Tea vs Coffee

Switch from coffee to tea…

Tea vs Coffee: these two beverages are very different. Both very well known, but with very different consumption cultures. Even regular coffee drinkers are very different from regular tea drinkers. But how come? 

Is it because of the smell? No, we’re sure it’s because of the effect these drinks have.

You must listen to your body when drinking coffee and when drinking tea. Be attentive. And you will feel the difference.

Reactions to coffee

Within minutes it makes you feel enthusiastic, active, eager to do something. It is no coincidence that coffee is drunk in situations of fatigue and drowsiness. But it’s an effect that fades fairly quickly. 

Reactions to Tea

Tea is different. The theine has a longer, softer impact. The effect can last several hours and comes on sweet, with calm. Coffee and tea are wonderful drinks. They are so different that they cannot be rivals. They are like lovers with different looks.

Did you know that…?

• Caffeine is found naturally in the tea plant, Camellia sinensis
• Hot water and longer steeping time extract more caffeine from the infused tea (Red teas and Oolong teas). Cooler water and shorter steeping time extract a lower concentration (White teas and Green teas)
• Tea is the only plant that contains L-theanine, an amino acid that promotes calm and relaxation. 
• It is believed that the caffeine in tea absorbs more slowly into the body than the caffeine in coffee. This gentle release promotes a longer period of alertness.

Two Super Drinks: Tea vs Coffee

Tea and Coffee are conquering the world, they are well-known beverages on every continent and imagine the size of these markets, their geography and the way they attract people. However, there are some differences to point out. 

The caffeine in tea is called theine and its effect is slightly different from that of coffee. 

Six reasons why you should seriously consider switching from Coffee to Tea

1. Caffeine: The main reason for switching from coffee to tea is the caffeine content. Large amounts of caffeine are known to cause a number of side effects, including anxiety, insomnia, and other chronic problems that affect both physical health and psychological health.
2. Addiction: caffeine can cause physical dependence. You can easily drink 2-3 more cups of tea than coffee while maintaining a similar caffeine intake.
3. Digestive Disorders: tea is considerably less acidic than coffee, although acidity varies from one tea to another, and also depends on how the tea is prepared. Coffee can cause stomach upset, especially when drinking strong coffee on an empty stomach. People who find that coffee causes gastrointestinal problems.
4. Cost: the price of tea and coffee is very variable. However, as a general trend, tea tends to be much less expensive than coffee (relative proportion to a cup).
5. Variety: tea is more varied than coffee, in terms of flavor, aroma, appearance and other qualities. Black coffee, while varying slightly in its strength, is always quite strong and bitter, and always has a powerful roasted aroma. The differences from one coffee to another are subtle and often appreciated only by connoisseurs. The range of bitterness, sweetness and other flavor qualities vary more between different teas, likewise. Finally, tea aromas are widely variable: even among pure (unflavored) teas, there are teas whose aromas resemble fruit, flowers, grass, earth, and various spices and herbs.
6. Benefits: tea contains additional benefits over coffee, in addition to its lower caffeine content. Tea contains L-theanine, a chemical that interacts with caffeine, allowing for a lower dose of caffeine. L-theanine also promotes relaxation. And although there is some evidence that coffee brings some health benefits, there is more general evidence to support the health benefits brought by tea consumption.

Tea vs Coffee: useful advices to approach the world of tea

If you’re getting into the world of tea, don’t freak out, the routine can be just as quick and functional as the coffee routine. All you need is hot water, an infuser and some tea leaves. 

Choose a type of tea

We suggest you set aside bagged tea and focus on loose tea. Tea leaves are fresher and contain richer, more natural flavors. Also, although it might seem the opposite, buying tea in bulk also has an economic advantage, drastically reducing the cost per cup. 

Coffee drinkers often prefer dark teas with strong and robust flavors, a black (red) tea for example or a puer tea or a dark roasted oolong Da Hong Pao.

Matcha green tea, is a powdered green tea that is high in caffeine, since in brewing you drink the entire leaf that is crumbled into a powder. Or Genmaicha Matcha green tea which blends Japanese tea with Matcha and roasted rice for a double dose of caffeine and antioxidants.

Choose a preparation method

To begin with, it is recommended to use simple teapots or cups to infuse the tea. Tea ball infusers are fine to use, but they do not allow the leaves to fully expand and thus release all their flavors.

Roasted teas with coffee-like aromas

The aroma of coffee mainly comes from the fact that its beans are roasted. Roasted teas, as a consequence, have aromas which are familiar. Hojicha is a Japanese roasted green tea which, although it has an aroma that is vaguely reminiscent of coffee, has a sweet and smooth taste and a low caffeine content. There are also many roasted Oolong teas that tend to have a stronger flavor and more caffeine than Hojicha tea, but still much less than coffee.

Yerba mate and other coffee alternatives

Yerba Mate is another good alternative to coffee. It has a similar aroma to coffee, it is naturally sweeter and milder even though it is unsweetened.

Although its health effects have not been proven, it seems to be a milder drink than coffee and can be a good alternative for people who find coffee heavy on the stomach. The caffeine content in Yerba mate is higher than that of tea, but lower than that of coffee.

Herbal Teas

There are also numerous caffeine-free herbal teas that can resemble coffee in flavor and aroma. Roasted chicory root is a plant that has traditionally been used to produce a coffee substitute.

Historically, the Kentucky coffee tree, an independent tree that does not contain caffeine, was used to make a beverage similar to the coffee consumed by Europeans.

A question of dependence

The body adapts to caffeine, and humans are habit-forming creatures.

It is easier for most people to phase out coffee, rather than make an abrupt change, to minimize withdrawal symptoms. It is therefore easier to reduce your caffeine intake by replacing a cup of coffee with a cup of tea rather than trying to eliminate all the caffeine at once.

Depending on how sensitive your body is to the changes and how much caffeine you are used to ingesting, you might feel withdrawal symptoms if you turn down during the transition from coffee to tea. After your body gets used to the change the symptoms will disappear.

Attention

Is coffee harmful? No. But what is bad is the addiction that coffee can induce. The key is to avoid addiction and replace bad habits with good ones.

Read also: Tea and Caffeine.