The Best Gifts for Your Tea-Obsessed Friends
Best tea gifts
Tea lovers are smart—the relaxing brew provides a host of health benefits. In one study, just a few daily cups of black tea was associated with a 31% lower risk of ovarian cancer (compared to one cup or none at all), and other research has shown that drinking tea can lower blood pressure, slash risk for pancreatic cancer, and reduce stress. So with the following 10 gifts for tea lovers, you'll be showing someone you care about their holiday and their health. Read on for our favorite tea infusers, sets, teapots, and tea accessories.
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Primula Flowering tea set
To buy: $15; amazon.com
Having friends over for brunch? Show off with this Primula Flowering tea set—it comes with a sleek, modern pot and three flowering green teas that literally bloom when you pour hot water on them. You'll also get a mesh loose tea infuser if you want to go the loose-leaf tea route.
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Gama-Go Hippo and Kit-Tea Infusers
To buy: Gama-Go Hippo. $10 on amazon.com; Kit-Tea Infusers, $10 on amazon.com
Add a little fun to your day (or your friend's) with these adorable little hippo and cat tea infusers. They're a great stocking stuffer for the tea-fan, plus will surely bring a little holiday cheer. To use 'em, just fill the silicone infuser animal with your favorite loose-leaf tea, hook the arms over the rim of your mug, and let steep. A perfect cup, brewed just for you by kitty or hippo!
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Par Avion Tea
To buy: Madagascar Vanilla Bean, $25 on amazon.com; Chocolate Ginger Bourbon, $25 on amazon.com
Artisan tea for a good cause? We like the sound of that! With every tin you purchase of a Par Avion hand-crafted tea (which comes in rich blends for winter like Madagascar Vanilla Bean and Chocolate Ginger Bourbon), they'll give one day of education to a girl in need. Give back and get your friend something she'll love—a win-win.
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UncommonGoods Green Herbal tea set
- To buy: $40; uncommongoods.com
- Any tea aficionado will swoon over this holistic tea set that includes an array of nine herbs and three varieties of eco-certified green tea from Japan, India, and Sri Lanka. Tea-lovers can mix and match (adding a pinch of rose petals or a dash of tamarind) to create the perfect tea blend that fits their mood. With each kit you'll get 12 pots of tea.
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Kinto Unimug loose-leaf tea mug
To buy: $17; amazon.com
If you love the quality of loose-leaf tea, but don't want to go to the trouble of brewing a whole pot, then this little heat-resistant glass mug is just the ticket. Add loose-leaf tea at the top, let steep, then remove the infuser attachment and you're set to sip (straight from the mug)!
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Tea Forte Icon au gold infuser
To buy: $30; amazon.com
Fashion lovers have their statement pieces, so why can't tea lovers have their statement steepers? This Icon Au gold infuser by Tea Forte looks chic set out on the counter—or displayed on a table. Plus, it's completely functional—its 23k plated gold keeps the unique characteristics of fine tea intact.
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Silver Needle Tea Company Green, White, Black, and Oolong Teas
To buy: $19-32; silverneedleteaco.com
Just like wine connoisseurs love tasting single-origin wines, so too will tea connoisseurs with these single estate teas from Silver Needle Tea Company. The New York City-based tea purveyors choose teas from one specific tea property, so you can really pick up on the local characteristics that influence its uniqueness, be it the soil, elevation levels, or climate.
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Lovewild Herbal Tea Gift Set
To buy: $18; lovewilddesign.com
For the friend who loves trying new things (especially when it comes to food and drink), then this Lovewild Herbal Tea set is the ideal gift. She'll get five glass vials filled with different organic loose-leaf herbal teas, and biodegradable tea bags, all in a sweet little drawstring muslin tote. And if she loves her caffeine, there's also a similar green tea and black tea set.
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Bamboo Matcha Tea Set
To buy: $13; amazon.com
Matcha is everywhere these days, and this bamboo set is perfect for anyone obsessed with the tasty green powder. Aside from lending a classic touch, the whisk ensures there are no inconvenient lumps.
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Heavenly Tea Leaves Tea Sampler
To buy: $25; amazon.com
This nine-tea sampler includes classics like chamomile and peppermint, as well as flavored takes like pomegranate white and orange oolong. Each loose-leaf canister offers around 10 servings, meaning months of tea-drinking relaxation in the new year.