Ever since my trip to Brooklyn High Low, I’ve found myself diving into a new hobby. Despite the slight strain on my wallet, I think having hobbies is a good thing right now, given that the world is topsy turvy. So I spent the last week hunting down a few accessories so I could have my own afternoon tea at home, and I’m pretty proud of the little setup I’ve got going. So I figured I’d share it with you, and also give you a chance to grab some of the tea essentials yourself if you want to join in on this hobby with me.
You see, my husband’s latest hobby has been learning how to make the perfect hand-pressed espresso. He bought this espresso machine a few months back, and while I get to reap the rewards of his new hobby, I didn’t get all the joy of learning it myself. So I’m looking at this tea hobby like my husband is looking at his espresso hobby. I’m learning how to properly brew a pot of tea, what leaves to steep and for how long, the types of accessories and cups to get, and most importantly, all the snacks you need to make for a proper afternoon tea.
Will a scone recipe be in this blog’s future? You bet.
Now in terms of the types of tea things I like to use, I admit I found everything secondhand. If you’re in Brooklyn, I highly recommend Big Reuse. It’s a thrift store that has all kinds of items in it. Books, furniture, dishes, kitchen appliances, clothes, doors (yes), lamps, cabinets, dishwashers, stoves, and yes, toilets. And they’re cheap. Like, I found a J.Crew winter jacket in there for $10, kind of cheap.
So as you look at my list of tea essentials below (which, yes, I have carefully crafted with a few affiliate links), I also want to highly encourage you to try shopping second hand. There are a lot of teapots and teacups in the world already, and I bet you could find all kinds of things in your local thrift stores, or even online shops like Poshmark.
But if that’s not an option for you, and you would prefer to shop for stuff on Amazon right now because it’s convenient and safe, I totally get it. Here are a few replicas of the things I found.
1 // Porcelain Royal Teapot – You’ll use this to steep large pots of tea with hot water. You’ll make the hot water with your kettle.
2 // Tea steep – In case your teapot doesn’t have a steep that comes with it, or you only want to steep one cup of tea at a time.
3 // Mason jars – for storing loose tea.
4 // Teaspoons – in case you want to mix in honey, milk, or sugar
5 // Teacups with Saucers – While I find it fun to collect and have a mix-matched collection if you’re looking for a set to start out with, this one is one of my favorites. The saucers are great for holding the tea…or for little cookies and scones!
6 // Teapot warmer – This keeps your pot of tea warm while you sit at the table and enjoy your tea as you read, chat, etc.
7 // Electric Kettle – For quickly heating up water to make tea!
8 // Loose Black English Breakfast Tea – This is my favorite tea to start off with! It gives you a bit of a caffeine boost in the afternoon and tastes perfect with a little afternoon treat.
9 // Cream & Sugar Porcelain Set – I usually take my tea black, but if you like adding cream or sugar to yours, how could you resist this adorable porcelain set?! Plus, using them will save you trips to the pantry and fridge for more cream and sugar.
Are you a tea lover? Coffer lover? A lover of both like me? Let me know below if you plan on picking up a tea hobby yourself!
And don’t forget, I have a free meal plan for you for the entire month! Sign up here and grab it now.
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links through Amazon. If you decide to purchase, I will earn a small commission. It’s one of the ways I financially sustain this blog so I can continue to create the content you love.
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