Good Teas for Someone on a Budget

[teatorture]

Okay, I know that tea can be very affordable, but from my experience, cheap tea doesn't always taste good. However, I'm on a budget where I can't spend too much extra money. With that said, I was hoping some of you with experience could recommend your favorite low-priced teas.

[Muadeeb]

The dark roast TKY from Mountain Tea. It's less than $2/oz.

[William]

Depends.

You should tell us how much you would like to spend for 100 grams and which teas you are interested in.

[bonescwa]

The red teas from yunnan sourcing

[teatorture]

I'm mostly interested in green, white, and matcha teas, although I also like red. I know matcha goes further, so I'd pay a little more for it, but I'd like to pay no more than $10 for 100 grams in most cases. Thanks for the suggestions so far.

[William]

I suggest you Kasuga Zairai Sencha (50 grams/869 yen), (Karigane 100 grams/1720 yen), Uji Sencha Fukamushi (50 grams/770 yen) Gu Shu Yinzhen (50 grams/1240 yen) and Guanxi Black Tea (30 grams/960 yen) from hojotea.com

With these teas, you should get an idea of what actually is a good tea, without paying high prices (3 Japanese green teas, 1 Chinese white tea and 1 Chinese black tea). I would not suggest you to go lower than 10/15 usd for 50 grams; most of the time, with cheaper teas what you get is just flavoured hot water.

Regards.

[teatorture]

I'll check them out! Thanks for the info about prices too. I'll probably just buy less at a time then!

[rdl]

As you already have some good suggestions I'd like to mention the teas at zencha.net for example.
I think replies could confuse high quality with good. All the teas zencha carry I feel are good. The prices reflect different levels of quality but not goodness, so to speak. Of course cheap tea as you say is bad, and quality tea is expensive, but if you are not looking for a specific taste profile, and want a good sencha, 100g for 10USD say, then it's best not to compare that tea to a 30USD tea. The 10USD sencha will have many good qualities, it is just not the finest or most refined. Many will still suggest for various reasons the higher quality teas, and that's your choice, but there are many good teas for lower prices and if you know what to expect, they are very enjoyable.

[rdl]

I would not suggest you to go lower than 10/15 usd for 50 grams; most of the time, with cheaper teas what you get is just flavoured hot water.

Very curious, as I have never encountered this. I wonder if you (or anyone) could be more specific with which teas they were so we all can keep from making the mistake of purchasing them.

[Bok]

Not sure that there is good cheap tea…

Cheap = not good. Not good in the sense that you get fewer infusions if you brew gong fu and that the tea turns easily astringent or has other undesirable flavours which have a uncomfortable effect on the body
(Try drinking an English Tea bag on an empty stomach ).

I’d rather drink less tea but better and more expensive, than cheap. Makes one appreciate this magnificent beverage. For everyday cravings of a hot drink I find coffee a better substitute. I prefer bad coffee to bad tea

The only way to get good tea cheaper, is to buy it closer to the origin.
No friends traveling to far away countries?

It is very easy though to get overpriced tea of any quality!

[Bok]

Just saw the other thread: you can also try getting a few people together and negotiate a better prize for a larger quantity!

[wyardley]

Value is important; there are teas out there that are relatively inexpensive and good. And certain vendors may have more direct access to tea, or better bargaining skills, so pricing (and value) can be all over the place. Unfortunately, learning to evaluate teas and to buy good ones is a process that's probably going to involve some tuition fees, in the form of bad tea.

But overall, I think even expensive tea is an affordable luxury; invest in smaller pots and cups, avoid waste, use good water.

[bonescwa]

In puerh, yes, sometimes you are paying extra for the lack of off-tastes. In oolongs, it's rare that they are quite horrible, unless they are cheap dancong, or cheap and totally green. Otherwise, the typical worst case is that they are dull and boring. As far as Chinese green and red go, I have found that you can get a satisfying drink for a relatively cheap price compared to the costs of Japanese and Korean tea. And darjeelings and Nepalese teas are also usually good values.

[entropyembrace]

Take a look at Maiko tea. If you scroll down in each category they have the lower priced options at the bottom and they do have several teas that are below $10/100g. I've been happy with all of their products that I've tried and they've been a great source of inexpensive tea for me as an undergraduate university student without much money to spend. They also have sales a few times a year.

[MIKE_B]

Value is important........
But overall, I think even expensive tea is an affordable luxury; invest in smaller pots and cups, avoid waste, use good water.

this.