Tea Blog

When we were kids, many of us had little “banks” (often shaped like pigs) where we would stash our spare coins. Once we saved enough, we’d head to the store for a sweet treat.

Now, as an adult—and a tea lover—I’m saving my pennies for tea. With the cost of some premium teas, it can take quite a while to build up enough!

Never fear—the teapot bank is here.

Despite the name, this isn’t simply an old teapot repurposed as a bank. While that would be a charming DIY idea, this piece is specifically designed for saving coins.

It may not carry the aroma of

Darjeeling tea
,

Ti Kuan Yin oolong tea
, or

Japanese sencha green tea
, but it does look lovely sitting on a shelf—glazed in white and decorated with musical motifs.

These unique coin banks are available through

Tea4Kate’s online shop
, created by tea enthusiast Kate Barker.

According to her bio, Kate has enjoyed tea in a Mongolian ger, viewed the Three Gorges Dam in China, and even waved to the Queen of England. Today, she spends her time writing, photographing, blogging, and running a shop filled with tea-related treasures.

The Reality of Saving for Tea

Let’s say you start diligently dropping coins into your teapot bank:

“Plink! Plunk! Plink! Plonk!”

Day after day, the bank grows heavier. Eventually, you decide it’s time to cash in and treat yourself.

You pour out the coins and start counting…

10 cents… 35 cents… 60 cents… $1.25… $2.10…

And finally… $3.35.

That’s it?

Well, when most of your stash is pennies, it adds up slowly! Still, it’s enough to pick up some budget-friendly teas.

Affordable Tea Options

• 
  
  Loose leaf white tea
  
  — A smooth Pai Mu Tan with a soft, slightly jammy character.
• 
  
  French blend loose leaf tea
  
  — A fragrant black tea blend with notes of bergamot, jasmine, lavender, and vanilla.
• 
  
  Keemun black tea (Panda variety)
  
  — A richly flavored Chinese black tea from Anhui Province.
• 
  
  Assam loose leaf tea
  
  — A bold, malty Indian tea that pairs beautifully with milk and sugar.

Or… Keep Saving

Of course, you could always keep filling that teapot bank and save up for something more premium:

• 
  
  Adams Peak white tea
  
  — A rare, hand-processed tea with only limited production and subtle, refined flavors.
• 
  
  Flowering green tea (3 Flower Burst)
  
  — A visually stunning tea that blooms as it steeps.

And beyond that, there are even more expensive teas—like aged pu-erh—some costing hundreds of dollars per cake.

Perhaps I need several teapot banks after all!

Time to start saving again… “Plink!”

© Online Stores, Inc., and The English Tea Store Blog. Unauthorized use is prohibited. Excerpts allowed with proper credit.