I tried the cheapest supermarket tea bags and I've been so wrong

A lot of people are getting quite used to having to pay a bit more for shopping these days.

Most recently supermarkets including Tesco, Lidl, Aldi and Sainsbury's have all put the price of their tea bags up. With that in mind, the MEN decided to compare the cheapest supermarket teabags to see which was the best.

The comparison has shown that nearly all supermarkets have upped the price with Lidl and Tesco following Aldi's lead by increasing their prices by 14p a box and 10p a box respectively. The least expensive options come in various pack sizes, ranging from the smallest packs of 40 Just Essentials tea bags from Asda, to the largest 240 box of Knightsbridge Red Label Tea Bags from Lidl.

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Both Aldi and Sainsbury's offer boxes of 160, under their respective Diplomat Red Label and Stamford Street Co brands, while Tesco's Stockwell and Morrisons' Savers are available in boxes of 80. Aldi also offers an 80-pack option. The bags themselves are fairly standard in size - round, with only Asda and Aldi featuring a perforated bag.

So what did we find out during the comparison? Family and parents editor Emma Gill gave her verdict: I must admit, I've never scrutinised a packet of tea bags this closely before and was surprised to find that most come with clear instructions on how to brew a cuppa - recommending a brewing time of three minutes.

I don't often leave it so long, unless I've been side-tracked, so I just prepared them all in the usual manner - pouring the water, stirring, allowing for a brief pause before a final squeeze on the mug's edge and then adding the milk.

They all appeared to be a decent brew, although the ones from Tesco, Asda and Morrisons seemed and tasted the weakest. Only the Tesco ones really provide any indication of strength, with a 'medium strength tea' label on the box.

I didn't dislike any of them enough to not drink them. If I was standing at the side of a football pitch, as I frequently am every Sunday, any one of them would suffice when you just need something wet and warm.

Maybe that's a sign of what a tea belly I am. But for a stronger, more rounded flavour, my top three would have to be Sainsbury's, Aldi and Lidl.

They're all a bit richer and more flavoursome than the others, some of which are a bit bland. My overall favourite is Lidl - a good strong brew with plenty of flavour and, like most of these packs, costs just over a penny per bag.

Considering I usually spend £4.99 for a box of 240 Tetley and Lidl's cost £2.79 for the same size, I think I've really been taken for a mug.

Supermarket tea bags - brand / size of pack / price per pack / price per tea bag

• Lidl - Knightsbridge Red Label / 240 / £2.79 / 0.0116

• Aldi - Diplomat Red Label / 160 / £1.89 / 0.0118

• Sainsbury's - Stamford Street Co / 160 / £1.89 / 0.0118

• Morrisons - Savers / 80 / 79p / 0.009

• Tesco - Stockwell / 80 / 94p / 0.0117

• Asda - Just Essentials / 40 / 40p / 0.01

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