5 of the Best Chai Brands You Should Try

Let’s be real for a moment. I don’t always make myself a cup of masala chai from scratch. While I do know that it’s incredibly satisfying and delicious to drink a warm cuppa that I know was made entirely by me, there are many days I just want to use a tea that is already blended for my convenience. There is no doubt that I love masala chai. It’s always a favourite when the colder seasons arrive whether I prepare it traditionally, bake with it, or even steep it into my hot chocolate for an extra tasty treat. I even named my cat Chai because of my love for it! So when I’m feeling like a quicker but still delightful and flavourful cup, I reach for one of my favourite and best chai brands.

Most masala chai consist of the same spices with a black tea base (usually Assam tea) but what can make the taste different is the ratio of each.

Quality is another key thing that makes a huge difference in the taste of a masala chai.

For me, I have never found a masala chai tea bag that I would consider one of the best chai brands out there. Perhaps if it were a higher quality tea bag and actually filled with whole leaves and ingredients, but I still have always found the best cup of masala chai coming from loose leaf with whole, real and fresh ingredients when possible.

I once ordered a chai latte at a cafe, excited to see it on the menu, only to be disappointed when I was handed a mug of steamed milk with just a generic chai tea bag in it.

Needless to say, I did not head back there for a chai latte again, and, since then, I have been pretty picky with ordering chai lattes at cafes unless I know the chai brand being used in advance.

RELATED READ: What Is Masala Chai & Why You Should Never Call It “Chai Tea”

I’ve tried several different masala chai blends from various tea companies over the past few years but I always find myself coming back to five favourites (plus a bonus!).

These five are all handcrafted and from tea companies that deserve the spotlight. I wanted to keep this list with the best chai brands that offer traditional, and most authentic masala chai.

In no particular order, if you’re looking for a wonderful masala chai blend, here are the best chai brands I recommend.

Best Chai Brands I Recommend

1. South Cloud Chai from Tielka Tea

best chai

South Cloud Chai is an original blend by the founder of Tielka. It’s a bit different from the other teas on this list as its main ingredient is actually a black tea from China.

Tielka’s award-winning signature Dianhong black tea is used as the base in this chai and offers a malty finish. This black tea is grown and harvested in the high elevations of the Yunnan Province during September-November.

The name of this blend is in honour of the origin as Yunnan can be translated to “South of the cloud”. Whole spices like ginger, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, fennel and nutmeg are blended with the Chinese black tea.

For another unique spin, this chai blend also features pepperberries that are grown in Tasmania, Australia. The pepperberries are not spicy like the traditional chai spices here. Instead, it adds a sweet fruity aroma.

best chai

In addition to loose leaf, they also offer this chai in tea bag format. Tielka Tea’s pyramid tea bags are made from 100% plastic-free compostable plant-based fibre.

South Cloud Chai has won gold two years in row at the Golden Leaf Awards. It is organic and fairtrade certified, too. Learn how to make a concentrate with this chai here.

Ingredients: Dianhong black tea, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, cardamom, fennel, nutmeg, and pepperberries.

Price: $22.00 for 160 grams (loose leaf) or $14.00 for 50 grams (25 plastic-free tea bags)

Ships: Internationally

BUY THIS CHAI HERE


2. All Chai’d Up from The Chai Boxbest chai brands

The Chai Box was started by Monica who grew up drinking chai since she was just two years old. Growing up in an Indian household, masala chai is part of her culture and heritage.

Monica has taken her mother’s traditional chai recipe and put her own spin on it for The Chai Box.

All Chai’d Up is her original chai blend that is made with her True Blend (Darjeeling, Assam, and Orange Pekoe teas) and hand picked spices directly from plantations in Kerala, India.

It’s a powerful, flavour packed masala chai that is delicious whether you prepare it with the stovetop method or just steep in a cup. Monica definitely knows the right tea to spice ratio for her blend, making The Chai Box an easy pick as one of the best chai brands.

The Chai Box is the place for all things chai, so I would definitely recommend checking out the other masala chai inspired blends on their website.

Ingredients: Black tea, Ginger, Clove, Cinnamon, Cardamom, and Fennel

Price: $12.00 for 70 grams

Ships: Internationally

BUY THIS CHAI HERE


3. India’s Original Masala Chai from Vahdam Teas

best chaiVahdam Teas has been my go-to for bold black teas for quite some time now. I especially love them first thing in the morning!

Their Assam CTC is one of my favourites and that tea is featured in this delicious chai option. Their original masala chai was love at first sip. It’s the perfect blend of spices.

I really appreciate when a masala chai blend doesn’t hide the actual tea and the bold, malty assam can still shine. That’s exactly the case when making a cup of this tea.

If you’re also not a huge fan of fennel, this chai doesn’t feature that spice. You can steep this masala chai in hot water and all you need is a splash of milk to enhance the creaminess or just steep it in milk entirely.

Ingredients: Assam Black Tea, Cardamom, Cinnamon, Black Pepper & Cloves

Price: $8.99 for 100 grams

Ships: Internationally

BUY THIS CHAI HERE


4. Punjabi Masala Chai from Teabox

best chai

With one sip of this loose leaf masala chai, you’ll be wondering how you went so long just drinking chai tea bags. Teabox has an entire collection for chai blends. You can find them all here.

Their Punjabi Masala Chai is my favourite from their chai collection though. I first fell in love with this masala chai because of the fact that many of the spices that were added were still in whole form, which most likely led to it having the incredible flavours I loved it for.

It also uses a CTC (cut-tear-curl) black tea which takes to milk and sugar very well and makes this chai extra bold and rich.

Cardamom is my favourite spice and it really shines in this masala chai making it so easy to love sip after sip. I also enjoy that Teabox uses both green and black cardamom in this chai. They even included bishop’s weed in this blend for a powerful kick. So much flavour in one sip!

Ingredients: CTC Black tea, black cardamom, bishop’s weed, cinnamon, black pepper, cardamom, clove, ginger, fennel

Price: $8.50 for 100 grams

Ships: Internationally

BUY THIS CHAI HERE


5. Organic Masala Chai from The Teaguy

best chai brandsTeaguy Masala Chai is now sold under Denman Island Tea. The tea blender of this handcrafted chai was inspired after falling in love with chai while climbing in the Karakorum region of Pakistan and sampling hundreds of variations.

I’m not sure what it is exactly about this particular chai, but I found it to be one of the most aromatic ones on this list! If you’re a big fan of cloves and ginger, here is a chai you should definitely give a try.

While all of the spices are balanced nicely, the warm and sweet bites from the cloves and ginger are quite powerful. Overall, this masala chai is very smooth and the sensational aroma lasts throughout the tea session.

Ingredients: Assam black tea, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, cloves, and black pepper.

Price: $18.00 for 100 grams

Ships: Canada & United States

BUY THIS CHAI HERE


BONUS CHAI:

Cha-Cha Chai from Twin Flame Teabest chai

I wanted to include this chai blend as a bonus because while it is delicious it is not very traditional. The base is a black tea that mingles with ginger, cinnamon and green cardamom spices. However, it also has extra ginger flavouring and vanilla.

This chai is beautifully balanced and extra creamy with the vanilla addition. For that reason, it’s the perfect blend to steep double strength and make as a chai latte. If you’re looking for a unique chai inspired blend, here you go!

Ingredients: Black tea, ginger root, cinnamon, green cardamon, ginger and vanilla flavouring

Price: $15.00 for 1.5 ounces (or $5.00 for sample size)

Ships: Internationally

BUY THIS CHAI HERE

*Please note that Twin Flame Tea also has a line of hemp-infused teas. However, the chai I am talking about here is 100% hemp-free. If you’re interested in a hemp-infused chai check it out here. I have not tried that one though.


I really love that each of these chai brands offer something unique with their blends. No two chai blends were the same here and there was a particular flavour that stood out the most in each for me. If you give any of these best chai brands a try, be sure to let me know. If you just want to make your own masala chai from scratch at home the check out my Homemade Masala Chai recipe here.

**feature photo credit: thevelvetbird via photopin (license)

Do you also enjoy some of the best chai brands on this list or have another you want to share? Share in the comments below!

41 thoughts on “5 of the Best Chai Brands You Should Try”

  1. I think I absolutely need to try the sticky chai “Spicy Honey Chai from Blue Hour Tea”. I haven’t been through my usual winter “chai phase” but I think it’s about to change. Great post Lu Ann.

    Reply
  2. Their tea is SO great eh? And yes, their Rainforest Chai Masala is absolutely amazing, especially if you love strong, flavorful, rich and all natural Chai tea.

    Thank you for your great blogs Lu Ann!

    Warmly,
    Carmen

    Reply
  3. I happen to like fennel but I can do without as well, so I ordered the top two on this list. The The Chai box tea was wonderful. You can taste the fennel in the cup but it doesn’t take away from the other spices.

    Unfortunately, the Vahdam was a bit lacking in the flavor department. It lacked body when compared to the other two brands I prepared along side of it. It was balanced but bland. It tasted nice, but lacked the body and flavor profile I like in masala chai.

    That said, the third variety I prepared was Rishi Organic Masala Chai. It split the difference between the two on this list. It has a full body but lacks the additional notes the fennel.

    I prepared all three the same way, using the same amount to tea, steeping length, and same amount of warmed milk.

    Reply
    • Hi Mike, thanks for sharing your tasting notes! I’m glad to hear you enjoyed the chai from The Chai Box. I have tried Rishi’s masala chai in cafes (lots of places near me stock it), but never at home myself. I do enjoy it when I order it out though!

      Reply
  4. Ordered from Chai Box and Denman and both were very different but absolutely amazing. Thanks for the recommendation and Brendan Waye and The Denman staff give a shot out to you!

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  5. I have ordered from Chai Wala after stumbling across Eamon and Bec’s youTube channel on VanLife. I love their chai blend. It has a peppery warmth that is perfect for the winter season and it’s not too sweet.

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    • I just ordered turmeric latte from Whole foods market and it is very good when blended with any kind of milk. I use my Bullet blender for cold milk and a large cup of milk in a mug for hot milk. It’s pricey but you only use 1/4 teaspoon.

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  6. Well, Indian tea has its own flavour and taste and especially tea from East India places like Assam or Darjeeling. One of the leading tea supplier from Kolkata is A Tosh and sons and is well known for manufacturing World class loose tea / private label tea. Give a try!

    Reply
  7. I am in love with Blue Lotus’ Traditional Masala Chai. It’s a powder that you just dissolve into whatever liquids you’re drinking.

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  8. Very nice list. I’d like to add my favorite – “Spice Girls” from an awesome brand Oh You, TEAse. They’re often around NJ, NY & PA and have an Etsy, Etsy.com/shop/ohyoutease

    Reply
  9. Lu Ann,
    Thank you for your informative article, I’m looking forward to discovering the unique flavors of your favorites. I have enjoyed a homemade chai tea that had star anise and vanilla bean in it. I see one tea you recommended had vanilla but none had the star anise. I’m not a novice…a youngster to chai tea enjoyment but, is star anise that unusual to find in chair tea?

    Reply
    • Hi Carrie, Great question! Chai recipes can vary. For the most part, they just follow the simple formula of water, milk, black tea and spices. In fact, some make chai with just black tea and ginger! I have come across star anise in chai blends before and occasionally use it in my homemade chai. I don’t think it’s unusual 🙂

      Reply
  10. Love this. Appreciate the article and list. I have been searching for real chai and information on authentic ones etc…I will be trying the one recommended from Teabox. Sounds amazing!

    Reply
  11. I love Tipu’s Masala Chai Tea! It’s so authentic and the taste has been incredibly consistent over the 6 years that I’ve been buying it.

    Reply
  12. Hi

    Being from South East Asia Region particular from Bangladesh. I grew up smelling tea in my home. I was wondering what classic Assam black tea would you recommend. I always make/add spices to tea so don’t need those added with tea leaves. Apart from Vadham, which one would you recommend?

    Reply
  13. Hi Lu Ann
    Great list, Thank-You!! Do you not like the Chai Concentrates? If no, can you share why? Is it a ‘pure’ issue? Thank-You in advance for your anticipated response!!
    ~Kim

    Reply
      • The Chai Wallahs

        I would like to introduce my Chai Concentrate as well as Masala Chai Blend. Our Chai is made with Asam, CTC and a delicious blend of Cardamom, Cinnamon, Ginger, Cloves and Black Pepper.

        The Chai Wallahs has been grinding spices and blending Chai for 2 decades in western Canada. India Inspired ♡ Alberta Made!

        ~jodi
        Thechaiwallahs.com

        Also love Monica’s Chai from the Chai Box!! She is amazing♡

        Reply
  14. Hi Lu Ann,
    I tried some of the ones you recommended a couple of years ago, and especially liked the masala chai from Denman Island in Vancouver and Chaiwala in Toronto. When I recently tried to reorder from Chaiwala, the website redirected me to a company called Habit. It claims to be the same great tea, but it didn’t seem so to me, and it certainly wasn’t the “wet” version sold in the paper canister. I’m going to miss that great Chaiwala blend….Thanks for your recommendations!

    Reply

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