loose tea leaves?

[Good Morning Dewdrop]

I have to agree Harney and Sons does have very good tea

Another tea company 'up North' that I'd recommend is Upton Tea Imports they sell a great tea infuser called a Chatsford Tea Infuser - it's got a nylon mesh and sits right in the cup. Nothing to open / close and it gives the tea leaves plenty of room to expand/ move around...yet with the very small nylon mesh the tea leaves stay in the infuser and don't "escape" into the cup. Well worth the $ - best tea infuser we've ever used (DH is English and we both worked for a tea company in England for a few years).

Finally remember when you buy tea it really does go a long way if he's measuring it out properly. 125 grams for example will make 50 - 60 cups of tea!

 

[HookdonWDW]

Another vote for Republic of Tea. They sell free trade teas, and they have a great wild blueberry tea (I know you said that your son likes blueberry teas)

 

[Magix]

While Teavana may be pricey, the teas are absolutely amazing! I usually just buy 1 scoop (about 2 ounces) of each of the teas. I've got 8 flavors (and the most amazing smelling overhead cabinet) here at work, along with one of their teapots. I think I have another 8 or 10 flavors at home. They have a wide variety of tea types and flavors. I don't drink caffeine, so I stick with Rooibos, Herbal and White Tea (white has just trace amounts of caffeine). The flavors are fantastic! I've got everything from warm vanilla and hazelnut type flavors to the most amazing blends of fruit and flowers. I highly recommend Teavana. If you pick up 3 or 4 flavors at 1 scoop each, it might cost about $35-45, but it actually goes quite far, since you only need 1.5 teaspoons per 8oz cup of tea and you can re-use it for a full day's worth of cups.

 

[crisi]

I like Harney and Sons as well. Harney sells a lot of $2.00 sample bags that might be a good choice. I usually order a few tins, and sometimes a 1 lb bag of tea (my son drinks a LOT of peppermint tea), and throw in a few samplers. But tea is light, you can get a lot of cups from 4 oz of tea.

SOME grocery stores sell loose teas. I get them at my coop which has pretty good teas for darn cheap.

For quality tea, you are generally looking for a larger leaf. Generally, the larger the leaf, the higher quality the tea is - very small leafed teas are really just the packaged dredges from higher quality teas.

 

[Gnomegirl]

I love Harney and Sons. They sell a mint chocolate that is lovely for the New England winters!

You should also be able to go to your local health food store and buy tea in bulk.

Another idea is to get him a nice cup that has a cover - there are wonderful ceramic ones you can get locally or check out etsy for a handmade one.

 

[4shinystars]

Another vote here for Adagio teas. Good prices and shipping, and they send you a booklet all about choosing and brewing tea. I order from them for myself and my DD at college. Sampler packs are a great way to discover different teas.
DD loves the Inginuitea, a tea brewer that sits over your teacup. put in loose tea and boiling water, let steep and pull lever. Tea goes into your mug, leaves stay behind. Much better than a tea ball and under $20. I think they may still have a gift pack of that plus a sampler of teas for $24.
You can get a $5 coupon if you follow them on twitter.

 

[arminnie]

I think Upton is far superior to Teavana or Adagio, but I also find great loose tea at Asian grocery stores. We have several in Little Rock which is not a huge city. Most tea is from India so it makes sense for them to carry a lot of tea. But is is not the flavored stuff.

Upton packages it with your name, date of purchase, and specific brewing instructions. Their selection is just amazing.

I've lived in London and Sydney so got used to having great tea. It was impossible to buy good tea in the U.S. 30 years ago. I used to bring it back to the states and ration it.

 

[Deesknee]

Thanks Everyone! Wow! What knowledgeable people! I ordered him a couple of samples and of course 3oz of blueberry and a mug/infuser. I ordered it thru order Adagio. But, since the prices seem so reasonable I think I will try to order from a couple of the others you all have suggested. He can do his own taste test and decide which he likes best! You all have helped make our Christmas a little more magical. thank you.