Last Updated on June 20, 2024 by Michelle
Is Lipton tea good? My husband used to say it was the best tea. It was the only tea my he drank.
Until I created this Lipton copycat blend. It’s organic. And delicious. Keep scrolling for the full recipe.
And snag some asssam and nilgiri and make this deliciousness yourself.
Is Lipton tea good?
Lipton tea might taste good to some folks, like my husband. But I imagine 100% of Lipton fans would prefer a true, organic, loose-leaf copycat of Lipton over those familiar bleached bags of tea crumbs any day.
Now that I created this DIY blend, which I always keep mixed and ready, in bulk, in a canister on our kitchen counter, my husband is enjoying a much healthier drink every day, and I haven’t purchased those bleached tea bags, filled with who-knows-what potential chemicals in over 5 years.
I also hear from you guys pretty often, on instagram or youtube, that this tea blend is a huge hit in your house too. Like this recent comment on my youtube video about this black tea blend (see the video below):
Yep, this Lipton copycat recipe is definitely a keeper!
Is drinking Lipton tea good for you?
While I’m the first person talk up the benefits of a good, loose-leaf tea, I would never say drinking Lipton tea is good for you.
I’m not a fan of soaking bleached tea bags in my hot water before drinking it. Or potentially-pesticide-laced tea leaves.
Is it okay to drink Lipton tea everyday?
Because of the potential bleach and chemicals leaching into your hot water, no, I would not recommend drinking Lipton tea daily. But I do have a fantastic alternative for you! Keep scrolling for my Better-than-Lipton Sweet Iced Tea Recipe.
Is Lipton tea bad for you?
If you’re a believer that organic is better when it comes to our food, trust me, our drinks are no different. Lipton tea is NOT organic and never will be. Tea crops are often heavily sprayed with cancer-causing pesticides. And you don’t have to just take my word on this… This extensive scientific report, from vol. 179 of Food and Chemical Toxicology (dated September 2023) states this:
…the cultivation of tea plants often faces challenges due to their high vulnerability to pests and diseases, resulting in the heavy use of pesticides. Consequently, pesticide residues can be transferred to tea leaves, compromising their quality and safety and potentially posing risks to human health, including hormonal and reproductive disorders and cancer development.
So yes, I can say pretty confidently that Lipton tea is bad for you… not as any expert in this arena (I’m not, and I’m not claiming to be), but simply by reading reports by folks who seem to have the credentials to know what they’re talking about and the research to back up their claims.
Is black tea good for you?
There are lots of studies out there that list many reasons black tea is good for you (mind you, given all we’ve talked about here so far, the black tea does need to be organic, if it’s going to be good). So I’ll just choose some of my personal favorite reasons (after the delicious taste) that black tea is my go-to:
Focus.
Black tea is well-known for it’s ability to help us focus. You may think that’s all because it has caffeine, but here’s the cool thing… many drinks that are high in caffeine don’t give a stable, long-lasting boost of alertness the way black tea does. Because black tea also has an amino acid called L-theanine, which can improve alertness and focus too. They pack a great punch, the duo team of caffeine and L-theanine.
Mood.
Crazy enough, black tea even helps keep our blood sugar level under control. This study went into great detail analyzing this very fact, which mean black tea can help you fight diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, kidney failure, and even depression. I mean, I always knew a cup of one of my favorite black teas always makes me happy, but now I genuinely know why!
Gut.
Tthe coolest little-known fact about black tea, in my mind, is this: Black tea can improve your gut health. You see, the polyphenols found in black tea feed the good bacteria and inhibit the bad bacteria in your gut. I’m a huge fan of fermented food and drinks for this exact reason, so of course I’m also a huge fan of black tea.
Better Than Lipton Sweet Iced Tea Recipe
INGREDIENTS
1 tsp nilgiri
1 TB assam
2 cups hot water
3/4 cup raw cane sugar
6 cups ice cold water
DIRECTIONS
- Steep the nilgiri and assam tea in 2 cups of hot water for 10 minutes.
- Add 3/4 cup raw cane sugar, maple syrup, or my personal favorite, coconut sugar, and stir well.
- Stir in mint extract (learn my hack for making Easy Mint Extract here) or other flavor options, if you’d like, and add 6 cups ice cold water.
Notes for making this better-than-Lipton sweet iced tea
- If you’d like to make a bulk batch, just mix 1 cup nilgiri and 3 cups assam and store in an airtight glass jar. Steep 1 1/2 TB of your blend in a few cups of hot water and add enough cold water to fill a 3-quart pitcher.
- If you’d like to make a no-calorie option, steep 1/2-1 tsp of stevia leaves with your tea blend and there’s no need to add any other sweetener.
- To save the most money, buy these teas in bulk (I will order 1 1-pound bag of nilgiri and 3 1-pound bags of assam when I order) and store the extra in an air-tight container in a cool dark place until ready to use.
What I use to make this knock-off Lipton tea
Use code SOULYRESTED to save $$ on my favorite teas.
Talk to me about your black tea, if you make this blend
If you have any questions, leave a comment below. And please tag me on ig to show me your Lipton copycat black tea @souly.rested.
Listen in to the full story behind this blend
This mini podcast episode breaks down all the details about the Lipton copycat recipe. (episode 93)
More tea blends and other things you can make yourself
Make medicinal caffeine-free tea that tastes like coffee
Make medicinal Raspberry Leaf Tea
Homemade Instant Oatmeal (you won’t believe how easy this is!)
How to make your own granola (this is one of my favorites)
Herb Balsamic Vinaigrette (this recipe is a keeper)
And be sure to Download my FREE Pantry Checklist and all the discounts on the best ingredients
“Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” 1 Cor. 10:31
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We’re not Lipton tea drinkers, but if we were I’d be doing this. Our favorite is candy mint… fresh, dried, or however.
Oh this looks delicious! I’m definitely going to try it- my mom loves Lipton, esp for ‘sun tea.’ I’ll make a bulk batch and give half to her- thank you for a healthier, tasty alternative!
yay!!! This makes me so happy. Please let me know what you and your mom think. We love this tea!
I just ordered tea and coffee from your link. I’m anxious to get them. I enjoy a cold glass of unsweetened tea as well as morning coffee. I splurged and got the Kona coffee. I’m enjoying all of your articles. I come every day to enter but I go off on all the article links and I’m not sure I actually entered everyday or if I entered correctly. I’ve sure enjoyed the reading though!
I’m not a huge tea drinker, but I do enjoy hot tea in the winter, and my girls love tea, so we always have tea in the house. I get organic when I can, but even a lot of those are in the white bags. I’m interested in learning to make our own!
oh you should definitely try!! Once I started mixing my own black tea blend, I’ve never bought those bleached bags of Lipton again. It’s just so much better.
I had no idea that black tea has so many benefits!
it’s great, isn’t it!?