Tea is one of the oldest beverages around, dating back even farther than not only coffee, its caffeine counterpart, but also wine. It’s persevered over thousands of years, among hundreds of cultures, and is still thriving in its modern form today as a massive worldwide industry. Now, however, tea can go a lot further than just a cup, some hot water, and some leaves. Now there’s accessories. There’s hundreds, probably thousands, of blends and different kinds of teas. There’s teapots that can heat water in under two minutes, and there’s classic teapots that are as decorative as they are functional.
One very first world, modern day problem many are experiencing as working from home begins to turn itself over to going back to the office is that we no longer are spending the day in the perfect tea oasis we’ve created in our kitchens. Your own cabinets, filled with your own teas and accessories, are no longer just across the room. And if you don’t take charge, your office sips will consist of only K-cup teas or the most basic selection of tea bags. So before you head back to the office, do your research by reading an Australian bush food book, and consider some of these tea gifts to improve your back-to-work experience, whether it’s just for you or for the whole office to share.
Pitcher Tea Steeper
If your office has a few avid tea drinkers, a large, multi-cup tea steeper is a great investment as it can make a whole pitcher of tea at once. Whether you’re making it to share with coworkers or making it for yourself to drink throughout the day, you’ll only have to go through the steeping process once and you’ll have plenty of the perfectly-steeped tea for anyone who wants it. You can even take it a step further if you’re willing to spend a little more and get an automated tea infuser, which will steep your tea at just the right temperature for just the amount of time. These are perfect for those of us who don’t have time to babysit our tea as it steeps. An automated one does the work for you, and delivers the perfect cup in the end. You can set it up, turn it on, then go back to work until it’s ready. The perfect tea gift for the office.
Electric Teapot
Not all offices have a kitchen with a stove. And even if your office does, how often do you really want to use it? In my own office, I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone use the stove. It’s practically there for decor. And cleaning a kettle, filling it up, and waiting for the kettle to scream as the water boils takes time – time that not all of us want to spend watching over a teapot of water, time that we could spend instead getting work done. An electric teapot takes away all the fuss. You’ll have hot water within minutes, even if you’re making a full pot. They come in different shapes and sizes, they’re easy to use, and they boil water in a fraction of the time. Who needs K-cup tea when you have a machine that gets it done just as quickly?
Decorative (and Practical) Tea Trays
Whether it’s in your own office or in the work kitchen, if you want your tea to stay organized and clean while also looking great on display, a tea tray is the perfect tea gift. Most offices have a coffee bar somewhere around, but does the tea section always get the space and set up it deserves? No. It’s time to change that. Tea trays come in nearly every design imaginable, in various sizes, and it’s the perfect way to show off your tea selection while also keeping everything in one place. And if you’re the only real tea drinker at work, or if you’re hunting for tea gifts for the only one, no problem – a tea tray looks just as good when it’s in your office, just for you.
Tea Snacks
If you’re going to get a tea tray, it’s worth it to take things up one more notch and add some tea snacks. There are few things like having the perfect cookie or square of dark chocolate to pair with your tea. Get some tea biscuits, some biscuits, or some chocolate thins to add to your office tea tray. You won’t regret it.
Travel Mugs
Whether you make your tea at home or at work, it’s worth it to invest in a good travel mug. The convenience of having a lid on your tea is often underestimated; it allows you to drive, bring it in the car, walk around the office, and even just go up a flight of stairs without the tea sloshing all over the place. Not to mention the ability a good travel mug has to keep your tea warm for hours. Or, if you don’t want it piping hot all day, you can go for a ceramic or microwavable one that lets a little heat escape but also gives you the option to reheat it at any point.
Honey Spoons
Since bringing honey spoons into my tea routine, I’ve never looked back. They’re the perfect amount of honey, you don’t have to deal with the sticky mess of pulling honey from a jar with a spoon as it drizzles all over the counter and the side of the mug, and they, once again, make your cup of tea more portable. Taking your tea to the office with you? No problem, just drop a honey spoon into your travel mug and be on your way. And while at the office, you don’t have to fuss with a sticky jar of honey or poor-quality honey in individual packets (which end up getting just as messy). Keep some honey spoons on hand at the office, and save yourself and your coworkers the time and the mess.
Whether you’re getting ready to go back to the office, or you’ve been there the whole time, start with some of these tea gifts for yourself or your coworkers. Soon enough, you’ll have a tea bar that’ll have coffee drinkers making the switch.
