The best English breakfast tea is subtle. It should warm you up without blowing out your palate. Most importantly, it’s perfect mixed with milk and sugar for a true British cuppa. Real English breakfast tea should be delicious enough that it’s fit for a queen (specifically the Queen…RIP).
You might have had English breakfast tea at a random hotel breakfast buffet or received it in a generic tea sampler as a gift. For some reason, it has become a tea that is considered basic. A forgettable drink that doesn’t deserve much thought or respect. English breakfast tea can be so much more than that, though. We tried the most popular, most purchased English breakfast tea bags to determine which is the best English breakfast tea to buy at the grocery store.
- Hartney & Sons English Breakfast Tea Sachets
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Hartney & Sons makes good tea in general (including some of the best mint tea) and they specifically make the best English breakfast tea we tried in our English breakfast tea taste test. This tea manages to be both mild and robust. It has its own flavor, but would shine with a splash of cream and a spoonful of sugar. If you’re looking for a standard tea that could please literally anyone, Hartney & Sons English Breakfast is a great choice. Plus, it comes in a cute, fancy, reusable tin! Who doesn’t love a reusable tin? I kept mine and filled it with hair ties.
Credit: Merc / World Market
- Bigelow English Breakfast Black Tea
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Bigelow English Breakfast Black Tea is another one of the best English breakfast tea bags we tried. I loved the flavor and would be thrilled if someone served me a cup of this. I also loved that this tea is so budget friendly. You can get 100 tea bags for less than $15. And the quality doesn’t suffer with the lower price tag! If you want to feel fancy for less cash, grab a large box of Bigelow English breakfast tea. Thanks to Amazon, it can be at your house in about one day.
Credit: Merc / Amazon
Best of the Best
Best Budget
Other English breakfast teas we tried: Republic of Tea, Tazo, Twinings
Thoughts? Questions? Complete disagreement? Leave a comment!