Our Pick: Bigelow
Check price →Bigelow vs Twinings: Which Tea Brand Is Better? (2026)
An American family blender built on flavor and foil-wrapped freshness goes head-to-head with the British house that wrote the book on classic black tea. We've worked through both ranges — here's who should buy which.
By Justin Park · ~8 min read · Updated 2026-06-28
Our top picks
Best for flavor & freshness
Bigelow Constant CommentBigelow
The 1945 original — black tea with orange rind and warm spice — and still the most distinctive bag on any supermarket shelf.
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Check price →Read review ↓Best for classic black tea
Twinings Earl Grey Tea, 100 CountTwinings
The blend that justifies the brand — bright, citrusy bergamot done right at a supermarket price.
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Check price →Read review ↓Short version: Buy Bigelow if you drink for flavor and freshness — the individually foil-wrapped bags genuinely taste fresher months into a box, and nothing on the shelf matches Constant Comment's orange-and-spice character. Buy Twinings if your daily cup is a classic — Earl Grey, English Breakfast, Lady Grey — done with more authority and a deeper, more serious black-tea base than almost any other grocery brand.
These are the two flavored-and-classic giants of the American tea aisle, and people pit them against each other constantly. But they're not really trying to win the same cup. Bigelow is an American, family-owned blender (founded 1945, still run by the Bigelows) whose whole identity is flavor and freshness — hence the foil pouch around every single bag. Twinings is a 300-year-old British house whose identity is the classic blend done definitively — the Earl Grey and English Breakfast that everyone else imitates.
I've spent more mornings than I can count with both. Below is where each one actually pulls ahead, an honest read on bag freshness, classic black-tea quality, flavor range, and value, and a clear pick for your situation.
The short version
- <strong>Bigelow wins on freshness.</strong> The individual foil pouch is not marketing — it's the single biggest reason a Bigelow bag from the bottom of an old box still tastes alive while a generic bag has gone flat.
- <strong>Twinings wins on classic black tea.</strong> If you mostly drink Earl Grey, English Breakfast, or Lady Grey, Twinings' base teas are deeper and more confident than Bigelow's straight blacks.
- <strong>Bigelow owns flavored & spiced.</strong> Constant Comment, Cinnamon Stick, and the dessert-y flavored line have a character and a foil-locked aroma Twinings' flavored teas don't match.
- <strong>Value is close, but counts differ.</strong> Twinings' 100-count boxes usually win on price-per-cup; Bigelow charges a small premium for the foil wrap and 20/40-count boxes.
- <strong>Both are everywhere.</strong> Availability is a wash — every major grocery chain, Amazon, Target, and Walmart carry both in the U.S.
| Bigelow | Twinings | |
|---|---|---|
| Origin | American, family-owned (since 1945) | British house (since 1706) |
| Best for | Flavored & spiced blends; freshness obsessives | Classic black tea — Earl Grey, English Breakfast |
| Bag freshness | Every bag individually foil-wrapped — stays fresh | Paper-wrapped on most SKUs; freshness fades faster |
| Signature tea | Constant Comment (orange & secret spice) | Earl Grey (bright, balanced bergamot) |
| Classic black-tea base | Solid, lighter-bodied | Deeper, more authoritative |
| Approx. price | $$ (small premium for foil & smaller counts) | Often lower price-per-cup (100-ct boxes) |
| Availability | Near-universal in the U.S. | Near-universal in the U.S. |
Bigelow vs Twinings at a glance — the differences that actually change which box you should buy.
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Bigelow wins on freshness. The individual foil pouch is not marketing — it's the single biggest reason a Bigelow bag from the bottom of an old box still tastes alive while a generic bag has gone flat.
01 · Best for flavor & freshness
Bigelow Constant Comment
The 1945 original — black tea with orange rind and warm spice — and still the most distinctive bag on any supermarket shelf.
Origin & grade: Rainforest Alliance Certified tea sourcing; family-owned (Bigelow Tea, founded 1945); individually foil-wrapped for freshness.
Constant Comment is Bigelow's founding blend, created by Ruth Campbell Bigelow in 1945, and it's the clearest example of what Bigelow does that Twinings doesn't. It's a robust black tea infused with orange rind and 'sweet spice' (the exact mix is a closely held family secret), and the aroma alone — bright citrus over clove-like warmth — is more interesting than most premium flavored teas at any price.
In the cup it brews a brisk, full-bodied black tea with real orange-peel character that doesn't taste artificial or perfumed. It takes milk surprisingly well and is excellent iced. We found it forgiving of over-steeping — a rarity in flavored blacks. There's a decaf version and a Green Tea Constant Comment if you want the same flavor profile with less caffeine. Against Twinings' flavored line, this wins on both character and freshness.
- Type
- Flavored black tea
- Caffeine
- Caffeinated (~30-60mg/cup; decaf available)
- Count
- 20 or 40 ct boxes
- Packaging
- Individually foil-wrapped
What we like
- Genuinely unique orange-and-spice flavor with no real supermarket rival
- Same secret recipe since 1945 — proven, consistent
- Foil wrap keeps it fresh to the last bag
- Versatile: great hot, iced, or with milk
Worth noting
- Spice profile not for everyone
- Orange strength varies slightly between boxes
Who should buy it: Anyone who wants one genuinely distinctive, characterful tea for everyday drinking — especially fans of orange-spice and chai-adjacent flavors who don't want a fussy loose-leaf ritual, and anyone who's been let down by flat, stale flavored bags.
What we don't like: The spice can read as slightly 'holiday' year-round for some drinkers, and the orange intensity varies a touch box to box.
Bottom line: This is the single tea that best argues the case for Bigelow over Twinings. Nothing in the Twinings range tastes like Constant Comment, and the foil pouch means the orange-and-spice aroma is still vivid on the last bag in the box. If you're a flavor drinker, this is your reason to pick Bigelow.
02 · Best for classic black tea
Twinings Earl Grey Tea, 100 Count
The blend that justifies the brand — bright, citrusy bergamot done right at a supermarket price.
Origin & grade: Rainforest Alliance Certified sourcing; ingredients listed transparently (black tea, natural bergamot flavoring).
Earl Grey lives or dies on its bergamot, and this is where Twinings clearly invests its 300 years of blending expertise. The aroma off a freshly steeped cup is citrus-forward and floral rather than the flat, candied note you get from lower-tier grocery brands. Steeped for the recommended time, it delivers a clean, slightly tannic black-tea body with a bright lift on the finish — a more serious base than you'll find in most flavored bags.
It takes equally well to milk or lemon, though purists will drink it black to let the bergamot sing. Our one nitpick: like all Twinings, this is broken-leaf tea-bag grade, so a loose-leaf Earl Grey from a specialty roaster will give you more depth — and the paper wrap won't hold freshness like Bigelow's foil. But for grab-it-at-any-store reliability, nothing at this price beats it. The 100-count box is the value buy and usually undercuts Bigelow per cup.
- Type
- Flavored black tea
- Format
- Tea bags (string & tag, individually foil-wrapped on some SKUs)
- Count
- 100 bags
- Caffeine
- Caffeinated (~40-50 mg per cup)
- Origin
- Blend; Rainforest Alliance sourced
What we like
- Bright, well-balanced bergamot that avoids soapiness
- Black-tea base stays present under the citrus
- Widely available at near-universal pricing
- Often the best price-per-cup in 100-count boxes
- Works black, with milk, or with lemon
Worth noting
- Broken-leaf grade limits depth vs. loose-leaf
- Uses 'natural flavoring' rather than pressed oil
- Paper wrap doesn't lock in freshness like foil
Who should buy it: Anyone who wants a dependable, aromatic Earl Grey — or English Breakfast, or Lady Grey — they can buy anywhere, and the reader who's never been impressed by Earl Grey and suspects they had a bad version.
What we don't like: It's still tea-bag-grade leaf, so it can't match the complexity of a loose-leaf Earl Grey. The flavoring is 'natural bergamot flavoring' rather than cold-pressed bergamot oil, and the paper wrap means freshness fades faster than Bigelow's foil pouches.
Bottom line: This is the tea that best argues the case for Twinings over Bigelow. The bergamot is assertive without tipping into the soapy, perfumed quality that sinks cheaper Earl Greys, and the black-tea base holds up underneath the citrus instead of vanishing. If your daily cup is a classic, Twinings has the depth Bigelow's straight blacks don't.
Questions, answered
Is Bigelow or Twinings better for Earl Grey?
Twinings. Earl Grey is Twinings' signature, and its bergamot is bright and balanced over a base that stays present under the citrus. Bigelow makes a decent Earl Grey, but it's not where the brand shines — Bigelow's strength is its own flavored blends like Constant Comment.
Why are Bigelow tea bags individually wrapped in foil?
To lock in freshness. Tea's flavor lives in volatile aromatic oils that escape into open air, especially in flavored teas. Bigelow's individual foil pouches seal each bag until you open it, so the last bag in a months-old box still smells and tastes vivid. It's the single biggest practical difference between the two brands.
Is Twinings cheaper than Bigelow?
Usually, on a price-per-cup basis. Twinings sells large 100-count boxes and competes hard on grocery pricing, while Bigelow carries a small premium for its 20/40-count boxes and the cost of foil-wrapping every bag. For plain black tea, Twinings' value wins; for flavored teas, Bigelow's freshness can justify the difference.
Which has the better classic black tea, Bigelow or Twinings?
Twinings. Its base black teas have more body and tannic backbone, which is exactly what you want in an Earl Grey or an English Breakfast. Bigelow's straight blacks are pleasant but lighter-bodied; Bigelow pulls ahead on flavored and spiced blends instead.
Are Bigelow and Twinings owned by the same company?
No. Bigelow is an American, family-owned company (run by the Bigelow family since 1945). Twinings is a centuries-old British brand (founded 1706) now owned by Associated British Foods. They're independent competitors with very different house styles.
Keep reading
Bigelow Tea Review
Our full verdict on Bigelow's range — Constant Comment, the foil-wrap freshness advantage, and which blends are worth it.
Twinings Tea Review
The classics that built the brand — Earl Grey, English Breakfast, Lady Grey — graded blend by blend.
Best Tea Bags
Every grocery and specialty tea-bag brand we've tested, ranked for everyday drinking.