Chai is a delicious and fragrant blend of spices, black tea, and milk and has become popular worldwide for its flavor and supposed ayurvedic properties. We love Chai and have provided our picks for the best brews below.
What is Chai?
A traditional Chai black tea blend is usually based around a standard Assam black tea, which provides a nice strong flavor. In recent years, green tea, white tea, or Rooibos bases have also become available, providing different flavor profiles too.
The Masala spice blend is also often available on its own, allowing you to make a caffeine-free tea or use it in cooking, if this is your thing.
As a standard tea leaves will be blended with the following spices to make chai:
- Cinnamon (can lower blood sugar)
- Cardamon
- Cloves
- Ginger (can impact digestion and lower blood sugar)
- Star anise
- Black pepper cloves
- Fennel (can lower blood pressure)
The spices used in tea blends will vary between products and companies; like some stray away from traditional Indian spices to incorporate flavors such as chocolate or vanilla, making a sweeter blend without honey.
How Should You Make Chai?
Chai tea can be consumed in many ways. The simplest of these is to drink it black from the tea bag or loose leaf mix and add hot water. However, for a more nuanced drink, you can make it into a traditional Masala Chai with the tea and spices cooked in a pot with milk, water and honey before being strained to serve. Yum!
Additionally, many baristas are now offering it made into a latte with steamed milk added to a flavour concentrate, typically with lots of added sweeteners (i.e. sugar). So, if you are concerned with your sugar intake, It’s always best to check what sort it is when ordering.
Depending on how you brew it, Chai tea can be considered healthy, as it typically contains no inherent sugars. Traditional tea blends will usually contain caffeine and some spices, which should be avoided by pregnant women and those with heart conditions. Please consult with a doctor if you are unsure if certain blends are appropriate for your consumption.
Before You Buy Your Chai Tea…
When looking for the best tea, we recommend assessing each product carefully. You want to look through the ingredients to make sure it is as pure as possible.
We’ve put together a handy guide below to help you make an informed decision.
Ingredients
Make sure your chosen chai blend contains the common ingredients of a chai for an authentic flavour.
How Much Caffeine Does Your Chai Contain?
As I’m sure you know, black tea is considered the strongest of teas both in flavor and caffeine content. However, due to the popularity of Masala spice blends and concern around caffeine levels, more blends have become available with minimal caffeine.
These are often based around lighter tea leaves, such as green tea or white tea, or could be a caffeine-free alternative, such as a rooibos base.
It is important to see what the base of each blend is to assess the caffeine levels it will give you.
Ethics of Production
Not all countries have benefited from the global market equally, and you must see that the tea leaves and spices in the blends you buy are ethically sourced.
Many of the products will say where they source their ingredients and how they deal with environmental impacts from their products.
How are You Going to Brew Your Chai?
As mentioned above, you can drink Chai in many forms. Consequently, you must buy a blend that matches how you want to brew it and the equipment that you have.
A simple tea bag requires only a cup and boiling water, but if you buy loose-leaf tea, you will need to use a tea strainer to brew it.
Similarly, lattes require steamed milk, and Masala Chai needs a pot, strainer, and honey. And a little more time in the morning too.
By considering how you will drink it, you can ensure that the blend you buy is the best choice for your drink.
Let’s dive into our top pics.
Our Picks for Best Chai Tea
Twinings of London Ultra Spice Chai Tea Bags
Ingredients:
- Black tea
- Natural Chai flavours
- Natural cinnamon flavours
- Natural ginger flavours
- Cardamon
- Cloves
This black tea blend contains natural ingredients and high-quality leaves from trusted growers around the world.
Available through bulk buying, this is the perfect Chai tea for a budget, and each tea bag is individually wrapped to add convenience and cleanliness.
From a trusted brand that’s been selling tea for over 300 years, Twinings Chai is a great tea to buy for those who want a straightforward and reliable brew.
With a blend of rich and powerful spices, this tea mixes sweet and savory to provide a robust and warming drink.
Twinings Chai mixes the flavors of cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and ginger to balance the black tea and create a delicious Masala flavor.
This Chai tea also comes in the fun flavors of pumpkin spice, French vanilla, and spiced apple too.
Pros:
- Convenient tea bags
- Bulk buying
- Budget-friendly
- A quality blend of black tea and natural spice flavors
Cons:
- Lots of packaging
- Have to open each bag individually
T2 Tea – Chai Black Tea Bags
Ingredients:
- Black tea
- Cloves
- Cardamon
- Star anise
- Cinnamon
- Ginger
- Orange
- Flavors
A favorite of tea lovers around the world, T2’s classic Chai is a must for anyone looking to get into drinking Chai tea!
This complex and spicy blend is sourced from quality ingredients worldwide and uses experimental blends to find the best flavors.
It is made with biodegradable tea bags and a recyclable cardboard box, making it an environmental choice too.
T2 is a climate-compensated B Corp company, so you know your funds are going to the farmers and growers who earned them.
Keep an eye on this brand, it’s not uncommon for them to drop chocolate and gingersnap Chai flavors too!
Pros:
- Delicious, quality tea blend
- Value for money
- Biodegradable
- Convenient to use and dispose of
- Ethical company
Cons:
- Flavoring
- Star anise can be a quite strong flavor
Yogi Tea – Classic Chai Cinnamon Spice Loose Leaf
Ingredients:
- Cinnamon
- Ginger
- Cloves
- Cardamon
- Black pepper
Unlike the others on this list, Yogi’s Classic Chai is caffeine-free! How, you might ask? Simple, it contains no tea leaves!
This blend of certified organic spices contains the sweet and savory flavors of a Masala Chai blend without the typical black tea leaves.
This makes the tea a good choice for children, pregnant women, and those who should avoid caffeine for heart-related issues.
The tea can be boiled and used the same as any other, making it a good choice for evenings when you are relaxing.
This is also a good option for making a ‘dirty Chai’, where a shot of coffee is added to a Chai latte.
Yogi’s Chai is a good value option to keep in the tea cupboard when you cannot drink regular Chai tea.
Pros:
- Caffeine-free
- Certified organic
- Balanced spice mix
- Decent value
Cons:
- Not an actual ‘tea’
- Loose-leaf (requires a strainer)
- Ayurvedic claims are NOT medically proven
Tiesta Tea – Chai Love Loose Leaf
Ingredients:
- Black tea
- Ginger
- Cardamon
- Cloves
- Cinnamon
- Pink peppercorns
Made with quality ingredients from around the world, Tiesta Tea offers a slightly more nuanced Chai tea than the others on our list.
It incorporates pink peppercorns into its spice mix for a delicate and sweeter peppery buzz.
The other balanced spices work well to create a delicious and warming drink with the high caffeine kick of black tea.
Tiesta’s Chai is made from all-natural ingredients and comes in an attractive and recyclable tin that can be refilled once you finish your first batch, minimizing waste and packaging.
Not only that, but the company strives to have a positive social impact, currently helping to build wells in Nigerian farming communities.
This Chai is great for the planet and your kitchen shelf aesthetic!
Pros:
- More interesting spice palate
- Reusable tin
- All-natural ingredients
- Good value
- Ethical company
Cons:
- Loose-leaf (requires a strainer)
- Not the spiciest blend
- Need to shake the tin before use
Good Earth – Sweet Chai of Mine Tea Bags
Ingredients:
- Black tea
- Natural cinnamon flavor
- Natural vanilla flavor
- Cardamom
- Ginger root
- Natural peach flavor
- Nutmeg
- Cloves
- Chicory root
- Licorice root
- Chinese star anise
- Black pepper
- Steviol glycosides (stevia)
This is a much sweeter tea than the others. Good Earth’s Chai incorporates vanilla and maple flavors into its spice blend to provide a tasty and comforting blend.
This is by far the most complex blend on our list, including chicory and licorice root for a deeper flavor, as well as stevia for sugar-free sweetness.
The company is climate-friendly and dedicated to natural ingredients, making Good Earth’s Chai a guilt-free indulgent choice for those looking to blend sweet and spicy flavors.
Pros:
- Sweet and spicy
- Climate conscious
- Complex flavor blend
- Natural ingredients
Cons:
- Contains stevia
- It May be too many flavors to balance the spices
FAQs
Chai tea (or Chai if you prefer) commonly refers to a Masala spice blended tea.
This is an Indian drink where black tea is boiled with spices such as cinnamon, ginger, and cloves, as well as milk and honey. In the West, the flavors have been played with, as this drink can be taken as a latte or made ‘dirty’ by a shot of coffee.
Evidence suggests that having black tea each day is good for your heart health, and the spices commonly found in Chai teas won’t hurt if taken daily. For those who need to avoid caffeine and certain spices, please speak with your doctor before drinking Chai tea. Having very sugary Chai teas with lots of honey and cream should be avoided, however, as these are not healthy as part of a daily diet. So, while you can drink it daily, examine your diet and determine the best Chai tea for you.
The science is still out on whether or not the spices that make Chai teas special are actually effective treatments. However, black tea is good for your heart in small doses, and many of the herbs commonly contained have been linked to lowered blood sugar and aiding digestion. The more sugar you put in Chai tea, the less healthy it will become, so consider making your tea without honey.
No tea is a good replacement for food in your diet. While drinking fluids is important for maintaining body health and the protein from milk in Chai tea will help you feel full and healthy, you must enjoy these teas as part of a balanced diet. For those seeking to improve their body health, drinking the tea black or without honey is a good step to lowering the calories in it. Black tea also has laxative qualities, which may hinder body health if taken in large quantities. Enjoy everything in moderation.
This is really up to you. You can make a fantastic drink with either, and if you are not a big tea drinker, then buying Chai tea bags rather than investing in a strainer may be the best move for you. Tea bags often have pieces that have been chopped up smaller, and some people find this softens the flavors slightly. Don’t stress too much about this factor; you’re better off looking at the flavors for each tea to decide which is the best Chai tea for you.
As a literal translation, Chai means black tea. Masala Chai that we drink in Chai teas and lattes is typically made from black tea. However, tea-free blends and ones made from younger tea leaves have become increasingly popular for those who want less caffeine in their drinks.
Final Thoughts on the Best Chai Tea
So, what are our overall recommendations?
For those seeking a great teabag at a good price, the best Chai tea is the T2 Chai Tea Bags, as these are quality brew that is great for you and the planet.
For those wanting to invest in loose-leaf tea, the best Chai tea is the Tiesta Tea Chai Love, which provides a great balance of spice in a reusable tin.
Happy Sipping!
