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Coffee is delicious. But if you're looking for a way to stay caffeinated this summer, and would like a lighter, more refreshing alternative to your go-to brew, you should consider a cup of tea from a direct-to-consumer company called Teabox.
Through a subscription service, Teabox sends fresh, globally-sourced tea leaves to your door every month. In the four years the company has been around, it has sent 35 million cups of tea to customers in 94 countries.
Not only is tea a nice change of pace, as well as the most consumed drink to the world after water, many types boast antioxidants that can help boost your metabolism and burn bad cholesterol. Similar to coffee, though, there are many, many flavors out there, so branching out beyond Twinings and Lipton and selecting ones that satisfy your taste buds may involve some trial and error.
In order to receive teas that reflect your taste palette and preferences, Teabox has each new subscriber takes a short quiz. While some of the questions might not seem related to tea at all — one question asks about your favorite kind of chocolate — the wide range of questions help the Teabox team identify your flavor profiles and which blends you'll enjoy.
I tested out three canisters of loose tea — classic earl grey, Castleton summer muscatel black, and English breakfast. Each canister provided easy-to-follow directions for how to steep the leaves. The process takes a few minutes, but it is definitely worth the wait, and comparable to how long I'd wait in line for a cup at Starbucks anyway.
In addition to great tea, the websites features several practical accessories to upgrade your tea drinking experience. The glass bottle also I tried out kept my drink warm without scorching my hands and was easy to clean.
If you want to restock on a great tea you discovered from your subscription, or are looking to surprise an avid tea drinker with an interesting blend, Teabox makes it easy to do either. "The subscription service is just one part of Teabox. Overall, we're a retail company that allows consumers to experience a variety of 200 to 300 teas sourced directly from India and chosen for their specific taste preferences, all without having to visit a storefront," CEO and founder Kaushal Dugar told Business Insider.
The pricing for Teabox's monthly subscription service starts at $16.67/month. You can find out more here. Below, you can also check out a few of Teabox CEO and founder Kaushal Dugar's favorite teas.
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Margaret’s hope moonlight white tea
"In white [teas], I love the taste of Margaret’s Hope Moonlight white tea," Dugar told Business Insider. "It tends to be extremely fragrant and heady. I look forward to it every spring."
Margaret’s Hope Moonlight White Tea Sampler, $7 for 0.35 oz.
Glendale estate twirl green tea
"I have started inclining toward the selection we get from the Nilgiris, particularly the twirl green tea from the Glendale estate. It’s incredibly smooth and tipped with soft, green flavors."
Glendale Exotic Winter Frost Green Tea Sampler, $4 for 0.35 oz.
Tippy black teas from Assam
"The tippy black teas from Assam are the perfect breakfast accompaniments."
See the rest of the story at Business Insider