Trader Joe's

This is definitely one for the Cheapster Steepster notable list. $1.99 for — I think 20 — bags.

Haven’t done a side-by-side comparison, but this has a lot of the same flavor personality as my beloved Bigelow’s Eggnogg’n a few cents cheaper. Maybe not quite as sweet. (Of course, in my case, by the time you figure the cost of gas clear across Missouri to get to a Trader Joe’s, the economy just doesn’t make it feasible :)

As I expected, this improves with the addition of a little half-and-half. Sugar cookie sweetness.

My opportunities to visit and procure stuff from Trader Joe’s are few and far between, but tea-wise, their house brands seem to be consistently decent and consistently inexpensive.

May you find a few minutes today to recall the sweet spots (there were some, weren’t there?) of 2011. Be blessed, friends!

My work tea stash is kind of pathetic…refugee boxes and bags from home that I intend to drink up quickly and never do. This was in the stash, but still has a tiny bit of life left in it. Still smells nice and the cinnamon presence compensates for the decay of the black tea base.

Too bad Trader Joe’s discontinued this variety—was (formerly) a really nice wintertime pantry staple.

Like you, my tea cupboard…and counter…and basket…is overflowing, but I could’t stand being in a different (urban) shopping venue and not picking up a couple of things I couldn’t find at home.

This was cheap, a plus, and tasty. It is exactly what it proposes to be: good black tea, vanilla, cinnamon. Haven’t tried it with milk yet, but I’m thinking that’ll “nog” it up for Christmas.

Shopping opportunities notwithstanding, it’s good to be home. After the past few months, I think home is one one of my favorite words in the whole world.

My Mom loves this tea, but Trader Joes no longer carry’s it, nor will they order it!!
Can’t seem to find out who makes it either!

Well, it’s not a subtle tea that I want to sit around savoring and reflecting on or anything, but it’s a workhorse. I keep it in my cupboard for chilly gray mornings when I need a dark heavy bolt of quick caffeine. Rounded out with some raw local honey or a dash of cream and sugar, it’s not bad.

A powdered mix, which keeps a long time in the pantry. Overall, I like the flavor, especially when I’m craving something sweet. It is a little too sugary, but still good. Seep time and water temp aren’t really relevant for this tea :)

Very fruity. Interesting variation on Earl grey.

This is the same exact tea as Candy Cane Lane by Celestial Seasonings… it has just been white labeled for TJs. :-)

This is really nice. Leads with the sweet blueberry and ends with a little green tang.

I really like this tea. It steeps well both hot and iced (sometimes i will throw a teabag or two into a cold thermos and just let it steep during the day and i have iced tea on the go! Not sure if it is “proper” but it certainly is handy… And delicious!) I haven’t tried any other teas with jasmine, so I can’t compare, but the price per box is good and to me it is a very “comforting” tea. I will also sometimes mix this with other varieties of green teas for something different.

This is my go-to sleepytime tea. I like it with 16 ounces and a fair amount of milk.

This is the one my best friend keeps around her house for me to drink, so I have a soft spot for it. It’s a decent tea, not terribly strong, not terribly interesting.

Good intro to green tea and makes a great iced tea…nothing great here, but ok for $2 per box. Prefer Citron Green by Harneys

Cheap and economical, I bought an 80 teabag box for 2 dollars. I have been drinking this tea as my morning tea with some Silk soymilk and my usual breakfast of oat bran and fruit or toast.

2 bags in 2 cups water in a roiling boil, steeped till the liquor is opaque and black. Smells like roses, though its the kind of tea I don’t spend any time appreciating because of the morning rush, and I feel that it doesn’t mind at all. Stout but not amazing, its the kind of tea I can rely on – it won’t surprise me but it won’t disappoint me.

Certainly not overqualified, but definitely under-appreciated, it makes my mornings less complicated by being so simple.

This one is a strange one for me. I want to love it…but it comes off as just okay. It doesn’t really have a strong taste of anything. It seems watered down no matter how strongly I brew it. One of the only things Trader Joe’s does that I don’t absolutely love.

Full leaf tea, organic and naturally scented. In pyramid tea bags for ease of use. A mood enhancer which does not require much thought, especially in the work environment.

I prefer to remove the plastic bit that attaches the string to the bag, and I rip it off by taking off the string along with it.

This makes the non-jasmine Trader Joe’s green tea look like a lazybones.

Decent.

Decent basic peppermint.