What are your favorite tea of the month clubs?
Do you have any favorites for monthly tea clubs? Why do you like them? What would you like to see them do differently or what would you like to see in a new tea of the month club?
…just doing some more digging into the subject related to this post: http://steepster.com/discuss/1643-official-steepster-tea-of-the-month-club-would-you-be-interested
I’ve never done a tea of the month club, but I think my reason might be just as useful as people telling their favorites/why. The main reason why I’ve never done them is I don’t like getting all my tea from one source. The only sole company TOTM subscription I would ever consider doing is from 52teas. That being said, it doesn’t sound like the Steepster TOTM would be restricted to the offerings of one company so that would not apply and I’d definitely be interested in this one.
I have considered subscribing to TOTM quite a few times . The reason I never did was always the same: Most TOTM subscriptions are for full-sized tea (2 oz or so), and upon browsing a particular companies offerings, I am always concerned that I will be spending money for teas that I will ultimately not like. Every person has his/her likes and dislikes regarding flavors and types, and it seems inevitable that some of the teas will not be to my liking. I am just always worried that there will too many.
That is exactly why I think the idea of sample-sized offerings from various vendors is brilliant. Paying and receiving sample-sizes relieves me of the concern over not liking it, and thus wasting money, and enables me to sample teas from various vendors.
I agree with ssajami. I’m a member of Golden Moon’s TOTM club; my husband bought it for me as a Christmas gift. While I enjoy receiving a surprise tin of tea every month, out of the four I’ve received, only two are ones I’d really want to re-order. What I like best about the GM tea club is they always include a card with detailed info on the tea, steeping suggestions, etc.
I think it would be a lot of fun to subscribe to a monthly tea subscription in which one would receive good-sized samples of teas from different vendors, along with info, and (ideally!) a small discount for full-sized purchases from the vendors. My only concern about such a service — and I realize this may just be my own preference — is getting tons of honeybush and rooibos samples, which don’t really interest me that much. I’d ideally like the monthly offerings to include more teas than tisanes.
I subscribed to Golden Moon’s TOTM club for about three months. I didn’t like two of the teas and I hated one of them. (Sticky Rice Pu Erh) Canceled.
Next I tried 52Teas for just six weeks and found a few teas that I really liked (like the peanut butter and jelly that I thought I wouldn’t, but then was really pleasantly surprised.) Until, lo and behold, a sweet potato flavored tea came out and I couldn’t even bring myself to open it. (IMO, quite possibly the most awful veggie ever cultivated.)
I do really like the element of surprise. It’s fun to open a package and not know what’s inside. (Like a birthday once a month.) I’ve tried a few things I never would have ordered for myself.
I don’t enjoy being tied into a subscription that provides me with full size orders of tea. I’d much rather have sample sizes and, as Cofftea mentioned, possibly a coupon if we do want to order the full size.
There are stretches where I definitely wish I had a (weekly!) subscription from 52teas (Frank can vouch for me lol), but yes, being stuck with 2 (or even 1) oz that I don’t like is horrible. Then what do I do if I have a tea I can’t find a 2nd home for? As many as 8oz of tea month piles up fast… and that’s just from one company!
I have not joined a tea of the month club… although I have considered joining 52Teas tea of the week subscription (and still might … maybe sometime AFTER the tequila worm tea).
But, I am subscribed to Foodzie’s tasting box… which is kind of the same idea as what you have, except that yours would be all teas and Foodzie’s does sometimes include tea (this month I got a sample of Pluff’s iced tea, a couple of months ago, I got a couple of samples from Zhi). What I like about the tasting box is that it gives me the opportunity to try a little bit of things from all different vendors that I probably wouldn’t have considered trying otherwise.
And that’s the point I’m trying to make with this. I would like to subscribe to the Steepster tea of the month club so long as it is going to provide me with tastings of teas (sample sizes) from different companies. I like the idea of being able to expand my horizons in that way.
I hope this helps.
Would you pay more if you got unique tea gadgets? Like the submarine infuser, for example? I’m not sure we could support that, but I was wondering if people would be interested or if they would want just tea.
Personally, I wouldn’t want any tea gadgets. I have plenty of them already, and I don’t need or want more. If it was something that you decide to include in the box, that is something I would like to be able to have the “non-gadget” order choice.
LiberTeas’ opinion is pretty biased as she isn’t a “gadget” person to begin with. This question probably could be better phrased "If you desire to have other things (I broadened it to “things” so it could be gadgets, ware, books, food, etc) than tea in the subscription, would this be something you’d be willing to pay more for? The answer to this question, for me, is yes.
While I can’t speak to the assumption about LiberTeas, I do think the re-phrasing of the question is correct. I was trying to get more towards if there should be any non-tea, items included.
I really would prefer to just have the tea. Although, I think any food product containing tea (lollipops, candy, chocolate) would be okay, too. I just wouldn’t want any additional infusers or books or things of that nature.
Yeah, just tea for me as well.
I’d only want a REALLY unique or worthwhile gadget on occasion, so I wouldn’t want a subscription to cost more for that kind of thing. And, I drink tea to get away from things that affect blood sugar so tea-related foods wouldn’t be for me (or ideally included in only some packages). I know my perspective is pretty specific, though, and can’t deny how cool all the tea-infused chocolates are!
@Cofftea – everyone’s opinion here is biased (including yours) – it’s an opinion … and correct me if I’m wrong here, but, I think that is what Jason wants … our opinions.
I would not want to pay more for a gadget, unless I knew in advance what it was. I’m kind of fussy about what types of spoons, infusers, etc., I use. For example, if you were to send an e-mail to subscribers stating: “For an extra $5, we will include the such-and-such infuser (or whatever) in your package,” then I could decide whether or not it was worth it for me to cough up the additional $$. I can tell you right now that I’d definitely pay extra for a good strainer or bamboo scoop for matcha, or an inexpensive timer. I would not pay extra for a tea ball or anything resembling one.
I have no problem with food-related items being included in the packages (chocolates, mints, tea cookies, etc.) as a surprise, or as an upgrade at additional cost. I’m not interested in those wooden sticks that have rock sugar on them, or honey straws — but that’s just me; I may be in the minority.
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