2016 Gifts for Tea Lovers

Happy Holidays, tea friends! Here are a few tea finds that I couldn’t resist sharing about this year. Are any of these on your wish list?

1. Crabtree & Evelyn London’s Tea Selection

Over Black Friday weekend, I discovered that Crabtree & Evelyn carries tea. Little did I know that the company features edible products from holiday time through spring. I thought they only carried lotions and soaps here, but no, they carry tea, biscuits and even jam! This set of 6 types of bagged tea is both elegant and easy to enjoy.

2. Kusmi Tea’s Tsarevna

Oh wow, wow, wow. Gorgeous, right? This sophisticated black tea tastes of oranges, cardamom and ginger, and pairs exceptionally well with rich breads like cinnamon rolls or brioche. This limited edition holiday tin celebrates the 150th anniversary of Kusmi Tea. This is a drink inspired by Russian Princesses, a sip of romance and history.

3. Rise Fressko FlaskThis handsome to-go tea bottle is a combination of good looks and utility. The 2-part filter works well for infusing both loose tea or fruit. It’s an added bonus that the flask is made with heat-resistant glass so that you can enjoy the color of your brew and also minimize residual flavors from previous brews. Start 2017 the healthy way with this beautiful flask!

4. Royce’s Maccha Bar Chocolate

Matcha had to make its way onto this list somehow! For matcha-based confections, Royce is one of my favorite companies. They are well-known for their Nama Chocolates, but personally I prefer these Maccha Bar Chocolates, which taste like a spruced-up, green tea version Nestlé Crunch Bars.

5. Lupicia’s Handy Cooler

This fresh and modern looking teapot may be called a cooler, but it’s equally great for brewing both hot and cold teas. It comes in 2 sizes, and is ideal for overnight cold brews. Create a colorful accent to your tabletop by simply switching out the lids. Lightweight and practical, this is one of my favorites for everyday brewing.

6. Tea-Spiration by Lu Ann Pannunzio

My awesome tea-friend, Lu Ann, recently came out with this charming book. Tea-Spiration provides a refreshing perspective on how to enjoy tea without all those dos and don’ts. One of my favorite lines is where she reminds readers to “follow your own tea path to find what works best for your happiness.” A relaxing read, ideal for tucking into over a cozy cup of tea.

7. Disney Teapots

I’m a season passholder to Disneyland, which means that I have lots of time to peruse Main Street for teawares. I recently discovered the Shop Disney Park App, where they carry the full selection of Disney teapots sold inside the parks, including this blue and white Cinderella Teapot. Definitely download the app if you want to check out their entire collection!

8. Mason Jar Tea Time

This jar has everything you need for a proper tea time, including the cup, tea and treats! These make festive gifts when you want to spread Christmas cheer without breaking your budget. If you’re feeling particularly generous, attach a Cost Plus World Market gift card to the jar. There’s no better place to shop for teas and teawares from around the world!

9. Scales and Timers
For dedicated students of tea, these are important tools. Steeping according to weight and not volume is a good way to fully appreciate your pricier loose leaf tea. These gadgets make great stocking stuffers, and create the context for a thoughtful and meticulous tea session.

10. Swan Vintage Teasmade

Whoever created this machine is a genius! This is an alarm clock and tea maker all wrapped up into one compact machine. If you’re not a morning person (I’m not!), this definitely makes it easier to get out of bed on these chilly mornings. A great reason to not oversleep! Photo courtesy of Swan.

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Bonnie Eng

Noted by Notes on Tea…excellent! 🙂 The spoon is really helpful, Georgia. I like that once you weigh your tea you also have a visual of what that amount looks like relative to a spoon, for that particular tea. Also less messy so that those tea leaves end up in your steeper and not all over the place!

Reply
Miss Mochi

I have never heard of a teasmade and I lost myself a little browsing the internet and reading the history of them. I so want one now! I am easily amused. Why doesn’t my electric kettle have an alarm clock? Genius!

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Bonnie Eng

Miss Mochi, this is a seriously awesome machine. It reminds me of a coffee machine a lot, because the brew is there waiting for you and there’s no need to rush over to the boiling kettle to turn it off. I will do a full review of this on New Years Day. I seriously love this thing!! 😉

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Tess

That spoon is genius! And I’m so intrigued by that Kusmi tea, it recently was discontinued in Australia and I’m devastated.

May I suggest for those who are interested in tea timers that they download the Mighty Timer App? It’s brilliant, you can add your own teas, and as it’s on your phone you can take it around with you everywhere! No affiliation to the app, I just found it in the app store and love it.

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Bonnie Eng

Discontinued!!?? I’d be devastated too! I live in Los Angeles, where there aren’t any Kusmi Boutiques either. I found this at the gourmet store, Dean & Deluca in Napa Valley, and knew to get it because it is so rare. Kusmi does send to Australia via their online store, so that is a great option when you need more tea!

The spoon is very helpful so that weighing doesn’t become way too cumbersome. I am heading over to that App right now to check it out. Thanks for letting me know about it, Tess…so thankful for readers like you!! 🙂

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Angela Gallizzi

Hello. I run the blog, createbakecelebrate, on Tumblr and I was wondering if I would be able to use your current and future photos to post on my blog?

I do not take credit for anything I post on my blog except my own creations. There is always links back to the homepage and also the link of the post.

I have included my blog’s website address so you can see examples of how it will look.
http://createbakecelebrate.tumblr.com/

I look forward to hearing from you.

Thank you.

Reply
Lu Ann @ The Cup of Life

Ah! That is the most beautiful photo of Tea-spiration…EVER!!! Thank you so much for mentioning my book in your holiday gift guide this year, Bonnie! I am thrilled to hear you love it. 🙂

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Bonnie Eng

Hey Lu Ann! So these were literally the last few flowers from my garden this year! It’s as if they were destined to be photographed with Tea-Spiration. 🙂 I do so love the book and how approachable it is. Bravo, Lu Ann, what a fantastic accomplishment!! 😉

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