You know you like tea, but which tea? Black or green, spiced or floral, with or without caffeine? Most people who want to find out choose between two routes: a tea sampler, a box with small portions of many teas, or a tea subscription that sends something new every month. Both work, but they suit different people. Here is how to choose, and how to get the most out of either.
What a tea sampler gives you
A sampler is a one-off box with small portions of many teas, often enough for one or two cups each. It is a quick way to taste widely, and it makes a nice gift.
The downside: one cup is rarely enough to really get to know a tea. The first cup is often too strong or too weak while you find the right amount, and by the time you have it right, the portion is gone. And once you have found a favourite, the box is empty and the search starts again.
What a tea subscription gives you
A subscription sends larger amounts of fewer teas, month after month. With a 50 g pack you can brew a tea about 15 times: enough to adjust the amount and the steeping time, to try it in the morning and in the evening, and to see whether you still like it after a week. And because something new arrives every month, you keep discovering without having to choose every time.
The key is flexibility. A subscription only works as a way to discover if you can stop, pause or change direction once you know what you like.
Side by side
| Tea sampler | Tea subscription | |
|---|---|---|
| Number of teas | Many, all at once | A few, new every month |
| Amount per tea | 1–2 cups | About 15 cups per 50 g |
| Time to get to know a tea | Short | A few weeks |
| Commitment | One purchase | Depends on the plan: check the minimum term |
| Best for | Tasting widely, a one-off gift | Discovering over time, a daily tea habit |
The Discovery Tea Club: a sampler that changes every month
If you like the idea of a sampler but want to keep exploring, the Discovery Tea Club combines the two. Every month you receive three 50 g loose-leaf blends from a rotating mix across tea types, plus a 15 g surprise tea: about 55 cups in total. One month that might be a black tea, a green blend and a herbal tea; the next, something completely different.
- Try one month. The first month costs €21.90, after that €24.90 a month. Monthly plans have no minimum term; cancel at least 7 days before your next billing date if you want to stop.
- Found your style? Switch to the Black, Green, Rooibos, Herbal or Fruit Tea Club whenever you like.
- Need a break? Pause anytime and decide yourself when to restart, or skip a month.
- Letterbox delivery, free in the Netherlands and €4 to Belgium and Germany.
How to taste tea at home
Whichever route you choose, a few simple habits help you learn more from every cup:
- Brew it as described first. Use the amount, temperature and time on the pack before you experiment. Our guide to brewing loose-leaf tea has a table for every tea type.
- Taste it plain. Try the first cup without milk, sugar or honey, so you taste the tea itself. Add them later if you like.
- Smell before you sip. Smell the dry leaves, then the wet leaves after brewing. Much of what we call taste is really aroma.
- Compare two at a time. Brew two teas side by side, for example two black teas, and the differences suddenly become clear.
- Write it down. A few words are enough: malty, floral, fresh, spicy, too strong, perfect after dinner. After a month you will see a pattern.
What your notes tell you
After a few weeks, most people discover a direction:
- Do you reach for full, malty or spiced teas, often with milk? Try the Black Tea Club.
- Do you like fresh, light and grassy? The Green Tea Club.
- Do you drink tea mostly in the evening, without caffeine? The Rooibos or Herbal Tea Club, both caffeine-free.
- Fruity, colourful and lovely iced in summer? The Fruit Tea Club.
- A bit of everything? Then stay with Discovery.
For a gift, or for the office
A prepaid Tea Club plan of 3, 6 or 12 months makes a lovely gift and saves 5%, 10% or 15%; read how to give a tea subscription as a gift. Want a whole team to taste? The Office Tea Trial Box brings three seasonal teas to your office, with free courier delivery anywhere in the Netherlands. Still comparing? Read what to look for in a tea subscription, or compare all our tea plans.
Start discovering, one month at a time
The Discovery Tea Club: three 50 g blends from across our range and a 15 g surprise tea every month. First month €21.90, no minimum term, pause anytime.