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casadetrevino said 2011-01-28 17:19:52 -0500

Recommendation for Online Tea Supplier

So glad I found his site by accident!
I am brand new to loose leaf tea and loving it. I got my start at Teavana at a mall here where I am. I travel for living and am in different states and cities for indefinite periods of time. I have come to grips with my new addiction and know that the next place I go may not have a “dealer” near by, so I am looking for an online shop to deliver the goods to me.
Teavana claims their teas are in the top 5% of teas. So I would like a shop that can honestly make a quality claim. And secondly I am looking at the most reasonably priced shop.
Anyone have any suggestions? Thanks in advance!

14 Replies
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American Tea Room said 2011-01-28 20:26:14 -0500

Well to toot our own horn — we have some of the most popular teas here on Steepster as well as being the #1 rated tea emporium on the unbiased and very professional site www.teaviews.com I would suggest you check out that site as see what teas you like based on their reviews. They have several reviews (sometimes as many as 10) on various tea from more than 200 companies teas. We can honestly claim that we have the highest rated teas on the most viewed tea review site on the internet. We also offer some good promotions from time to time (check out our facebook page) and offer free delivery on orders over $50. Good luck hunting!!!

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Jillian said 2011-01-28 21:04:16 -0500

They forgot to mention that they also pad their ratings on this site. >:(

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LiberTEAS said 2011-01-31 22:17:17 -0500

And they also adversely affect the ratings of their competitors by setting up fake accounts and rating their competitors top teas low.

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Shinobi_cha said 2011-01-31 23:57:46 -0500

They are also overpriced. If you find Japanese greens (flavored or unflavored) on their site that you like… try the company www.itoen.com — you can find the exact same teas at probably 1/3 the cost.

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Uniquity said 2011-02-01 07:38:42 -0500

Hmm, the things Jillian and LiberTEAS say seem to be in line with impressions I have got from this company and their comments. Can nothing be done for this?

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American Tea Room said 2011-02-03 11:35:11 -0500

This issue was addressed by Steepster. We do not pad our ratings — there were a combination of factors that were corrected by Jason. It is sad to see that there are people that have such negative things to say.

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ColumbiaKate said 2011-01-28 22:51:58 -0500

Since you are traveling it would be fun to plug in your various locations on www.teamap.com and find out what teahouses might be closest to you.

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casadetrevino said 2011-01-31 20:57:46 -0500

Thanks for the tips!

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52teas said 2011-01-31 21:12:58 -0500

To toot our own horn: toot toot.

If you want to know about our teas, ask around here on Steepster. I’ll let our customers speak for us.

I will say that unlike 95% of the tea purveyors you will find online, we actually blend and hand-craft our own teas. Even Teavana couldn’t claim that until they (just recently) bought out their supplier, SpecialTeas. Just think it’s something you should be aware of; it’s not something that many of the retailers want you to know, but if you aren’t careful, you can end up buying the same tea from multiple sources, probably with different names and packaging.

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AmazonV said 2011-01-31 21:35:42 -0500

Well, which blends did you like? green? black?

Anyway my current favorites, all deliever:
Chicago tea garden
thePuritea
52teas
persimmontreetea
Teas etc
harney & sons
Arbor teas
The NecessiTeas
Steven Smith TeaMaker
Teaflection

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AmazonV said 2011-01-31 21:36:37 -0500

and for bagged
the republic of tea
mighty leaf tea

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casadetrevino said 2011-01-31 23:30:07 -0500

I really haven’t decided on a favorite as of yet. I have tried mate, Oolong, White, Green and Herbal. All in the past 2-3 weeks! I am still experimenting, so I’ll try anything.
I guess what I am really looking for is good price and good quality.
I have been satisfied with what I am getting at Teavana as far as quality. I would like to beat their prices though. But I don’t want to buy tea off of the internet just for the price and end up with a low quality tea. So I am trying to glean from the collective experience of this forum.

Thanks again!

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johnnysasaki said 2011-01-31 22:48:19 -0500

Check out my site to help you find some new places to find your tea. I’ve found lots of places that are great alternatives.

Also, if you’re looking for a specific tea let me know. I’d be glad to help you find it.

http://drinkmoretea.squarespace.com/

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Chi of Tea said 2011-02-01 11:52:11 -0500

www.chioftea.com

if you don’t see it. Ask. We also supply many shops and can get nearly anything. We have many resources

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