Gift Guide
Gift Buying Guide
Where to Start
Buying tea as a gift can be a bit intimidating, but we’re here to help! We’ll highlight the two main aspects of giving the gift of tea: tools and tea.
If the recipient is already a tea lover then you probably don’t have to get them any tools – just the tea! Feel free to skip to that section, though it never hurts to gift a tea lover with an extra mug or a spare infuser.
Tools
Just like coffee, cocktails, and fresh lemonade, you do need some tools to make a cup of tea:
- Kettle or saucepan
- Teaspoon
- Mug
- Infuser
Fortunately, most people already have 3 out of 4 of these tools in their kitchen! The only thing missing is usually the infuser, and we’ll cover your options shortly.
First, we’d like to address what often seems like the biggest hurdle for tea making: heating the water. Most Americans don’t have an electric kettle, but you can still make tea without one. While a kettle is the easiest way to boil water, heating water in a saucepan on your stove works just as well. We don’t sell kettles, but you can find one at just about any major retailer, often for less than $20. If you’d like to add one to your gift then we definitely recommend it, the recipient will definitely appreciate it as kettles have so many uses beyond making tea!
Infusers
While our infuser selection is much smaller than our tea selection, it can still be difficult to know which one to buy. That’s why we put together this brief guide to help you find the right one:
Overall Pick: Wide Rim Infuser
The wide rim of this infuser lets it fit in just about any size mug (obscenely large novelty mugs excepted), making it the perfect fit no matter what type cup you use. It also fits into most teapots, though the lid won’t be able to fit while the tea steeps.
Tea On-the-Go: Magic Tea Maker
The Magic Tea Maker is fantastic for making tea to go in a tumbler. While the Wide Rim Infuser can be used with tumblers, they tend to be very tall which makes it more difficult for the water to circulate during the steeping process. Here’s how it works: the tea steeps inside the Magic Tea Maker, and when it’s done all you need to do is set it on top of the tumbler and the tea will automatically drain into your cup. Of course, this isn’t just for to-go teas – you can use it with any mug or teapot.
Budget Pick: Small Ball or Tong Infuser
The remarkably affordable Ball or Tong Infusers are a great choice if you’re on a budget or gifting multiple people. Whether you get the Ball or the Tong is up to you; the Ball has a small chain that dangles out of the cup like the string on a tea bag, while the Tong has a long handle that diffuses heat so it isn’t hot to the touch. The small size is the right size for any mug, as the large size is best suited for teapots.
Everything Except the Kettle: Tea Starter Set
Including not just the Wide Rim Infuser, but also an Official London Tea Merchant Mug and a teaspoon, this bundle has all the tools needed to get started with making loose leaf tea – except for the kettle or saucepan!
Teas
There are so many teas in the world, so how do you find one that you know someone else will enjoy? The truth is that you can never know for certain if the recipient will like the tea that you get them (unless they asked for it specifically), but as long as you know them then it’s easy to find the right flavor profile to match their style.
We offer most of our teas in three sizes: sample, small, and large. If you were to make an 8oz cup of tea, then the sample has enough loose tea to make about 5 cups, the small makes about 25 cups, and the large makes about 100 cups.
The sample sizes make for great gifts, and we even have a few curated sampler sets that work great as gifts. The small size works best if you feel confident that the recipient will like the tea. If you happen to feel both confident and generous, then the large size is bound to make the recipient very happy!
If you're looking for a variety pack of teas, then look no further than our samplers. These curated bundles include six sample size bags of some of our favorite teas.
We know that our sampler packs may not have what you're looking for, which is why we also put together this guide to help you find the right tea for the right person:
Coffee Drinkers
People who love coffee will enjoy our strongest teas.
The Traditionalist
Tea will be served at 4pm sharp. Pinky out!
The Adventurer
Unusual flavor profiles mean that these teas aren’t for everyone, but nothing ventured means nothing gained!
The Great Outdoors
These have the essence of the outdoors: bonfires, autumn leaves, and grassy fields.
Sweet Tooth
No sugar is needed with these sweetened teas.
You Need to Calm Down
While tea is a calming experience, sometimes you need something to make you extra serene.
Flower Power
These teas capture the aroma of a garden in a cup of tea.
99% Approval Rating
Lastly, if you’re just not sure which tea to get, then try one of these three. They are our top selling teas, and just about everyone likes them. It’s hard to go wrong!