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Drinking tea with milk (or a milk substitute) is popular around the world. Especially in places where black tea is usually consumed. Unlike something like coffee, though, creamer isn’t usually used in tea as often and definitely can have an effect on the taste. So what’s the best creamer for tea? These options will help you decide.
See also: Looking for tea with just a little more kick? This is what you can expect from high caffeine teas.
Best creamer for tea
Milk is great, but not everyone can drink it. You might need a non-dairy milk option, the best powdered milk for tea if you don’t have refrigeration handy, or just want a milk substitute for tea. Thankfully there’s choices out there for different preferences and restrictions (like lactose free and vegan options.)
Personally, I love milk in my tea over everything else. Add some sugar and it’s absolutely perfect! I am guilty of drinking my tea a little too sweet, but if the queen enjoys it that way so can I.
The tradition of adding milk to tea
Adding milk to a cup of tea was actually started in the 17th and 18th century in England. The reason? The china cups from then were so fragile that adding hot tea to them would cause them to crack. That’s why British people add the milk to their tea cup before pouring the tea inside.
Why should you add milk to your tea?
Some people think milk ruins tea while others swear by it. Here’s some of the reasons why someone might want to add milk to a cup of tea:
- Milk gives tea a more creamy taste.
- Kids especially enjoy drinking tea with plenty of milk.
- Milk cools down hot tea so you can enjoy it quicker.
- It makes some teas taste less bitter.
- Personal preference.
Not all tea taste good with milk
While most people who drink milk with something like coffee enjoy it in all different kinds of blends, the same isn’t true for tea. Milk (and milk alternatives) are best added to black teas. English Breakfast, Orange Pekoe, and other varieties of black tea all taste good with milk added.
Some Rooibos blends also taste great with milk. Especially those with hints of chocolate or other milk-friendly flavours. Chai, which is creamy, also is well complimented with a splash of milk added.
Adding milk to floral or fruity blends usually doesn’t improve the taste, but you can always experiment to find out your own preferences.
Don’t add milk to green tea or most oolong
Green tea is enjoyed around the world for its health benefits including antioxidants. Adding milk might have an effect on those health benefits, so don’t add it if that’s your reason for drinking green tea. Most people who enjoy green tea on its own don’t like it with milk, either.
Oolong is similar when it comes to milk and health benefits. It’s a complex tea that doesn’t support milk well. Adding it disrupts the natural flavour.
Both green tea and oolong are naturally creamy so you probably won’t want to add milk anyway.
The best milk for tea
When it comes to adding milk tea is actually the opposite of what people usually do with coffee. Rather than using high fat cream, tea actually tastes better when you use milk. Particularly low-fat milks. This is considered ‘British style’ when it comes to making a cup of tea.
Personally, I choose 1%, but skim milk also works well in tea. You can go as high as 3% milk fat depending on your preferences.
The best non dairy milk for tea
If you can’t have dairy then standard milk really isn’t an option. If you choose lactose-free milk, you can just follow the above guidelines for milk. Otherwise find yourself a great non dairy milk for your tea.
The non dairy milk you choose for your tea will largely depend on your dietary restrictions and preferences. People who like sweeter teas might enjoy coconut milk in their tea, for example. Others might like to add a splash of non dairy milk with some unsweetened soy.
These dairy free milk substitutes for tea all work well.
What is the best milk substitute for tea?
Personally I find that oat milk is the best milk substitute for tea drinking. It’s thicker than most types which means your tea comes out more creamy. More importantly, though, it doesn’t separate when it mixes with the hot tea. It’s also naturally sweet and very similar to cow’s milk.
The best powdered milk for tea
You don’t always have access to a fridge to keep your milk or milk substitute cold. Powdered milk is also handy to have in your pantry for when you run out of milk or are out camping. The type of milk powder you buy doesn’t really matter, although you should choose something that’s low fat if it has dairy, or that’s dairy free if you have dietary restrictions.
I like the Carnation brand of powdered milk.
If you use powdered milk in your tea you can either use it two ways. The first is to prepare the milk based on the package instructions and mix it in normally. For extra creamy tea, though, you can add it directly to the tea by mixing a small amount of tea and powdered milk into a paste, then adding more tea on top to blend.
You can also use powdered creamer but the taste and texture will come out a little less creamy.
What’s the best creamer for tea?
There’s plenty of people out there who swear by putting coffee creamer in their tea! You can experiment with whatever types of creamer you have on hand. Usually they’re non-dairy and you can also get sugar or low fat variations.
Personally I find coffee creamer that’s flavoured with tea-friendly tastes like vanilla works best for tea. Instead of ruining the taste, especially in black teas, they actually compliment them and give tea a unique flavour. For those who like a sweet cup you probably won’t need to add any extra sugar, too.
Adding anything to tea is going to change the taste. Whether you keep it plain, make some English style tea with skim milk, or use the best creamer for tea it doesn’t really matter as long as you enjoy it!
See also: Ever wondered what kind of health benefits you were getting from tea? We’ve done a breakdown here!