'I compared supermarket teabags to Yorkshire, Tetley and PG Tips - one beat them all'
With millions of cups of tea drank on a daily basis, it is not something us Brits take lightly, but are we overspending when supermarket brands could be better?
With an estimated 100 million cups of tea consumed daily in the UK, it comes as no surprise just how seriously Brits take their brews.
There’s nothing which creates great rivalry in Britain quite like which tea brand is the best and what is the best way to drink it.
Everyone has a preference for how they drink their pick-me-up cuppa, with some adding sugars, sweeteners and a range of different milks, which can cause even more uproar in the never-ending debate.
One thing, however, that often unites us is our hatred for overpriced items, and so if finding what could be considered the very best of tea for an even cheaper price, I think many tea drinkers could be easily swayed.
With this in mind, I’m here to put that age-old question to the test, trying supermarket-branded tea bags against the biggest brands in the UK to see which really is the best option for what it costs.
It's worth noting all of the cups of tea made in this process were made to be what I'd consider a 'proper tea' - others may be a 'builder's tea' - strong, no sugar, and a splash of milk.
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Sainsburys - 80p for 40 bags
The packaging states this Sainsbury's tea is "rich and refreshing', and I only agree with one of those adjectives.
I found the Sainsbury's red label tea to provide a rich and flavoursome cup of tea – ideal for those that really want to taste what they're drinking in a strong cuppa.
Although it's not the type of tea I could soothingly drink day in and day out, if you're looking for a cheap and cheerful tea to please the builders on site or stock in an office, this is it.
You really can't go wrong for 80p to have a cup packed with flavour, but I think this would become sickly if I were drinking it day in and day out.
Rating: 4/5
M&S - £1.30 for 80 bags
M&S very rarely fall short with their groceries, in my opinion, and their tea bags are no exception to this.
These are a top contender for their smoothness and comforting taste. While I found this cup of tea very drinkable, a taste that will endure and not one I could see myself growing to become sickly from, it wasn't the strongest out of the selection, especially in comparison to Sainsbury's.
I actually found this to be the closest match to Tetley's, so for those Tetley's fans, maybe this is your next best swap, and it's £2.20 cheaper.
Rating: 5/5
Tetley - £3.50 for 80 bags
I personally always felt Tetley was for people who don't really like tea, as it's always tasted less strong to me than its other branded competitors. I will say now that it is far more soothing, refreshing and smooth than most of these cheaper alternatives.
However, since trying the M&S-branded tea bags, I would much rather pay the cheaper price for what felt like a very similar taste.
Admittedly, I accidentally got ahold of the decaf Tetley's tea bags, but after trying the standard ones too, I can admit they taste close to the same to me, so if you're opting for a caffeine-free option, that may give you some comfort.
Rating: 4/5
Tesco - £1.30 for 80 bags
For me this tea was far too watery and not strong enough at all; it really lacks overall taste and flavour in comparison to the other teas.
Although the product description does state that the best results for 'full flavour' are after letting it brew for three to five minutes, so maybe I should have allowed for even more time.
Practically though, I don't want to let my tea sit for five minutes just to allow for it to taste like tea, so this is a big no from me.
Rating: 2/5
Lidl - £2.75 for 240 bags
Lidl's supermarket-branded tea bags operate under the brand Knightsbridge, offering a sense of slightly more elegance to the idea of buying tea bags from Lidl, and yet, I think they offer no essence of a real classic cuppa.
While the taste of the tea was stronger than the aforementioned Tesco tea bags, it was still far too watery for me and didn't hold enough flavour for someone who appreciates a strong cup of tea.
If you can handle it, however, at this price point it is without a doubt the cheapest; you could buy three 80-bag boxes of tea bags from the other supermarkets, and this one box would be cheaper by around £1.15.
Rating: 3/5
Yorkshire Tea - £2.18 for 40 bags
If I ever have a choice, I am always choosing Yorkshire Tea, but I will say I have never put it to the test like this before, and I'm pleased it didn't let me down.
If you're a real tea snob, you'll appreciate the small detail of it sitting in a squared/rectangular tea bag, feeling a little more classy than the rest. It offers the strongest tea whilst not being too overbearing like the Sainsbury's tea bags and still offering a smooth sip.
However, it isn't miles enough in front to warrant its rather hefty price tag in comparison to the cheaper brands. It cost £2.18 for just 40 bags, so buying two boxes to match its competitors would cost £4.36, £3.06 more expensive.
Rating: 5/5
Asda - 28p for 40 bags
I thought it would make this experiment all the more interesting to go for each supermarket's cheapest offering of standard, unbranded tea bags I could find, and in this case Asda topped it for cheapness - 28p for 40 bags.
The hard to miss bright yellow Asda essentials branding doesn't necessarily do much for the contents but I can confirm it's cheap for a reason. They really didn't stand a chance.
I'd argue this was the worst one, reflected in the price clearly, and in my scoring, but it really was just so watery with so little flavour. You could have given me boiling water with a splash of milk and I'm not sure I'd know the difference.
Rating: 1/5
PG Tips - £1.80 for 40 bags
After this test, I think PG Tips is on par with Yorkshire Tea as far as taste goes, and it even has the square tea bag over circular - it really is the little things. Although I will say it's smoother than Yorkshire Tea with less flavour, it can still create a strong cup of tea in minutes.
Not only is it strong in flavour, it is a whole lot cheaper, priced at £1.80, a whole 38p cheaper. If you're stuck which one to go for I'd opt for this one purely on price point.
Rating: 5/5
The clear winner here for me was Yorkshire Tea when it comes to strength, flavour and smoothness. Clearly, it has a strong reputation in the tea world for good reason.
However, if you're wanting to save on your shop, I'd opt for M&S's tea bags, as they're far cheaper and offer a nice smooth cup of tea.
Alternatively, if you want a super strong cup that's full of rich flavour for that caffeine hit in the morning, the Sainsbury's tea bags in my opinion deliver this more than any of the other supermarket options.
Prices may vary depending on where you purchase your branded tea bags, while supermarket-branded products should remain the same across all stores.
