly organic tea
- 100% natural ingredients
- Hand picked luxury tea
- At Twinings, we recognise Twinings responsibility to source ethically and Twinings…
- We've made this tea so strong it can be brewed for just 1 minute, in case you're…
- Mornings deserve Twinings. Perfect for that all important first cup in the morning…
- 12 boxes with 12 Tea bags in each
- An attractive selection pack containing a variety of teas
- Black tea, green tea, flavoured Teas.
iAffiliate link. We participate in the Amazon Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. There are no additional costs for you. For the top 10 list we consider only products that are available on Amazon while the ranking is based on factors such as customer reviews, number of sales and keyword. Last Update. 2020/06/04 13:39. o'clock.
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