Sometimes you want a warm, comforting cuppa without the caffeine buzz that comes with it.
In the latest edition of Our Verdict, the Money team tested 13 different decaf tea bags, from supermarket-own to luxury brands.
As our national drink, tea elicits strong opinions, and brands can garner devout followings – but strip away the online fan clubs and official merchandise, and do the big names stand up in blind test conditions?
Our test suggests not – with two supermarket own brands leading the way.
In first place was Asda, scoring high marks from every tester for its smooth and malty flavour and sweet notes. At £1.65 for 80 bags, it is also one of the cheapest options.
It beat Lidl into second place, followed by Yorkshire Tea.
At the other end of the table was one of the most popular tea brands in the country, PG Tips.
Here are the full results…
First place: Asda
Price: £1.65 for 80 tea bags
Average score: 8.3
A great builder’s brew – and one of the few teas we tried that tasted distinctly of… tea. Malty, smooth and a hint of sweetness in the brew. A great, caffeine-free substitute if you don’t want to compromise on flavour.
Second place: Lidl
Price: £2.74 for 80 tea bags
Average score: 7.3
A strong flavour with chocolatey and malty notes, and a bitter edge that fans of a stern brew might enjoy.
Third: Yorkshire Tea
Price: £3.50 for 80 tea bags
Average score: 6.3
A clean taste – but while our testers thought this was the best of the rest, it was some way behind Asda and Lidl on flavour. “Inoffensive” was a word that came up several times.
Fourth: Twinings
Price: £5.29
Average score: 5.5
A slightly more bitter brew than the rest of the field, but with little aftertaste, our testers thought it was a little forgettable.
Fifth: Tesco
Price: £1.65
Average score: 5.3
Good reddish-brown colour, some sweetness and a pleasant aftertaste, but it didn’t hit the classic tea taste profile. Take it or leave it, our testers concluded.
Joint sixth: Clipper
Price: £5.90
Average score: 4.3
This tea did not test well despite the high-end price point. Its initial colour was grey and offputting to several testers even with four minutes of brewing. Watery, lacking any kind of depth and a slight soapy taste.
Joint sixth: Waitrose
Price: £1.85
Average score: 4.3
Our testers described this as “very middle of the road” and scored it poorly for its aftertaste. It did have some nice sweet notes to the flavour and brewed an enticing red colour, but it caused a dry mouth feeling that was unpleasant.
Joint sixth: Morrisons
Price: £1.65
Average score 4.3
Some interesting flavours – our tasters picked up chocolate but, again, some were left with a soapy taste in their mouth.
Joint seventh: Aldi
Price: £1.45
Average score: 3.3
The brewing colour was nice, but the flavour was weak other than a touch of bitterness.
Joint seventh: Sainsbury’s
Price: £1.65
Average score: 3.3
This tea lacked flavour and was panned by our testers – one described it as “lifeless”.
Eighth: Tetley
Price: £2.48
Average score: 3
Three words to sum this one up from our tasters: watery, bitter and bland.
Ninth: M&S
Price: £3.20
Average score 2.6
A sour nothingness that, like many of the lower scoring teas, left a powdery, dry feeling on the tongue.
Last place: PG Tips
Price: £2.68
Average score 2.3
Unlike all the other teas, this one had no redeeming qualities for our testers, who described it as “unpleasant” and “watery”.
