PG Tips has spent £50million on a teabag that can be dunked for under 60 seconds and still make a perfect brew – but the money bags teabag might not be all it’s cracked up to be
There’s nothing more British than making the perfect brew.
We all turn to a cuppa when we have news to celebrate, or when we need that little bit of comfort, or for no reason at all. Arguments always brew over whether it’s milk in first or last, or how long to leave the bag in. Now PG Tips has spent £50million on a teabag that can be dunked for under 60 seconds and still make the perfect cuppa. But is the money bags teabag all it’s cracked up to be? We tested 10 different brands to see which made the most tea-riffic cuppa…
Tetley Original – £1.55 for 40 teabags
Brewed for 60 seconds, it didn’t need that time before the water started to turn darker. But as the time was up and i started to squeeze the bag against the side of the cup, I noticed a little scum on the surface of the water, as if it had been stewing for longer. Still, undeterred i put my splash of milk in and stirred hopefully. Nope, the scum was still there. Not much, but enough for me to not want to dunk my digestive in there! However, the flavour didn’t disappoint. Strong enough to give a hearty flavour, but not over bearing. It was enjoyable, but seeing the residue left in the mug afterwards was disappointing. And not the best value for money.
Value – 8/10
Taste 6/10
Tesco Stockwell & Co – 79p for 80 teabags
Excellent value for money – almost double the price for double the amount of Tetley teabags – these were off to a good start. After the minute, the tea bag was removed and the milk added. To my delight, a nice golden cuppa was steaming in front of me. However, when i took my first sip, my mood dunked more than the bag itself. It was just like drinking hot water. There was no flavour whatsoever. I persevered, but there was nothing. I felt as empty as the mug itself at the end. Disappointing.
Value 8/10
Taste 4/10
Diplomat Red Label – £1.59 for 160 teabags
I couldn’t believe how many tea bags you got for the price at Aldi. So these were off to a strong start. And i was delighted when as soon as i poured the water in, the colour started to swirl into that goldy brown sight. No residue in sight, I settled down hopefully – and I wasn’t disappointed. An almost creamy feel to the touch, the flavour was strong, without being over powering. As it warmed my throat, it warmed my heart too, was like a comforting cuddle just when you needed it most. This would take some beating!
Value 10/10
Taste 9/10
Tesco Original Tea – £1.10 for 80 teabags
Within seconds of the water being poured in, my heart sank quicker than the Titanic. A layer of scum appeared at the top of my cuppa, without me even touching the teabag. Determined, I waited for the 60 seconds and squeezed the bag before removing it. Big mistake. This just made the “extras” appear even more. Adding the milk didn’t help. If I’m honest, I might as well have got myself a glass of water from the hot tap in the kitchen. Absolutely tasteless. I wouldn’t offer this to my worst enemy. Good value for money though.
Value 7/10
Taste 4/10
Sainsbury’s Red Label – £1.20 for 80 teabags
A little more expensive than the same amount from Tesco, I wasn’t hopeful after my Tesco experience. How wrong could I be! The water soon started to turn in colour and once the milk was added, a nice, golden brew awaited me. I took my first sip with some trepidation still, bit i needn’t have worried. It was smooth and bursting with flavour, but not so much it was overpowering. However, I did feel that as i drank more, the strength of the flavour disappeared – and nobody wants a flat ending. But this was enjoyable and I’d definitely recommend to a friend!
Value – 7/10
Taste – 8/10
Savers (Morrisons) – 79p for 80 teabags
There’s absolutely no way I’d want to offer a cup of this to anyone! Sixty seconds? I’m not sure 60 hours would have been enough brewing time to make this a drinkable cup of tea! When I removed the teabag, there was barely any colour to the water. Drain water is the only way to describe it. And to be fair, that’s not far short of how I’d describe the taste. Murky, watery, it was, well, tea-rrible.. Yes, you got a fair few bags for your money, but it was a complete waste. Revolting.
Value – 6/10
Taste – 2/10
Co-op 99 Blend Quality Tea – £1.89 for 80 teabags
Ok, these were slightly more expensive for what you paid and what you got. But, this gave me the gold cup of cuppas! The colour was rich and golden, without much squeezing of the bag. And as soon as I took my first sip, I knew this was the brew I’d been, well, brewing for. Full of flavour, smooth and easy to drink, it gave that warm, comforting feeling I’d been waiting for. There was no scum left behind, just a pleasant smile from me. These were totally worth the money and on my shopping list for the future.
Value 9/10
Taste 10/10
Yorkshire Tea – £1.75 for 40 teabags
Patrick Stewart, he of Star Trek, advertises Yorkshire Tea on TV – and the taste was to be fair, out of this world! The colour was warm and welcoming within seconds. I was concerned that brewing for 60 seconds would be too long because of this, but the bag didn’t split or release any residue. And the taste was beautiful, smooth and warming. But there was something just lacking to give this the top spot – maybe the price. This made me swallow a little harder. If they were cheaper, then Yorkshire would be yelling for top spot!
Value – 7/10
Taste – 9/10
Knightsbridge One Cup Red Label – £1.19 for 160 teabags
Oh dear. This probably had to be the most disappointing of all of the teas. I don’t think I could have left this bag in for days and it would have given me a decent cuppa. Murky and watery, it tasted as limp as it looked. The bag left the water almost as dry as it went in. And if I’m honest, I couldn’t even finish it. There was no taste, no colour and no substance to it. Cheap in price, cheap in flavour, cheap in colour.
Value 5/10
Taste 1/10
PG Tips – £1.60 for 40 teabags
Ah, the home of the teabag – who remembers the ads with the chimps drinking their tea? Well, those chimps weren’t wrong – PG stands for Pretty Good! Well, actually very good. Strong colour and strong flavour, which lasted throughout the cuppa. No residue or murkiness. I’d definitely indulge in a cup of this at any time of the day! The only reason these didn’t come out on top was the price. In the cuppa cups, this got silver!
Value 7/10
Taste 9/10
