RateTea: Drink Tea and Then Review It

If you read this blog then chances are that you enjoy drinking tea every so often, or maybe even daily. Surely, with every sip you formulate some kind of opinion of that tea. You might love it, you might hate it, or you might be indifferent to it. You might have a few tips when it comes to brewing a particular loose leaf tea. Maybe the tea might be perfect for early risers or maybe it might be perfect for those who like a late night cup. The point is, each cup of tea is unique and with uniqueness come opinions.

RateTea might not be the first tea review site but it is a place where anyone can rate, review and learn more about teas. The new site has to date cataloged over 3,478 teas and counting. Why not add your opinion to the mix the next time you brew your next cup of loose leaf tea.

ManTeas

ManTeas is the newest project from Zoomdweebie’s, the guys behind 52Teas, and is a tea site dedicated to making teas that are more appealing to men!

“Presently, it is a known fact that the specialty tea drinking market consists primarily of women. Is that because men don’t drink tea? Hell no! Men have gone to war over tea. No, it’s because most of the specialty teas out there have stuff like rosehips and lemon zest in them (what the hell is “zest” anyway?) and they are packaged and merchandised to appeal to women. What guy is going to pick up a box of Cozy Sleepytime Tea with a pajama’d teddy bear on it? Not this guy. So, we here at Zoomdweebie’s (where we are “Nerdy About Tea”) have started this website to showcase only the manliest of teas. You won’t find any rose petal teas here, or any teas that smell like your grandmother’s air freshener. This is man tea country.”

The site features such man-centric teas like Smoky Bacon, Maple Bacon, Mayan Chocolate, Coffee Tea and RadioactiviTea! I’m super curious as to how both the Maple Bacon Tea and RadioactiviTea taste like. I’m a fan of anything bacon because we all know that as bacon intake increase so does our joy and vigor for life – joy and bacon have a linear relationship!

Have you tasted either of these teas? If so, let me know! I am interested to know what you thought about them!

Buy Man Teas from ManTeas.com starting at $7.99.

How To Choose A Tea Infuser Flow Chart

Choices are what make living life a great thing and when it comes to choosing a tea infuser there are a lot of choices. This flow chart helps to break down the different products that you can use to steep your loose leaf tea based on the situation that you are in. The flow chart is a little involved so you might want to click on the preview image below to get a closer look! In fact, I urge you to click on the preview image to see the flow chart in all its glory!

Hopefully you’ll find a tea infuser that is perfect for your needs! All of the products listed on the flow chart are linked below to make life easier for you!

If you enjoyed this article and loved the flow chart please let me know by leaving a comment! If  you know someone that might be interested in tea then please feel free to pass on this blog post by mentioning it on Twitter, Facebook or on your own personal site – I would definitely appreciate it! Happy Brewing!

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Featured Products

Progressive Stainless Steel Mesh Tea Ball 2″ by Progressive Products, $2.50 at Amazon.

Blomus 6-1/4-Inch Teastick by Blomus, $20.15 at Amazon

Stainless Steel Zack Volta Tea Ball with Stand, £13.95 at Proleno.

TriniTEA by Adagio Teas, $99

IngenuiTEA by Adagio Teas, $19

Concert Teapot by Adagio Teas, $59

Primula Pumpkin Teapot by Primula, $29.99

French Press Portable Tea Pot by Mighty Leaf, $29.95

Tea Top Brew Mug by Mighty Leaf, $16.95

Mirabelle Glass Teapot by Teavana, $59.95

Perfect Tea Ball by Teavana, $12.95

Yellow “Tea” Submarine

Okay, so this Yellow Tea Submarine by Ototo Design might not make your tea taste better but it might make brewing tee just a little bit more enjoyable. If you’re a Beatles fan then this unique steeping device will bring a smile to your face. Pair the Yellow Tea Submarine with some white tea and a glass mug and you’ll be set!

“The TeaSub submerges tea leaves to the bottom of your cup, creating the perfect infusion of your favorite brew. Made of silicone. Dishwasher safe.”

Buy the Yellow Tea Submarine from Monkey Business (Price To Be Announced).

5 Places To Buy Tea Online

1. Adagio Teas. This online tea retailer has been around for about 10 years now and is a wonderful place to pick up some gourmet tea at affordable prices. They offer every type of tea that you could possibly think of and have a solid selection of Adagio branded teaware items, including a variety of infusers  – a necessity for anyone looking to brew some fresh loose leaf tea.

2. Mighty Leaf. I have been gifted some sample tea items from Mighty Leaf and I have to say that they do offer quality loose leaf teas. They offer tea pouches as well as loose leaf tea. They have a large selection of tea blends which makes their sampler a great choice to get a taste of their offerings. They also offer a Tea of the Month Club which starts at $71.95 (3 month club) to $144.95 (6 month club). And if you are looking to accessories then Mighty Leaf is a wonderful place to start. They have a large selection of self-branded teaware, including tea sets, mugs and teapots.

3. 52Teas. This unique site offers a different artisan tea blend every week, hence the name 52Teas! They only sell loose leaf tea so be sure to have an infuser ready if you do decide to buy from 52Teas. You can purchase teas based on their current stock of available blends or you can choose to sign up for one of their weekly plans. They have plans started from $47 (6 week plan) to $364 (52 week plan). They do sell accessories but that’s not one of their strong points with such a limited options.

4. Teavana Teas. If wellness is your thing and you’re in search for the closest thing to tea heaven then head on over to Teavana Teas. Their goal is to be a “heaven of tea” and provide fresh, high quality teas. You can peruse their online shop or stop by any one of the 95 Teavana locations throughout the United States and Mexico.

5. Upton Tea Imports. This Massachusetts based tea company offers an assortment of black, green and oolong teas. Upton Tea Imports offers over 420 varieties of loose leaf tea, including ones that cost $100+ per pound.

Diggnation Tea Collection

Samovar has collaborated with the stars of Diggnation to bring you the Diggnation Holiday Tea Collection. There are four different sets available, including the Alex “Duke of Earl” Albrecht set, the Kevin Rose set, the Hippie Glenn set and the Diggnation set. Each set features three different blends and comes with a samovar infusing basket.

“Kevin Rose stopped drinking sodas years ago and has since found far better options in tea. This set includes some of his favorites for this season: the sweet-yet-sophisticated Vanilla Dian Hong black tea, sleep-ready Nocturnal Bliss herbal blend, and the invigorating, caffeine-free Mint Redbush. Plus a handy infusing basket so you can brew them any where you go.”

Buy the Diggnation Tea Sets from Samovar for $39-$40 (available for pre-order).

Double Koi Organic Green Tea

My passion for loose leaf tea is really growing. In the past week my loose leaf collection has grown thanks to Mighty Leaf Tea Company and Lupicia Fresh Tea. Double Koi Organic Tea Company is a brand that I discovered through Twitter and after quickly browsing their offerings I was impressed. They are know nfor their flavored organic teas that are imported from Asia.

“Double Koi Tea Company is a progressive and innovative tea company, designed to offer consumers gourmet quality organic tea. We take pride in packaging your tea fresh from the time you order. It is hand-packed and hand-sealed, so that each bag of tea is inspected thoroughly by diligent human eyes. We are committed to shipping only the best leaves and petals to your home.”

Below are the Organic Raspberry and Apple Green Tea Blends. The Raspberry tea “have natural raspberry bits, and natural hibiscus flower petals. A marriage of delicate aromas and sensual flavor.”

The Organic Apple Blend Green tea is imported from China and features: a blend of organic green tea leaves, organic safflowers thread, and organic apple flavor.

And while you’re shopping at Double Koi, why not pick up a tea pot to brew your loose leaf tea. “This round teapot is crafted with the Happiness Kanji on the side. It is adorable and very zen. The classic black color will compliment any tabletop or display. It will make a great collectible piece. Care instructions: Hand wash with soap and water.”

Buy the Organic Green Teas from Double Koi Tea Company for $9 – $40 (1.5 oz. to 16 oz)

Buy the Cast Iron Happiness Kanji Teapot from Double Koi Tea Company for $80.

TeaZazz Sparkling Tea

TeaZazz Sparkling Tea is tea with light carbonization. Hmmm, sounds like a teasoda if you know what I mean! You get the fizzle feeling of a soda and the benefits of tea. This sparkling tea comes in six flavors: Green Tea Mint, Original, White Tea Orange/Mango, White Tea Kiwi/Strawberry, Green Tea Lemon, and Peach.

“It’s a simple story really. Tamara, an avid soda drinker was in the process of trying to quit her ‘diet drink’ soda addiction. Delicia grew up drinking iced tea, but found herself searching the stores for something new, something different, and yet something still refreshing and healthy. One afternoon we had the great idea to take the concept of a healthy tea and carbonate it so that Tamara could get her ‘carbonated fix’ and Delicia could have her ’something different yet healthy.’ And that was the day TeaZazz was really born! It was a great idea…the perfect combination of better for you tea with the sparkling fun of soda!”

Buy TeaZazz Sparkling Tea from TeaZazz for $30 (1 Case of 12 20 oz. Bottles).

The Teabag Bin

Whenever I use teabags I throw them directly into the trash once I am done. But then I run into the issue of a dripping teabag as I walk my way across the kitchen. Hint: Bring the mug with you to the trash can as you dump the used teabag. The Teabag Bin is for those that don’t want to trek to the trash can. Leave your Teabag Bin next to your kettle and you’ve got yourself a glorified mini trash bin specifically for your teabags.

“The Teabag Bin is as simple as its name suggests: A bin for used tea bags! This stylish little container made from high grade steel or plastic sits happily next to the kettle and swallows up used teabags keeping your kitchen mess free.”

• Price: £12.99
• Height: 200mm
• Diameter: 110mm
• Convenient flip lid for quick disposal of teabags
• Care Instructions: dishwasher safe.

Buy the Teabag Bin from Teabag Bin Company for £12.99.

Tea Spot Steeping Mug

Looking for a new way to steep your loose leaf tea quickly and efficiently? Well, you might consider this 16 oz. steeping mug from The Tea Spot. This three-piece steeping system allows you to brew loose leaves as easy you would a teabag. The large volume infuser allows ample room for tea to unfurl and release its flavor and aroma into the brew. The mug comes in four different colors.

• Handcrafted with high-quality, lead-free porcelain
• Lid doubles as a saucer for the used infuser
• Precision infuser steeps any tea with no drip/mess
• Bold colors that complement Loose Leaves tea tins
• Dishwasher and microwave safe
• Capacity: large 16 oz mug

Buy the Steeping Mug from The Tea Spot for $21.95.