On this page:

• How much do reusable coffee cups cost?
• Why you should use reusable coffee cups
• What to look for in a reusable coffee cup
• Can you recycle disposable coffee cups?

How much do reusable coffee cups cost?

The reusable cups in our test range from $5 up to $60, and you can buy them from kitchenware stores, some cafes and often directly from the companies themselves. Many are also available from major retail chains like Kmart, Myer, Officeworks, Spotlight and Woolworths.

Why you should use reusable coffee cups

Disposable coffee cups are lined with a thin layer of plastic to keep the paper waterproof. Unfortunately, this also makes them difficult to recycle which is why they typically end up at the tip.

Reusable cups, meanwhile, are a much more environmentally friendly option if you’re a regular coffee drinker. While the manufacturing process does contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, it doesn’t take long for things to balance out.

A created a ‘break even’ matrix for the energy inputs in production of disposable paper cups compared with reusable plastic, glass and ceramic cups. This table shows how many times you’d have to use your reusable cup for it to become equally energy-efficient to the production of a paper cup.

The International Reference Centre for the Life Cycle of Products, Processes, and Services (CIRAIG) conducted a similar study in 2014. These results delivered slightly higher figures for ceramic and some plastic cups, but still found them to be a better option for regular coffee drinkers.

However, CIRAIG did point out that reusable cups need to be washed, which can contribute to environmental problems. But this does depend on the type of soap/dishwashing liquid and the amount of water used.

(Note: The is only available in French, but ).

Rewards for reusable cups

Responsible Cafes certifies environmentally-friendly coffee shops based on a range of criteria, including incentives for reusable coffee cups. Many locations will give you a discount for using one each time you visit (usually 20–50 cents).

You can find certified locations at the .

What to look for in a reusable coffee cup

There are a range of factors to consider when shopping for a new coffee cup, from the material (plastic, ceramic or stainless steel?) through to features like insulation (which can make the cup easier to carry) and being safe for the dishwasher safe.

BPA free claims

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical that’s been used in plastic production since the 1950s and some studies have shown that it can seep into food and drink if used in storage containers, like reusable coffee cups. Though most studies find that , some manufacturers specifically keep BPA out of their products.

Double walling

Double-walled cups help keep their contents warm for longer by isolating them from the outside layer. This can also help reduce heat transferring between the liquid and your hands which makes the cup easier to carry.

Dishwasher safe

This can save time and water use (depending on the quality of your dishwasher) and will generally be claimed by the manufacturer somewhere on the packaging.

Height and width

Reusable coffee cups with similar volumes can vary in height, so you can’t assume that all 350mL bottles, for example, are created equal. Also bear in mind that if you want to use the cup to get your coffee from a cafe, it will need to be short enough to fit under the group head of the coffee machine.

It’s worth checking the cup’s width as well, if you have small hands or plan to place it in a cup holder while driving to work. You may find particularly wide cups difficult to carry.

Lid fixing and cap seal

The type of lid and cap attachments are important to note if you have limited strength or dexterity. You may find certain cups hard to open or close.

Materials

Most of the cups in our test are made from stainless steel, which is sturdy and generally resistant to smells and stains, unlike some glass or plastic cups. It’s also a good insulator, particularly if the cup is double walled. Plastic and glass cups are usually cheaper but don’t keep their contents warm for as long (even though glass can look quite cool).

Some of the cups we tested also contain plastic or silicone elements, usually in the lid or on the exterior of the cup. The cup and lid materials may also differ.

Coffee husk composite is another option made up of reused coffee bean husks and other materials. Though environmentally friendly, the cup that used a husk composite was the worst overall performer in our tests.

Spare parts

A few brands sell replacement parts online, which are usually cheaper to replace compared to the cost of a brand new cup.

Volume

The cups in our test range from 296mL up to 454mL, so remember to check the volume before buying, especially if you need a big coffee to start your day.

Can you recycle disposable coffee cups?

If you do find yourself at a coffee shop without your reusable cup, there’s no need to head home decaffeinated. You can still enjoy a flat white on the go followed by a trip to the .

It’s a free service with drop-off points in 7-Eleven stores across the country, and Simply Cups uses the recycled cups to make new reusable ones and even .

The post How to shop for the best reusable coffee cup appeared first on ÌÇÐÄVlog.

On this page:

• Does the milk go in first or last?
• The most popular way to take tea
• Tea choices and pet peeves
• The best tasting black tea
• How to make the perfect cup of tea

Despite the potential to stir up controversy, we wanted to know how Australians drink their tea. Bravely wading into this contentious topic, we asked our social media audience about their tea-drinking habits. Not surprisingly, the results were varied.

Tea-drinking habits

Even with the rise of coffee culture, there are still plenty of tea fans – around three-quarters of the 884 respondents to our survey told us they drink black tea every day.Ìý

Tea bags and loose leaf were both popular – half said they exclusively use tea bags, while the rest told us they use loose leaf in a pot or infuser, or a mix of bags and loose leaf.Ìý

Just over a third – 37% – say they have one to two cups of tea a day, but a similar amount are drinking double that, and 35% told us they drink three to four cups a day. Around two in three tea drinkers (65%) take milk with their tea, but only around a fifth of respondents add sugar.

But for an answer to perhaps the most controversial tea-drinking question, we turned to an expert.

Does the milk go in first or last?

Is there a more vexatious question in the world of tea-making?Ìý

According to tea expert Cathy Zhang, founder of Ms.Cattea tea company and one of the expert testers from our recent tea test, there isn’t a simple answer to this question.

“There is a big debate about the milk in the tea world,” says Cathy. “Some people claim that adding the milk first makes the tea taste creamier but at the end of the day, it all comes down to personal preference.”

The results from our survey suggest that adding the milk at the end of the tea-making process is the most preferred option: 57% said they add the milk last, and only 8% said it goes in first (the rest either didn’t take milk, or didn’t think the order mattered).

And there were plenty of opinions on the subject.ÌýÌý

“Milk goes last so the tea can seep out of the bag. Once you add milk, the oil from the milk creates a film on the bag,” one survey respondent told us.Ìý

“Milk goes in first if I’m making tea in a pot,” said another.

The most popular way to take tea

There were also plenty of strong opinions about other aspects of tea-making.Ìý

A fifth of the respondents told us that when it comes to preparing their favourite brew, they consider themselves to be tea purists.Ìý

More than a third (37%) told us they’d rather not drink tea at all if it isn’t the brand or type they prefer.Ìý

While most took the Goldilocks approach when it came to strength – 44% said they preferred it to be neither too weak nor too strong – strong tea was a close second and much preferable to weak: 41% vs 7%.Ìý

There were also some strong opinions about other aspects of tea drinking, and quite a few commented on how much they value the ritual. The type of cup or mug the tea is drunk from was something that several felt was very important.Ìý

“The tea must be in fine bone china – it just tastes better,” said one. “I don’t like tea served in a thick-walled coffee cup,” said another.Ìý

The colour of the cup was important for yet another tea drinker.

“It must be served in a white mug or cup,” they said, adding that a cup with a dark interior was an “abomination”.Ìý

Tea choices and pet peeves

Others see the type of tea and the way they choose to drink it as something that changes depending on a range of factors.

“Different teas for different times of the day – I have a big tea collection!” said one.Ìý

“I approach tea like I think a lot of people approach their outfit choices for the day. I have over 30 varieties (black, white, green, herbal, fruit tisanes) and which one I choose and how I choose to have it depends on how I’m feeling on any given day,” another enthusiast reported.Ìý

Quite a few people complained about the quality of tea served in cafes, telling us they felt that it was rarely made well.Ìý

“I’m disappointed with the servings of loose-leaf tea in cafes these days. You wouldn’t use half a serving of ground coffee to make a latte, so why be stingy with the tea?” one respondent asked.Ìý

Another complained about the disparity between the way tea and coffee are treated.Ìý

“Buying black tea at a cafe is fraught. While coffee is consistently good in Australia, tea is not,” they said.

The best tasting black tea

Firstly, if you want to make a good cuppa, you’ll need some good tea.Ìý

With tea bags such a popular option for Australian tea drinkers, we recently put a selection of 32 popular tea bag brands to the test.

We recruited a panel of four experts to taste each tea. Each cup was assessed for flavour, colour, aroma, aftertaste and mouthfeel. We also separately rated the intensity of the flavour.Ìý

Leading the pack was Aldi’s Just Organic Black Tea with a score of 81%.Ìý

Two products shared joint second place with a score of 73%: Tetley Extra Strong Tea Bags and Coles Tea Cup Bags.Ìý

There was a fairly small price difference among these top scorers. The Coles bags cost just 2c each, the Tetley 5c and the Aldi 6c. The most expensive bag in our test – the T2 English Breakfast, which costs 52c per bag – scored 66%.

For those who prefer a more intense flavour to their tea, Nerada Single Origin Black Tea Cup or Pot Teabags and Taylors of Harrogate Yorkshire Tea ranked highest for intensity.Ìý

For all the results, see our full tea bag review.

But of course, selecting the right tea bag is just the first step in getting the perfect cup of tea.Ìý

How to make the perfect cup of tea

As with so many aspects of tea drinking, there is no clear answer.

“It depends on the tea itself,” says Cathy Zhang, who also has a Bachelor in Tea Science from South China Agricultural University. Everything from the shape of the leaves, to the type of tea, water temperature and whether you’re using a bag or loose-leaf will affect the outcome.Ìý

“Brewing tea with a tea bag requires less time as the tea is very broken, which makes it easy to brew, while loose-leaf tea usually takes longer to brew.”Ìý

It doesn’t end there, though, and many factors can affect the taste of a cup of tea.Ìý

“There is a saying that goes ‘ichi-go ichi-e’, which means that every cup of tea is different, and the cup of tea you are drinking now cannot be replicated,” she says.

In the end, the perfect cup of tea is subjective and it depends on individual preference. As Cathy declares, “tea making is personal”.

Having said that, there are a few rules. According to Cathy, there are some common mistakes people make when brewing their cuppa.Ìý

“Using too much or too little tea is the first,” she says.Ìý

“Brewing with water at the wrong temperature for the tea is another – for example, using boiling water when making green tea.”Ìý

“Leaving the tea in the water for too long is also a common mistake,” she adds.

Ultimately, the definition of the perfect cup of tea will always depend on who you ask. “Tea drinking can be done in so many ways,” says Cathy.Ìý

The post What makes the perfect cup of tea? appeared first on ÌÇÐÄVlog.

Here are 10Ìýdelicious ideas to help you get more our of your jar of instant coffee.

1. Even better bolognaise

Everyone has a secret ingredient that makes their bolognaise “the best”. Italian cuisine purists, look away – we’re here to tell you, a teaspoon of instant coffee in your tomato sauce, added while it’s bubbling away, could well be the secret flavour boost you’re looking for. It can add an intense richness that counteracts the sweetness of the tomatoes.

2. Amp up your chilli

In the same way that it can boost your spag bol, a spoonful of instant coffee will take the unctuous meaty mix that is a good pot of chilli to the next level. It works beautifully with the winning combo of spices, beef and beans, helping to tenderise the meat and add a delicious deep, roasted flavour.

Use a finely ground instant powder and add sugar and salt to balance it out (don’t go too heavy on the coffee as it could create too much bitterness).

3. Next-level cookie batter

Get your morning caffeine hit in cookie form, by adding a dash of instant coffee to a batch of plain batter (you can’t use espresso here as it would be too much liquid). Get baking and enjoy the comforting aroma of roasted coffee wafting through your kitchen.

4. Coffee cakes, buttercream and icingÌý

Using instant coffee to flavour your cakes means you don’t need to add extra liquid to your ingredients, and it gives a more intense result.

As you’re using a powder/granules and not liquid it’s easier to add more if you’d like to up the coffee taste even further.

You can also use it to make coffee buttercream and icings – you may like to dissolve the instant coffee in a tablespoon of hot water before adding to icing though, so you don’t get specks of coarse granules.Ìý

5. Savoury rubs for steaks

Turns out coffee and meat really are fabulous together, with instant coffee a surprise ingredient in savoury rubs for steaks or roasts.

Try making your own with a mix of instant coffee, smoked paprika, brown sugar and dried spices. When deciding how much coffee to add, start small with a ratio of one part coffee to two parts sugar and spices, then adjust to taste (keep in mind the coffee flavour will become more intense while the meat cooks).Ìý

6. Sprinkle it over ice cream

Were you one of those kids who sprinkled Milo over their vanilla ice cream for an instant DIY dessert? Try the grown-up version with a dusting of instant coffee (maybe with a bit of chocolate sauce for a mocha effect).Ìý

7. Milkshakes and smoothies

Whipping up a banana smoothie before you head out the door and looking for a little extra buzz to get you through the day? If you don’t have time to extract a shot of espresso, a spoonful of instant coffee will do just as well. Pop it in along with your banana, yoghurt, milk and honey.

Read more to find outÌýhow much caffeine is in your instant coffee.

8. Magic mocha brownies

Surely you can’t improve on the glorious gift that is a chocolate brownie? Instant coffee says you can. Add a spoonful, dissolved into your wet brownie mixture, to create some mocha magic and take your addiction to dramatic new heights.

9. Coffee crumble

A sweet coffee crumble is an irresistible topping for cakes, muffins, banana breads, pastries and desserts, and is easy to make in a food processor. Just blitz 125g unsalted butter with 1 cup flour and ½ cup sugar, then add 2 tablespoons of instant coffee and blend until coarse and crumbly.

Spread on an oven tray and bake at 180℃ for 20-30 minutes, then break up to sprinkle over your treats.

10. On your body

Step outside the kitchen and experiment by using instant coffee as an ingredient in DIY beauty products, like a body scrub. Coffee is celebrated for its antioxidant properties, after all, and the instant coffees with coarse granules create a great exfoliant that can help promote circulation.

Mix a few spoonfuls with sugar and coconut oil, or olive oil, to find a consistency that suits you and your skin.

Convinced? Find outÌýwhich instant coffee ÌÇÐÄVlog says is the best.

The post This pantry staple is good for so much more than drinking appeared first on ÌÇÐÄVlog.

While most coffee snobs would never dream of touching instant coffee, desperate times call for desperate measures. And with cafe prices hitting $5.50 for a regular coffee, there are big savings to be made – both in money and time – by DIYing your daily brew.Ìý
Ìý
Interested? We’ll revealÌýthe best tasting instant coffeesÌýand share some tips and tricks to level up your home-made brew.

How to choose the best instant coffee

To state the obvious, you can’t make a good coffee without good coffee. So your first step should be to buy the best tasting instant coffee.Ìý

Our panel of coffee experts blind taste tested 18 popular instant coffees to find out which ones are the best. Shockingly, they found that six products tasted either the same as, or better than coffee from an espresso machine – clearly instant has come a long way!Ìý

And the best news for bean hunters on a budget? Most of the highly rated products are surprisingly affordable. (One of them is even a supermarket own-brand that costs just $3.70 a jar – that’s cheaper than a single cafe coffee.)

The best instant coffees according to our expert panel

According to our coffee experts, these instant coffees tasted better than an espresso made from fresh beans.

Bushell’s Classic Gourmet Instant Coffee

• ÌÇÐÄVlog Expert Rating: 83%
• Price: $4.25 per 100g

Robert Timms Granulated Coffee, Full Bodied

• ÌÇÐÄVlog Expert Rating: 81%
• Price: $4.00 per 100g

Coles Classic Granulated Coffee

• ÌÇÐÄVlog Expert Rating: 80%
• Price: $1.85 per 100g

Vittoria Mountain Grown, 100% Arabica Instant Coffee Freeze Dried

• ÌÇÐÄVlog Expert Rating: 80%
• Price: $12.50 per 100g

These instants scored exactly the same as coffee made from fresh beans on an espresso machine, so they’re also great options:

Alcafe Gold Classic Roast (Aldi)

• ÌÇÐÄVlog Expert Rating: 79%
• Price: $3.90 per 100g

Coles Organic Freeze Dried Coffee

• ÌÇÐÄVlog Expert Rating: 79%
• Price: $4.00 per 100g

Hacks to make your instant coffee taste better

Now you know which products are the best, here are some hacks from ÌÇÐÄVlog staff to make your cup of instant taste even better, plus some options for different coffee styles if you want to mix it up.Ìý

Double it

Adding more coffee will give you a better coffee flavour – makes sense, right? Instant coffee-drinking ÌÇÐÄVlog staff universally agree that more is better, so treat yourself to two teaspoons instead of one.

And if you’re buying one of the cheaper options that our experts recommend, you can justify the extravagance of a double dose!

Prep it

Another popular technique is to mix the coffee with some sugar and a little bit ofÌý water to make a paste, then top it up with hot water. This gives your instant coffee a layer of crema, so you can pretend you’re drinking an espresso.Ìý

ÌÇÐÄVlog staffers believe adding cold waterÌýinstead of hot to make the paste canÌýprevent the boiling water from scalding the coffee. ThisÌýreportedly makes your coffee taste smoother and less bitter, and gets rid of the chalky consistency common to some instant coffees. Cold milk can work, too, or even cream if you’re looking for a more decadent taste.Ìý

Froth it

To get that cafe feeling, buy yourself a milk frother and top up your instant coffee with steamed milk.Ìý

You can pick up a frother for around $30, which is a great investment if it helps you transition from barista-made coffee to home-made. Plus it’s way cheaper than buying an entire coffee machine.Ìý

Mix it up: Different drinks you can make out of instant coffee

To break up the monotony of daily at-home coffee, experiment with some different coffee styles to keep things fresh. Here are some ÌÇÐÄVlog staff favourites.Ìý

Iced instant coffee

In a jar, mix two teaspoons of instant coffee with warm water (and sugar, if that’s how you drink it) and give it a good shake until the sugar has dissolved and the mix is frothy. Pour over ice and top with milk.

Vietnamese coffee

Sweeten up your iced coffee with a teaspoon or two of condensed milk instead of sugar.Ìý

Greek frappe coffee

Using a jar, shake up 2–3 teaspoons of instant coffee with ¼ of a cup of cold water until it’s thick and foamy. Pour over ice then top with cold water.Ìý

If you want a sweeter version, add some sugar before shaking.Ìý

Here’s a quick Greek lesson: a Greek frappe with no sugar is called skétos (plain), two sugars is métrios (medium) and four is glykós (sweet).

Dalgona coffee

This Korean coffee hack went viral (no pun intended) during COVID lockdowns. It’s made by whipping up equal amounts of instant coffee, sugar and hot water until it forms creamy stiff peaks, then dolloping it over cold or warm milk.Ìý

You can experiment with other flavours like cocoa and Nesquik, too: How to make Dalgona coffee.Ìý

DIY mocha

Chocolate makes everything better, so try adding some Milo, cocoa or hot chocolate powder into your instant coffee. If you’re using frothed milk, you can sprinkle some on top too for the full cafe experience.Ìý

The post How to make your instant coffee taste better than espresso appeared first on ÌÇÐÄVlog.

On this page:

• Best milky bubble tea
• Best fruity bubble teas
• What is bubble tea?
• Is bubble tea healthy?
• How we score

We’re sure many fans have a lot to say about which retail brand does the best tapioca pearl, or which does the perfectly balanced milk tea, but we won’t be going into that here.

Instead, we’re looking at the best supermarket bubble teas to make or have at home, based on taste, nutrition and ease of preparation. We tested 21 milk and fruit-based bubble teas, with the taste-testing component carried out by the trusted public and ÌÇÐÄVlog staff.

Best milky bubble tea

Chatime Brown Sugar Milk Tea

ÌÇÐÄVlog score: 92%

Price per serve: $2.50

Taste test notes: “Brown sugar with a mild tea taste”; “Proper pearls (chewy)”; “Right amount of sweetness – the most similar to a store-bought bubble tea of the ones I tasted”.

Best fruity bubble teas

Chatime Passionfruit Iced Tea

ÌÇÐÄVlog score: 88%

Price per serve: $2.50

Taste test notes: “Perfectly sweet, not too passion-fruity”; “[the pearls are] light, cool and slimy”.

Avalanche Mango Bubble Tea

ÌÇÐÄVlog score: 77%

Price per serve: $1.60

Taste test notes: “Not too sweet”; “[the pearls are] chewy, gooey”.

What makes a good bubble tea?

The lower scoring bubble teas had a few things in common, according to the taste testers: they were either too sweet, had little flavour, or the taste resembled milk powder or had an artificial flavour to it. These low scorers were also reported to be more fiddly to make, which had an impact on their ease of use score.

Products that scored higher, such as the Chatime Brown Sugar Milk Tea, were reported to have the right amount of sweetness and were easier to prepare with just a microwave and kettle.

What is bubble tea?

Bubble tea, boba, or pearl tea can be traced back to the early 1980s in Taiwan, but it didn’t take off in the Western world until the 2000s.Ìý

Its ‘bubbles’ or ‘pearls’ are 1cm diameter balls made from a starchy component like tapioca or algae gum. The various bubbles or pearls used in bubble tea are referred to as ‘toppings’, and include black pearls (the standard black tapioca ball), balls filled with syrups, and other creative concoctions in a range of shapes, sizes and flavours.

These toppings are added to various teas, coffee, slushies and milk flavours and are enjoyed hot or cold, drunk through a wide straw.

Save money making it yourself

It’s much cheaper to make bubble tea at home than it is to buy it from a bubble tea retailer. The average price per serve of the supermarket bubble teas we tested was $2.30, compared to about $7 from a bubble tea store like Chatime. Over time, making it yourself could mean big savings, particularly if you’re a regular buyer.

Some kits are easier to make than others

Let’s face it: if you’re going to make bubble tea at home it needs to be simple to put together, otherwise it’s easy to justify spending the extra dollars at Gong Cha.

BBT Club and Boba Luxe products had multiple components and steps, which included draining of the tea and cooking the pearls on the stove. While this can be very exciting to some people, others may find it fiddly and time consuming.Ìý

Our testers found the Avalanche brand bubble teas easier to make. The pearls were able to be microwaved in the pouch for 20 seconds (warning: they were very hot to handle), which after that only required the addition of water to the mix. The fruit Chatime bubble teas already had the popping pearls prepared, so were generally easy to make as well.

Is bubble tea healthy?

Bubble teas contain numerous types of sugars to make them sweet, including sucrose, fructose and glucose. Remember, sugar by any other name is still sugar, and sugar-sweetened beverages are linked to obesity, heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

The average sugar content of the bubble teas we tested was about 6.3g per 100g. By way of comparison, a Coca-Cola Classic drink contains 10.6g of sugar per 100g. The creamers used in most of the milky bubble teas are a mixture of non-dairy fats and yes, more sugar – in the form of glucose.Ìý

The lowest Health Star Rating (HSR) of the products we tested was 0.5, and the highest was 2. HSRs for this category simply come down to energy and sugar content.Ìý

Low in sugar, but low in taste

The two bubble teas that claimed to contain 50% less sugar were Naked Life’s Betta Boba Brown Sugar Bubble Tea and Betta Boba Milk Bubble Tea. They each contained 1.6g of sugar per 100g – significantly lower than the test average of 6.3g of sugar per 100g.Ìý

Much of the sweetness of these drinks comes from sweeteners like erythritol and stevia. It’s a shame these lower sugar varieties scored so low on taste, with taste test scores of 12% and 6%, respectively. For comparison, the two best tasting samples earned taste test scores of 96% (Chatime Brown Sugar Milk Tea) and 90% (Chatime Passionfruit Iced Tea).

How we score

We asked shoppers at Top Ryde Shopping Centre to taste a selection of 21 bubble teas, and then vote for their favourite. We had about 15 public taste testers test each sample.

The ÌÇÐÄVlog score is based on the public taste test results (80%), nutrition score (Health Star Rating, 10%), and ease of preparation score (10%).

The post Australia’s best supermarket bubble tea appeared first on ÌÇÐÄVlog.

On this page:

• How we choose what we test
• How we test reusable coffee cups
• Scoring

Here’s how we assess the quality of reusable coffee cups from brands like Kathmandu, KeepCup, Bodum and more.

How we choose what we test

We select products from popular brands that are either available in prominent online and traditional retailers, or ones that have strong brand recognition that you’re likely to seek out.Ìý

How we test reusable coffee cups

Performance

We measure how long it takes for boiling water to cool in each cup. First, we drill a hole in each lid that’s 0.1mm larger than the thermocouple we use to measure temperature. Then we fill each cup with one standard coffee serve of boiling water, attach the lid, then insert the thermocouple with the tip as close as possible to the centre of the cup.

The thermocouples are attached to a logger that records the temperature every 60 seconds, while the surrounding ambient air temperature is maintained at approximately 24°C. We then wait for the water to drop to a temperature of 50°C.ÌýWe analyse this data to determine which cups take the longest to cool down. Cups that hold their heat for longer earn higher scores.

Ease of use

We assess:

• ease of fitting and removing the lid
• ease of opening and closing the sipper cover (where applicable)
• ease of carrying
• ease of drinking with the lid on via the sipper opening
• ease of drinking with the lid removed
• ease of dismantling the cup to clean.

We also test whether the cup is hot to hold or if it leaks when closed.

Scoring

The ÌÇÐÄVlog Expert Rating (our overall score) is based on:

• performance (50%)
• ease of use (50%).

The post How we test reusable coffee cups appeared first on ÌÇÐÄVlog.

On this page:

• The best hot chocolate
• ÌýHot chocolate cocoa content, sugar and price
• Is hot chocolate gluten-free, vegan?
• How to make hot chocolate
• Does hot chocolate have caffeine in it?
• How we test hot chocolate

Hot chocolate is right up there with woolly jumpers and open fires as the perfect accompaniment to cooler weather. The original comfort food, there’s nothing quite like a mug of hot choccy to warm you from the inside and leave you feeling content.

So which store-bought hot chocolate is best?Ìý

We taste tested 19 supermarket hot chocolate products from brands including Lindt, Cadbury, Nestlé, Jarrah and Avalanche. Our ÌÇÐÄVlog Score is based on the overall taste rating (see How we test for details). We also compared price and ingredients to find the top picks for best value, cocoa content and more.

The best hot chocolate

The highest rating hot chocolates, all with a ÌÇÐÄVlog score of 70% or more, were:

Coles Hot Chocolate

• ÌÇÐÄVlog score: 78%
• Price: $3 for 400g pack ($0.75 per 100g)
• Cocoa solids: 21%
• Taster comments: “Good chocolate flavour.” “Sweet and indulgent, much to my liking. Lingering after-taste, but not unpleasant.” “‘Light’ in flavour but still ‘chocolatey’ and very satisfying. It was sweet but just right.” “My favourite so far, with a lovely luxurious mouthfeel.”Ìý
• Need to know: This product is Rainforest Alliance certified.

Nestlé Aero Hot Choc (sachets)

• ÌÇÐÄVlog score: 74%
• Price: $6.30 for 185g pack ($3.41 per 100g)
• Cocoa solids: 16%
• Taster comments: “10 out of 10. I would love to know what this is so that I can buy it.” “Best of the lot so far – easy to mix, lovely flavour, not too sweet. Froth is rich.” “There’s quite a bit of chocolate powder in a serve but the result is an enjoyable and flavoursome drink.”Ìý
• Need to know: The powder contains milk, so isn’t suitable for people who need to avoid this ingredient.

Cadbury Instant Hot Choc Blend (sachets)

• ÌÇÐÄVlog score: 73%
• Price: $5 for 150g pack ($3.33 per 100g)
• Cocoa solids: 10%
• Taster comments: “Very smooth, dissolved easily, pleasant.” “For a chocolate drink made [with] water I found this very enjoyable. A nice lingering taste.” “Nice smooth texture/mouthfeel, almost silky. Tastes nice, not too sweet, good cocoa taste with no funny aftertaste. All in all an enjoyable hot chocolate.”Ìý
• Need to know: Just add hot water to make, but the powder contains milk, so isn’t suitable for people who need to avoid this ingredient.

ÌýHot chocolate cocoa content, sugar and price

Features other than taste that you might want to consider when choosing hot chocolate include cocoa content, sugar content and price.

Highest cocoa content

• Coles Fairtrade Organic Drinking Chocolate
• Nomad Organic Drinking Chocolate West Africa 45% Dark

For the most chocolatey experience in a hot chocolate, go for the products with the highest cocoa content.Ìý

The organic drinking chocolates from Coles and Nomad – both with 45% cocoa solids and just one other ingredient (sugar) – are the most pure ‘chocolate’ offerings of all 19 products that we looked at.

Lowest sugar hot chocolate

• Avalanche Sugar Free Drinking Chocolate

If you’re trying to avoid or reduce added sugars in your diet (but want to treat yourself to a guilt-free hot chocolate) Avalanche Sugar Free is the lowest sugar (and kilojoule) product we reviewed, closely followed by Avalanche 99% Sugar Free Drinking Chocolate (sachets), with just 0.1g and 5g sugars per 100g respectively.ÌýÌý

They both contain non-nutritive sweeteners – erythritol (additive number 968) and steviol glycosides (additive 960, more commonly known as Stevia) – which add a sweet taste without the kilojoules associated with added sugars.

All up, non-nutritive sweeteners erythritol and Stevia plus acesulphame potassium (950), aspartame (951) and sucralose (955) are used – either alone or two or three in combination – in seven of the 19 products we looked at.Ìý

While products with non-nutritive sweetener ingredients are usually lower in sugars, that’s not always the case. Coles Hot Chocolate (sachets), for example, is 53.5% sugar (it contains non-nutritive sweeteners aspartame and acesulphame potassium but also glucose syrup and sugar), whereas Lindt Milk Chocolate Hot Chocolate Flakes is 43% sugar, and non-nutritive sweetener free.

Cheapest hot chocolate

• Aldi Dairy Fine Drinking Chocolate
• Coles Hot Chocolate
• Woolworths Instant Drinking Chocolate Powder

If your household goes through hot chocolate rapidly, or you’re on a tight budget, then a product that’s good value for money is a priority.

Comparing unit prices on the supermarket shelves reveals that Aldi’s Dairy Fine Drinking Chocolate, Coles Hot Chocolate and Woolworths Instant Drinking Chocolate Powder (all tins of loose powder) are the cheapest products in our review, all costing $0.75 per 100g.

Unit prices, however, don’t take into consideration the price of the milk that some products instruct you to add, which of course bumps up the cost of the end product.

We crunched the numbers and found that when prepared according to the pack instructions – in this case adding 200mL hot water to an 11.5g sachet of powder – Jarrah Hot Choc works out to be the best value. The product itself costs $2.46 per 100g, but it makes a mug of hot choccy for just 29 cents.Ìý

The aforementioned Coles product (which instructs you to add 15g powder to 180mL milk) and the Aldi and Woolworths products (which both suggest adding 15g powder to 200mL milk) make mugs for 35 cents and 37 cents respectively.Ìý

Is it cheaper to make your own chocolate at home using cocoa from the pantry? Our basic hot chocolate recipe works out at 44 cents a mug.

Most indulgent hot chocolate

• Lindt Milk Chocolate Hot Chocolate Flakes

If you’re after indulgence, look no further than Lindt Milk Chocolate Hot Chocolate Flakes, which – as its name implies – is flakes of Lindt chocolate that you melt into hot milk. Pure decadence.

It’s the most calorific hot chocolate we looked at, whether you’re talking kilojoules per serve or per 100g. One cup, prepared according to pack instructions, contains 1221kJ – that’s 14% of the daily kilojoule intake recommended for the average adult.Ìý

And at $1.39 per serve (when prepared according to pack instructions – a 30g serving mixed with 250mL milk) it’s also the most expensive.

Is hot chocolate gluten-free, vegan?

If you’re after products to suit certain dietary requirements, we’ve checked the labels to see which products are suitable.

Gluten-free

Most of the hot chocolate products we looked at are gluten-free, but there are some exceptions.Ìý

Three of the 19 products in our review list gluten or gluten-containing ingredients in their allergen statement on the pack , so if you’re coeliac or gluten-intolerant you should avoid them:

• Lindt Milk Chocolate Hot Chocolate Flakes
• Nestlé Milo
• Woolworths Classic Hot Chocolate (sachets)

Vegan

More than half of the hot chocolate products we looked at contain milk solids, so they aren’t suitable if you’re vegan, or have an allergy or an intolerance to milk.Ìý

We did find eight options that don’t include dairy in their ingredients list, however it’s important to note that most still say ‘may contain traces’:

• Aldi Dairy Fine Drinking Chocolate
• Avalanche Sugar Free Drinking Chocolate
• Cadbury Drinking Chocolate
• Coles Fairtrade Organic Drinking Chocolate
• Coles Hot Chocolate
• Nestlé Nesquik Chocolate
• Nomad Drinking Chocolate
• Woolworths Instant Drinking Chocolate Powder

How to make hot chocolate

Prefer to DIY? Here’s how to make hot chocolate with cocoa powder:

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon sugar (you can adjust this according to taste)
• 1 cup (250mL) milk

Method:

• Whisk the cocoa powder, sugar and a couple of spoonfuls of the milk in a small saucepan over low heat until the sugar dissolves.
• Add the rest of the milk and stir over medium heat until it simmers. Remove from heat and serve.

Cost per serve:Ìý$0.44

Does hot chocolate have caffeine in it?

Cocoa (and therefore hot chocolate) does contain some caffeine. How much depends on the strength and composition of the product, but the average is about 8mg per 250mL cup, according to the Australian Food Composition Database, which is farÌýless than that of coffee (instant coffee, for example, contains about 78mg per cup).Ìý

The table, below, shows how hot chocolate compares with other caffeine-containing drinks.

If you’re pregnant or breastfeeding it’s recommended you have less than 200mg caffeine a day, but a moderate intake (around 400mg a day) poses very little risk of harm for most people.

How we test hot chocolate

Products

We tested 19 hot chocolate products that can be prepared by adding warm/hot milk or water (as per pack instructions) and are available in major supermarket chains. We did not test white chocolate or flavoured (e.g. mint, coconut) varieties. We included Nestlé Milo (but not its other malted/fortified brand equivalents Aktavite, Aldi NRG, Ovaltine or Sustagen) for comparison purposes.Ìý

Price per 100g is based on the pack size specified (not on special) in April 2021.

Tasting

We recruited 114 Voice Your Choice members who regularly drink hot chocolate to participate in this blind taste test. Each participant was randomly assigned seven hot chocolate samples that had been de-identified. They were instructed to prepare each sample according to the pack instructions provided and complete a short taste test survey. Each product was tasted by at least 37 testers.Ìý

Scores

Participants were asked to give an overall taste rating for each hot chocolate sample on a seven-point scale ranging from ‘excellent’ to ‘terrible’. We also asked them to rate the intensity of the hot chocolate flavour, and to select from a range of 10 descriptors those that best describe the hot chocolate.

The ÌÇÐÄVlog score is based on the overall taste rating, converted to a percentage score.

We recommend hot chocolate with a ÌÇÐÄVlog score of 70% or more.

The post What’s the best hot chocolate? appeared first on ÌÇÐÄVlog.

On this page:

• Best tasting coffee pod brand
• Best value coffee pod
• Taste test results
• Coffee pods and the environment
• How we test coffee pods

For those with an automatic espresso machine at home, we reviewed 13 different Nespresso-compatible coffee pod brands to see which tastes best and which offers the best value for money.

Best tasting coffee pod brand

Daley St came out top of the pods with a ÌÇÐÄVlog Expert Rating of 75%. There were a full five percentage points between first place and the tightly contested second place – where four pods tied with a score of 70%.

1st place: Daley St Medium Dark Roast

• ÌÇÐÄVlog Expert Rating: 75%
• Price: 40c per pod
• Taste test notes:Ìý“Good nuttiness, some fruitiness”, “Well-rounded mouthfeel”, “Great flavour and aromatics”, “Aftertaste a little bitter”.

Equal 2nd: Campos King St Creamy & Balanced Blend

• ÌÇÐÄVlog Expert Rating: 70%
• Price: 71c per pod
• Taste test notes: “A bit flat, some bitterness and nutty flavour”, “A solid performer”, “Bold flavour”.

Equal 2nd: Illy Classico Pods Mild and Balanced

• ÌÇÐÄVlog Expert Rating:Ìý70%
• Price:Ìý55c per pod
• Taste test notes:Ìý“Pleasant, subtle, nutty aftertaste”, “Smooth, lacks depth”, “Under-extracted but well-presented”.

Equal 2nd: L’or Lungo Profondo

• ÌÇÐÄVlog Expert Rating:Ìý70%
• Price:Ìý70c per pod
• Taste test notes:Ìý“Good crema viscosity”, “Good nutty, floral, fruity aroma”, “Woody and watery flavour”

Equal 2nd: Nespresso Ispirazione Firenze Arpeggio

• ÌÇÐÄVlog Expert Rating:Ìý70%
• Price:Ìý79c per pod
• Taste test notes:Ìý“Flat but bitter”, “Slight edge aftertaste”, “Flat tasting”, “Unpleasant mouthfeel and aftertaste”

Best value coffee pod

The Coles-owned Daley St pod proves that paying a premium price won’t necessarily get you a better tasting coffee pod. At 40c a pod, the best tasting pod in the test is also the equal-cheapest.Ìý

But it was a real outlier among the products you can pick up while doing your grocery shop. Pods from the supermarket are more readily available, but for the most part our tasters found them weak, watery or lacking in flavour.Ìý

Perhaps it’s no surprise, then, that the lowest scoring coffee pod was another supermarket staple. Vittoria Family Cup Nespresso Compatible Coffee Capsules managed a lowly ÌÇÐÄVlog Expert Rating of 40%.Ìý

Feedback on the flavour included “Excruciating” and “A little burnt”. At 49 cents a pod, these pods couldn’t even claim to be the cheapest.

Taste test results

Coffee pods and the environment

Can you recycle coffee pods?

Yes and no. The cardboard boxes that the pods are packaged in are recyclable – no surprises there – but the pods themselves leave a much bigger environmental footprint. For a start, aluminium (which Nespresso and some other brands of pods are made from) is an energy-hungry product, requiring nine times more energy to manufacture than steel.

Coffee pods, many of which are mostly plastic rather than aluminium, generally can’t be thrown into domestic recycling bins. They’re too small for the machines at recycling plants to separate from other rubbish and simply drop through sieves into general waste.

Nespresso gives Australian customers several options for recycling their pods through the . L’or, Moccona, Illy and Campos pods can be recycled through the .Ìý

Despite both of these programs, only a small percentage of coffee pods in Australia is being recycled. Planet Ark states that of the three million pods consumed daily in Australia, only 10% are actually being recycled. This equates to 8.5 tonnes of aluminium, plastic and coffee grounds heading to landfill each year.Ìý

Are coffee pods compostable?

While some brands claim their pods are biodegradable, in some cases they may only be compostable through an industrial facility, as home compost systems aren’t hot enough to break down that particular product.ÌýÌý

Two of the coffee pods we tested were compostable:

• Tripod Red Sunset Coffee Pods – home compostableÌý
• Urban Brew Coffee Pods – industrial compostable

But if compostable pods sound appealing, it’s worth noting that the home compostable option in our test, Tripod Red Sunset, scored just 45% for taste. The Urban Brew coffee pods came in equal-third on 65%, so would be a better choice if you want to actually enjoy your pod, and not just compost it.

Reusable coffee pods

If you’re interested in a ‘pod’-like coffee with a lot less waste you might want to consider reusable pods. Brands we’ve seen include Motipod, Podstar and CremaJoe, although we’ve not tested them.Ìý

Reusable pods work in most coffee machines. To use, you simply fill them with your favourite ground coffee, press the grounds in, pop the lid on and put it through your pod machine.

Shop Ethical ratingsÌý

Shop Ethical ratings, developed by the nonprofit organisation Ethical Consumer Group, classifies companies based on their social and environmental ethical practices, including such issues as legal breaches, transparency, packaging and waste. Ratings range from A to F, where A is praise and no criticisms, and F is criticisms and no praise.

The coffee pods with the highest Shop Ethical rating (‘B’) were:

• LavAzza Espresso Classico (ÌÇÐÄVlog Expert Rating 53%)
• Vittoria Family Cup Nespresso Compatible Coffee Capsules (ÌÇÐÄVlog Expert Rating 41%).

Buying local

Coffee is grown in Australia across northern NSW and Queensland, but none of the pods we tested specified Australian-grown coffee beans.Ìý

It’s a small industry in Australia but it has the potential to grow with use of mechanical harvesting (the cost of manual labour would be too high to be viable for farmers).Ìý

Australian coffee comes with lower food miles and many farms are growing it sustainably.Ìý

Upcycling your coffee pods

If your coffee pods aren’t recyclable or compostable, you may want to try one of these ideas for putting your pod to a new use:

1. Spread the grinds thinly over your garden to deter insect pests and snails.
2. Use the grinds to exfoliate your skin when in the bath or shower.
3. Use the empty aluminium pods to plant mini-succulents.Ìý

Which coffee pod fits your machine?

Working out which coffee pods fit which machines can be very confusing. Machines use different ‘systems’, and you’ll need to use pods that are compatible with the system your coffee machine uses.

If you have an Aldi Expressi, for example, Aldi’s website states that “All capsules with a K-fee System logo will fit into your machine, irrespective of whether they are sold under the brand name of our retail partners or under the name Kruger.”

Your best bet is to check the machine’s instructions and if it’s still unclear, contact your machine’s manufacturer.

Nespresso machines and pods

If you don’t like your barista’s coffee you can go to a different cafe, but once you’ve bought a coffee pod machine you’re stuck with the flavours and brands compatible with it. There are multiple machine and pod brands jostling for a foothold in the lucrative coffee market, but the Nespresso system (which includes machines from brands DeLonghi and Breville) still has the lion’s share of the market, which is why we focused on Nespresso-compatible pods for this test.Ìý

Nestlé initially registered a formidable 1700 patents to cover its Nespresso pods and machinery, and claimed that if a non-Nespresso-branded pod damaged the machine or caused a malfunction the machine’s warranty wouldn’t be valid.Ìý

But when the company was called out on this by France’s antitrust authorities, Nespresso extended the guarantee on its single-serving coffee machines to customers who use non-Nespresso pods, and removed the warning on its capsules and machines.Ìý

Now there’s a proliferation of brands emblazoned with ‘Compatible with Nespresso coffee machines’, offering serious competition through convenience and price.Ìý

Where to buy

You can buy Nespresso pods online or at one of the 19 boutiques around Australia. The price per pod works out to be 79c if you buy the 10 pack, and the cost of delivery is $9 (unless you order 100 or more pods, after which it’s free).

In comparison, major supermarkets including Coles and Woolworths sell numerous Nespresso-compatible pod brands, many for less than 50c each. Some Nespresso-compatible pod brands can only be bought online, such as Urban Brew coffee pods.Ìý

Good to know

How many grams of coffee in a pod?Ìý

For fans of a strong espresso, pod coffee can be insipid – even if you choose one with an intensity rating at the higher end. This could be due to the amount of coffee they contain. The stated weight of coffee in the pods we looked at ranges from 5 to 5.6g, while the traditional amount in an espresso is 7g. Baristas commonly serve up an 11g regular espresso or a 22g double shot.

How can you tell if a coffee pod is fresh?Ìý

Invigo Coffee, a Canadian coffee pod manufacturer, claims that you can tell the freshness of a coffee pod by lightly pushing the silver membrane of the pod.Ìý If there’s resistance to your push, the pod is still fresh to use.Ìý

Pods also have ‘best before’ dates, so use them as a guide to help guarantee a fresh coffee.

How we test coffee pods

Assessing each shot of coffee in this taste test were brothers David and Matthew Gee, principals of Barista Basics Coffee Academy, as well as Anee Sampath, founder of Bean Craft coffee roasters. We regularly rely on the expert palates of this experienced tasting panel to put coffee machines through their paces in our coffee machine tests.

Our panel blind-sampled 13 Nespresso-compatible pods bought in supermarkets and online. All pod coffee was made in a DeLonghi Nespresso Lattissima One EN510.B.

Each shot was assessed for crema thickness and colour, aroma, flavour, mouth feel and aftertaste and given an overall score, which was converted to a percentage and rounded to the nearest 5%, to create a ÌÇÐÄVlog Expert Rating.

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Our coffee experts blind tasted 13 different capsule coffees, rating them on crema, aroma, mouthfeel, aftertaste and flavour to see which delivered the tastiest coffee.Ìý

Coles’ Daley St aluminium capsules were rated as the best-tasting of all the products our experts tested, beating even big-name brands like Campos, Nespresso, Starbucks and Lavazza – and costing far less than any of them.Ìý

We understand this news may be upsetting for coffee connoisseurs: what is the world coming to if the best-tasting coffee comes from a supermarket, not a bespoke micro-roastery?Ìý

But it’s also great news for coffee lovers on a budget. It means you can pick up a great brew while you’re shopping for your toilet paper.Ìý

The winner: Daley St medium/dark roast

• Taste test score: 75%
• Price per pod: $0.40

Daley St well and truly roasted the competition, ranking a full five percentage points ahead of its closest competitors. Its slick packaging might look like it’s from a boutique roastery, but the Coles-owned brand is only available through Coles supermarkets.Ìý

At 40 cents per pod, it’s also the cheapest product we tested, along with a Woolworths pod and another Coles product. That’s a huge saving when compared with the Nespresso and Campos pods we tested, which cost 79 and 71 cents a pop.Ìý

Here’s what our expert taste testers said about Daley St: “smooth”, “great flavour and aromatics”, “well-rounded”, “a little bitter”.Ìý

Other supermarket products

While Coles’ Daley St product showed that supermarket brands can compete with the big players, unfortunately other supermarket coffee capsules didn’t fare so well in our test.Ìý

Woolworths’ balanced medium roast capsules scored an ordinary 60%, while Coles’ Urban Coffee Culture capsules left a bitter taste in our experts’ mouths, receiving a score of just 45%. (Not quite as bad as the lowest scorer, Vittoria, which our experts rated at just 40% for taste.)

Where did your favourite coffee pod rank in our taste test? Find out the results of our coffee pod test.Ìý

Cost-effective alternatives to coffee capsules

While capsule machines are generally quite affordable, the capsules themselves are actually pretty expensive, with premium brands costing close to $100 per kilogram. (Not to mention the waste they create as single-use capsules.)

They’re still far cheaper than buying a barista-made coffee from a café every day, but if you’re on a budget but still trying to get a quality caffeine fix, you might find your capsule habit adds up.Ìý

Whole coffee beans and ground coffee are much more affordable options: you can pick up a bag for as little as $12 a kilogram in supermarkets. Buying a manual or semi-automatic coffee machine will cost you more upfront, but your ongoing costs will be less and if you buy a good machine you’ll probably get a much tastier coffee.Ìý

However, if you want to stick with the convenience of capsule coffee, the results of our latest taste test show that you can spend less but still get a good brew.Ìý

Do capsule machines make great-tasting coffee?

While Daley St may be the best-tasting coffee in our test of capsules, it still may not give you the best coffee of your life.

It’s an unfortunate fact that pod machines generally can’t deliver the same flavour as manual machines. With a pod machine, you don’t have any control over the dose, temperature, tamp or extraction time – which are all the factors that go into making a great-tasting coffee.Ìý

But you also don’t need to mess about with grinding the coffee, dosing the right amount, tamping it correctly or extracting it for the right amount of time: you literally just pop it in and press the button.Ìý

With pod machines, what you gain in convenience, you often lose in flavour.Ìý

However, one thing pod machines can do that manual machines sometimes can’t is deliver consistent coffee every time. Since the variables of dose, tamp and extraction are the same each time, there’s less opportunity for something to go wrong – so you can expect to get the same coffee every time you use a pod machine.Ìý

And since taste is so subjective, if you love the taste and convenience of your capsule coffee then that’s the most important thing. Keep doing what works for you!

The post Coles vs Woolworths: Which supermarket brand coffee capsules taste best? appeared first on ÌÇÐÄVlog.

And increasingly herbal or fruit tea is the tea of choice, appealing to a wide range of consumers, whatever their lifestyle.

According to market research group Euromonitor International, growth in this category has been driven by the younger generation – either because they’re following health and wellness trends or because they’re starting with herbal tea before taking up the black or green varieties.

To get a better insight into which herbal and fruit teas people are drinking and why, we surveyed more than 1170 Voice Your Choice (VYC) members about their tea-drinking preferences.

Why herbal tea?Ìý

When asked why they drink herbal or fruit tea, the main reason people give is general enjoymentÌý – 68% of our survey respondents just like the taste of them.

Other key reasons for choosing herbal tea are the absence of caffeine (36%) and the promotion of relaxation (35%). Caffeine doesn’t agree with everyone after a certain time of day, and many people are trying to reduce their caffeine intake.Ìý

Herbal tea is seen as a good alternative to a regular tea or coffee, more likely to lend itself to relaxing. The choice to drink herbal tea is often a combination of these reasons.

Theresia explains: “Drinking herbal teas is soothing, warming and lets me relax, without extra caffeine.”

Cathy told us: “Herbal tea often has an interesting flavour, little caffeine and still requires the enjoyable ritual of traditional tea drinking.”

“I have a ritual of drinking herbal/fruit teas in the afternoon, combined with getting my feet up and reading a book,” says Robert.

Lack of caffeine is key

The absence of caffeine is clearly a major perk.

“I only drink herbal teas, have done so for many years, originally to reduce caffeine and sugar intake,” explains Barb.

Jane speaks for many when she says, “Caffeine effects become worse with ageing. I can no longer drink regular teas with caffeine after about 5pm, if I want to go to sleep.”

A drink for all ages

And being caffeine free means that herbal and fruit teas can be enjoyed by people of all ages. Margaret says, “I prefer not to have a caffeinated drink every time, so I substitute these drinks for regular tea. It’s also nice to share a non-caffeinated cuppa with my young grandkids.”

About one in five (22%) people indicate they drink herbal and fruit tea for the perceived health benefits, although the benefits sought differ depending on the type of tea.

Which herbal tea is most popular?

Mint tea (and its blends) is the most popular herbal tea among the VYC community members we surveyed, with 64% saying they drink it.Ìý

Hot on its heels in terms of popularity are ginger/ginger-blend teas (55%) and chamomile/chamomile-blend teas (48%).

Mint tea

Mint tea is a favourite for a range of reasons, from the way it tastes to its perceived benefits, with people just as likely to drink it during the day as in the evening.

“I drink peppermint tea with just hot water, drink it all day long,”says Barb.

“Peppermint tea is my preferred alternative to coffee, especially after midday,”says Beth.

Of those people who drink mint tea for what they see as its health benefits, 37% drink it to reduce stress and anxiety and 33% to improve sleep and relaxation – but most (67%) drink it to soothe an upset stomach.

Feedback from our survey respondents was peppered with comments such as this, from Hetty: “I like to drink peppermint tea when I have an upset stomach and it seems to help settle it.” And this, from Michelle: “I drink peppermint tea to aid digestion.”

And it’s not just drunk for health reasons. Kim sees mint tea as a treat: “Peppermint is my go-to for tummy issue but it’s also my treat at night with some dark chocolate.”

Regina, on the other hand, drinks it as a way of tempering indulgence: “I cut down on sweets by replacing my after-dinner coffee and dessert with a cup of peppermint tea.”

Ginger tea

People often drink ginger tea as a blend with lemon or lemongrass.

Annette tells us: “I drink a lemon/ginger blend most days – morning tea and afternoon tea.”

“Love ginger/lemon blend, particularly in winter,”says Elizabeth.

Of those who drink ginger tea for its health benefits, 48% drink it to soothe an upset stomach, 43% to boost immunity and 33% to improve blood pressure and circulation.

Gina commented: “I’ve been having ginger and lemongrass tea when I don’t wish to drink caffeinated drinks, as it doesn’t keep me awake or give me heartburn.”

“Ginger tea I drink if I have an upset stomach,”says Janine.

Joanne refers to the ginger in tea as “warming and good for digestion”.

Chamomile tea

The majority of respondents (85%) drink chamomile tea in the evening (compared with 28% in the afternoon and 19% in the morning).

This pattern makes sense, given how many people strongly associate chamomile tea with sleep. Of those who drink chamomile tea for its perceived health benefits, 82% drink it to improve sleep and relaxation, and 58% to reduce stress and anxiety.

Steve tells us: “Chamomile is my every-night tea. I try to keep caffeinated teas to the morning and early afternoon.”

“I drink chamomile tea at night to assist sleep and relaxation,” says Hetty.

Murray agrees: “Chamomile tea seems to help me sleep better.”

Tea habits

Tea drinking is often thought of as a ritual – people will drink or make it the same way, drink it at the same time of day, or even drink it from the same cup each day.Ìý

Here’s what our survey reveals about the herbal-tea drinking habits of our VYC members:

• Almost one in three (31%) drink herbal/fruit tea every day, and a further 53% drink it at least once a week.Ìý
• More than half (57%) drink just one cup of herbal tea a day on the days when they drink herbal tea. But one in 10 (11%) drink three or more cups a day.Ìý
• People mostly use herbal/fruit tea bags (74%), 15% use loose-leaf tea and just six percent make their own using plant leaves, dried fruit, spices, etc.
• The majority of people buy herbal/fruit tea from the supermarket (81%) or a boutique retailer (24%)
• Most people only drink hot or warm herbal/fruit tea (75%) but almost a quarter (23%) drink both hot or cold/iced herbal and fruit teas. The category of teas designed to be drunk cold (examples include Twinings In’fuse and Tetley Cold Infusions) is growing, and is popular with younger age groups, much like kombucha.

How to make the best herbal tea

Many of our survey respondents make and drink their own herbal or fruit tea, either in addition to or instead of store-bought versions.

If you’re after a bit of DIY inspiration, we’ve collated some of their recipes and tips below:

• “I like my ginger tea made from raw grated ginger, honey and lemon juice.” (Elizabeth)
• “I often dry herbs from my garden: lemongrass; chocolate mint; spearmint, etc.” (Anne)
• “My wife periodically makes up batches (1-1.5 litres) of ginger tea by boiling ginger roots. It’s very strong, so I have a diluted mug after dinner every day.” (Tony)
• “I drink lots of teas from plants grown in my garden or fresh produce from green grocer… including raspberry leaf, lemon balm and chamomile for stomach cramps, lemon and ginger for nausea, sage for sore throats, and lemon verbena.” (Lisa)
• “I use fresh wherever possible, e.g. ginger, mint leaves, lemon slices and honey. Not the commercial brands.” (Bob)
• “‘I love making hot tea with things like thinly sliced fresh ginger or freshly picked mint leaves. Dried whole cloves also make nice tea.” (Debbie)
• “I like drinking a turmeric, ginger, chilli and lemon concoction that I make myself with honey for when I’m feeling sick. It’s the best pick-me-up.” (Eleanor)
• “My preference is for tea made with fresh ingredients. I resort to teabags when mint, lemon verbena/rosehip are not available/in season.” (Paula)
• “I like to grow my own lemon verbena and mint to consume as tea when the mood takes me.” (Valerie)

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