Tea Storage | Imamother

little_mage

Wed, Sep 03 2014, 1:52 pm

How do you organize your tea collection? I recently moved mine and need to readjust. I have several different sized boxes. I also have some where the tea bags are not individually wrapped, which is why I haven't gotten one of those tea chests. I have thought about getting a chest anyway, and then I could at least reduce the number of boxes, but I'm not sure.

mandr

Wed, Sep 03 2014, 3:36 pm

alef12 wrote:

Lol Does the younger generation even know what a Rolodex is? LOL

I use a wooden box that was a wedding gift, supposed to be for recipe cards.

Lol I'm from the "younger generation" but it's a word I just know from books, I guess.

SingALong

Wed, Sep 03 2014, 3:38 pm

I keep them all in a plastic container in the pantry. The ones not individually wrapped I keep in the original box it came in, and keep that box inside the big plastic container of teas.

little_mage

Wed, Sep 03 2014, 4:14 pm

SingALong wrote:

I keep them all in a plastic container in the pantry. The ones not individually wrapped I keep in the original box it came in, and keep that box inside the big plastic container of teas.

So you're taking the ones that are individually wrapped you do take out of their boxes? What does your container look like? I suppose I'd need a lot less space if I took the ones out of the boxes that I could, but I'm worried that they'll wind up floating around everywhere.

And I do know what a rolodex is, despite being from the younger generation. But while I think a tea rolodex sounds like a rather cool idea, actually, it doesn't really solve the problem...

alef12

Wed, Sep 03 2014, 4:58 pm

mandr wrote:

Lol I'm from the "younger generation" but it's a word I just know from books, I guess.

Gosh, I'm not that old, but we had one at home when I was growing up. My youngest few siblings (close to, and more than two decades younger than me) have never heard of one, though.

zaq

Wed, Sep 03 2014, 6:46 pm

I have a tea chest and consistently overfill it. Then all that's left is just a few Celestial boxes which I stack on the pantry shelf. No biggie.

I believe Celestial Seasonings sells a wall-display case that holds multiple boxes of CS tea. Go to their website. It's not cheap but if you're really OCD about "organizing " your teas, it may be worth it. Besides, the artwork is nice to look at.

Beyond that, really, how "organized" do the teas need to be, already? Get yourself a nice big shoebox, cover it in Con-Tac and pile all the boxes in there. Or else spend a few bucks on a rectangular plastic Rubbermaid-type container or a plastic basket. Don't sweat the small stuff.

Scrabble123

Wed, Sep 03 2014, 7:23 pm

Check out The Container Store. They can be expensive, but many of the products are worth the money. Otherwise, you can just "pick their brains" and see if you can find similar products at cheaper prices.

little_mage

Wed, Sep 03 2014, 8:30 pm

zaq wrote:

They don't need to be super organized, but I'd like them all contained in one general place and relatively easy to get out the type I want. I have a smallish box that I was trying to use, but not quite half of my boxes fit in there...I'm thinking the easiest solution may be to just buy a bigger box, but I wasn't to get some ideas from other people before I spent the money.

zaq

Wed, Sep 03 2014, 8:40 pm

make a teabox "file": Take a good-sized narrowish box like a family-size cereal box . Glue or tape the top shut. Cut the box in half lengthwise, so you now have two long, narrow boxes. Place the two half-boxes vertically side-by-side or stack them horizontally. You can glue or tape them together, too, if you like, for greater stability. Slide your tea boxes in endwise, leaving a bit of wiggle room. If the "files" are still too deep, trim the boxes to the desired depth. You will now be able to slide out the box you want without the whole pile "a-tumbling down" like the walls of Jericho.

sequoia

Wed, Sep 03 2014, 8:48 pm

mummiedearest wrote:

I have a separate cabinet for mine. ok, I include coffee and sugar in there. it's not just for tea. it resides over the tiny counter where we keep our water urn.

That's awesome! I don't keep coffee or sugar at home, but I would love a separate cabinet for tea, cocoa, honey, and the relevant spices: cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom. Mmmm...

mummiedearest

Wed, Sep 03 2014, 9:05 pm

sequoia wrote:

That's awesome! I don't keep coffee or sugar at home, but I would love a separate cabinet for tea, cocoa, honey, and the relevant spices: cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom. Mmmm...

I've actually been considering reorganizing and putting all this stuff in the regular pantry, but all my regular guests know where to find all this stuff now. so I'll continue to have the awesome tea cabinet Smile

a1mom

Wed, Sep 03 2014, 9:41 pm

I have a tea chest and since getting it tend to buy the individually wrapped variety. It makes me feel rich and is a luxury that I indulge in. I love presenting a teabox to guests after a meal and for the extra few bucks a year the wrapped variety costs I feel like a queen. Seriously I'm super frugal when it comes to food but I do indulge in this. This thread has also given me a hankering for a cuppa. Very Happy