Tea Blog

Every now and then, I come across posts where tea enthusiasts proudly share photos of their tea collections.

These collections are often impressive—well-stocked cabinets filled with a wide variety of teas. After all, who would bother sharing a photo of just a couple of tea bags?

It’s a popular trend, too. One well-known tea forum recently featured a thread with hundreds of entries dedicated to showcasing these collections.

And yes, I find them genuinely impressive.

But recently, I reached a milestone that might surprise some of those collectors:

My tea cabinet is nearly empty.

And honestly—I don’t mind that at all.

How Did This Happen?

As someone who writes about tea, I often receive samples from various sources. While that sounds ideal, the reality is that not all of those teas are ones I truly enjoy drinking.

For a long time, this led to a cabinet that looked impressive at a glance—but in truth, contained very few teas I actually wanted to brew on a regular basis.

I also found it difficult to throw tea away. Unless it was truly undrinkable, it stayed—taking up space more than adding value.

Previously, I knew people who were happy to take extra tea off my hands. More recently, that hasn’t been an option.

A Smaller, Better Selection

Over time, my collection naturally shrank.

Now, my tea cabinet contains:

• A reliable black tea I enjoy regularly
• A good-quality green tea
• A small selection of teas still under consideration

That’s it—and that’s perfectly fine with me.

Quality Over Quantity

While I wouldn’t rule out building a larger tea collection again, there’s one important condition:

Every tea must be something I genuinely want to drink.

Because in the end, a tea collection shouldn’t just look good—it should deliver enjoyment with every cup.

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