Buying Bulk Tea: Ultimate in Cheap Drinking
I am a tea snob. I admit it. I love drinking tea, and generally drink a minimum of 12 cups a day. At this point, I’m pretty sure it’s an addiction. Fortunately, it’s not a terribly expensive addiction. I practically live in the bulk tea section of the grocery store, where there are 24 silver bins full of tea and delicious possibilities.
Buying tea in bulk allows me to sample a wide variety of teas without paying too much for a type I may not like. I purchased 31 cents worth of lapsang souchong the other month, and I’m fairly certain I’ll have it for at least another month if not longer before running out. 84 cents of rooibos was enough to last me more than a week straight of drinking just this tea.
When I decide on a tea I like, even a modest supply isn’t terribly expensive. More recently, I picked up a scoopful of tea that costs $129 a pound! Sounds ridiculous, right? Enough of this blend to last me a month worked out to $2.10. Compared to the myriad brands of tea available, the bulk section offers a wide variety of flavorful teas for incredibly cheap.
From the tea section in the store, I picked up a measuring spoon and a strainer. One spoonful in the strainer is enough to fill my favorite mug three times over, or about 8-9 cups total. The special spoon ensures that I don’t use too much tea each time so I know I’m getting my money’s worth out of each cup. When I’m done, the used tea leaves go in the compost bin to be used later on for the garden. This cuts down on waste too, because a stainless steel strainer is reusable, unlike a filter bag, and when I’m done each bag of bulk tea, the bag goes with me on the next shopping excursion to be refilled.
Don’t have a bulk tea section in your grocery store? Try brewing your own tea. One of my favorite teas is merely dried lavender flowers. Simply pick a few sprigs, allow it to dry for a while and steep the blossoms by letting the boiling water cool for a minute or two and then allowing the lavender to step for another minute or two (it doesn’t really change color so you have to time it).
If you want to be more adventurous, Country Living has a great article on brewing your own herbal teas. This is the ultimate in cheap tea drinking as you’re using greens and herbs you already have to brew something delicious (though admittedly, it takes a false start or two to figure out proportions). You can also wind up with some beautiful colors for your tea, making it just as nice to look at as it is to drink.
Photo Credit: Elizabeth Byrne
I love roiboos tea! I just got back from Holland and this is what they call “regular” tea over there.
I’m a little concerned about your 12 cup a day habit, Elizabeth! Maybe you and I can start a beverage rehab program, because I’ve developed quite a coffee addiction after being in Holland for 3 weeks. (Real coffee, not the green kind you smoke in the coffee shops in Amsterdam . . . just wanted to clear that up.)
I am a big fan of hibiscus tea. We dry the flowers from our hibiscus plant and brew our own tea, but it takes about 4-5 flowers to make 1 cup of tea, so you kind of have to save up for this. We dry the flowers by laying them out on a cooling rack for a few days. You can do this with other herbs, too, like peppermint. I like your suggestion of lavender tea. I’ll have to give this a try.
The lavender is definitely one of my favorites. It smells so good and is so soothing at any time of the day. I’ve never tried the hibiscus tea, but I’m intrigued. I have to admit though that I always remember my mom drinking peppermint tea, which we called toothpaste tea and I could not stand it so I don’t think I’l be trying that any time soon but you’re right, it is another good option for growing your own tea.
A friend of mind gave me a bag of moujean tea which I discovered I enjoy a great deal. It’s just the leaves of a plant of the same name and it has a delightfully light and lemony flavor.
And hey, 12 cups isn’t too bad. After all, like Lucy’s post the other day, you have to hydrate and I’m just compensating for not liking plain water as much. I’m pretty careful about not becoming a caffeine junkie.