Waka Instant Black Tea Mix, Classic - 100% Tea Leaves, No Additives, Unsweetened Tea Powder for 50 Quarts or 200 Cups – Easy and Quick Hot or Iced Teas (4.5oz)

"What do I look like? Some guy who's not lazy?" - Lazy Sal, Futurama. A couple reasons why this is a 5 star product for me. Firstly, I love convenience AND black tea. Am I lazy, tired, broke? Maybe, possibly, potentially. I want to preface this review by acknowledging this isn't going to replace a high end tea experience. This is my daily rider. This is my camping tea. This is my easy answer for all my wake up and pick me up moments. Let's start with taste: I like my tea straight up, black & unsweetened. I personally don't find it bitter when I make it dark & powerful. The value is incalculable. Or maybe it IS calculable. All I know is, it's better than bad, it's GOOD! More like great but had to slip in the Ren & Stimpy Log reference. I really like that I can mix the temperature of the water to my preference, ez pz. I also like how easy it is to mix, I use a shaker style bottle with a closed top. It's a shake and go situation. Blending with this method works really well, leaving a smooth texture of the prepared tea. I really like that I can drink it throughout the day. In the morning, I make it darker, by lunch I am mixing a lighter shade of tea. And I need to note, when I am heavy handed with the amount of mix, the final product packs a PUNCH. The only heads up I want to give (see photo) which I learned the first time I mixed up a cup is the underside of the scoop will pick up loose product. So save yourself the small mess and tap the scoop before you fill the scoop side. HUZZAH!

So, lets start with an honest disclosure: I have a complicated relationship with tea. I have read much about the health benefits of tea and wish to replace my sugar infused liquid bad habits with something healthier. Simple enough you might think, however, that’s where the complicated part comes into play; I absolutely despise the taste of tea. Preparing for this review, I invested some time into ensuring that I accurately convey the level of disgust I experience on my taste buds while consuming tea. Turns out “Hate”, which is a very powerful word to express an “intense or passionate dislike for something or someone” and was my go-to descriptor, is not at all accurate. In the hierarchy of English words used to convey dislike and negativity, it appears that hate takes a back seat to “Loathe” which itself sits behind “Abhor”. To give you some perspective of my level of abhorrence for the taste: Were I present at Boston Harbor on December 16th of 1773, I would have joined the Sons of Liberty in throwing crates of tea into the harbor, not just for the sake of raising hell about taxation without representation, but just as importantly to me, ridding the world of the foul taste of that repugnant vile weed. In my search to find a brand of tea that is somewhat palatable to my anti-tea taste buds, I have tried many different brands & types. I have attempted to camouflage the taste with honey, lemon, maple syrup, and even sugar, but with no success. Nothing I do can filter my repugnance. Here’s where any sane person would have had the realization that “Gee, maybe tea isn’t for me, I just don’t like it, so I shouldn’t drink it!” But apparently, I’m to stupid and stubborn, and my battle persists in trying to find a tea that I can consume without fighting back the gag. So, with that depressing look at the inner workings of my mind, and my lifelong battle with tea, lets move on to why I find myself here, giving this elixir a 5-star review: I stumbled into Waka’s Instant Kenyan Black Tea during my last bout of “Must find a Tea” madness, and read the reviews in which most tea drinkers referred to its unique capabilities to infuse into water without any grainy remnants and also its rich flavor. Reviews were very positive and something told me to order it. Upon its arrival, I opened the package and took a deep nasally draw and…nothing bad. I mixed up a small glass and took a sip, bracing myself for the inevitable ugly tea aftertaste letdown; but it never appeared. Instead, I was greeted with a slight but noticeable dark mustiness that was relatively pleasant with no repugnance! Zero Repugnance! I proceeded to sip away and in no time the glass was empty. At the ripe age of 49, I had just consumed my very first full cup of tea! Summary: While I cant say it’s the best drink I’ve ever had, it’s the only tea I have ever been able to finish, and from my perspective, that says everything. I’ll be ordering more! -If you’re a tea connoisseur, you would be wise to read the other reviews since what I’m peddling here isn’t going to help you much. -If you have a tea-hate personality disorder and are trying to find a tea that you won’t hate as much or at all, then take my word for it and give this a try. I can drink it straight but prefer a squeezed lemon with it, which compliments the tea well. -The caffeine level is a strong plus! Gives me a nice kick without the jitteriness of energy drinks.

Great for iced tea! Don’t have the patience for wait for tea to cool down then this is for you. I mix this with my good host mix to achieve a less sweet iced tea

Better than I expected it to be, after I actually followed the instructions. It makes many more cups of tea than you think it would (over 150 even if you like extra powder) First cup made with this was FAR too strong and tasted like chemicals but that's because I thought I really liked strong tea and put in a half teaspoon when the instructions said to put in 1/4 a teaspoon. Putting in the right amount makes a decent cup of tea, not quite as good as my normal english breakfast but for the convenience of not needing to wait for it to steep on days that the wait seems too much or that I literally forget that I was steeping some tea, it is more than good enough. Unfortunately after about half of the pack was used, one side of the resealable plastic part came off the side but that's pretty minor.

I ordered this for my husband as I got him weaned off caffeinated iced tea( still hooked on caffeinated coffee). Couldn’t find the decaf tea we used in the past so tried Waka and he loved it and continues to love it. Every time he gets a new bag( infrequent as use so little the bag lasts for weeks) he tells me how good it tastes! The tiny serving dispenser lets the maker get stronger tea if desired!! I believe it’s well worth the cost!!! Highly recommend!!