Top tea gifts from the holiday season: from wish list to what? list

Bingley's Teas from my brother-in-law/wishlist

As a tea enthusiast, I am often the fortunate recipient of tea-related gifts at Christmas and with a published wish-list, it's impossible to say I discourage it.

This year was no exception with two great tea gifts: one straight from said wish-list and one that I didn't even know existed - and maybe still a little unsure as to why it does.

Right off the Barb's TEA Shop Wish List 2012, my brother-in-law surprised me with a great selection of Bingley's Teas, the teas that are inspired by Jane Austen characters.

Elinor's Heart, a sensible black tea

These teas taste wonderful and they are attractively packaged in boxes that resemble hard-covered books. The three teas I received were an herbal, a black and green/black blend.

Of those teas, Elinor's Heart -  named after Elinor Dashwood from Sense and Sensibility -  is a no-nonsense black tea that won't disappoint. For a full review of this tea, see The Detroit Tea Examiner's Elinor's Heart: A sensible black tea from Bingley's Tea.

How I play scrabble: fully accessorized and with a tea cosy

Another tea gift I received on Christmas day was the tea cosy from Mastrad. This unique item came from my husband, Chris. Mastrad is a French company and in its native country, this tea cosy is called "chapeau the'"(literal translation: tea hat). That name seems appropriate as it is a covering for your tea cup, that, like a hat, rests on top to keep the contents below warm.

My husband purchased the tea cosy at Sur la Table at the Somerset Collection, but you can also buy it directly on-line from Mastrad.

Have you been feeling the need for  a device that

Insert tea bag in the slit of the silicone tea cosy

would hold your teabag while steeping? Perhaps, yes, but you might want even more. How about a tea hat that will allow you to squeeze your teabag (although it's debatable whether you should) without burning your fingers? And, if that's not enough, a topper for your tea cup that will keep your tea warm. Well, my dear tea friends, you are in luck! Mastrad has just the thing for you, in black or neon green, ranging from $5.99 to $8.00.

The tea hat serves as holder for the tea bag and later, as a warmer

For a more in-depth look on the Tea Cosy from Mastrad, see The Detroit Tea Examiner's review, Mastrad's tea cup cosy: A solution in need of a problem?


Here at Barb's TEA Shop, we enjoyed all our tea gifts as well as non-tea-related gifts.

An embarrassment of riches, it was a "treasure bath" (credit to my brother and Mel Brooks) of jewelry, books, chocolate, theater tickets, embroidered towels and so much more. A cliche, but even more importantly, a time with family and friends that couldn't be beat.


Here's hoping you got something off your wish list and - maybe even better - something completely unexpected!