If you love coffee but are looking for a new flavor or are perhaps intrigued by the potential benefits of tea, these are some great options. Able to serve as alternatives to your favorite cup of joe or an ideal complement, the flavor profiles and benefits of each cup make the switch easy. In this guide, we ranked and reviewed the best teas for coffee drinkers.
If you want to get some for yourself, we have a collection of the best teas for coffee drinkers right here in tea bags, loose leaf, or iced tea pouches.
What is the Best Tea for Coffee Drinkers?
1. Yaupon Tea
Yaupon tea is made from Ilex vomitoria which is the only naturally caffeinated plant native to North America. When its leaves are roasted, the flavor and aroma profile deepen and the subtle caramel notes often associated with coffee are brought out. Each cup also gives a boost of energy from the caffeine though in partnership with other compounds such as l-theanine and theobromine, this energy boost comes without the jitteriness and crash of coffee.
Benefits:
- A gentle boost of energy from caffeine tempered by an interaction with polyphenols that can reduce the negative effects on mood.
- Improved attention and reaction time courtesy of a synergistic combination of caffeine and theobromine.
- No jitteriness thanks to l-theanine that increases GABA release in the brain and has a calming effect.
Side Effects:
Try our CatSpring Yaupon tea if you enjoy coffee. It’s organic, non-gmo, kosher, sustainably grown, and naturally caffeinated.
Black tea has a fuller, darker, and slightly more astringent flavor profile, similar to a cup of coffee. Along with its caffeine level (higher than many other teas though still less than coffee), black tea is one of the closest alternatives for coffee if you’re trying to match the flavor and experience. Like coffee, it’s possible to cut through the slight bite of astringency with milk, cream, or your favorite sweetener. Black teas also taste delicious brewed with fruity flavors such as citrus.
Benefits:
- Supports your immune system with lots of antioxidants that protect your cells from damage that can lead to chronic diseases.
- Promotes a healthy heart through flavonoids which can reduce risk factors for heart disease.
- Improve focus and concentration thanks to the synergistic combination of caffeine and l-theanine.
Side Effects:
- May increase sleeplessness due to caffeine if consumed in large quantities.
Pu-erh tea is made from oxidized leaves that have also been allowed to ferment. Because of both processes, pu-erh tea has a complex and layered flavor profile that is akin to coffee, and some even brew it as strong as an espresso. It can come in two forms, ripe or raw, which indicates if the fermentation was artificially accelerated or not. The time spent aging or fermenting the tea can also darken its flavor and appearance, bringing it closer to the experience of drinking coffee.
Benefits:
- Enrich your gut microbiome with the probiotic qualities from the fermentation process.
- Aid in weight loss through pu-erh’s suppression of fatty acids synthesis (decreasing fat production) and the presence of lovastatin (reduces the amount of cholesterol).
- Defend against the cold and flu with the vitamin C and antioxidants present in each cup.
Side Effects:
4. Matcha Tea
Matcha tea is a powdered green tea, made from grinding the entire green tea leaf in a hand mill. Because it uses the whole tea leaf and because it’s shaded for the latter part of its growing, matcha has a higher concentration of many of the benefits of tea including caffeine. It has about 75 mg of caffeine per cup, which is close to a cup of coffee, and produces a more relaxed boost of energy and focus. While its effects are sometimes described as the closest to coffee, the flavor profile is much different with a grassy flavor.
Benefits:
Side Effects:
5. Yerba Mate Tea
Yerba mate is made from Ilex paraguariensis which is native to South America. Traditionally, it’s brewed in a gourd and drunk using a metal straw with a filter. It can have 85 mg of caffeine per cup, which is close to the amount of caffeine you’d get in a cup of coffee, though it provides the boost of energy without the jitteriness. As far as its flavor profile, yerba mate can taste very similar to coffee though with an earthy and grassy undertone.
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Side Effects:
Oolong tea is between green tea and black tea in terms of oxidation and is brewed from the same plant as traditional teas. It can have a taste similar to green tea, however once roasted, darker and fuller flavors more akin to coffee are brought out. Depending on where the tea was grown, other flavors such as fruity, floral, or spicy can also come through to complement the more caramel notes.
Benefits:
Side Effects:
- May cause headaches if consumed in large quantities at the same time.
Hojicha is a Japanese roasted green tea that produces a smoky, savory flavor and aroma profile that is similar to coffee. However, hojicha doesn’t have a lot of caffeine and can serve as a delicious alternative to a decaf cup. It has a full body flavor like coffee but lacks the acidity.
Benefits:
Side Effects:
- May increase sleeplessness due to caffeine if consumed in large quantities.
The Bottom Line
If you love coffee and want a delicious alternative or a yummy complement to your morning cup, these teas with distinctive flavors and similar effects can be the perfect solution. Providing that boost of energy you know and love plus additional benefits such as improved immunity, healthier hearts, and better focus.
If you want to get our best tasting tea for coffee drinkers, check out our organic, naturally caffeinated CatSpring Yaupon tea here.
Medical Disclaimer: This article is for informative purposes only and shouldn’t be taken as medical advice. If you have serious health-related issues you should reach out to a medical professional. While we have studied the scientific research available, this is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
