Lipton vs PG Tips: Which Tea Is Better? (2026)

Lipton Black Tea is the American supermarket default for a reason. The blend is a workhorse orange-pekoe-style black tea, ground fine for fast extraction, so a single bag hits full strength in two to three minutes. Flavor is brisk and clean with a mild astringency on the finish. It is lighter bodied than PG Tips, and that is exactly why it makes such a good pitcher of iced tea: the brightness survives ice and dilution, and it takes lemon and sugar beautifully.

Hot with a splash of milk it is perfectly pleasant, just thinner and less malty than the British blends in this comparison. Watch the clock, though: it turns astringent and bitter if you steep past about four minutes. The plain 100-count box is the sweet spot for value; the foil-wrapped versions cost a little more but stay fresher if you brew infrequently. Check the current price on Amazon.

This is the heart of the PG Tips brand and the blend that wins the hot tea half of this comparison. The Original Pyramid Tea Bags brew a deep amber cup with a brisk, malty backbone and just enough tannic grip to stand up to a generous splash of milk. It is the classic British builder's brew: strong, reliable, and uncomplicated, and next to it a hot cup of Lipton reads noticeably lighter.

The pyramid bag matters. The three-dimensional shape gives the Assam, Ceylon, and Kenyan leaves room to swirl and unfurl, so you get a fuller, faster extraction than flat bags. Brew it 3 to 4 minutes for a standard cup, or push to 5 if you like it dark. The bags are biodegradable and the estates are Rainforest Alliance Certified. It is not a nuanced single-origin sipping tea; it is a dependable everyday cup, and on that count it is about as good as bagged black tea gets. Check the current price on Amazon.

The British Blend is Tetley's flagship in the U.S., and it sits squarely between the two headliners in this comparison: British in character like PG Tips, but as easy to find on American shelves as Lipton. It marries bright, brisk Kenyan tea with deep, malty Assam, which gives it real backbone. It stands up to milk without disappearing, and it does not turn bitter if you forget the bag for an extra minute.

It is Rainforest Alliance Certified, which is a genuine, audited sourcing credential. Brewed neat with no milk it is a touch one-dimensional, but that is not what this tea is for. As a daily milky cup it is excellent. Check the current price on Amazon.

Ask devoted British tea drinkers what they reach for beyond PG Tips and Yorkshire Tea comes up constantly, and for good reason. The standard Red blend is a robust assembly of black teas built to deliver the same brisk, malty cup every single time. In our side by side it was the most milk tolerant brew on the table: a splash of milk rounds it out instead of washing it away, which is where cheaper supermarket bags collapse.

Steep it 3 to 5 minutes for a proper strong cup. It is fully caffeinated, so it is a morning and afternoon workhorse rather than a wind-down. The string and tag 100-count box is the format we would buy on Amazon for the best price per bag.

Red Rose Original is a CTC (crush-tear-curl) black tea blend designed to brew a fast, full bodied, briskly malty cup. Steeped 3 to 4 minutes it pours a deep amber red and stands up confidently to milk and sugar, which is exactly how most longtime drinkers take it. Taken plain it is straightforward rather than complex: clean, brisk, lightly tannic, with none of the off, papery notes that plague cheaper bagged teas.

It is blended in the USA by Redco Foods from imported black teas and packed in round, string-free bags that are forgiving of over-steeping. Buy the 100-count box or a multipack on Amazon for the best per bag price.