For a tea break with a snack at work, start by thinking about when you’ll drink your cup: classic black tea naturally contains caffeine, so it isn’t automatically a suitable evening drink. If caffeine is your main concern, check whether a black tea is labelled decaffeinated or look at the ingredients of a herbal infusion that contains no tea leaves. For a daytime break, choose between tea bags and loose-leaf tea based on the equipment available, then decide between plain tea and flavoured blends according to your taste.
If you’d like a hot drink after work, distinguish classic black tea from a product explicitly labelled decaffeinated. The Anses notes that tea naturally contains caffeine, which can disrupt sleep, although the effects vary from person to person.
If you have a mug and a kettle, tea bags mean you don’t need to measure out leaves or use a filter. If you prefer loose-leaf tea, check that the necessary equipment and a dry place to store it are available at work.
Plain black tea and Earl Grey bring out different flavours in a snack. Choose bergamot- or lemon-flavoured teas for their aromas, but don’t mistake them for decaffeinated tea.
For a daytime break, black tea bags keep the equipment you need to a minimum. For an evening cup, first check whether the product contains tea and what it says about caffeine. An infusion made with other plants or fruit will also have a different flavour.
Worth considering: for a daytime break if you want the taste of black tea and the convenience of tea bags.
Bear in mind: according to the Anses, tea naturally contains caffeine, which can affect sleep.
Look for: this if you want to enjoy black tea while making caffeine your main consideration for an evening drink.
Check: that the exact product is labelled “decaffeinated”; also read any information about its caffeine content on the packaging.
Worth considering: if you’d rather switch to a different drink than look for black tea for the evening.
Bear in mind: it won’t taste like black tea; check the ingredients to see which plants are in the blend.
| What to consider | What to check | Who is it for? |
|---|---|---|
| Caffeine later in the day | Whether the exact product is labelled “decaffeinated” and any stated caffeine content. | For a cup after work, I want to know whether the drink meets my caffeine-related needs. Around 36 % of consumers put this first. |
| Making tea at work | Whether the product comes in tea bags or loose-leaf form, and its brewing instructions. | When my break is short, I’d rather make a cup without a filter or measuring out leaves. Around 29 % of consumers put convenience ahead of other considerations. |
| Flavour with a snack | The ingredients: plain black tea, bergamot or other flavourings, including citrus. | If my snack already has a strong flavour, I want the option of plain tea rather than a flavoured blend. Around 21 % of consumers put matching flavours first. |
| Pack size and storage | The number of tea bags or the weight of the loose-leaf tea, and the space available to store the pack. | In a shared cupboard, I want a pack we can store and use without having to restock too often. Around 14 % of consumers put this first. |
Bergamot or lemon changes the flavour, not the product’s caffeine content. According to the Anses, tea naturally contains caffeine, which can disrupt sleep.
For a late-night cup, look for the word “decaffeinated” on the exact product rather than relying on its flavour.
Plain black tea, bergamot Earl Grey and a lemon-flavoured blend each go with a snack in a different way. A large pack isn’t much use if you don’t like the flavour.
If you can, try a cup or start with a small pack before stocking up the office cupboard.
Brewing instructions vary by product. For its Original Earl Grey, Twinings recommends 3 minutes for a balanced cup and 4 minutes for a stronger brew.
Read the instructions on the pack you’ve bought and remove the tea bag when it reaches your preferred strength.
These brands offer useful points of comparison for pack formats and flavour profiles. Their inclusion here doesn’t mean that every product is available in a decaffeinated version.
Lipton offers plain black teas in tea bags, as well as Earl Grey blends.
Twinings offers several black teas, including Original Earl Grey, Russian Earl Grey and English Breakfast.
Palais des Thés offers black teas from a range of regions and with different flavours, giving you options to compare and pair with a snack.
These products let you compare black tea bags for making at work with a ready-to-drink sparkling beverage containing black tea. If you’re looking for an evening option, check the caffeine information on the product you choose separately.
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A tea-bag option to consider for making a cup during your break and enjoying a hint of bergamot with your snack.
Earl Grey black tea; box of 20 tea bags. If you’re drinking it late in the day, check the caffeine information for the product being sold.
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Worth considering if you prefer a hint of lemon with your snack and want to make a cup without needing equipment for loose-leaf tea.
Box of 20 tea bags, 34 g. Don’t assume that the lemon flavour means it contains less caffeine; check the label if you plan to drink it in the evening.
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A tea-bag option if you’re looking for English Breakfast black tea for a break at work.
Box of 25 tea bags. Follow the brewing instructions on the box and check the label if caffeine is a factor in your choice.
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A Darjeeling tea in bags to consider if you’d like to compare its flavour with Earl Grey blends during your break.
Black tea; box of 24 tea bags, 48 g. For a late-night cup, check the caffeine information on the packaging.
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Worth considering for a break without a kettle if you’d prefer a ready-to-drink beverage rather than hot tea to brew.
Pack of 24 × 330 ml cans. The product listing describes this drink as caffeine-free; check that claim on the can being sold. It’s a sparkling drink, not black tea in tea bags.
Not necessarily: according to the Anses, tea naturally contains caffeine, which can disrupt sleep, although people’s sensitivity varies. If caffeine is your main concern, check the information for a product explicitly labelled decaffeinated, or choose another drink after reading its ingredients.
Follow the brewing time for the product you’ve bought and remove the tea bag when it reaches your preferred strength. For its Original Earl Grey, Twinings recommends 200 ml of water at 95 °C, brewed for 3 minutes for a balanced cup or 4 minutes for a stronger one.
Tea bags require less equipment if you only have a mug and a kettle. Loose-leaf tea means you’ll need to measure the leaves and have a filter or teapot; for its Russian Earl Grey loose-leaf tea, the Auchan product listing recommends one teaspoon (2 g) per cup, plus one extra for a pot.