Drink every tea at its best.
Some teas are best fresh, some keep well for a year or more, and some are made for long storage. Steepdial knows which is which, and how the way you store an open bag changes it.
Best fresh · Brightest in the first months after opening
Stable · Keeps well for a year or more
Suitable for aging · Designed for long storage; quality still depends on storage conditions
Typical windows for an opened bag kept airtight, cool and dark. A resealed bag or a loose tin shortens them.
How it works
- 01
Log when you open it
Add the opened date and, if you like, how you keep it: an airtight tin, a resealed bag, or loose.
- 02
See its window
The tea page and Stash tab show whether it's best fresh, stable, or suitable for aging, and how long it has at its brightest.
- 03
Get a reminder
A best-fresh tea in its last 30 days appears under Needs attention on your Today screen.
The details
Best fresh
Matcha about a month after opening, gyokuro and sencha two to three months, Chinese greens and lightly oxidized oolongs a few months more, first-flush Darjeeling about six.
Stable
Black tea, roasted oolong, white tea, and most herbal teas keep well for a year or more. Past that they're still fine to drink; the aroma just softens.
Suitable for aging
Pu-erh, Liu Bao, Fu brick, and other dark teas are designed for long storage; quality still depends on storage conditions.
Storage counts
Windows assume an airtight container somewhere cool and dark. A resealed bag shortens them by about a fifth, a loose tin by more. Your nose is the final judge.
Questions
Does it know when I bought it?
It only knows the opened date you enter. Unopened, well-sealed tea keeps much longer, and unopened delicate greens keep best in the fridge (let the bag warm up before opening it).