I compared 5 brands of chai concentrate, and there are 2 worth keeping in your fridge at all times

Paige BennettMay 19, 2023, 03:14 IST

I compared chai concentrate between brands like Good & Gather, Oregon Chai, Trader Joe's, Rishi, and Tazo.Paige Bennett

I compared chai concentrates from Good & Gather, Oregon Chai, Trader Joe's, Rishi, and Tazo.
I used each to make hot & cold lattes and was surprised at how temperatures impacted my favorites.

I love a good chai latte, but I usually order it from cafés rather than making it at home.

Luckily, many brands offer easy-to-prepare chai concentrates, which are ideal for when I'm craving a hot tea in the morning or a refreshing iced latte during a warm afternoon. But chai can be tricky to get right since a tasty latte needs to balance sweetness and spice.

So, I tried chai concentrate from five different brands — Good & Gather, Oregon Chai, Trader Joe's, Rishi, and Tazo — to see how they compare when prepared hot and iced.

Here's how they stacked up and which made my favorite chai drinks.

The Good & Gather chai concentrate had a convenient container and was a great deal.

Good & Gather is the generic store brand from TargetPaige Bennett

Prepared hot, the Good & Gather chai was very sweet.

The hot chai tasted watered down to me.Paige Bennett

With ice, the Good & Gather concentrate lost most of its flavor.

The Good & Gather iced chai was lackluster.Paige Bennett

The Oregon Chai concentrate looked promising, as the label noted an "authentic Himalayan chai taste."

This was my first time trying the Oregon Chai brand.Paige Bennett

The hot version of Oregon Chai had an earthy smell and sweet flavor.

This concentrate created a lighter color of chai compared to the other brands.Paige Bennett

When added to a glass of ice, the Oregon Chai was refreshing but lackluster.

The iced Oregon Chai latte lacked spice.Paige Bennett

Trader Joe's offered the cheapest concentrate it was also the smallest.

The Trader Joe's chai concentrate came in the smallest container out of all the brands.Paige Bennett

Combined with hot milk, the Trader Joe's chai had very strong spice flavors.

The Trader Joe's chai concentrate had a really dark color.Paige Bennett

With ice, Trader Joe's chai was one of my favorite concentrates.

Adding ice helped balance out the spice of Trader Joe's chai concentrate.Paige Bennett

Rishi's masala chai was one of the most expensive options.

I loved how pretty Rishi's container was.Paige Bennett

Although Rishi's chai was really sweet, I liked that it had more spice than the other brands.

The warm Rishi latte smelled heavily of cinnamon.Paige Bennett

When I poured the Rishi concentrate over ice, I noticed some gritty bits that weren't very pleasant.

I found small pieces of spice floating in the drink.Paige Bennett

I've enjoyed Tazo's chai in the past, but it was a more expensive option.

I used the same one-to-one ratio to make the Tazo chai lattes.Paige Bennett

The hot version of Tazo's chai was a perfect blend of sweet and spicy.

The warm latte had a creamy consistency.Paige Bennett

I loved the iced version of Tazo's concentrate, but it wasn't my top pick.

The iced Tazo chai latte lost some of its flavor after it was mixed.Paige Bennett

Tazo's concentrate was my favorite hot latte, and Trader Joe's took the top spot when prepared over ice.

I would purchase all of these concentrates again.Paige Bennett

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