Reddit mentions: The best chai tea

I marked things with a [w] if they're on my WL!

1. Something that is grey. China Glaze Polish Ecollection Recycle [w]
   
   
2. Something reminiscent of rain. Hehe, a watering can [w]
   
   
3. Something food related that is unusual. Miracle Noodles - they're these weird low-carb noodles [w]
   
   
4. Something on your list that is for someone other than yourself. Tell me who it's for and why. (Yes, pets count!) LARPing Book for my friend Dennis. His is missing several pages, which is very frustrating to him. He's endlessly dear to me. [w]
   
   
5. A book I should read! I am an avid reader, so take your best shot and tell me why I need to read it! Other People's Love Letters - doesn't that just sound romantic? :D [w]
   
   
6. An item that is less than a dollar, including shipping... that is not jewelry, nail polish, and or hair related! Mickey Mouse Cookies!
   
   
7. Something related to cats. I love cats! (keep this SFW, you know who you are...) SmartCat [w]
   
   
8. Something that is not useful, but so beautiful you must have it. Triple heart necklace <3 [w]
   
   
9. A movie everyone should watch at least once in their life. Why? Love Me If You Dare. Everyone should have more French film in their lives. It's a beautiful, artistic, funny, romantic movie. The main characters are hot.
   
   
10. Something that would be useful when the zombies attack. Explain. Cast Iron is heavy! [w]
    
    
11. Something that would have a profound impact on your life and help you to achieve your current goals. For exercise, way easier on my knees than the treadmill [w]
    
    
12. One of those pesky Add-On items. Awesome fabric softener - and I really want it, too! [w]
    
    
13. The most expensive thing on your list. Your dream item. Why? A Roomba. I have pets. I need to vacuum more often. I'm lazy. Also he would be my robot butler friend. I'd name him Alfred or Jeeves or Pennyworth. My cats would be afraid of him. [w]
    
    
14. Something bigger than a bread box. A mattress is quite a bit bigger! [w]
    
    
15. Something smaller than a golf ball. Pearl earrings [w]
    
    
16. Something that smells wonderful. Lilac and Lilies! [w]
    
    
17. A (SFW) toy. Cat toy! [w]
    
    
18. Something that would be helpful for going back to school. Chromebook! It's actually for when my husband starts college. [w]
    
    
19. Something related to your current obsession, whatever that may be. Filter for my new fishtank! [w]
    
    
20. Something that is just so amazing and awe-inspiring that I simply must see it. Explain why it is so grand. Electric bike so, my comment on this is: “Theoretically I would like to bike. Realistically I'd like to bike, except up hills. Oh, here we are!”. Right?! Also what they sell electric bikes on Amazon? Damn! [w]
    
    Bonus:
    
    Oregon Chai!

I am opinionated and think teavana has some good teas, but too many are covered in sugar and fruit and flavored drinks more than tea.

i do personally enjoy multiple teavana flavors though so don't be afraid.

if you want to try a variety of things i'd like to recommend

republic of tea (samplers)

tea forte (sampler, but more expensive)

my shop, i'd gladly put together samples for you http://www.amazon.com/Oregon-Chai-Original-Powdered-Envelopes/dp/B000HDOOL6

52teas.com

teavivre

arbor teas

teas etc

golden moon teas

give us some more ideas of type of green (Chinese, Japanese) and black (flavored, not) and i am sure we can help!

This goes two ways depending on whether you're lazy or willing to work for your coffee.

Are you a very lazy person?

Get some ready-made decoction from Amazon. Boil water, mix a little decoction. Done. It's much better than Nescafé.

Are you willing to put in some effort? You need to buy beans, grind them yourself and use an espresso machine.

Beans: Blue Tokai is very good, but expensive. I've heard Koinonia is good, too, but it is again expensive. Devans has good coffee and is cheaper, but are sometimes inconsistent on the roast. The Coffee Gatherer is probably the cheapest source of good beans, but they don't roast well at all. This may or may not matter very much to you.

Grinding mill: buy a dedicated burr grinder. Use it only for grinding coffee. I have this. It's good enough but you can buy bigger and more expensive ones.

Espresso machine: I have a Tecnora. It's cheap and very good, builds great pressure, makes great espresso. You can dilute the espresso to make Americano. Machines from other brands in the same price range don't build up enough pressure and make a very weak Espresso.

I also have an Aeropress which I used for years. People swear by it, as I did, but the espresso machine makes much better coffee. I also used a French press before. It makes gritty and bitter coffee, and leaves grounds in so it keeps brewing as it sits. If you tend to sip large cups over a long while French press coffee is the worst.

Hello there! I'm a huge tea fan and I still sub to /r/coffee even though I had to drop coffee for health reasons about 18 months ago (oh how I miss it).

But I'm a huge Chai fan and I'll be honest with you - I am yet to find a home concentrate & milk combo that beats the simple packets from the Indian company Quick Tea.

I keep these packets around and mix with hot water. They have powdered milk and sugar so they're just the right bit of sweet and actually creamy (for being just water-mixed). All the right flavors - black tea, cinnamon, cardamom, and black pepper.

Always in stock at your local Asian grocer and super cheap! Head to the Indian aisle.

thanks for the contest! good luck in training! :)

I am always in need of tea concentrate, so I will need some again in a few months. :)

the duck is alive

I LOVE this stuff. It's like powdered Christmas. Big Train Spiced Chai

And now I can't stop thinking about how nice it'd be to be sipping on that while playing with these... Pentel Arts Aquash Water Brushes 😀

Yaupon is great, I like this brand they make a good chai too.

Its a holly plant that grows native in North America (Only native plant with caffeine), so you can get your local/organic/sustainable talking points if you're into that (and its fairly cheap), it has about as much caffeine as green tea but a more mild flavor with fewer tannins so you can steep it longer.

I am also a big fan of using it as a mixer. Goes pretty well with bitters, whiskey, some kind of fruit juice sweetener, and/or a bit of seltzer.

That's how I feel about coffee. If you have not tried Chai, please do as it tastes awesome.

I got a red tea version (rooibos tea) and my TBM wife even drinks it along with all the kids. I prefer the black tea version as I feel it has stronger health benefits, plus it's the one against the WOW.

Who needs revision?!

I'm relaxing because I'm sick and feel awful. ;-;

Buy some tapioca pearls and chai tea to make some nice, relaxing boba tea!

This Stitch flash drive is awesome because it's 8 GBs and also adorable!

One of the only places in the US that tea is grown is Charleston, SC. You can actually buy American made tea.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charleston_Tea_Plantation

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004EJVYU8/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_awdo_t1_j5PQCb3DX0AM0

If you are feeling like this isn't American enough, Yaupon is the only native North American plant to have caffeine. Yaupon comes mainly from Florida and Texas, so it's about as conservative as you can get. Find it on Amazon. It doesn't taste as floral as tea. The classic version tastes more like the smell of fresh cut grass, but what's more American than that?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ilex_vomitoria

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M7OZPS8/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_awdo_t1_t4PQCbHDJA5CH

Finally, ginseng is typically a Chinese herb, but Wisconsin has become globally known for it's production of Ginseng. Wisconsin is one of the most well known states in the world because of it's ginseng popularity in China. This being said, the trade war is hurting ginseng farmers in Wisconsin, so if you buy ginseng tea, buy Wisconsin ginseng tea. You can buy it direct from the farmers or on Amazon. Just make sure it is grown in the US.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B017T7OU48/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_awdo_t1_w2PQCbGBP5FK7

None of these are especially conservative owned, but all are from states that voted Trump. South Carolina, Florida, Texas, and Wisconsin.

Celestial Seasonings is a personal favorite tea maker, and they export American tea to places like Canada, but they are probably a bit more liberal as they are based in Denver. Also, while they may source as locally as possible, their tea plant comes from foreign countries.

i've had a vanilla chai tea from wickedhotvapors.com it was pretty spot on chai flavoring. with just a little bit of vanilla. I like my chai tea with quite a bit of cream and sugar, but this was more like drinking something like this without any cream, maybe a bit of sugar. it was surprisingly accurate though.

I know it is a powder, but have you tried [Big Train's Spiced Chai] (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001E5DXH2/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=3LSI7AHCWJS9W&coliid=I2333CU5CP2S5L) I think it was the best chai latte I had made from a powder. And it taste even better when brewed with eggnog.

Chai tea is pretty great. You ought to give this tea a try if you got the cash for it. It's ultra spendy, but absolutely delicious.

Each brand is a bit different. Stash tastes like cinnamon tea, and I like mine a bit more complex. I use Tea India's Masala Chai.

Much like coffee it's better to use more solids and a shorter time than to oversteep.

Never had bubble tea but sometimes I'll mix a third or a half packet of this chai tea powder with a meal of Soylent and it makes it taste pretty good, especially with some peanut butter added. I think a full packet is 90 calories.

Tea-consumer ethics question! I know a bunch of you are tea retailers, and I'm particularly interested in hearing your take.

I love Tao of Tea's 500 Mile Chai. I love it so much that I recently got a full pound bag of it, and have already made a solid dent in it. However, I hate making new accounts for online tea stores, so I buy it on Amazon instead of direct from Tao of Tea. Surprisingly, it's cheaper on Amazon -- $23 instead of the $36 it would be from Tao of Tea. This makes me uncertain whether it's moral for me to buy from Amazon instead of Tao directly. Does it hurt Tao of Tea significantly? Should I feel fine buying from Amazon? I'd like to hear some opinions, as I don't want to screw over Tao of Tea.

another suggestion for powdered mix:david rio

there are lots of different flavors. i like sugar free, so orca spice is my favorite.

You know what you need? You need a good cup of tea. It'll relax you and make you feel better in general. Which is something we all need

That's my usual choice (Tesco sell it in their world food aisle if you have a large enough one near you) but I recently tried the Tea India one and have found it quite pleasant (much cheaper in Waitrose than the Amazon prices!)

I picked this up at an organic grocery store. I think its delicious. Might be more traditional than you want if you're coming from Starbucks or Teavana but it tastes really nice. It has a little scoop inside. Last a long time.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0049K99RW?pc_redir=1411127139&robot_redir=1

I use Sugar Free Oregon Chai Tea Latte, made with 1/2 HWC and 1/2 sugar-free, sweetened almond milk (total amount according to the directions). Then I add a tablespoon or two of coconut oil and blend it.

If I'm feeling energetic, I'll pre-blend the HWC until it just starts to thicken, then quickly blend in the rest.

Amazon link to Oregon chai Vanilla concentrate:

I have worked at a coffee shop. What we used was chai latte concentrate and steamed milk. That bottle looks like the kind you buy cold. So, you could always just mix ice, concentrate, and milk together. I promise it will be the same or better.

I work at Starbucks and we use 2% milk (default), chai tea concentrate (Water, Black Tea, Cardamom, Black Pepper, Ginger, Cinnamon, Cloves, Natural Flavours, Star Anise), Sugar, Honey, Ginger Juice, Natural Flavours, Vanilla, Citric Acid) and ice for the drink.

You can make it with any kind of presweetened chai tea concentrate like Tazo’s Classic Chai Tea Latte Concentrate (https://www.amazon.com/Tazo®-Chai-Tea-Latte-Concentrate/dp/B000T3KTJA).

Blue Lotus Chai. It's very very strong! And a little goes a long ways. I think it's worth the price. https://www.amazon.com/Masala-Chai-Blue-Lotus-Gluten-Free/dp/B0049K99RW?th=1

I'm drinking Rishi masala chai for the first time as I type this. It may not be bitter enough for you as it's fairly balanced but the flavor is quite pronounced and spicy. Long and pleasant finish. I find myself "chewing" it as I sip, there's a lot to absorb.

edit: I take my tea with milk so this might fit the bill in terms of bitterness if you take it straight.

It's neither Oolong nor Mate but my wife and I make Rishi's Masala Chai by the pot.

That's the tin. If you like it, the 1lb bag is what gets us through the winter.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0049K99RW/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00

I haven't recieved it yet, don't know if its any good.

Have you tried the Tazo Chai Latte mix (http://www.amazon.com/Tazo-Chai-Latte-Concentrate/dp/B000T3KTJA) ? I usually add milk to that and warm it on the stove top.

The only thing I can think of is water poisoning. Look at the "Risk factors" area. But I think you will be fine.

Maybe do some Tazo Tea, Spiced Black Chai Tea Concentrate, 32oz with soy milk (I could drink the whole thing in one day it's that good) to change it up and add a little more nutrition as well.

Super delayed, but I found the name of the chai concentrate and it's available on Amazon or directly through the maker.

Big Train Spiced Chai Tea Latte, 1.9 Lb (1 Count), Powdered Instant Chai Tea Latte Mix, Spiced Black Tea with Milk, For Home, Café, Coffee Shop, Restaurant Use https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003SRHDMK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_bcvJBbF68QJCH

I've found the same company/maker at Costco as well but it was in a different container.

I never did coffee until a couple years ago.

A lot of the places do their chai lattes with a concentrated box liquid that they add the milk to - for example, starbucks uses this.

https://www.amazon.com/Oregon-Chai-Concentrate-Sweetened-Sucralose/dp/B003Q4TWF6 some of this stuff with any choice of milk

I get these Oregon Chai latte mix packets

thank me later