We try own brand tea from Tesco, Aldi, Sainsbury's and more - the best one was practically perfect
GB News gives their verdict on the best supermarket tea
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A good cup of tea is one of life's greatest pleasures, but in order to make the perfect cuppa, you must first select the perfect tea bag.
Tea lovers at GB News decided to put five supermarkets to the test to determine which stocks the best own brand tea.
We chose to try our tea without milk so we could really appreciate the tea's distinct flavours.
Our favourite was Waitrose Essential Original Blend 80 Tea Bags, priced at £1.25. It went down a treat in the GB News office.
Sainsbury's Red Label had a smooth, well-rounded, earthy, hearty taste
Sainsbury's
Aldi's Diplomat Red Label is great value for money, but we thought it lacked depth
Aldi
Waitrose Essential Original Blend was sweet, light and summery
Waitrose
Sainsbury's
Sainsbury's Red Label Tea Bags 80 bags priced at £1.25
4/5
Sainsbury's Red Label Tea was the first tea we sampled and it certainly did not disappoint. We gave it an almost perfect score of 4/5.
We thought it had a smooth, well-rounded, earthy, hearty taste. Its only fault was that it was slightly too bitter.
Aldi
Aldi's Diplomat Red Label Tea Bags 160 Pack priced at £1.85
2.25/5
According to GB News' tea testers, Aldi's own brand tea didn't quite match up to the other supermarkets.
We felt that it made for a nice cup of tea but was slightly bland and lacked substance.
However, if you're looking for a tea that's great value for money, a pack of Aldi's 160 tea bags is priced at just £1.85.
Waitrose
Essential Original Blend 80 Tea Bags priced at £1.25
4.75 / 5 (The winner!)
Waitrose's Essential Original Blend was practically perfect. It was sweet, light and summery - perfect for the scorching tempeatures we're currently experiencing in the UK.
The tea enthusiasts among us also sampled Waitrose Gold 80 Tea Bags. While it was not in our official taste test, we had to give it an honourable mention.
One GB News journo gave it a score of 5/5, praising its full bodied taste, noting spice, hints of vanilla and even a caramel finish.
Tesco
Tesco Original Tea 80 Tea bags priced at £1.25
3.25/5
Tesco's own brand tea matched both Sainsbury's and Waitrose for quantity and price.
But while it did make for a tasty tea, we felt that it didn't quite match up in terms of flavour. One even noted an ever so slight carton, papery aftertaste.
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While it did make for a tasty tea, we felt that it didn't quite match up in terms of flavour
Tesco
For a budget-friendly tea, Lidl's Knightsbridge Red Label makes a decent cuppa
Lidl
Lidl
Lidl's Knightsbridge Red Label Tea 240 Pack priced at £2.19
3/5
For a budget-friendly tea, Lidl's Knightsbridge Red Label makes a decent cuppa.
However, we did feel that the taste faded quickly and that it lacked the same depth of some of the other supermarket's versions.
Best to worst supermarket teas
- Waitrose Essential Original Blend - 80 bags: 4.75/5
- Sainsbury's Red Label Tea Bags - 80 bags: 4/5
- Tesco Original Tea Bags - 80 bags: 3.25/5
- Lidl's Knightsbridge Red Label Tea - 240 bags: 3/5
- Aldi's Diplomat Red Label Tea Bags - 160 bags: 2.25/5
Overall, the majority teas sampled gained an above-average score, however, Waitrose and Sainsbury's versions were particularly excellent.