Artp said

What are your staples?

Since finding steepster accidentally just 3 days ago, I feel like I’ve been exposed to an entirely different universe of teas and flavors and information. It’s been an exciting, intriguing, and envy-filled experience. I find myself looking at others’ orders and saying “i NEED to have some of that…”

But as I’m in the midst of cutting down expenses, I’ll be building my collection very slowly. So I’m trying to see, which are the teas I’ll always want around, my staples, and which are teas I can just keep small portions of, or cycle out.

Right now, my staples would be:

Organic Cold 911- DavidsTea
Paris- Harney & Sons
And any good Earl Grey (right now I have Teavana, but I just realized I’m in love with EG and Yssah is sending me a bunch of samples, so we’ll see if that staple changes)

For fall/winter, I also would require Hot Cinnamon Spice from H&S.

So what are your must-haves, and which do you like seasonally?

35 Replies
Em said

Great topic :) For me my staples are Genmaicha & Scottish Toffee Pu-erh from the English Tea Store, Peach Oolong from a local shop, and Dragonwell from Whistling Kettle.

This winter, I’ve been enjoying Eight Candles & Candy Cane from Della Terra. I think for summer I will always have some iced oolong or pu-erh in the fridge.

Artp said

I got some candy cane for my birthday in october and was blown away by how good it was! It’s one of my winter staples too. I never did loose leaf till august so not sure what I’ll do for summer…

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gmathis said

Staples, in my mind, are the (relatively) inexpensive teas you can find locally and stock plentifully. My can’t-live-withouts are basic black breakfast teas: PG tips loose leaf, Yorkshire Gold in bags, and usually some form of Assam and/or Irish breakfast. For decaf, straight-up bulk peppermint, chamomile, and rooibos, which you can blend six ways to Tuesday. I’m always a big cheerleader for buying in bulk at local groceries or health food stores when you can.

Em said

I love PG Tips! I know what tea I’m making for breakfast :)

gmathis said

My fave little store sells it in bulk—seriously! for about 58 cents an ounce (at least last time I stocked up).

Artp said

58 cents an OUNCE?

gmathis said

Yep! I don’t know how they do it, but I’m not questioning it :)

Artp said

now, excuse the ignorance, but what is PG tips? inexpensive good teas are right up my alley…

gmathis said

A good stout breakfast tea from the UK: http://www.pgtips.co.uk/. Pretty readily available in the US, both bagged and loose, though I’ve only seen their regular variety locally — not decaf or special flavors. (Though I’d love to try their decaf. I have yet to meet an unflavored decaf black tea that was strong enough to suit me.)

Even though I work for a tea company I always have a box of YG in my pantry.

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BoxerMama said

A solid black tea, like Mi Xian Black by Butiki or Laoshan Black by Verdant.
A light green, I like Genmaicha right now I have DT in my cupboard.
And a slew of flavoured matchas and blacks.

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I always try to have Twinings’ Earl Grey and English Breakfast (loose and/or bagged), peppermint, chamomile, plain red rooibos, and any Japanese green tea (preferably loose).

What I would like to have as a staple is a banana chocolate tea, but Teavana discontinued it shortly after they began selling it >:/

BoxerMama said

Banana Dream Pie by DT is really good if they still have it.

Alphakitty said

Persimmon Tree has a great banana chocolate tea!

Artp said

kiwi: I’m dying to try one of these banana chocolate teas; I only hear good things. It’s a shame teavana discontinued it.

BoxerMama: So I was told by Tina12. Definitely added to my must-buy-list. :]

AlphaKitty: Aw yiss! Thanks for the tip!

Artp: Gah!! I know D: At least other companies sell similar teas.

BoxerMama said

You wont regret it, crazy good. Now I wish I bought some when I was there today. . .

yssah said

i have been contemplating blending a choco-banana black :)

yssah mmmm that sounds good! The one I have has rooibos for a base.

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Bonnie said

Laoshan Black, naturally flavored tea from Butiki,Imperial Summer Breakfast Blend (seasonal) Verdant,Verdant Chai,red flame puer 2009 and various other puers..(I keep thinking of more tea I can’t live without!).

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yssah said

i also asked this question so there’s a thread on it….but there’s an even older thread on the same topic (started 10 months ago) and it’s interesting to see how much steepsterites’ staples changed in less than a year :D

you can search discussion topics for them

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My permanent stash consists of mostly varieties, teas I know I enjoy at any temperature( at least 1-2 each of Houjicha, Genmaicha, Sencha, Moroccan or other Green tea/Mint Blend, Thai blend, Silk Oolong, Jasmine, Chai, and White, Matcha, Darjeeling Black..

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I will always have a predominantly ginger herbal tea in my stash, current ones are Ginger Sage Winter Spa Blend by Verdant and Super Ginger by DavidsTea, also always have some variety of Jasmine Silver Needle white tea, and one really good flavored rooibos. Oh, and I always need to have a dark Dancong oolong in stock for my Yixing teapot :)

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This is a lovely question as I was pondering what is ‘staples’ foundation or columns holding the bldg together. Anyhow, since finding Steepster.com I became one of those irrational tea drinkers in that I was trying everything since I was not accustom to drinking loose leaf teas.

This year I am trying to rid myself of many impulses; one of which is random tea drinking. I have always liked green teas. I like matcha tea as well. So in answer, my staple teas are green teas and matchas.

That being said, I woke up today wanting to have Peaches’n’Cream by Barnie’s Coffee and Tea Company. I am sure there is rhyme with reasoning to what I do. Or that split personality disheveling. A very good question, thank you for asking. ;-)

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Year round, I must have a few masala chai blends. And rooibos.

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