Tea Advent Calendar: Something new to brew each day

Pick blends they will want to open

The best-looking box is not always the best tea present. Start with the tea they already enjoy, then decide how adventurous the selection should be. Familiar black teas with a few surprises suit a different drinker from a box devoted to herbal infusions.

Read the ingredients behind festive flavour names. Spices, liquorice, fruit and added aromas can be welcome discoveries or unwanted surprises. Herbal infusions are not automatically caffeine-free; the actual blend matters.

Look beyond the number of doors

Daily compartments may contain repeated blends, several bags or small loose-leaf portions. Twenty-four doors does not promise twenty-four different teas. Repeats can be useful when they discover a favourite, while extra bags may make the calendar easier to share.

• Choose bags for a straightforward mug of tea, or loose leaves for someone with an infuser.

• Compare the amount supplied and suggested servings with the day count.

• Keep brewing directions and ingredient or allergen information with the gift.

For loose leaves, a suitable infuser mug can make a useful companion present. A tea-bag calendar needs less extra equipment.

Hand it over before the countdown

This present is meant to be enjoyed before Christmas, so give it in time for their chosen start date. Confirm the calendar's length and current contents. Earlier-year packaging deserves a closer look at freshness information, rather than an assumption that it is this year's selection.

An undated tea tasting set is a better fit if you will exchange presents on Christmas Day or they prefer to taste at their own pace. For other interests, browse our Christmas gift guide.

Our gifts for tea lovers include undated choices for birthdays and gifts handed over on Christmas Day.