Tea Box Express is a monthly box of tea goodies! Rather than just having tea and nothing else, you’ll get a few edible treats and accessories as well.
This box was sent to us for review purposes. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
The Subscription Box: Tea Box Express
The Cost: $25.50 for month-to-month; save with 3 and 6-month subscriptions. Shipping is $6.49 per month.
The Products: Quality teas, edible goodies like cookies, and a couple of accessories
Ships to: U.S.
Check out all our Tea Box Express reviews and the Drinks Subscription Box Directory!
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There was a card asking you to share your box contents on social media. This subscription typically does not have an information card with it.
This month there was also a little card from the vendor of the tea we received in the box. It had some brewing tips for various types of tea.
Raley’s Handmade Emoti-Candy (3 oz) – Value $5
These allegedly have different flavors although it was a bit hard for me to tell. I definitely think they’re cute, though. This month’s tea was quite bitter (well, I probably steeped it too long) and one thing I like to do with bitter teas is have something sweet first. The sugar kind of coats your mouth and changes the flavor of the tea a little bit. These are pretty low in calories for one or two pieces, so I think that’s how I’ll use the rest of this candy.
Old Town Spice Shop Honey Powder (1 oz) – Value $2.90?
I couldn’t find this item in the Old Town Spice Shop Etsy store, so I assigned a value based on other powdered items they sell. There are a lot of interesting blends in this shop; it’s definitely worth checking out. At any rate, I tried this to sweeten some tea. Perhaps not the most original use, but the first I could think of. It worked well for that and the powder actually makes it easier to use just a small amount. It is also suggested you can use this in rubs, but since I’m a vegetarian, I’m probably not going to try that…
Envipak SimplyM Collapsible Laser Mesh Tea Infuser – Value $9.99?
I wasn’t able to find this exact item online, so I have based the value on something similar I found on Amazon. I really like these large, open-topped tea infusers. For me, they are a lot easier to work with than mesh balls, and they have a lot more holes than some of the novelty silicone ones.
However, after using this, there are two things I would change. (1) It needs some kind of drip catcher to go underneath it, so when you take it out of your tea mug you have somewhere to put it. (2) It needs a separate handle or an edge made of plastic or silicone. This was REALLY HOT when I removed it from my tea since it was all metal and the heat transferred from the water to the steel very effectively.
Justea Purple Leaf Tea (80g) – Value $17
This is from a different cultivar of tea than other teas; it has anthocyanins (antioxidant pigments) in its leaves. You can learn more about it here. I did think it had a purplish color when I brewed it (though it was hard to tell in the poor light of my kitchen late at night). This is usually packaged in a tin but I guess that was too big for the Tea Box Express box. I don’t mind the resealable bag, and you get the same amount.
Here is the tea brewed. I think I may have left the tea leaves in for too long, so it was a bit bitter (reminded me of authentic, Chinese-style teas). But, I kind of like that flavor and drink something similar every morning. If this is new to you, brew it for less time or have a piece of candy before drinking it and it will be a different experience.
Verdict: I calculated a value of about $35 for the August Tea Box Express. This is a little bit more than the cost of the box plus shipping, so I’m happy with the value. I have never heard of purple tea before, so I learned something here (plus, the company Justea has a great mission supporting farmers in Kenya). I also learned about a couple of fun small companies (Raley’s Handmade and Old Town Spice Shop) and the infuser is useful, as well.
What did you think of Tea Box Express? Do you get any tea subscriptions?
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