Dollar Tea Club Subscription Box review: Try new teas for less

Subscription boxes are a lot of fun if you like getting surprises in the mail (and who doesn't?) But they can also be a pretty pricey way to try new things. Enter Dollar Tea Club. Its monthly subscription boxes start at just a dollar (plus $5.50 shipping.) Even with the shipping fees, we're still talking less than $7 per month for three sample envelopes of tea, each of which makes a few cups.

Subscription tiers

Dollar Tea Club Subscription Box: Features

The Dollar Tea Club offers several subscription box options; the lowest tier is just a dollar per month (plus $5.50 shipping.) The subscription auto-renews each month, but you can cancel anytime. There are no membership fees or commitments.

The "$1" package, called "The Explorer," contains three monthly sample envelopes of exotic tea. Dollar Tea Club says that each envelope contains enough tea to make two to three cups. Using one teaspoon per cup, I was easily able to get three or more cups out of each envelope. The tea envelopes in The Explorer are not resealable, and no "extras" come in the package. The teas are loose, so you'll need to use an infuser. Here are the three teas I tried:

• Lemon Ginger: Black tea, pineapple, lime, lemon pieces, lemongrass leaves, calendula sunflower petals, ginger, natural flavors. I taste a bit of ginger and lemon; I cannot detect anything else. Though, what would sunflower petals even taste like? I have no idea. This one was fine, though the dominant flavors aren't ones I'd choose.
• Swedish Mint: Green tea, natural flavors. I drink a lot of mint tea and I don't think I've had one before that has no mint leaves in it, only the flavoring. This one is a bit toothpaste-y for my taste. I did not enjoy it.
• Summer Pie: Elderberries, currants, hibiscus petals, natural flavors. This one is just amazing, one of the best herbal teas I think I've ever had. It's fruity and delicious; it tastes like berries. I can taste the hibiscus but the berry flavor is much stronger.

So, I got quite a mix of teas, from pretty awful to downright amazing! I do think it's worth trying, even if you don't love every tea, because you're not wasting much if you don't finish them all. The ones you do like, you can re-order anytime.

The next level is called "The Sommelier." In addition to The Explorer's three monthly samples (three envelopes containing roughly three teaspoons of tea each), you get a larger 50-gram pouch of Mystery Tea, which is enough for 20-25 cups of tea. This one starts at $9/month plus $4.50 shipping. Your first box will also contain a metal infuser and disposable paper tea filters. If you drink more tea, you can upgrade to two or more 50-gram pouches each month for an extra $8 apiece per month.

Next up is "The Sensei." You get The Explorer's monthly samples, which will make six to eight cups of tea, and The Sommelier's 50-gram, 20-25 cup pouch. In addition, three HoneyStix and 10 tea filters come in each box, plus you get a metal infuser in your first box only. This one starts at $12.70 (plus $4.50 shipping) but you can upgrade it and get two 50-gram pouches instead of one for an extra $8/month. At The Sensei level, you can also make preference notes.

You're not just limited to the subscription box model, though. You can order any of the teas or tea accessories anytime. Outside the subscription box model, you can order a two to three cup tea sample for $1, a 20-25 cup pouch for $8, or subscribe to just a certain tea for $8/month (plus shipping.)

Dollar Tea Club ethically sources their teas through direct trade, so farmers are paid reasonable wages. All of the tea flavorings are natural, they do not use any artificial flavorings. Dollar Tea Club guarantees freshness.

Some teas stand out

Dollar Tea Club Subscription Box: What I like

Of the three teas I tried, one of them was exceptional. Discovering that one tea, which I will be happy to re-order, was worth getting the sampler for. Though I wasn't crazy about the other two, a subscription box is still a fun way to explore your tastes, and perhaps even push yourself out of your comfort zone a little bit. I get tired of drinking the same things and love to try new teas regularly.

Not every tea was amazing

Dollar Tea Club Subscription Box: What I don't like

While the Summer Pie tea was wonderful, and the Lemon Ginger was just fine, the Swedish Mint was just undrinkable. I am curious to see if other people out there loved this tea, but to me, it tastes like tea mixed with toothpaste.

It's a mystery mix

Dollar Tea Club Subscription Box: Bottom line

If you're feeling daring, for less than $7 you can have fresh, exotic teas delivered to your door every month. If you're like me, you'll like some, and not like others, but you'll enjoy the experimentation and new tastes.

Image 1 of 3