A Merry Loner participates in the Palais des Thés affiliate program, which means that if you buy a tea or tea accessories through one of my Palais des Thés links, I may receive a small percentage of its price, at no extra cost to you.
Your guide to finding the best tea for non tea drinkers.
Compared to coffee, tea is… Well, it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. But even a lot of non tea drinkers know that there are many health benefits of tea — and they want to get on board.
Sound like you? Or maybe you’re a coffee drinker looking for a coffee alternative with less caffeine.
Since my teenage days, I’ve started almost every day with a cup of tea. From herbal blends to rarer white teas and everything in between, I’ve come pretty damn close to tasting them all, so I think I’ve narrowed down the best tasting tea for non tea drinkers.
In this mega round-up, find all the best tea for someone who doesn’t like tea, plus tips on how to discover your tea palette, shop for tea, brew the best cup of tea, and build a small solo tea ritual into your everyday for an indulgent moment of calm.
The shortlist: All the best teas (and how to start drinking tea) for non tea drinkers
Understand the tea spectrum: the basics of black, green, and white tea
Top 10 best teas for non tea drinkers
Best teas for coffee drinkers (including teas with robust flavors and teas with high caffeine content)
Best teas for non coffee drinkers (including herbal teas for newbies and teas with low caffeine content)
4 strategies to find out what kind of tea you like
3 tips for shopping for tea for beginners
5 steps to acquire a taste for tea
3 tips to brew the best-tasting tea
3 ideas to level up your tea tasting
How to create your own solo tea ritual to enjoy tea more
READER FAVORITES ON MINDFUL CONSUMPTION
6 Ethical Tea Companies for Fair Trade Tea Bags & Organic Tea
5 Alternatives to Amazon for Books (and why I no longer buy books from Amazon)
Understanding the tea spectrum
Tea is tea is tea — not. The spectrum of tea is wide, diverse, and colorful. You can pour yourself a cup of some of the classics, like black or green tea. Or you can get into more fanciful territory with red tea, white tea, or tea blends in shades of pink or even blue.
First, let’s start with the basics of tea for beginners:
Black tea basics
Probably the most common tea out there, black tea is usually first on the list for beginner tea drinkers.
Here’s how black tea compares to some of the other most popular types of tea:
Flavor profile: Robust and bold
Caffeine content: Moderate (although you can shop decaf versions)
Fermentation: Fully fermented
Oxidation: Fully oxidized
Reported health benefits: A source of theaflavins, antioxidants that can offer protection from chronic disease [SOURCE: Source: UCLA Health]
Green tea basics
A close tie for the most popular tea family, green tea is another staple you’ll easily find in restaurants and most grocery stores.
Here’s how green tea compares to some of the other most popular types of tea:
Flavor profile: Fresh and vegetable
Caffeine content: Light
Fermentation: Not fermented
Oxidation: Minimally oxidized
Reported health benefits: Rich in polyphenols, antioxidants that may reduce the risk of many chronic diseases, like coronary heart disease and stroke [SOURCE: National Library of Medicine]
White tea basics
Less talked about than popular black and green tea, white tea deserves a lot more attention, especially if you’re looking for the best tea for new tea drinkers.
Here’s how white tea compares to some of the other most popular types of tea:
Flavor profile: Delicate and floral
Caffeine content: Light
Fermentation: Not fermented
Oxidation: Very minimally oxidized
Reported health benefits: High levels of catechin (higher than in other tea species), which are antioxidants that can help protect against disease [SOURCE: Trends in Food Science & Technology, Volume 82 via ScienceDirect]
Oolong tea basics
When it comes to teas, consider oolong tea the wild card in the group. While green tea is only minimally oxidized (and white tea even less so), oolong tea is partially oxidized, falling closer to the fully oxidized black tea.
Huh? Basically, this means oolong tea can have very distinct flavors, ranging from lighter, floral flavors to richer, fruitier, and nuttier notes.
Flavor profile: Varied, from fruity to floral, bitter, nutty, and more
Caffeine content: Moderate
Fermentation: Semi-fermented
Oxidation: Partially oxidated
Reported health benefits: Contains I-theanine, an amino acid link to prevention of cognitive diseases [SOURCE: Penn Medicine]
Herbal tea basics
Got ya! Herbal “teas” are not actually tea, but most people call them that, anyway. (Guilty.) You may also hear them called “infusions” or “tisanes.” Really, herbal teas are made from steeping herbs, spices, or other plant materials in hot water.
Flavor profile: Varied, including mint, floral, vegetal, and more
Caffeine content: None
Fermentation: None
Oxidation: None
Reported health benefits: Depends on which specific herbs it contains; see health benefits of three herbal teas from Harvard Health Publishing.
10 best teas for non tea drinkers
Understanding the basics of the different tea species is the best place to start if you want to learn how to start liking tea. But if you’re not interested in the nitty-gritty details and just want to make tea drinking a daily habit and find the best tea for new drinkers, I’ll cut right to the chase.
Here’s a list of the best tea for beginners:
1. Chamomile
The first tea for non tea drinkers I’d like to recommend isn’t really a tea at all: It’s an herbal tea.
Meet chamomile tea, an herbal infusion of dried chamomile flowers, usually combined with other herbs like lavender, lemon balm, and rose.
But be warned! Because it’s an herbal tea, you won’t want to turn to chamomile in the morning for an energy boost. Instead, chamomile is actually considered a mild tranquilizer and sleep-inducer, likely due to the flavonoid, apigenin. [SOURCE: National Library of Medicine]
For a calming afternoon or a good night’s sleep, this is a good tea for beginners.
I like this chamomile blend because it also includes apple, orange peel, lemon verbena, lemon balm, limeflower, and nettle. When steeped, it turns a delightful light golden color. What makes this so special to me is the inclusion of apple, a rare partner for chamomile. I also love the addition of orange peel and limeflower, which adds a refreshing zing to the otherwise calming and comforting blend.
2. Fruit-infused teas
If you normally don’t like the taste of tea, try looking for fruit-infused tea. You can easily find plenty of fruity herbal tea blends, like:
— Scandinavian Detox Tea (sea buckthorn, cranberry, elderflower, and blueberry)
— Romantic Garden (peach and lemon myrtle)
— Fruit Garden (berries and goji)
But remember, these fruit-infused herbal teas are caffeine-free — and they’re not technically tea.
If you want to learn how to start liking tea, look for black, green, or white teas that are infused with different fruits, like:
— Dreamy Tea (white tea with orange blossom and berries)
— Cheers To Tea (green tea with ginger and citrus)
— Blue Mountain (black tea with strawberry and flowers)
3. Ceylon
Ceylon is one of the more popular black teas you’ll find in the grocery aisle, and it’s a great place to start for newbies looking for the best tasting tea for non drinkers.
Sometimes called Sri Lankan tea, Ceylon tea is a type of black tea that’s only grown in Sri Lanka.
One of the reasons Ceylon tea is perhaps the best tea to start with is because it’s a little milder than traditional black tea with notes of citrus, honey, and even some spice.You can drink Ceylon tea straight up on its own, with a splash of milk, or with a lemon for a little extra zing. Or if you still want a bit of citrus but can’t be bothered to slice up a lemon, you can keep things a little simpler with this Saint-James Ceylon black tea.
4. Darjeeling
Darjeeling is another good black tea for beginners. What makes this maybe the best tea for new tea drinkers is its delicate flavor. Compared to other black teas you’ll find in the store, Darjeeling is a lot less bitter and even tastes naturally a little sweet.
It’ll make you feel fancy, too.
Darjeeling is sometimes called “the champagne of teas.” Just as wine can’t be called champagne unless it’s produced in the Champagne region of France, Darjeeling tea can’t be called Darjeeling unless it’s grown and produced in the Darjeeling district, a region in West Bengal, India.
Here are a few good choices for Darjeeling tea:
5. Lady Grey black tea
This is one of my personal favorites. But even though I’m a long-time tea drinker, I still think Lady Grey black tea is a contender for the best tea for non tea drinkers.
First, you likely know the famous Earl Grey tea, which blends black tea with bergamot. While I love this tea and consider it a staple in my kitchen cabinet, I know quite a few friends who like tea but find Early Grey’s flavor profile too strong — so I wouldn’t necessarily recommend Earl Grey as the best tea for beginners.
Instead, enter Lady Grey black tea.
Created in the ‘90s by tea company Twinings, this modern take on Earl Grey adds lemon peel and orange peel to the mix. Instead of complicating the flavor profile, these citrusy additions actually make Lady Grey a bit more subdued and a bit softer.
It’s one of my favorite teas for the morning when I want something mild but caffeinated to get me going.
6. Jasmine green tea
Many people want to learn how to like tea, but they’re turned off by the bitter flavors in black or green tea. (If prepared incorrectly, green tea can easily turn too bitter, so watch out.)
If you’ve tried green tea and don’t like the grassy taste, consider opting for a jasmine green tea blend — probably the best tea for people who find green tea too vegetal.
The jasmine adds a bit of fresh fragrance and sweetness to the vegetal flavor of green tea. This is even a good pick if you don’t call yourself a fan of florals. Jasmine green tea is usually quite delicate and subtle, so you won’t feel like you’re drinking a cup of perfumed flower water.
Here are a few good choices for jasmine green tea:
7. Chai tea
Chai tea is a long-loved favorite among tea enthusiasts. For cozy fall and winter days, it’s easy to consider it the best hot tea for beginners.
Masala chai is an Indian beverage made with black tea, milk, water, and aromatic herbs and spices, like cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, ginger, and even black pepper. It has a rich, robust, spicy flavor that’s definitely best enjoyed while wearing a sweater and staring dreamily out the window.
Today, you can find many chai tea blends available in tea bags for easy drinking at home. Adding milk, then, becomes optional.
Personally, I prefer to do without milk in my tea, but you do you. If you have a milk frother at home, you can also turn your basic tea bag into a frothy, creamy chai tea latte in just a few minutes.
Here are a few good choices for chai tea bags:
— Chai Imperial (black tea with cardamon and pink pepper)
— Tea of the Fakirs (green chai tea and citrus)
8. White tea
In my opinion, white tea is seriously underrated. Or at least, it gets a lot less screen time (and shelf space) than the famous black teas, green teas, and caffeine-free herbal teas.
As I covered above in the tea basics, white tea undergoes very little oxidation. Importantly, white tea is also made from either unopened buds or very young tea leaves. Basically, this makes white tea some of the most delicate, subtle, and light teas you can drink — which I think puts it in the running for the best tea for new drinkers.
Plus, white tea has a low caffeine content, so you won’t be overwhelmed by the jitters if you’re not accustomed to drinking caffeine during the day.
For newbies to the tea world who want to enjoy a cup with just a little flavor and just a little caffeine, white tea is the way to go. I might even go as far to say it’s a contender for the best hot tea for beginners.
Here are a few good choices for white tea:
— Dream Tea (with rose, orange blossoms, and berries)
— Bai Mu Dan (Chinese white tea)
— Gaba Cha (with notes of rose and peony)
Whoa! I like to think of myself as pretty in the know when it comes to tea, but I’ve never seen this before! For an interesting twist on the classic Earl Grey black tea, try this: White Tea Earl Grey. All the bergamot-y goodness of the traditional but made with white tea for a lighter flavor profile.
9. Rooibos
Another one of my personal favorites! Also known as red tea, rooibos is… Well, not actually a tea.
Rooibos means “red bush” and comes from South Africa’s fynbos biome. [SOURCE: Wikipedia] This means rooibos is a caffeine-free “tea,” which is another reason why it’s a staple beverage for me to sip before bed.
Rooibos has an earthy, almost nutty taste. It truly tastes like no other tea I’ve had before. Some people even say they detect some natural vanilla and honey notes in their cups of rooibos tea. Some tea companies will bring out these sweeter notes in special rooibos tea blends, like this Tahitian Rooibos with vanilla and almond or this Hammam Rooibos with rose and red berries.
My personal favorite is just pure, organic rooibos herbal tea. I also love that, when steeped, rooibos tea is a vibrant red color.
MAKE YOUR OWN ROOIBOS ICED TEA:
1. Steep an extra-strong cup of rooibos tea. (I like to use two tea bags instead of one when making iced tea.)
2. After steeping, remove the tea bags and let cool until the tea reaches room temperature.
3. Serve with ice cubes. Or put it in the fridge overnight.
10. Oolong
Remember when I said oolong tea is like the wild card in the group? Actually, it’s that wild-card quality that puts it among the best-tasting tea for beginners.
Because oolong is partially oxidized, it won’t taste as full-bodied as a traditional black tea, but it’ll likely be more robust than your basic green tea.
Of course, the strength and flavor depend on what kind of oolong tea you try, since some are more oxidized than others. For example, some oolong teas can look and taste more like green tea, while others that are more oxidized will be more similar to black teas.
If you’re more interested in green tea, you can try this unique blend of green tea, oolong tea, almond, and cinnamon. If you’re more interested in black tea, you can try this more full-bodied oolong tea.
Best teas for coffee drinkers
Don’t get me wrong — I’m as much of a coffee lover as I am a tea lover. But sometimes, it’s worth it to cut down on the coffee and up your tea intake. Depending on how addicted you are to coffee how much you love coffee, though, this can be easier said than done.
If you want to learn how to start drinking tea but just can’t get yourself to put down the coffee mug, it helps to investigate the best tea for coffee drinkers.
Transitioning from coffee to tea, why?
First, if you love coffee and it’s serving its purpose, why even consider adding tea into the mix?
Flavor variety. For one, (and I know the coffee connoisseurs may come for me with this one), there are a lot more different flavors of tea than there are of coffee. So if you love your regular cup of Joe but need something with a little variety during your after-lunch break, opting for tea instead of coffee may just offer the routine-change your body is craving.
Less acid. Tea is also a lot less acidic than coffee. This makes tea a great way to still get the caffeine fix you want without being so harsh on your teeth and stomach.
Less caffeinated. Maybe you love the flavor of coffee but can’t quite handle multiple cups a day without getting a serious case of the jitters. (And decaf coffee — gross.)
Once again, tea is the coffee-alternative hero. While some tea blends can still pack a powerful punch of caffeine, most have weaker caffeine levels than a standard cup of coffee.
Moreover, tea usually gives you a much smoother and more balanced caffeine experience so you don’t experience the typical spike-and-crash energy swings that can come with strong coffee.
Teas with robust flavors
If you’re a sucker for a strong and bold cup of coffee but are intrigued by the flavor diversity, lower acidity, and smoother caffeine experience that come with a cup of tea, know that you have options. And you don’t have to sacrifice flavor.
Here are some options for tea that tastes like coffee:
1. Irish breakfast
Do you take milk and sugar with your coffee? Then you just might love Irish Breakfast tea.
It’s a strong and robust black tea with a hearty flavor profile that isn’t too far off from a basic cup of coffee, which is why I think it deserves the #1 spot in this abbreviated list of the best hot tea for non tea drinkers.
2. Masala Chai
If you’re the latte queen, then masala chai may soon become your new favorite drink of choice.
A blend of black tea, aromatic spices, and milk (if you so choose), this is a rich, warming tea blend that gets pretty damn close to a frothy, cinnamon-topped cappuccino.
3. Pu-erh
(FYI, it’s pronounced “poo-are.”) Fans of all things light and floral be warned! This fermented tea has an earthy, almost smoky flavor that definitely isn’t everyone’s cup of tea (pun intended). But if you’re a fan of dark roast coffee, pu-erh may just be the right alternative for you.
4. Lapsang souchong
Another tea for coffee drinkers with a bold, smoky flavor — and I do mean smoky!
Lapsang souchong is often made smoke-dried over a pinewood fire. If you take your coffee bold, dark, and without a drop of sweetener in it, give this black tea the next time you need a caffeine fix.
5. Yunnan black tea
There’s a lot to savor in a cup of Yunnan black tea. While this tea does indeed have a strong flavor, it’s usually tempered by notes of honey, chocolate, and malt.
A little bit sweeter than most full-bodied black teas but still deep and complex, Yunnan black tea may be the very best tea for coffee drinkers.
What if you don’t like black tea at all?
If this staple is too strong or bitter for you but you still want a coffee replacement, then the best tea for people who don’t like black tea is probably green tea.
Teas with high caffeine content
Some people drink coffee because they love the flavor — and others are just addicted to the caffeine. (You know who you are.)
If you’re open to exploring different flavor profiles but are not willing to give up a high-caffeine beverage to get you through the day, don’t despair. There are still plenty of high-caffeine teas out there for you to try.
Here are some options for teas with a mega-dose of caffeine:Note:
For reference, keep in mind that the average 8-oz cup of coffee contains about 80–100 mg of caffeine. [SOURCE: Medical News Today]
1. Matcha
Matcha is special in the world of tea because it’s made from powdered green tea leaves. This means that rather than simply steeping the leaves in hot water, you consume the entire tea leaf. The result? A higher caffeine content than most teas. A typical cup of matcha has about 70 mg of caffeine. [SOURCE: Women’s Health]
2. Yerba mate
Like herbal “teas,” yerba mate isn’t exactly a tea; it is a plant that can be steeped in hot water to make a beverage. And it is caffeinated.
Like that first sip of coffee you had as a teenager, you may not love yerba mate at first; it’s strong, bitter, and highly vegetal-tasting. It also has twice as much caffeine as green tea; a cup of yerba mate contains about 80 mg of caffeine. [SOURCE: National Library of Medicine]
3. Black tea
If you’re not looking for anything fancy and just want to transition from your basic cup of black coffee to a basic cup of black tea, good news! An average cup of black tea has 48 mg of caffeine.
While this is definitely less than the typical cup of coffee will give you, there are perks (again, pun intended). Because there are so many different flavors of black available, you can get your caffeine fix AND experiment with new flavors — without having to add sugary additives to your cup of coffee. [SOURCE: Mayo Clinic]
4. Pu-erh
Remember the robust, earthy flavor of pu-erh? This fermented tea also packs a powerful punch in the caffeine department. A cup of pu-erh tea can contain 30–100 mg of caffeine. That’s quite a big difference! It all depends on the brewing method. In general, the longer you steep a cup of tea, the more caffeinated (and bitter it becomes). [SOURCE: Healthline]
Best teas for non-coffee-drinkers
If you’re not a coffee drinker and not a tea drinker but you’d like to learn how to start drinking tea (first of all, how are you even getting through the day?), then don’t sweat it — there’s still a way for you to get into drinking tea. You just have to narrow down your choice(s) of the best hot tea for non tea drinkers.
Of course, you can opt for decaf teas. But like decaf coffee, even decaf teas still contain a little bit of caffeine.
In fact, the average cup of black, green, or white decaf tea has about 14–61 mg of caffeine. (Remember that the caffeine concentration also depends on how long you let the tea bag steep in the water.) [SOURCE: National Library of Medicine] This is why you’ll see these teas marketed as “decaffeinated” and not caffeine-free.
So how do you get truly caffeine-free tea? The answer is herbal tea.
Best herbal teas for newbies
Even though I’m not trying to avoid caffeine, I still love a cup of herbal tea. (When I’m not feeling lazy, I even like to make a big batch ahead of time so I can enjoy iced herbal tea throughout the week.)
If you do want to avoid caffeine altogether, then the best tea for non tea drinkers like you will likely be something herbal.
Iced or hot, here are some of the best herbal teas for beginners:
1. Chamomile
Since chamomile can be a sleep inducer, you may not want to sip chamomile tea while you’re working at your desk. But for a calming cup at the end of the day before bed, it’s pretty hard to beat chamomile.
2. Peppermint
Peppermint tea is probably one of the teas I drink the most often. Winter or summer, I find it refreshing — and there’s something about that peppermint taste that I find both uplifting and calming. I also like to drink peppermint tea to help soothe a stomachache. It’s worth noting that some animal studies show that peppermint has a relaxing effect on GI tissue, but there are limited related human studies. [SOURCE: National Library of Medicine]
3. Rooibos
Another one of my all-time favorite teas. (How many times have I said that so far?)
Rooibos tea is a fantastic choice for the best hot tea for non tea drinkers. It has a unique earthy taste; it’s completely caffeine-free; and it’s a cool red color. That’s a pretty damn cool herbal tea, if you ask me.
4. Lemon ginger
Of course, you can make a lemon and ginger hot “tea” without having to go out and purchase tea bags. After all, when it comes to that lemony flavor, there’s nothing better than freshly squeezed lemon juice. Adding fresh ginger, however, can sometimes be a bit of a hassle, which is why you may want to opt for this loose leaf tea with lemongrass, ginger, and carrot.
Personally, I like both the DIY and the bagged version; it all depends on how lazy I am that day and what I have on hand in the kitchen.
5. Hibiscus
I recently discovered hibiscus tea after stumbling upon it in the sale aisle in Lidl… And I was quickly hooked.
For starters, I simply love how this herbal tea turns a pale pink color or a vibrant magenta hue, depending on how strong you make it and how long you steep it for.
Interestingly, hibiscus tea doesn’t taste like flowers to me but has more of a tangy, almost fruity taste. Highly recommend! My favorite way to imbibe is with hibiscus loose leaf iced tea so I can feel like an old-timey herbalist while I pour out the flower buds.
Best teas with low caffeine content
Maybe you’re not a caffeine teetotaler, but you just want to watch your daily caffeine intake.
If that sounds like you, you’d be advised to steer clear of black tea, which is the most caffeinated tea out there (definitely not the best tea for non tea drinkers who are avoiding high levels of caffeine).
Instead, try out one of these low-caffeine teas:
1. White tea
White tea is the least processed type of tea and thus has the lowest caffeine content. On average, a cup of white tea has 6–55 mg of caffeine. [SOURCE: Healthline]
Try out white if you want a delicate flavor profile with just a little bit of sweetness.
2. Green tea
Green tea has more caffeine than white tea, but it’ll give you less of a kick than black tea. In general, a basic cup of green tea will have 30–50 mg of caffeine. [SOURCE: Healthline]
Besides being low in caffeine, green tea is loaded with different health benefits — far too much for me to even try to summarize here.If you’d like to find more references about green tea’s health benefits, I’d recommend heading to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.
How to find out what kind of tea you like
As you can see, there is a big, wide world of tea out there! While it may seem like I shared a lot of information, this is really just the tip of the iceberg. So if you’re a total newbie when it comes to the humble tea leaf, it can definitely be hard to figure out how to start drinking tea.
To help, here a few tips on how to figure out what kind of tea you like:
1. Look for flavors you’re already familiar with
Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for experimenting and expanding your horizons. But when you’re trying to figure out how to start liking tea, it’s a good idea to stick with what you know. At least in the beginning.
Here’s my #1 tip to find the best tasting tea for beginners: Look for teas that taste like something you already like.
If you like fruit…
Maybe don’t make your first cup the smoky Lapsang Souchong. Instead, look for fruit-infused teas, like:
— Scandinavian Detox Tea (sea buckthorn, cranberry, elderflower, and blueberry)
— Romantic Garden (peach and lemon myrtle)
— Fruit Garden (berries and goji)
If you like cinnamon…
Chai could be your best friend. It’s also a good idea to look for other spicy tea blends, like:
— Lovers’ Rooibos (with apple, cinnamon, and almond)
— Spicy Passion (with rooibos, chai spices, ginger and cinnamon)
— Funfair Tea (with green tea, oolong, almond, and cinnamon)
If you like bitter flavors…
Stay away from the florals! To turn up the bitterness on any tea, remember that you can always simply steep your tea for a little bit longer.
Here are some good choices for tea with a bitter flavor profile.
If you’re picky and have no idea where to start
I see you, and I hear you. Sometimes, we just don’t know what we want.
If you’re just dipping your toe into the world of teas, I recommend starting with mint tea. After all, most of us already know what mint tastes like, right?
To better control the dosage and how strong your tea will be, try starting with a loose leaf mint tea. I like this one with a few berries added for sweetness. Or if you want something less fussy, just get a tea bag, instead, like this one with peppermint, anise, and lemon balm.
Once you’ve gotten accustomed to herbal mint tea (and if you like it!), you can take a baby step towards the “real” teas.Try this green tea with peppermint to help you cross the bridge from mint tea to green tea. (It’s also just darn good-tasting, too.)
2. Get a tea-sampling kit
Another way to learn how to start drinking tea is by getting a tea-sampling kit. This gives you the chance to try out a bunch of different kinds of tea without having to commit to an entire box of one flavor.
Here are a few options of tea-sampling kits:
If you want to try a bunch of different green teas: Green Teas Gift Box with six different green teas
If you want to try a bunch of different herbal teas: Herbal Teas Gift Box with nine different herbal teas
If you want to try a little bit of everything:Discovery Set with 18 different teas, including herbal infusions
3. Visit a tea shop or tearoom
If you think you won’t like tea and don’t want to buy a box that may potentially go to waste, you definitely don’t have to. Instead, you can visit a local tea shop or tearoom before making any purchase.
Of course, you can also just go to a basic coffee shop and order a cup of tea there. But why not make tea-tasting a fun experience?
Going out for afternoon tea is a fun way to treat yourself — and it’s something a little different than just heading to the bar or a restaurant.
Plus, rather than just ordering one cup of tea at a coffee shop, most tearooms usually have some kind of tea sampler on the menu so you can try out a bunch of different flavors.
Going to a tearoom is also fun because:
— It’s an excuse to dress up in the daytime.
— You can drink your tea with your pinky up with no shame.
— Scones.
— It is an opportunity to wear a fabulous hat indoors.
Does taking yourself out for a solo date seem odd? Then I must ask you: If there’s something you really want to do, why are you waiting on someone else? In my Guide to Dating Yourself, get five solo date ideas (like taking yourself to a tearroom) and learn why it’s worth taking yourself out.
4. Experiment with additives
Personally, I like my tea like I like my coffee: straight up. Sometimes, I’ll add in a little bit of lemon or honey, depending on the blend. (Although, I won’t lie. I’m usually too lazy to do that.)
But if you’re a beginner learning how to like tea, playing around with additives may help you get used to the taste.
For example, you can add:
— Milk (Take your pick from the ever-growing list of varieties and alternatives.)
— Cream
— Sugar (Although please do yourself a favor and avoid artificial sweeteners and their many health concerns. It’s too much to get into now, but this article from the Cleveland Clinic is a good starting point for reading about how bad artificial sweeteners are for our bodies.)
— Honey (A much healthier choice than plain sugar!)
— Lemon
— Orange peel
— Cinnamon (sticks or ground)
— Fresh ginger
— Mint leaves
— Berries
Tips for shopping for tea for beginners
We’re so inundated by choices anytime we go to buy anything nowadays — and this is certainly true of tea.
If you don’t know a thing about tea (although, hopefully you do after reading this blog post), trying to find the best tea for non tea drinkers can be quite daunting.
These shopping tips can help you find the best tasting tea for beginners:
1. Shop for high quality
I’m not saying you need to spend a lot of money on tea — definitely not. But if this is your first time tasting tea, you don’t want to be turned off by a cheap, low-quality taste.
This is not even mentioning the environmental and ethical consequences of supporting nefarious tea companies. Again, that’s way too large of a topic to discuss here, but you can head to the Ethical Tea Partnership if you want to learn more about the tea industry.) In this post, we’re keeping things simple and just focusing on things like flavor and the tea-drinking experience.
If you want to cut right to the chase, shop from my vetted list of 6 Ethical Tea Companies for Fair Trade Tea Bags & Organic Tea.
When shopping for the best tea to start with, look for reputable tea brands (ideally organic), if you can.
These are some of the tea brands I like:
— Traditional Medicinals
— Equal Exchange
— Yogi Tea
— Pukka Herbs
— Numi Tea
Shopping online these days can feel scammy. It’s much easier to be certain you’re buying high-quality wares when you do it in person — and when you shop from a local business, you’re also supporting the people in your community.
See 8 easy, affordable ways to support local businesses(and why it’s important).
2. Look for teas with fewer tannins
First, what the heck are tannins?
Derived from phenolic acids, tannins are phenolic compounds that are found in many kinds of plants. Besides tea, you may consume tannins in coffee, red wine, and beer. [SOURCE: United States Department of Agriculture]
There’s some conflicting research out there on whether or not tannins are beneficial or harmful for your health. But I’m focusing strictly on flavor right now.
Essentially, tannins are responsible for giving tea its dark color and bitter flavor. If bitterness isn’t your thing, then begin your journey to liking tea by looking for teas with fewer tannins, like white and green teas.
Here’s a little cheat sheet on which teas have the most tannins:
| Type of Tea | Tannin Concentration |
|---|---|
| Black tea | 11.76–15.14% |
| Oolong tea | 8.66% |
| Green tea | 2.65–3.11% |
| [SOURCE: Livestrong] |
This report, unfortunately, did not include the average tannin concentration in white tea. In my research, I found many publications that state white tea has the lowest tannin count (and this very well may be true); however, all publications (that I’ve read) fail to cite any research studies supporting this information. If you find this information, please let me know! I would be happy to read it and update this post.
3. Look for less bitter teas
If all this tannin talk has got you a little freaked out, let me say it another way: If you are searching for a good tea for beginners, stay away from smokey, earthy teas. (I’m looking at you, Pu-erh and Lapsang Souchong.)
Here’s another cheat sheet to help you find the best teas for people who find tea too bitter:
| Very Bitter Teas | Moderately Bitter Teas | Not Bitter Teas |
|---|---|---|
| Earl Grey | English breakfast | White tea |
| Lapsang souchong | Oolong | Chamomile |
| Green gunpowder tea | Ceylon black tea | Peppermint |
How to acquire a taste for tea
I remember my first sip of red wine. I don’t remember how old I was exactly, probably a young teenager. My mom gave me a taste from her glass at the dinner table, and I promptly pulled a face and ran into the kitchen to spit it in the sink.
Over the years, I’ve taken a fancy to red wine, but it didn’t happen overnight —the same thing might happen to you with tea.
I’m not saying one sip of tea will send you running to the other room to make a return delivery, but you may not like it on your first try. Actually, this is quite a common phenomenon when trying new foods; one study, in particular, revealed that children need to try a new food six to 15 times before they start to like it and eat it more. [SOURCE: PubMed Central]
If you don’t like tea from your very first cup but still want to get those health benefits, there’s hope for you yet.
Here are a few tips to learn how to acquire a taste for tea:
1. Start with teas with mild flavors and subtle aromas
This is the rule I keep on repeating, but it works: If you’re a tea beginner, don’t go straight for the most robust, full-bodied earthy blends. (Unless you’re a coffee addict, in which case one of those may be the best tea for coffee drinkers.)
If you’re not attuned to the world of caffeine, start slow. Or, more accurately, start subtle.
Look for teas with mild flavors, like herbal teas, white tea, green tea, and low-oxidized oolong tea.
2. Gradually explore stronger teas
Once you’ve gotten accustomed to the taste of milder teas, you can explore more full-bodied, robust teas.
For example, to help you transition from green tea to black tea, start with a high-oxidized oolong tea. Then, you can check out some of the stronger classics, like English Breakfast tea, Irish Breakfast tea, and Ceylon black tea.
Here’s one path you can take to learn how to acquire a taste for tea and find the best tea for non tea drinkers like you:
| Steps to Acquire a Taste for Tea | Tea Options |
|---|---|
| 1. Start with herbal tea | – Peppermint tea – Chamomile tea – Rooibos tea |
| 2. Transition to a mild, subtle green or white tea. | – Jasmine green tea – Dragonwell tea – Pure white tea – White peony tea |
| 3. Try a more robust oolong tea. | – Low-oxidized oolong tea – High-oxidized oolong tea |
| 4. Graduate to a cup of full-bodied black tea. | – Assam black tea – Chai black tea – Earl Grey |
| 5. Sit at the big kids’ tea table with a smokey, earthy blend. | – Lapsang souchong – Pu-erh |
3. Explore flavored options
Now it’s time to spice things up. In the beginning, when you’re learning how to like tea, it’s best to stick to the basics and avoid overly-flavored teas so you can figure out how to identify what kind of tea leaves you like.
Once you’ve tried a couple of different cups, you’ll better understand your tea preferences and tastes. Do you like green tea? Black tea? Herbal? A little bit of everything?
Here are a few good options of different flavored teas to experiment with:
Flavored green teas
— Hammam Tea (with rose and red berries)
— Tea of Wonders (with almonds and pistachio)
— Spring Tea (with mint and bergamot)
— Thé Du Louvre (with apple, plum, and quince)
Flavored black teas
— Hammam Tea Black Leaf (with rhubarb, rose, and red berries)
— Gourmet Tea (with almonds and cherries)
— Tahitian Tea (with vanilla and almond)
— Thé Du Louvre (with citrus and blackberry)
Flavored herbal teas
— French Garden (with pear and blackberry)
— Coral Garden (with pineapple and coconut)
— Byzantine Garden (with rose and pomegranate)
— Water Garden (melon, papaya, and goji berries)
4. Try iced tea
Found a few teas you like? Try them iced, too!
Some companies sell tea bags that are specially made for brewing iced tea. Basically, each tea bag usually has more tea leaves inside so you can brew them in cold water. But in my opinion, these teas don’t taste as good — and they’re not worth the added expense.
Instead, you can easily turn your favorite hot tea into iced tea yourself.
How to turn your favorite hot tea into iced tea:
1. Steep an extra-strong cup of your favorite tea. (I like to use two tea bags instead of one.)
2. After steeping, remove the tea bags and let cool until the tea reaches room temperature.
3. Serve immediately with ice cubes. Store any leftover tea in the fridge overnight.
4. Get fancy with a lemon wedge, fresh mint leaves, fresh fruit or other iced tea additives.
5. Incorporate tea into daily routines and rituals
Don’t like hot beverages at all? There is no best tea for people who don’t like hot beverages — you can simply turn any tea into an iced tea for a refreshing glass when you need it.
5. Incorporate tea into daily routines and rituals
If you’re working on learning how to like tea, the best way to acquire a taste for the drink is to incorporate it into your daily routine.
For example, instead of reaching for coffee first thing in the morning, how about brewing yourself a cup of delightful green tea? (That is, after you’ve had a glass of water, first thing, to get hydrated.)
Or, if you’re out the door too quickly in the morning, try adding tea into your evening wind-down routine.
Brew a cup to read with a classic novel in the evening before bed (see my 18 classic novel recommendations for beginners).
Or brew a cup of tea and enjoy doing absolutely nothing but sitting and staring out the window for a bit. (Seriously, when was the last time you really did nothing?)
Doing nothing is harder than it seems, right? Especially when our phones are tempting us every second, always within reach. If you want to spend less time on social media and start living in the real world, see the 4 strategies to quit social media that worked for me.
Best tasting tea brewing tips
It seems almost unbelievable (since brewing tea literally requires putting a leaf in water), but you can mess it up.
If you steep too long, not enough, or at the wrong temperature, you can turn an otherwise delightful little pick-me-(c)up into a bitter, burned disappointment.
Fortunately, course-correcting is easy. Use these 3 simple tips for a better-tasting tea:
Use the correct temperature. Believe it or not, teas need to be brewed at specific temperatures to taste their best. Usually, these guidelines are written on the box — but you don’t have to get too carried away.
If your tea kettle doesn’t let you precisely control the temperature, just keep this general rule in mind:
Black tea: brew near boiling
Green tea: let the water cool slightly below boiling
White or herbal tea: let the water cool even more than for green tea
Don’t oversteep. This is one of the fastest ways to ruin a perfectly good cup of tea. The longer the tea steeps, the more tannins are released, which is responsible for that bitter flavor.
To brew a cup that’s just right, check the guidelines on your box to see how long to keep the tea bag in the water.
Drink quality tea. Like anything else you buy, quality matters — and it’s about more than what you bring home. With every purchase you make, you leave a trail, environmentally, politically, and ethically.
You do you, but if shopping ethically takes the same amount of effort as shopping evilly, I prefer ethics every time. These are 6 ethical tea companies I support for doing right by the environment and their workers.
How to level up your tea tasting
Welcome to the boss level (tea version).
If you’ve nailed down your favorite picks among the best teas for non tea drinkers, it’s time to direct your attention to the art of tea drinking.
Here a few creative ways to level up your tea tasting:
1. Try out loose leaf vs tea bags
In the beginning, when you’re just starting to explore the best teas for non tea drinkers, it’s easiest to buy tea bags. After all, they’re easy to use, you can take them with you on the go, and they’re ideal for brewing a single serving.
But loose leaf tea is fun, too.
For one, it can be better for the environment because it seriously cuts down on unnecessary packaging. Also, if you’re brewing an entire pot of tea, it’s easier to work with loose leaf tea instead of having to use multiple tea bags.
However, if you want to play with loose leaf tea, you need the right accessories — and there are a lot. For example, you can buy:
— Designated loose leaf tea pot
— Travel mug with a tea infuser
And the list goes on. If you’ve entered the world of teas, then learning to brew loose leaf tea can really amplify the tea-drinking experience.
2. Experiment with different brewing methods
This is a very simplified list because there are lots of different ways to brew tea, many with important cultural significance. But I’m keeping it quick and to the point here, just to give an introduction to tea brewing for beginners.
Besides steeping simple tea bags, you can also experiment with different methods of brewing tea, like:
Steeping in a teapot: Pour boiling water over full tea leaves into a teapot; then serve by straining into teacups.
Steeping in a teacup: Pour boiling water over full leaves directly in a teacup; let the tea leaves settle to the bottom and drink, unstrained.
Cold brew: Steep tea leaves in cold or room temperature water overnight.Temperature-controlled electric kettles: Use an electric kettle with different temperature settings to brew different types of tea at specific temperatures to get the ideal flavor.
3. Enhance the experience with tea accessories
For the gal or guy who loves to accessorize, tea may soon become more than just a cozy beverage but a full-fledged hobby.
Like anything else, you can make brewing tea as simple or as complicated as you want to.
If you just want to buy a box of tea bags, boil water on the stove, pour, and be done with, then you will not only get to enjoy the taste and health benefits of tea — you’ll end up saving yourself a lot of time, too.
But you can also get a little extra and turn tea time into a delectable ritual that soothes, calms, and uplifts you. There are accessories for that.
Here are a few ways to enhance the tea-drinking experience with accessories:
Tea serving sets: Go all in with a teapot and a set of matching teacups.
Tea cozies: Use decorative, insulated covers to keep your teapot warm while you luxuriate.
Tea trays: Feel extra fancy by transporting your teawares from the kitchen to the table with a dedicated serving tray.
Tea tins: Keep your tea bags and loose leaf tea fresh and well organized in dedicated airtight tins.
Tea towels: Wipe up spills and keep hands protected from the scalding teapot with special tea towels.
Tea whisks: Prepare matcha the right way with a special matcha whisk to perfectly blend the green tea powder.
Tea timers: Avoid over- or under-brewing with a special tea timer to get the best-tasting cup every time.
Want to bring more calm to your life? Going analog has helped me a lot. Yes, I still use my smartphone and my laptop — but I found other, smaller ways to bring some analog calm into my daily routine. Discover 5 easy, cheap (or even free) ideas to live a more analog life.
Enjoy tea more by creating your own solo tea ritual
A to-go coffee has become a staple for most households. The days are too busy and we are too stressed, it seems, to even allow ourselves a few calm minutes to brew, sip, and indulge.
I believe we deserve those minutes; actually, we need them.
When you allow yourself even 10 minutes to slow down, resist multi-tasking, and fully focus on what you’re doing (sans scrolling distractions), life seems simpler and just so much more enjoyable.
But in the chaotic rush that is our day to day, it can be hard to remind ourselves to take this pause and sit alone with our thoughts. Creating a solo tea ritual makes this small moment of calm and reflection a regular part of your day (and eventually, your life).
Designing a solo tea ritual doesn’t have to be complex:
Use the same cup every time. The lack of choice makes it easier to stick to this routine even when you’re feeling frazzled. The familiarity turns it into both a habit and a small source of comfort in the midst of a hectic day.
Keep it short and consistent. Fitting in an hour-long tea ritual every day isn’t realistic for most people. But you don’t need a whole hour to slow down. Even just 10 minutes before work or after lunch can help you stop stress and unwind.
Don’t scroll while you sip. Read a book. Journal. Look out the window. Or just sit and muse. Your mind needs this empty time.
Over time, your solo tea ritual becomes less about the tea and more about having a quiet moment to yourself to relax, reflect, and reset for the rest of your day.
Does it feel weird to sit in silence with your thoughts? It does for a lot of people, now that we’re so addicted to having our phones with us all the time. Reclaim the silence and the calm of your alone time by learning how to enjoy your own company(it’s important).
Conclusion: Finding the best tea flavor for beginners starts with your own cup
While some teas are more approachable for those with delicate palates, there is no single best tea for non tea drinkers.
Like any other food, hobby, or vice, we all have different tastes and cravings. What will please someone else may cause you to wrinkle your nose. Maybe you’ll change your mind over time. Maybe you won’t. At the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter.
As a long-time tea drinker, my mood can take me anywhere from craving Earl Grey with lemon to iced peppermint to a raspberry and quince blend. For me, the goal is rarely hydration. Instead, I brew a daily cup to give myself some mental relief — a moment to quietly watch for the water to boil, to wait for the leaves to steep, the tea to cool, and the entire ritual to slow my thinking and bring me back to the present.
I may be a long-time tea drinker, but every day brings something new to ponder, challenge, and overcome. My solo tea ritual helps me slow down enough to handle it.
Next Steps:
Try out your first tea. Check out this list of 6 Ethical Tea Companies to select tea that was sustainably sourced and not cultivated with nefarious business practices.
Learn why it’s better to shop from ethical brands instead of Amazon. I share why I quit Amazon Prime 6+ years ago in my essay: The Problem with Shopping on Amazon Prime.
Cozy in with a book and a cup of tea. To let the mind wander, why not read a book on traveling alone to inspire your next trip?
Use the image below to save this post to Pinterest so this list is there when you need it.
Best Tea for Non Tea Drinkers & How to Start Drinking Tea: Common FAQs
Are tea drinkers healthier?
There have been many, many different studies over the years extolling the health benefits of tea. In one recent study that appeared in Annals of Internal Medicine, researchers found that people who had 2+ cups of tea per day “had a 9% to 13% lower risk of death from any cause than people who did not drink tea.” That goes for men and women.
Of course, it also depends what you put in your tea, i.e., if you load it up with sugar, then you’re also dramatically increasing your daily sugar intake, which can negatively impact your health.
What to drink if you don’t like tea?
If you don’t like tea, there’s no need to force yourself. Actually, coffee has many health benefits, too. In fact, a 2025 study suggests that drinking coffee before noon can greatly reduce “dying early from any cause and from cardiovascular disease.”
If it’s the caffeine that’s turning you off from drinking tea, no worries — there are plenty of naturally caffeine-free herbal teas to try, like peppermint, chamomile, and raspberry leaf.
You can discover more herbal teas to drink in my guide on ethical tea companies.
What is the best tea to start with?
There is no one best tea to start with. If you’re a coffee drinker trying to get into tea, I recommend something bold, like Irish breakfast tea. If you’re not a caffeine fan, but you want the health benefits of tea, then I’d suggest starting with herbal teas — my personal favorite is rooibos.
What is the best tea for non tea drinkers?
There’s not just one go-to tea that’s the best option for non tea drinkers; it depends what flavors you’re into.
If you like fruit, try a fruity tea, like raspberry or blueberry. If you’ve got a sweet tooth, try a vanilla chai. If you like bold, bitter flavors, look to pu-erh. There’s something for everyone to discover in the world of tea.
What tea would you recommend to a non tea drinker?
If you’re looking for the best-tasting tea for non tea drinkers, I’d start with something that doesn’t taste too “tea-like.”
For example, I think fruity tea blends (like Four Berries Black Tea or 7 Citrus Oolong Tea) are the best pick for someone trying to get into tea. If you want a fruit tea that doesn’t taste like tea, try a fruity herbal infusion, Organic Pear Delight with oat, buckwheat, and pear.
If you want something cozier, try a cinnamon-based blend, like Lovers’ Rooibos (with apple, cinnamon, and almond) or a classic chai. These are some of the best tasting hot tea options for non tea drinkers because the spices carry more flavor than the tea itself.
What additions, such as sugar and lemon, do you recommend using or avoiding?
If you’re new to tea, adding just a little something to your cup can help ease you into the flavor and acquire a taste for tea.
To temper the bitterness of bold black or green teas, try adding a little milk. For a bit of sweetness try honey instead of sugar (it’s better for you). I particularly like adding lemon for a zesty kick. Or if you’re chasing a cozy cup of tea, try adding a dash of cinnamon.
There’s no wrong combination, even if you’re a beginner tea drinker. Just experiment to find what you like.
What are some great real teas I should have around for guests?
If you’re more of a coffee drinker but want to keep teas on hand to offer to guests, I suggest sticking with the basics.
You can’t go wrong with a classic black tea (like English Breakfast) or a standard green tea.
It’s also a good idea to keep at least one herbal tea blend in your kitchen for guests who don’t like or want caffeine. Chamomile is a popular go-to for before bed, while fruity teas (like this berry blend) tend to be all around crowd-pleasers.
What are some healthy teas that taste good and have a nice aroma?
Any way you slice it, most teas come with lots of health benefits. (It’s the excess milk and sugar that makes tea a guilty pleasure.)
For the all-star combination of good smell, taste, and health benefits, try a classic herbal tea, like chamomile, peppermint, or rooibos — these are often considered the best tasting herbal tea for beginners because they’re naturally smooth and aromatic.
For something caffeinated, green tea is a good option; it’s widely known to be good for you, and it’s widely available in floral or fruity blends, depending on your taste.
I can’t have caffeine. What kind of teas can you suggest for me to try?
If you’re avoiding caffeine, herbal teas are your best option. Unlike decaf tea (which still contains the slightest amounts of caffeine), herbal teas are naturally caffeine-free. Plus, their subtle flavor profiles are generally appealing for new tea drinkers.
One of my personal favorites is rooibos. It’s warm and has an earthy, almost nutty flavor. It tastes great on its own or with a little milk. Peppermint is another great option; I find the minty flavor gives you a little energy boost without loading you up on caffeine.