Showing posts with label tea bags. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tea bags. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 15, 2020

A Review of My Favorite Teas from Bigelow and Celestial Seasonings

A Review of My Favorite Teas from Bigelow and Celestial Seasonings
Image © Barbara Radisavljevic


Hot Tea Warms Me up During Every Season


I am a tea drinker. Although I tried, I could never learn to enjoy coffee. As I read my friend and fellow contributor Louanne's review on hot tea, I realized I had a few favorite hot teas, as well. The ones I drink on a daily basis are pictured above. You've probably seen them in the tea aisle when you shop -- unless they are missing. I've found I can't always rely on my local stores having them in stock when I need them. Here's what I do to make sure I always have the teas I drink daily on my shelf. And here's how I drink them.

I Break All the Rules

I'm a tea heretic. I make my tea a pot at a time and reheat cold tea in the microwave as needed. When the pot is empty, I make another one. I first boil a full kettle of water in my Cuisinart Aura Kettle. I bought it and wrote that review in July, 2018. It's still serving me well after 18 months, and I expect it will last forever. 

While I'm watering for the water to boil, I prepare two of my five teapots by putting the bags in. I know I'm supposed to wait until the water boils and rinse out the pots with boiling water, but I don't. I still think the tea tastes good. I'm not a purist.

When the water boils, or slightly before for green or herbal teas, I pour it into my two prepared pots, one which makes about four cups and one which makes about two. If it's afternoon and my decaf teas are running low, I set up the larger pot with herbal and/or decaf bags. I make an herbal tea in the smaller pot, usually one my husband likes. If it's evening and my green tea is running low, I set up the large pot with my Honey Lemon Ginseng Green and the smaller pot with a decaf tea. I normally make four pots a day for the two of us to share. 

Morning Tea

Why I Like Celestial Seasonings Honey Lemon Ginseng Green Teas with White Tea for Smooth Taste.
Image © Barbara Radisavljevic


My preferred morning tea is Celestial Seasonings Honey Lemon Ginseng Green Teas with White Tea for Smooth Taste.  The teabags come in pairs. I use four bags in my larger teapot. This tea has just enough caffeine to ease me into my day. I like its mild taste with just a touch of sweetness. I prefer my tea with no sweeteners or milk. As you can see, the teabags are not sealed from the air. They have no strings, tags, or staples, either. This is because Celestial Seasonings wants its products to be sustainable and not put anything unnecessary into the landfills. That being said,  these bags are not as easy to remove from the pot as the less sustainable ones with strings and tags. 

Since I drink a pot of this tea every day, it goes fast. Each package is almost a week's supply for me, and I don't like to run out of it. So I order it in 6-packs from Amazon and use their Subscribe and Save plan so that I will get an even lower price and will be sure I won't run out. 
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Celestial Seasonings Green Tea Honey Lemon Ginseng with White Tea
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Late Afternoon and Evening Tea


My preferred teas for late in the day are pictured in the image at the top. Again, I break the rules. I mix the two. I've always liked the mild orange-spice Constant Comment from Bigelow. It used to be the only tea I drank for several years after a friend told me about it. I sometimes also drank Bigelow's Lemon Lift, another great black tea. But I know I should avoid caffeine late in the day.

Now I use the decaf version of Constant Comment late in the afternoon and evening and mix it with the Celestial Seasonings Honey Vanilla Chamomile. I mix two bags of each in the large teapot. As you can see, Bigelow does seal their tea bags, and they do have tags and strings.

The Celestial Seasonings Honey Vanilla Chamomile is often out of stock where I shop, so to be sure I have it when I want it, I order it through Amazon's Subscribe and Save program, too. The chamomile helps relax me before bed and the delicate honey and vanilla flavor blends well with the orange and spices in the Constant Comment. Have you experimented with mixing tea flavors yet?

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Celestial Seasonings Honey Vanilla Chamomile
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Constant Comment is popular enough that I can usually find it where I shop, but sometimes they don't carry the decaffeinated version. Not everyone carries the Constant Comment Green Tea, either. That's why I also use Subscribe and Save to get those. It usually saves money, as well.

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Constant Comment Green Tea *

Whenever and however you enjoy your tea, you may want to try one or more of the teas above that have become my favorites. And if you're not feeling up to par, you may also want to try a medicinal Life Style Awareness Tea. Learn more about all kinds of tea from Cynthia Sylvestermouse, who started this blog so that all of our contributors could share their reviews in one place.



Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


Friday, January 20, 2017

Why Drink Peppermint Tea?

Why Drink Peppermint Tea - a Twinings Peppermint Tea Review
Twinings Peppermint Tea - Photography by Lou's Designs
As I review Twinings Peppermint Tea Bags let me also answer the question 'why drink peppermint tea?' - you might be surprised at the range of benefits this delicious beverage has.

I will admit to a bias - I love, love, love peppermint tea, but who wouldn't?  I touched very briefly on why I enjoy peppermint tea on my fun tea infuser review as I usually enjoy fresh peppermint leaves steeped in boiling water.

Sometimes, however you need another source and my go to commercial brand is Twinings Pure Peppermint tea bags.

When you're unable to use fresh leaves for whatever reason then tea bags are a great idea, but I've also just discovered (thanks to Amazon) that you can buy Twinings peppermint tea in K-Cups as well which I know a lot of people use.


Why Do I Recommend Twinings Peppermint Tea Bags?


Twinings Pure Peppermint is a tea that I really enjoy and I first came across it a few years ago when I managed to kill my peppermint plant - apparently they can't be killed, but as I've said to my daughter on numerous occasions there's no such word as can't!   I had to find a replacement as I'd come to really enjoy my cup of peppermint tea after lunch so I set off on a mission to find some peppermint tea bags.

Looking at my supermarket's tea selection I couldn't find the two brands that I had previously tried (when living in New Zealand) so it was really luck of the draw that I decided to try Twinings Pure Peppermint.  Well not just luck, but three very good reasons - 
  1. The name Twinings is synonomous with good tea
  2. They were available in a 10 bag size - ideal for sampling
  3. They were on a very good special
Once I sat down to my first cup I was very happy that I had decided on this brand as it really is delicious.   I work a few days a week in an office so I leave a few peppermint tea bags there so that I don't have to miss out on my peppermint tea when I don't have my plant handy (although making my own is my still my favorite way of enjoying this beverage).



Why Drink Peppermint Tea?


The main reason I enjoy drinking peppermint tea is because it's delicious and I love the taste!   There are lots of health benefits for drinking it as well, though and it's always nice when something that is good for you also tastes delicious!

Here's some of the benefits of peppermint tea -


  • Aids digestion, including bloating, cramping, vomiting & nausea - even motion sickness can be helped with peppermint tea.
  • Boosts your immune system - it has known anti-bacterial properties which means it can help ease symptoms of illness (especially colds, flus and sinus problems) and it can also act as a preventative.
  • Helps bad breath - it doesn't just make your mouth feel fresh and smell clean from the menthol (that's what gives you the minty flavor), but because of the anti-bacterial properties it can kill off germs that cause haliotis.
  • Helps with concentration - more on that below!
  • Can provide stress relief - menthol (an active ingredient in peppermint tea) has natural sedative and anti-spasmodic properties which combined together really helps to ease stress while the anti-inflammatory properties can help to lower blood pressure allowing you to relax.
  • Helps with headaches and migraines - because of how it helps with stress and sinus (two causes of headaches) peppermint tea can be very helpful.
  • Offers sinus relief - menthol is a natural decongestant which means it provides relief from sinus pressure, it also soothes a sore throat which is handy if the sinus congestion is from a cold or flu.   I've seen it recommended to add honey to peppermint tea for sinus, colds and flus, but I've never added honey myself.

There are lots more health benefits, it's almost sounding like a superfood isn't it?   I should add however that when taking herbal infusions for a medical reason you should always talk to your doctor.  Menthol has been known to cause typically mild allergic reactions in some people so if in doubt consult a medical professional.


Why I Drink Peppermint Tea At Lunchtime


I always enjoy my peppermint tea after eating my lunch (I sometimes enjoy it at other times, but this is my favorite time).  As I've said I enjoy the flavor, it leaves my mouth feeling lovely and fresh and I also think it helps with my digestion.

I have also discovered that I concentrate better in the afternoon if I've had a peppermint tea after lunch - no more '3pm fog brain' for me.  I had been wondering if this increased concentration was just a placebo effect, but apparently there have been scientific studies (and here was me thinking I'd 'discovered' this all by myself!).

A study published in the International Journal of Neuroscience found that peppermint tea can increase focus and concentration.   Another study by the University of Cincinnati found that the scent of peppermint was even better at boosting alertness, concentration and improving memory than actually drinking the tea.

Now I'm not going to just sniff the tea and not drink it, but I take the study to mean - sit down, relax, cradle your cup/mug of precious peppermint tea and inhale the scent while also sipping slowly on it. Once it's finished you'll be set for a very productive afternoon!

Twinings Peppermint Tea Bags
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Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


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