Steepster Select October Giveaway

Picking favorites is always hard but: Rishi

They have the best and most affordable variety of organic and fair trade teas that I’ve found anywhere. Their Chinese Breakfast tea, in particular, has become a staple for me.

Murchie’s all the way.. but that may be a bit biased, as I have been raised a Murchie’s child and will more than likely die that way :)

While I appeciate the look and feel of other stores’ retail appearance, there is a tradition and quality in Murchie’s Tea & Coffee that keeps me coming back, time and time again. Especially for family favorites like Orange Spice, or No. 10…

I love 52teas, and I love Harney & Sons, but I have to go with Lupicia for this one. They’ve introduced me to some new (to me) and different teas/tisanes, with small amounts, affordable prices and cheap/free shipping. I also love their monthly free samples and “magazine” (although I take issue with this word because really it is a “newsletter”). Lupicia is the company that, for now, is doing the most to expand my boundaries in the wide world of tea. If I found $50 on the ground tomorrow I’d use it to order a bunch of wild and wonderful things from Lupicia. (Although, honestly, I have a ton of samples to go through still if I want to have a “tea adventure” for free right now!)

There are so many companies that I have sampled. I like the Harney and Sons, Adagio, Davids, Manteas, Teavana….yes I like Teavana. I know they are like the Starbucks of the tea world but their Mate blends are second to none. My favorite though is Dr. Teas teagarden. When I started drinking tea over coffee. I started at Teavana and that was my springboard on my looseleaf quest that is still ongoing. I stumbled upon Dr. Tea when I was sponging all the information about Tea. Dr. Tea has a couple of webinars( if you will) about tea and explains their processing and what not. I found some of my favorites there like the Imperial Pu-Erh. Seriously I have not tried a better Pu-Erh any where. The coffee tea line is unique and tasty at the same time. I really like the positive vibe that Dr. Tea exudes as well. Not to mention they have a wicked awesome Lapsang.

What a difficult question to answer. I enjoy so many different teas from a wide variety of vendors but I suppose if I really narrow it down to ones I have ordered from time and time again here is what I would say…

1. Chicago Tea Garden – Why? Tony is consistent and provides a wonderful selection of pure teas. I have had the pleasure of meeting him and attending a tasting and enjoyed majority of all the teas provided. So many of his teas have made the permeant list in my cupboard.

2. 52Teas – Why? Frank offers any amazing variety and a creative selection. It takes all my will power to stop myself from buying his teas every week. The best part his he truly is a blending master. I know I can trust him to create a knock out almost all of the time and even if I wasn’t a fan he is always sure to find someone else that likes his blends.

3. thepuriTea – Why? They have found some of the best pure teas out there and they are consistent. Even the simplest of teas have blown my mind. Plus, they have a killer Milk Oolong but trust me I keep an ample supply of many of their teas.

I enjoy teas from many other companies but these are the companies that shine the most in my eyes and cup.

So far, my favorite has to be Mighty Leaf Tea. Their teas are smooth and great tasting. Their herbal teas are excellent and so much better than other herbals I’ve tried. I feel that they’ve ventured into a pretty different area of herbals than other companies that stick to just the traditional herbals. They’re also pleasant to work with.

My favourite tea company is DavidsTea.
I go to various locations, as well as follow them on Twitter, and I have NEVER had bad service. Staff is always friendly and welcome with suggestions for tea. Also, I love that you can buy pratically any amount of tea at their stores. I ran into a problem before where I couldn’t get under 50g at a time, but I’ve gone significantly lower at Davids, which is good for when you want a hand-picked selection to sample. (Plus, the free tins with 100g make for great incentive to go big when you find something you love.)

And that’s without mentioning the tea itself. Although I’ve come across a few flavours that weren’t my favourite, for the most part they are DELICIOUS and well-worth the price. I’ve fallen in love with a number of their teas in particular, and if I had the shelf-space I’m sure my love would result in far too many tins packed full of their various flavours.

Definitely Upton Tea. They offer the most consistent quality across the board, and they have over 420 different types of tea available!

Absolutely Twinings of London. I drink their English Breakfast blends on good occasions.

A tough one. Culinary Teas has always been a favorite simply because of the large variety and moderate prices.