(Part 2) Reddit mentions: The best tea samplers

Always great to see another new fan. I'm fresh off the boat too, but I've learned a lot in the past few months. I only got my first Gaiwan days ago but already love the little thing and since they are cheap I highly reccomended the Crimson Lotus starter Gaiwan posted somewhere here (I just placed an order for myself too). They're good for asian teas, or if you want to make some tea for yourself. With my Gaiwan I can get anywhere from 7-12 seepings of tea and I'll drink those leaves throughout the day, I'm not feeling pressured to get the best value out of my leaves by having three large cups of tea.

But infusers are also nice. I have a Adiago which can come with a handly little starter set if you opt in. Good if you're making tea for friends.

If you want tea samples, Verdant and Good Life Tea offer cheap ones, $5 and $7 which should help you decide if you're an oolong person or a green person or a stereotypical british fellow drinking the Queen's own Earl Gray.

A good place to buy tea from is Amazon Prime. Lots of tea shops online will offer free shipping on orders over a certain price, but if you're not planning on buying $49 worth of product then Amazon is great. You'll find a good selection of tea you can buy in bulk, perfect if you just wanna quick fix of good tea, and they have a good selection of higher quality tea too.

Just some examples, but Amazon really does have good bulk tea. Lots of vendors, lots of them using Amazon prime.

You can buy 2LB of Gunpowder Green tea on Amazon for only $20, two day Amazon prime delivery and no shipping cost. That's a great price.

White Peony 2LB for $32 is what I really want to try next.

Davidson has a great selection of bulk teas too, Irish Breakfast.

But I'll warn with buying teas in bulk, if you buy too much you better have some people you can pawn it off on. The prices are so cheap on Amazon, and the quality is fairly good but soon you'll realize that it takes months to drink a simple pound of tea. The more tea you buy know the less you'll get to buy in the future because that 5 LBs of tea you bought will take you years to finish. Try not to buy too much bulk tea, if you decide green is your favorite then look at a handful of green reviews on amazon, research their tastes and find which one is best for you.

I'm back after a few days of work! For one let's talk a bit about price. Some of the teas people are going to recommend will look super scary on the price since loose tea is bought in dollars/oz or dollars/gram. It turns out the super market tea bags are not as cheap as people think.

• The fanciest Lipton bags (yellow label) are $1.15/oz on Amazon. That's not too bad. Twinings loose leaf is about $2/oz.
  
• Lipton's fancy Pyramid Bags are $12.40/oz!!! Definitely not worth it IMHO. $12/oz is in the realm of premium loose leaf.
  
  Take a look at the teas you are currently drinking and try to compute the price per oz to get an idea of what you are shopping for. I spend a lot on tea and my daily drinkers have lately been in the $7-$12/oz range but honestly you can find great tea in the $4-$7 range and really good tea in the $2/oz range especially if you find you like Indian teas more. Chinese teas tend to get climb in price a lot faster.
  
  The first thing to look for is whether you want actual "tea" as opposed to just "tea". The same way there is an apple tree there is a tea tree. The same way "root beer, birch beer or gingle ale" isn't actual beer, there are "teas" that aren't actually tea. Green, white, yellow, oolong, black, pu'er all come most from the same species of trees (+2 other closely related species for some specific teas). Tea trees however are like dogs in that the same species can all look radically different. The tea that's not from this plant is called "herbal tea" or often time by the name of whatever plant it is. Rooibos is the plant that is most often used to make "herbal teas". This is important because tea has caffeine (even decaf has a bit) and actual tea can be 10-20x more expensive. If you prefer the herbal than lucky you!
  
  Read our FAQ.
  
  A couple things. Most of the good stuff is going to come from China, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Kenya. Even vendors in the US and EU are mostly getting tea from these locations through middle-men or auctions. That means when you buy from a vendor that ships directly from East or South Asia make sure you pay attention to shipping. I am going to assume you are in the US (let me know if I am wrong).
  
  I will recommend a couple things:
  
  
• Japanese Hojicha (https://www.o-cha.com/organic-hojicha.html). Green tea goes stale often so people will just roast it to make this. Not much flavor but the smell is amazing and has less caffeine. Goes well with food at night. That vendor is great but they ship from Japan so watch the shipping.
  
• Roasted Wuyi Oolong (https://yunnansourcing.us/collections/wu-yi-rock-oolong-tea/products/wu-yi-shan-qi-lan-rock-oolong-tea-spring-2017) this is the US version of that vendors site. The site that ships from China ends in .com and has a much greater selection but shipping usually starts at $20 so you have to make sure you have a big order to make it worth it.
  
  So many others to try but I am out of time. Don't be scared off by all the complexity that it might seem we are shoving at you. At the end of the day you are pouring hot water on a leaves, waiting a bit and drinking. Try lots of shit and be happy!
  

Comfy Clothes/Pajamas

There are so many cute outfits and pajama sets on sale this time of year. They usually even come bundled up, neatly folded and tied with a pretty bow. Target, Kohls, and Marshalls have goof selections.

Old Navy usually has super comfortable waffle-knit tops, fleeces, and sweaters, usually for $12 or less.

There's always these slippers: https://www.amazon.com/Doctor-Who-Womens-TARDIS-Slippers/dp/B00KMR92C8/

And this shirt seems pretty popular: https://www.amazon.com/Ripple-Junction-T-Shirt-Charcoal-Heather/dp/B00G31LGTE/

Cats

Does she have a cat of her own? If so, consider getting a fun treat for the cat.

She might get a laugh out of this book: https://www.amazon.com/Sorry-Barfed-Other-Heartwarming-Letters/dp/1449427049/

If not, every sale from this site goes to support animals. These socks are pretty cute:

https://theanimalrescuesite.greatergood.com/store/ars/item/70498/snowy-kitty-socks?source=4-3036-17

Crocheting

Could she use some yarn?

What about some stitch markers? https://www.amazon.com/Clover-353-Lock-Ring-Markers/dp/B0019KAEEC/

This puzzle was popular with some bloggers I follow: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AKXAJ58/

This book is about knitting, but the author is laugh-out-loud hilarious: https://www.amazon.com/Yarn-Harlot-Secret-Life-Knitter/dp/0740750372/

Reading

Well, books, of course! ;)

Does she like prints? If so, this one might be great: https://www.etsy.com/listing/469644875/harry-potter-library-quote-poster-print

This book recently came out; I've been following the blog for eons: https://www.amazon.com/Literary-Starbucks-Fresh-Brewed-Half-Caf-No-Whip/dp/1250096790/

These candles smell like literature: http://www.uncommongoods.com/product/literary-candles

Does she like tea? It's book themed: https://www.amazon.com/contains-teabags-individually-literary-Breakfast/dp/B002RT2W1M

Comprehensive samplers can get a little pricey, but if you want to start simple and cheap, Numi Collection has green, black, pu'er, white, and herbal, although I haven't actually tried it myself.

Some samplers from some of my favorite companies - pricier but great:

Tea Forte sampler with black, white, green, and herbal.

Heavenly Tea Leaves has a couple variety samplers, I recommend this one.

Tea Spot's Signature Sampler has black, green, white, rooibos, and yerba mate. I haven't tried this particular sampler but I do like Tea Spot.

Capital Teas has a bunch of samplers but they're sets of three 2oz tins, so not quite as diverse. They make a lot of great tea though.

• An old posh Englishman would drink tea (In the Kitchen)
  
  
• The world watching me read porn in a non-eBook sense would probably be a bit awkward... it's like reading 50 shades on the bus (Books)
  
  
• This could probably be oddly phallic (< $5ish)
  
  
• jQuery pocket reference book. Pretty geeky.
  
  
• I guess Pokemon can be geeky, especially when it's a strategy guide (Books)
  
  
• This would help me be a super awesome baker (and look super cute in my kitchen. Who doesn't have the goal of having a cute kitchen? Also, this is in A girl can dream)
  
  
• Clif bars so I can eat! (In the Kitchen)
  
  Wooo that was fun!

I thought long and hard about this for a few hours, so this is my well-thought out decision.

I want to nominate /u/salziger because she's just the most incredibly kind hearted, helpful person! She's paying it forward every day of her life! She just embodies the spirit of RAOA for me. She acts as a foster-mom to cats and kittens who would otherwise be put-down at shelters! And she spends tons of her own money on super expensive surgeries for kittens even though the shelter tells her to put them down. She believes they all have a chance to live and be happy and loved! I just think she's amazing!

And I think she should have [these] (http://www.amazon.com/Tea-Forte-Single-Steeps-Herbal/dp/B004XN8RWI/ref=wl_it_dp_v_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=G3URUKOC28JJ&coliid=I36ZDDNQSFXMO2) because she's always asking for things for her rescue and foster cats and never asking for things for herself. And she deserves to spoil herself sometimes instead of always putting other people, and kitties, before herself <3

Tyara, I'm not used to the username yet.

haha since you asked, this is what I was going to write:

Lifestyle HABITS that I feel have contributed to clear, glowy skin:
DISCLAIMER: This is NOT medical advice, you should speak with your doctor or dietitian before adding dietary supplements to your regimen. I should also mention that I have a chronic health condition and so I try to ensure, with my “wellness routines,” that I stay healthy.

• I’m a student of clinical nutrition, so I mostly eat “clean” (mostly plants) and avoid “added sugars” where possible. I also take iron and Vitamin D supplements, daily to fill in gaps. Iron definitely helped out my hair breakage.
  
• I also make sure to eat lots of healthful fats (mono- and poly-unsaturated), veggies, and consume dairy sparingly.
  
• I drink matcha and spearmint tea everyday, in the morning and at night, respectively. Spearmint has drastically eliminated my hormonal breakouts.
  
• I add 1 tablespoon of hydrolyzed collagen daily to my green smoothie. I’ve been using it for 6 months and my hair grows faster, thicker, and my skin is incredibly soft. I’ve been told, when not wearing, foundation how velvety my skin looks multiple times since starting.
  
• I do intensive cardio + strength training every other day and stay hydrated. This one gave me an all-over glow that’s pretty unmatched and I have a great body skincare routine.
  
• I carry a CamelBak with me all the time, to make sure I’m drinking water throughout the day. I probably drink nearly 3L per day, but I’m active and tall, so your water balance needs may vary.
  
• I flip, alternate, and then change my pillowcases regularly.
  
• I’ve been sleeping with satin or silk pillowcases for over a decade. Originally for my hair, but I think it’s contributed to having “good skin” over time. People think I look younger than I am by about 5+ years on average, which is huge in your 20s imho. Didn't start seriously looking after my skin until around 25.
  
• Regular, ample sleep really improves my glow up in a way that products cannot alone.
  
  

I don't drink alcohol, so for the tea teetotalers, I offer Fruity Iced Tea...
Sun Brew Iced Tea (this is key. please don't boil water)
-------------------------------------------------

• One gallon of water in a glass pitcher
  
• 6 PG Tips tea bags
  
• Let sit in full sun for 6-8 hours
  
• Take pitcher inside and discard tea bags. Tea will become bitter if you leave bags it in for too long.
  
• Fresh fruit. I love strawberries, raspberries, watermelon. I limit citrus but a nice [blood orange] (https://g.co/kgs/VyVQVL) is fantastic.
  
• Mash the fruit up in a medium bowl. If you have a blender or food processor, pulse it to a coarse consistency.
  
• Pour in the sun tea and let it steep for 12-24 hours.
  
• strain the fruit and enjoy the tea.
  
  Iced tea is my go-to and being summer in Boston area, farmers markets have fantastic fresh fruit.
  
  Number: 254. The lowest number to not have its own page on Wikipedia.
  

I'm planning for a hiking/backpacking trip, so looking for the same low volume, low weight, high calorie solutions. Why do all dehydrated camp meals with rice seem to have wheat based soy sauce in them?

I'm thinking of bringing small packs of GF instant oatmeal (this stuff tastes pretty decent and comes in little pre-portioned bags) and powdered milk.

1 cup per day of instant rice and small btls of sesame oil, GF soy sauce and maybe some furikake

rice noodles, the kind that only need to be soaked in hot water

either powdered egg or some fresh eggs in a holder (eggs should stay fresh for at least 2 weeks without refrigeration, I'm just worried about them cracking.)

a few dehydrated camping meals for convenience and weight sake

peanut butter, for calories, fat and to make peanut sauce with the soy sauce and sesame oil

foil packs of tuna and any other fish or meat I can find that doesn't come in a can (I don't want to have to carry empty cans that smell of food for days, pouches can at least be rolled up and sealed in a ziploc)

I have a dehydrator, so I'll make my own dried veggies (some ground into a powder for a soup base), jerky, and fruit based treats (a really tasty and high energy one is bananas blended with honey and lemon juice, then stir in sesame seeds or a mix of seeds and spread out like fruit leather to dry), as well as some basic dried fruits (for trail purposes, I dry my fruits extra long, if they get to hard to chew, I can plump them in a bit of water. Makes them very easy to carry, as opposed to that big bag of commercial raisins that seem to weigh more with every step.) I'm going to experiment with some dried seed crackers this summer too, they aren't the best texture or taste but will be a good delivery system for peanut butter and tuna

I haven't looked too closely into TVP to find a GF brand, but it's super lightweight and high protein and most brands don't need much in the way of cooking, so I think it'll make a good spoil free protein source

You can buy powdered butter, I've never had it, not sure how good it is, and I'm not sure if I want to invest in what looks to be a 10 year supply, but it's an option

http://www.amazon.com/Guayaki-Chocolatte-Blend-16-Count-Packages/dp/B000F0JDZI

I'm addicted to this stuff. Also, earl gray and agave nectar is pretty delicious. I'd also suggest giving coffee another try and maybe try something from a local roaster. You might not have to drown good coffee in french vanilla syrup.

I don't have a dog (yet), but if I could get a dog, I'd prefer a corgi. They're just so darn adorable! I think a smaller dog would be good for the dynamic of the household, too

I bought this for my friend's dog for Valentine's. Her dog chews through things like crazy, and sometimes has trouble chewing only her toys. So I got something that I thought would last and tasted good so the dog would like to go back to it. It's working out so far for them!

I think this tea is under $10 including shipping, but it's an add-on, so I don't know if that qualifies...

Welcome rafkamodie! I've never heard of Anise tea, but I will have to give it a shot... my list of things to counteract stomach aches so far are 1.) lactase pills and 2.) gas-x, both of which aren't totally effective..

It's exciting to hear about a natural remedy. do you have any specific brand recommendations?

Tummy Tea looks like what you were talking about.. I'll have to try it.

I highly recommend trying Traditional Medicinals Throat Coat tea. It's naturally sweet so you don't need sugar and it has this really cool effect when you drink it where it kind of coats your mouth and throat. It's very soothing and especially neat tripping.

I keep it simple by putting a ginger tea bag in a cup, use my keurig to fill the cup with hot water, a teaspoon of good leaf, and a tablespoon of splenda...let it cool and enjoy. Actually, let it cool, slam it, then enjoy.

I don't know for a fact that you'll have it in Quebec, but nearly all Asian markets sell it, so if you have an Asian market nearby, go check out their tea aisle -- it comes in boxes that look like this, or you can just buy it from Amazon. It's a pretty mild laxative that I use every now and again, but the first time you drink it can be a doozy.

Someone once made muffins for Pluto,

At tea drinking this woman was pro.

She loved cats, jeeps, and leather

But no matter the weather,

What she loved most of all was to... you know

Just use whatever kombucha recipe has been working for you, and substitute Pu-ehr.

I have been using Numi tea: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002J0NI8U/ (I found this much cheaper locally)

But I just bought some Prince of Peace to try based on several recommendations I found online: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000K9CDV0/

There are lots of good recommendations here: http://kombuchahome.com/what-is-the-best-tea-for-brewing-kombucha/ but some of the links are mixed up. You'll figure it out, 😁.

Try English Breakfast or Assam if you can get them where you are.

Some people have Earl Grey with a dash of milk too, which has a nice citrusy taste.
We drink plenty of tea without milk too, if you like peated whisky or smoked foods then maybe try Lapsang Souchong?

I'm sure the folks over at r/tea have plenty of recommendations too!
You can always buy a sampler box to start and try them all out.

A whole new you

I received my AP scores and they were pleasing :)

It's so health-tea!

Jeez man, sorry to hear that. You're not bad, though, given the sub you're on. Anyway, I'm a 24 year old programmer and I never make my deadlines and never get to work on time. Not to mention I can't grow a beard yet. I guess I'm a late developer.

http://amzn.com/B002J0NI8U

Thanks for running this! Hope you feel better.

Are you drinking it with a bombilla (as mate) or in a cup as a regular tea? The way we do it in Argentina is like this, we just check the boiler and as soon as some steam bubbles are beginning to form in the bottom of the boiler, we take it out and pour it, we don’t let the water boil because the dissolved oxygen does something to the flavor if I recall correctly. Now, that is usually if you drink it with a bombilla. If you drink it like regular tea just prepare it like that, pour the water as soon as it about to boil, let it extract for 5minutes and drink it. Try to buy Yerba mate that comes in tea bags. https://www.amazon.com/Yerba-Mate-Cruz-Malta-Cocido/dp/B003LVTPSI/

This one is pretty good if you want bagged tea.

Found Cruz de Malta and Union Suave on amazon. I have tried Guayaki and Wisdom of the Ancients brands before.

I've also ordered yerba mate from Adagio, and find the loose-leaf hard to deal with, with the lose-leaf tea gear that I have. I've heard of people actually making it in a regular coffee pot, which might be interesting to try

:o Pikachu!? I would adore a pikachu :D



I have a lot of mate at ma house. Not that I don't go through it super fast. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005EERG4K/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=AGMVT4ZW3C56&coliid=IZGIX75D8M41N

Do be careful to read the actual ingredients in the tea. I bought this ginger tea on Amazon Prime Now: https://www.amazon.com/Yogi-Tea-Ginger-Count-Pack/dp/B0009F3QLG?th=1

It is one of their best sellers - so not some weird tea from a strange source. Luckily I read the ingredients. If you notice, one of ingredients is licorice root which has been linked to high blood pressure, impaired fetal cognitive development, and issues with the stress hormone cortisol when consumed by pregnant women.

May I recommend yerba mate instead of this crap stuff?

I personally like this stuff -> http://www.amazon.com/Guayaki-Chocolatte-Blend-16-Count-Packages/dp/B000F0JDZI/

$30.54 for 6 packs, that's $5.09 per box, and with 16 packets in each box, thats $0.32 per drink

It smelled

like winters, back when summers were hot

and toil was hard, back

when you were an ant and wanted to survive the winter

so you toiled beside the chirping grasshoppers that would die as the chill set in.

It smelled like the spicy leaves falling around you, the dark, sweet bark

as it prepared to keep the tree warm for a few months and where you burrowed, in preparation for the cold.

Not many remember their past lives, and even fewer remember being so small, so seemingly insignificant, yet so strong.

But you remember. And that's why you continue to drink masala chai.

$25.52

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Codename Duchess

Thank you for the contest! :D

Fennel tea works pretty great. It doesn't taste very good, but it gets the job done quickly.

Here for $11 a kilo, free shipping. You can get it sin palo for 98 cents morecloser to $20 after shipping.

That seems to be almost as cheap as it gets, once you take shipping into account. If you have a large South American population, you could probably find it cheaper at a local store.

How about a cool tea sampler? can also get a mug and tea catcher? to go with it!

For British style tea, buy a box of PG Tips or Tetley tea bags. Pour boiling water over a tea bag into a mug. Add milk, not creamer.

Of course, this is only better than what you do now if you prefer it.

They make a powdered butter. This is a staple for every trip I take.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000WR2FT0

Butter in oatmeal. Butter in cocoa. Butter in everything. Good source of calories.

Never fear - it looks like you can buy them on Amazon, although they are rather expensive, at 7.6p per cup instead of the 2p-ish you'd pay over here.

Still, if it's a choice between having money or having tea ...

Tea Forte HERBAL RETREAT Single Steeps Organic Herbal Tea Loose Leaf Tea Sampler, 15 Single Serve Pouches, Relaxation Tea https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004XN8RWI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_TcVHwbDQB715F

I really love loose leaf tea but there isn't anyplace to buy it around here so my only option is Amazon or traveling 2+ hours. I really want to drink more tea to replace soda and other sugary drinks as I'm trying to lose 100 pounds this year

If you like tea, http://amzn.com/B002HQQZK4. I have been wanting to try this.

If your looking for a tea, then i recommend this https://www.amazon.com/PG-Tips-Black-Pyramid-240-Count/dp/B001EQ5JLE

[Novel Teas] (https://www.amazon.com/contains-teabags-individually-literary-Breakfast/dp/B002RT2W1M) and [with tins] (https://novelteatins.com/collections/all)

Out of Print [matchbox set] (https://outofprint.com/collections/matchbox-sets) or a t-shirt or whatever, I just like the idea of Farenheit 451 holding matches.

Yeah! Tadin Spearmint Tea 24 Bags - Te De Yerbabuena https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007RYBQV4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_u-ExDbNXBNMKJ

I use the asian detox tea in the ethnic/international foods section in my supermarket. Let the tea steep for 15 minutes and chug. I am usually out in a few hours. 3 Ballerina Tea or Dieter's Tea

Make sure whatever you use has Senna.

I was using those Chinese diet teas for the past 10 years on a daily basis. You can find them in some grocery stores or Asian food stores. Usually they're called Ballerina Diet teas. They contain something called Senna.

I haven't had an side effects from them as far as I'm aware of. I probably shouldn't have been using them for so long, but I hate not being regular and I had a hard time doing it through diet alone. Now I am getting off them just in case because I want to get pregnant soon and I don't know if it's a good idea to drink the tea during pregnancy. I have started taking magnesium citrate supplements to help and my diet is mostly Paleo. Started making veggie and fruit smoothies too. I haven't been going as regularly as I want to, but it's not too bad. I was the most regular when I drank the tea.

FYI pharmaceuticals are not vegan since they were tested on animals. However with the definition of veganism being to exclude animal products as far as possible, if you can't function without meds you should take them.

Personally when I have a cold I drink this tea and put a few drops of eucalyptus oil in a mug of steaming hot water and inhale the vapors.

Los de calabaza los entiendo, si nadie se los va a poner a fabricar alla hay que enviarlos y cobrarles extra a los yanquis. El de plastico tipo mate santo anda en 15 usd, estan 250-300 aca tambien, buen precio.

Lo que si es irrisorio es la yerba!

Have you tried Heather's tummy tea? (Or any fennel tea) https://www.amazon.com/Heathers-Tummy-Organic-Fennel-Teabags/dp/B000AF0A78

Her tea and her book about IBS have helped me so much!

What flavor? I'm using these myself.

Canning for a New Generation $17.76, Ball Preserving $15.39 The Homemade Pantry $18.20 as someone who makes homemade poptarts she needs this book. Adoption Book $11.33, And some tea to round it off.

Edited because I messed it up. :D

I think you missed my point.

> empty bag of tea = $$

> empty bag of tea + tea = $$$

You'd think that empty bags would be dirt cheap, or at least cheaper than an already full bag. Thus, if a full bag of tea can cost you about 8 cents.

For example,

this set of 110 empty bags sells for 5 cents a bag.

this tea is $29.99 for 480 bags of tea, or 6.24 cents/bag.

and this tea is $10.01 for 310 bags or 3.22 cents per bag.

in conclusion - why are empty bags so comparatively expensive?