Best brands of English Breakfast Tea

What is English Breakfast tea?

English Breakfast is a blend of black teas, not a single tea. Blends typically combine Assam (malty, strong), Ceylon and Kenyan tea, and more expensive blends sometimes include Keemun. It is made to be robust enough to take milk and sugar. Each company has its own recipe, so two brands can taste different.

Which English Breakfast tea brands are widely sold?

We do not rank brands. Widely sold names include Twinings, Tetley, PG Tips, Taylors of Harrogate, Yorkshire Tea, Barry’s (an Irish brand), Clipper (which has organic options), Bigelow (an American brand) and Lipton. Check the box for whether it is fair trade or organic and for the leaf type.

How do you choose the best one for you?

• Strength: Assam-heavy and CTC (cut-tear-curl) bag teas tend to be stronger and malty; blends with more Ceylon tend to be brighter and lighter.
• Milk or no milk: strong blends hold up to milk; lighter ones may taste better plain.
• Loose leaf or bags: loose leaf is more flexible; bags are convenient.
• Water: very hard water can make tea taste flat, so filtered water can help.

Is Yorkshire Tea the same as English Breakfast?

Not exactly. Yorkshire Tea is a brand, produced by Taylors of Harrogate, which also sells its own English Breakfast tea. Yorkshire Tea has several blends, including its standard blend, Yorkshire Gold and Breakfast Brew. They are similar in style to an English Breakfast but each has its own recipe.

What is the difference between orange pekoe and English Breakfast?

Orange pekoe is a leaf grade used for black tea, not a flavor and not a particular blend; in the US the term is often used loosely for ordinary black tea. English Breakfast is a blend. A box may carry both terms, so read the label for the actual tea types and the strength described by the maker.

Lipton Yellow Label vs English Breakfast

Lipton Yellow Label is a standard black tea blend. English Breakfast blends are meant to be full-bodied. Because recipes differ by company, taste them side by side if you are deciding.

How do you brew English Breakfast tea?

Use freshly boiled water and about one teaspoon of leaf or one bag per cup. Follow the steeping time on your box; around 3 to 5 minutes is common, and longer steeping can make it bitter. Black tea contains caffeine, and the amount varies by brand and brew time, so check the label or the maker if it matters to you.