Aldi’s Diplomat tea bags have been named Australia’s favourite tea bag brand for 2026, taking out the top spot in a new customer satisfaction survey by consumer group Canstar.
The budget-friendly brand earned five stars for overall satisfaction, brew strength and value for money. At $1.75 for a box of 100 tea bags, shoppers rated it highly for delivering quality at a low price.
Diplomat’s range includes English breakfast, green tea, camomile and peppermint varieties, with several products carrying Rainforest Alliance certification.
Woolworths’ home-brand tea bags ranked second overall and also received five stars for overall satisfaction.
Premium tea retailer T2 came in third, earning five stars for taste, packaging, and variety and range.
Dilmah placed fourth with consistent four-star ratings across all categories, followed by Tetley in fifth and Nerada in sixth.
Long-time household favourite Lipton finished seventh, receiving three stars across all categories. Twinings ranked eighth, Bushells ninth and Coles’ home-brand tea bags taking the final spot in the top 10.
The rankings were based on feedback from 1,777 Australians who had purchased and consumed supermarket tea bags in the previous three months.
Canstar spokesperson Eden Radford said tea remained a daily ritual for many Australians.
“Australians are serious tea lovers, with over half making a cuppa at least once a day, and one-in-three enjoying multiple cups,” Radford told Nine.
“Canstar surveyed thousands of tea-drinking Aussies to find the top-rated brands for customer satisfaction, with shoppers rating them on the categories of value for money, range, taste, packaging, and brew strength.
“Each of these brands earned high ratings across key drivers of customer satisfaction, with ALDI’s Diplomat rating particularly highly for brew strength, T2 led the pack on taste, and Nerada on value for money,” Radford said.
The survey found black tea remained the most popular choice among Australians, with more than half of respondents purchasing varieties such as English breakfast and Earl Grey.
Green tea and herbal tea each accounted for 14 per cent of purchases, while 10 per cent of respondents chose flavoured or fruit-infused teas.
58 per cent of respondents said they drink tea every day and 32 per cent enjoy multiple cups daily.
Tea bags remain the preferred brewing method for 59 per cent of tea drinkers, while 43 per cent said they keep multiple tea flavours stocked at home.
The survey also found that almost one-quarter of Australians choose tea based on perceived health benefits, like antioxidants.
Seventy-seven per cent of respondents said the tea bag goes into the cup first, compared with 16 per cent who boil the water first and just three per cent who add milk before anything else.
“No matter how you brew it, a cuppa is a great addition to your day. If you’re looking for a satisfying sip, these award-winning brands are a great place to start.”
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