Containers for Storing Tea Leaves

In another post we talked about storage of teas, avoidance of these elements

i)   Air or more precisely oxygen

ii)   Moisture

iii)   Light

iv)   Odors

v)   Heat

So essentially, what we need are air-tight, opaque containers to store our precious teas.

Here are some containers you can use (other than dark teas):

Glass jars for storing tea:

Pros:

i)   Aesthetically pleasing

ii)   Airtight (if it has one of those locking mechanisms)

Cons:

i)   Expensive

ii)   Transparent- of course you can simply circumvent this by storing your teas in an opaque packet before placing in the glass jar

iii)   Brittle

iv)   Heavy

Tupperware:

Pros:

i)   Cheap

ii)   Airtight

Cons:

i)   Has that ‘plasticky’ smell, unless you are just about the only person who likes it, steer clear from this

ii)   Translucent

iii)   Your teas will smell like plastic- yes I needed that double emphasis

Ceramic Jar for storing tea:

Pros:

i)   Odor free

ii)   Completely opaque

iii)   Aesthetically pleasing- unless the design is archaic, like mine

Cons:

i)   Heavy

ii)   Brittle

iii)   Generally not airtight

Metal Tin for Storing Tea:

Pros:

i)   Cheap

ii)   Light (as least relative)

iii)   Can be completely opaque

iv)   After airing out, odor-free

Cons:

i)   Not completely airtight- will deteriorate with use

ii)   Normally not entirely sturdy

Pewter Caddies For Storing Tin

Pros:

i)   Completely airtight, will not deteriorate with use

ii)   Sturdy

iii)   Odor free

iv)   Opaque

Cons:

i)   Expensive

ii)   Not so easy to find

iii)   Heavy, very heavy

PET bags:

Pros:

i)   Cheap

ii)   Light

iii)   Airtight

iv)   Opaque

Cons:

i)   Airtightness deteriorate with use- limited use

ii)   Does not protect tea leaves from physical damage

Vacuum flask

Pros:

i)   Completely airtight

ii)   Opaque

iii)   Relatively cheap

Cons:

i)   Just looks weird

ii)   Takes up space

Best suited for aging teas, for double protection you can seal the cover.