As the summer heat fades away, one of the things that excites me most is the opportunity to enjoy a hot cup of tea on a cool, rainy afternoon. It’s moments like these that make me understand the charm of tea, especially in the British Isles.
Prior to discovering the best way to store my tea collection, it was in a state of disarray. If you’re a tea enthusiast facing a similar situation with an unruly stack of tea boxes and tins, I’ve put together some practical guidelines and ideas on how to keep your tea well-organized.
Principles of Tea Storage
Before we delve into the specifics of tea storage, it’s essential to understand some basic principles. Tea is vulnerable to light, heat, moisture, and oxygen, therefore, it’s best to store your tea in a cool, dry, dark, and airtight environment. The airtight aspect may not be crucial if your teabags are individually sealed, but for loose-leaf tea, it becomes important. Fortunately, many teas come in airtight tins or resealable bags.
Even if you’re not storing bagged tea in an airtight container, it’s still important to keep it away from strong odors. After all, no one wants their tea to taste like the garlic and onions from the previous night’s dinner. Additionally, it’s worth noting that tea does degrade over time, so if you haven’t used a particular tea in months or years, it’s unlikely to have improved in quality. It might be time to discard it!
Arranging Your Tea
While I truly enjoy a nice cup of tea, I’m not a tea snob and like to explore various types. Before devising my tea storage method, I had a large assortment of tea boxes stacked haphazardly in a cabinet, making it difficult to access the ones at the back.
My life changed for the better when I discovered that storing tea in a drawer is the most effective method! With a drawer, there is no precarious stacking or shuffling to reach the teas at the back. Everything is neatly laid out in front of you, making it easy to see and access. And although it may sound odd, there’s something oddly satisfying about neatly organizing all your tea and accessories in a drawer.
When selecting a drawer for your tea, the first decision to make is whether to keep your teas in their original boxes or to remove them and store only the packets. If you opt to remove the tea from the boxes, you will need drawer organizers. Cutlery or silverware organizers often fit tea bags perfectly, or you can use adjustable slotted drawer organizers to create custom-sized tea compartments in your drawer.
Alternatively, you can Tetris your boxes and tins into a drawer, or use a combination of both methods, storing some teas in their original containers and sorting individual tea bags.
I also like to keep my tea-making tools and accessories in my tea drawer, such as a matcha whisk, timer, strainers, a measuring spoon, and small dishes that serve as perfect plates for used tea bags. My electric kettle is on the countertop above the drawer, and my mugs are in the cupboard above, so everything I need for a cup of tea is within easy reach. As someone who struggles with organization, having an organized tea drawer adds to the satisfaction of my daily tea rituals.
Ultimate DIY tea drawer organization from Abby at Biejos.
Exemplary tea drawer organization with extra storage space from Caitlin Marie Designs. Similar clear tea storage container available on Amazon.
Do you have a preferred method for organizing your tea collection? Feel free to share your thoughts!
