Budget tea bags take out top spot in shopper ranking
Updated . First published at
Aldi’s Diplomat tea bags have been crowned the best in the country by Aussie shoppers surveyed by consumer group Canstar.
Diplomat tea bags earned five stars for overall satisfaction, brew strength and value for money. They are also an absolute bargain, costing just $1.75 for a box of 100 tea bags, which works out to be 2c each.
Aussie shoppers have voted this budget buy the best tea bag brand in the country. Jo Abi
Aldi’s Diplomat brand includes a range of tea bags that are Rainforest Alliance Certified. Varieties include camomile, green tea, English breakfast and peppermint.
Woolworths’ home brand tea bags came second in the Canstar ranking, also earning five stars for overall satisfaction.
Premium T2 teabags came in third place, earning five stars for taste, packaging, and variety and range.
Dilmah came fourth with a consistent four stars across all categories, followed by Tetley in fifth place and Nereda in sixth.
Aussie icon Lipton only placed seventh, earning just three stars across all categories.
Twinings came in eighth place, Bushells in ninth, and Coles’ home brand rounded off the top 10.
Canstar surveyed 1,777 Australians for their feedback on the tea bag brands they’ve purchased from the supermarket and consumed in the last three months. Taste and brew strength were major considerations, as well as value for money.
“Australians are serious tea lovers, with over half making a cuppa at least once a day, and one-in-three enjoying multiple cups,” Canstar spokesperson Eden Radford told nine.com.au.
Consumer group Canstar has rated the best supermarket tea bag brands of 2026 Jo Abi
“Canstar surveyed thousands of tea-drinking Aussies to find the top-rated brands for customer satisfaction, with shoppers rating them on the categories of value for money, range, taste, packaging, and brew strength.
Nerada took the crown for black tea, T2 won for specialty tea, and ALDI’s Diplomat took the top spot for tea bags.
“Each of these brands earned high ratings across key drivers of customer satisfaction, with ALDI’s Diplomat rating particularly highly for brew strength, T2 led the pack on taste, and Nerada on value for money,” Radford said.
“Canstar’s survey showed black tea is the most popular choice hitting supermarket trolleys, followed by green and herbal teas.
Tea bags were rated according taste, brew strength, and value for money. Jo Abi
“Considering two in five of us keep multiple flavours in the cupboard, this variety makes sense.
“When it comes to the often-controversial question of how to make a cup of tea, the verdict is clear: 77 per cent say it’s tea bag first.
“No matter how you brew it, a cuppa is a great addition to your day. If you’re looking for a satisfying sip, these award-winning brands are a great place to start.”
Over half of those surveyed had purchased black tea bags, including English breakfast and Earl Grey.
Remaining respondents has chosen green tea bags (14 per cent), herbal tea (14 per cent), and the remaining 10 per cent had bought flavoured tea and fruit-infused tea.
Almost three in five (58 per cent) Australians drink tea every day, with 32 per cent enjoying multiple cups daily.
Tea bags are the preferred brewing method for 59 per cent of respondents, and 43 per cent like to keep multiple flavours in their cupboard.
Most tea drinkers place the bag in the cup before boiling the water. iStockphoto
Additionally, nearly one-quarter (24 per cent) choose their tea based on health benefits, such as antioxidants.
Seventy-seven per cent of those surveyed place their tea bag in the cup as the first step when making tea, 16 per cent boil the water first, and three per cent add milk to their tea cups first.
