Cheap supermarket tea bags beat Yorkshire Tea and Twinings in blind taste test

Big tea bag brands tend to have loyal followings, but our taste test reveals it's worth trying supermarket own-brand options as you might be pleasantly surprised by what you discover.

We asked 79 tea drinkers to blind-taste and rate 12 everyday teas from supermarkets such as Asda, Sainsbury’s and Tesco, alongside big-brand tea bags from PG Tips, Tetley, Twinings and Yorkshire Tea.

It was a close contest, but Asda took the top spot—and it's half the price per cup of big-brand options.

Some brands came close on taste, while others fell behind the pack. Read on to see how your favourites measured up.

Eat well, live better and stay healthy: sign up for our free monthly Food & Health newsletter for the latest insights delivered straight to your inbox

Best everyday tea bags

Asda came top overall and is also Great Value as it's one of the cheapest teas on test.

PG Tips, Sainsbury’s and Tetley were also well-liked by our panel, tying for second place with 71%.

Best Buy & Great Value: Asda Everyday Tea Bags, 72%

£1.20 for 80 tea bags (52p per 100g, 2p per tea bag)

Asda is our top pick if you’re looking for a satisfying brew and to keep costs down.

Our tasters gave it high marks for aroma and appearance, and more than two-thirds thought the colour was just right. 

They also liked the 'mouthfeel' of this tea and its bitter tea twang, and a majority thought the flavour was spot on.

Available from Asda.

PG Tips Original, 71%

£3 for 80 bags (£1.29 per 100g, 4p per tea bag)

This classic brand was up with the top teas on test.

Its good looks and enticing aroma were highly rated, as was the pleasant mouthfeel.

More than two-thirds thought it had a good hearty colour, and a similar proportion were satisfied with the strength of bitterness.

Nearly as many thought the strength of flavour was just right.

It's a good crowd-pleaser, but look out for offers as at full price it's pricier than any of the supermarket options.

Available from Amazon, Aldi, Asda, Co-op, Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose.

Sainsbury’s Red Label, 71%

£1.25 for 80 bags (50p per 100g, 2p per tea bag)

Another good option that impressed our tasters. Three-quarters of our panel liked the colour, and it scored well for aroma and mouthfeel.

More than half found the flavour just right, and bitterness levels hit the spot for more than three-quarters of tasters.

It's roughly the same price as Asda's tea bags and scored just a fraction lower, so if you shop at Sainsbury's, it's a solid choice.

Available from Sainsbury’s.

Tetley Original, 71%

£3 for 80 bags (£1.20 per 100g, 4p per tea bag)

Also joint runner-up and well-liked by our tasting panel were Tetley's tea bags. 

Our tasters thought the tea looked good and had a pleasant mouthfeel and enticing aroma, while more than half said it had a good flavour, too.

It struck the right bitter note for 59%, although 27% said it was a little too bitter for their taste.

Available from Amazon, Asda, Co-op, Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury’s and Tesco.

See the best travel mugs for keeping your tea warm on the go

How Tesco, Twinings, Yorkshire Tea and others compare

It was a close-run contest for the rest of the teas on test, with Aldi, Co-op, Waitrose and Yorkshire Tea tying on 70%. 

None are a bad choice, but the similar scores mean it's worth trying your local supermarket option to save money.

Tesco shoppers may want to try elsewhere, though. Its tea bags came last overall alongside Twinings:

• Aldi Diplomat Red Label – 70%. Reasonably well-liked. More than half enjoyed the flavour, and thought it had a pleasing colour and good level of bitterness. £1.85 for 160 bags (37p per 100g, 1p per tea bag). Available from Aldi.
• Co-op 99 Blend Fairtrade Tea – 70%. Another good all-rounder. More than half were satisfied with the flavour, and an impressive 72% said the bitterness levels were perfect. £1.45 for 80 bags (58p per 100g, 2p per tea bag). Available from Co-op.
• Waitrose Essential Original Blend Tea Bags – 70%. Three-quarters liked the colour, two thirds its bitterness and more than half approved of the strength of flavour. £1.25 per 80 bags (50p per 100g, 2p per tea bag). Available from Waitrose.
• Yorkshire Tea (Taylors of Harrogate) – 70%. Half of tasters were happy with the flavour and just under two-thirds said bitterness levels were just right. £3.30 for 80 bags (£1.32 per 100g, 4p per tea bag). Available from Amazon, Asda, Co-op, Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose.
• Lidl Knightsbridge Red Label Tea Bags – 69%. Not bad, and the cheapest on test. Half of our panel liked the flavour, but most of the remainder wanted a stronger brew. £2.19 for 240 bags (29p per 100g, 1p per tea bag). Available from Lidl.
• Morrisons Everyday Tea – 68%. Less than half felt the flavour of this tea hit the spot, although two- thirds enjoyed its bitterness. £1.29 per 80 bags (56p per 100g, 2p per tea bag). Available from Morrisons.
• Tesco Original Tea – 67%. Good bitterness levels, but some tasters felt it was too dark in colour and not strong enough. £1.25 per 80 bags (50p per 100g, 2p per tea bag). Available from Tesco.
• Twinings Everyday – 67%. The flavour was less well-rated than rivals, with less than half of tasters approving. £4.80 per 80 bags (£2.07 per 100g, 6p per tea bag). Available from Amazon, Asda, Co-op, Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose.

Best ground coffee: find out which supermarket and big brand house blends our tasters enjoyed most

How to save on tea bags

Switching to our Best Buy Asda tea from a big brand will halve your costs. But if you can't let go of your favourite brew, make sure you shop smart for it.

Most big brands are sold in a range of pack sizes and cycle on and off special offers, so make a habit of swinging by the tea aisle - even if you haven't run out yet - so you can pick up deals when they're about.

Make sure to double check it's a good deal. Usually bigger packs are better value, but not always, so check the unit price before you commit.

See our investigation into loyalty pricing for more tips on shopping smarter at the supermarket.

Tea labelling: ethical and sustainability labels

All the supermarket teas display either the Fairtrade or Rainforest Alliance logos on their packaging.

Co-op and Waitrose have the higher standard Fairtrade label, while the remainder of the supermarkets (Aldi, Asda, Lidl, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Tesco) show the Rainforest Alliance logo, which has less stringent demands.

The brands use different schemes. Twinings and Taylors of Harrogate (Yorkshire tea) state they are part of the Ethical Tea Partnership. PG and Tetley both list sustainability reports on their websites.

See our detailed guide on decoding food labels that relate to sustainability, welfare and food safety 

Is tea good for you?

On average, a mug of tea contains around 75mg of caffeine, while a mug of instant coffee has about 100mg.       

There are various health claims for tea because it contains antioxidants in the form of polyphenols. These may give some protection against certain cancers, heart disease, stroke and some other diseases.

It's still best enjoyed in moderation though, and if you take your tea with sugar, be mindful of how many mugs you get through as it can rack up pretty quickly. 

Making the perfect cuppa

In our taste test, only 8% of tasters opted to take their tea black. The remainder had milk (58%) or milk and sugar (35%).

While the correct way to make the perfect cup of tea has long been hotly debated, the general consensus is that tea, whether you use a bag or leaves, needs freshly boiled water.

If you’re making a single cuppa, pop the bag in your mug, add boiling water and leave it to brew for a minute or two - or longer, depending on how strong you like your tea. After it’s brewed, add milk to taste. 

If you’re using a teapot, then whether you add milk to the cup before or after you pour the tea should make no difference to the taste. You might find it easier to make your personal perfect cuppa by adding the milk second, as the amount of milk you want may depend on how strong the tea turns out to be.

Best cheap supermarket food and drink - see which other own-brand offerings beat the big brands in our taste tests

How we tested tea

The teas were tested in August 2024 by a large panel of consumers who regularly buy and consume tea. The make-up of the panel broadly represents the demographic profile of adults in the UK. 

Each tea was assessed by 79 people. Tasters were served tea black and brewed to on-pack instructions. They were then allowed to add their usual preferred amount of milk and sugar. 

Tasters rated the taste, mouthfeel, aroma and appearance of each tea and told us what they liked and disliked about each one. 

The taste test was blind, so our testers didn’t know which brand they were trying. The order in which they tasted the teas was fully rotated to avoid any bias. Each person had a private booth, so they couldn’t discuss what they were tasting or be influenced by others.

The overall score was based on:

• 50% flavour
• 20% appearance
• 20% aroma
• 10% mouthfeel

These weightings are based on how consumers rank the importance of different attributes of tea.

Price and availability were checked on 30 August 2024. The price per tea bag is rounded up or down to the nearest penny and based on 80 bag packs where available.