Below is a list of frequently asked questions. If you are unable to find the answer to your question here, please email us at contact@kokomotea.com or give us a call at 813.866.3320.

About Tea

Where does Kokomo Tea get their teas from?

Before opening, Kokomo Tea’s staff scoured the world in pursuit of the finest and freshest high quality loose leaf teas available. All of our pure teas can be traced to their origin and growing season. Our tea blends, however, are slightly different, although of the same high quality as our pure teas. Some of our simple tea blends are purchases directly from the source, while others have been meticulously selected from the finest tea blenders in the entire world.  We continually taste hundreds of teas to bring you only the best.

How does Kokomo Tea select their teas?

After receiving hundreds of samples from our suppliers, Kokomo Tea’s dedicated cupping staff uses “The Sensory Selected Process” to determine which teas are up to par and are worthy of being sold. For detailed information on this method please visit our “The Sensory Selected Process” section under Our Story.

How is the tea packaged?

All of our loose leaf teas are packaged in lined airtight rice paper bags, unless noted otherwise.

What is the best way to store and steep tea?

The most effective way to preserve the freshness of your tea is to store it in a cool, dry place in an airtight container that blocks the tea from light. Steeping the perfect cup of tea is a personal preference dependent upon your personal tastes and liking. We provide general guidelines for steeping times and temperatures but encourage you to experiment with these steeping recommendations to find what works best for you. For more information on storage and steeping, please visit the Storage, Steeping & Water of our website.

What is the shelf life of tea?

Depending upon the type of tea you are storing, any quality tea which is stored and preserved the correct way can last up to 2-3 years. Kokomo Tea however, will never sell you anything that old, unless the tea is a truly exceptional vintage tea or a Pu 'erh. Each year we pride ourselves on finding and selling you the finest and freshest teas produced. This means every spring, summer and autumn we will update our inventory accordingly to reflect the year’s finest teas, thus, making all of our pure teas limited editions.

Where can I learn more about tea?

Learning about tea for the first time can be overwhelming and we understand there is a lot to learn and take in, that’s why we created the Tea Culture and Tea & Your Health sections of our website. Whether you’re looking for an in-depth explanation on how loose leaf tea is processed or you simply want to skim over some of the health benefits of tea please visit our Tea Culture and Tea & Your Healh sections to answer all of your questions.

If after reading through the Tea Culture section, you have more question, please feel free to email us at contact@kokomota.com. We’ll be more than happy to answer any questions you may have.

What do you recommend for someone new to tea?

We recommend that you visit our Tea Culture secion to introduce yourself to the world of tea. There we have everything you might want to know about tea from the history of tea to the basics of storage and steeping and the importance of water. If you’re in a hurry and want to jump right into selecting some tea, we suggest going to our Tea Finder database to locate a tea based upon your personal preferences.

How much caffeine is in tea?

All tea has caffeine in it, no matter how minute the amount may be. Many factors can alter the amount of caffeine in your cup of tea. The first is what type of tea you use. The more processed and oxidized the leaf is, the higher the caffeine content. In general, black tea typically has the most caffeine and white tea has the least. Water temperature and steeping time can also effect the amount of caffeine released into your cup of tea. To release more caffeine, simply steep your tea at a higher temperature and for a longer amount of time. For less caffeine, use a lower temperature and a shorter amount of time.

Do you have caffeine free tea?

We do not sell any decaffeinated tea due to the chemicals used to strip the caffeine from tea. Some of our tisanes like Rooibos, however, do not possess caffeine. To read more about decaffeinated tea and a natural decaffeination process, please click here.

Do you have sugar free tea?

Tea is naturally a sugar free beverage. There are no additives in any of our pure loose leaf teas as they are manufactured the same way tea has been for thousands of years. Some of our tea blends and tisanes, however, contain minute amounts of sugar due to the addition of dried fruits and sugary bits such as chocolate flecks or caramel bits.

Can I get samples of tea?

At the moment, we do not offer small tea samples.  However, our minimum order is only 2oz of any tea or tisane which yields about 25, 8oz cups of tea.  We think this is the perfect amount of tea to really figure out if you like it or not.  This gives you enough to play around with steepig times and tempatures to get the perfect cup of tea. 

Ordering/Shipping Tea

How do I place an order?

Simply browse through our website and view our teas. When you've found something you like add the item to your shopping cart. When you're ready to checkout, view your shopping cart and begin the checkout process.

Do I have to order online?

If you are uncomfortable using your credit card online, we are more than happy to take your order over the phone. We are available M-F 9am-5pm EST and can be reached at (813) 866 – 3320. We are closed weekends and all major holidays.

Is there a sales tax?

There is no sales tax except for residents of Florida. A rate of 7.5% will be applied towards tangible goods (i.e. tea ware and gift baskets) for Florida residents. Tea, however, is not a tangible good and will not be taxed.

What payment methods do you accept?

We accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express and Debit Cards.

Who will see my credit card number when I submit it?

Once you place an order online a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) will encrypt and transfer your information to our secure database server. From there only members of our staff responsible for processing orders will view your credit card information, however, your credit card number can not be seen.

What is your Shipping Policy?

To view our Shipping Policy, please click here.

Do you ship to Alaska/Hawaii?

We do ship to Alaska and Hawaii, however, shipping to these locations does cost slightly more.

Do you ship International?

Currently, we do not ship to international addresses.

Can I send a gift to another address?

Upon checkout, you have the option of shipping the items in your order to a separate address.

How do you ship orders?

We use USPS Priority MAil to send orders unless otherwise specified by the buyer. Once shipped, Kokomo will send you and email confirming shipment with a shipping tracking number.

How much does shipping cost?

All orders over $50 qualify for free USPS Priority Mail shipping. If another shipping method is required the customer will pay for the appropriate shipping charges. Orders under $50 will be charged the appropriate rate for USPS Priority Mail shipping unless otherwise specified by the buyer.

Customer Service

Where is your contact information?

All of our information is located on our Contact Us page. We are available M-F 9am-5pm EST and are closed on weekends and all major holidays. We can be contacted at (813) 866 3320 or at contact@kokomotea.com.

What is your return/exchange policy?

To view our return/exchange policy please click here.

What is your security/privacy policy?

To view our security/privacy policy please click here.

Is your site secure?

We use a 256-bit Secure Socket Layer to process all of your data. We have also used the trusted payment gateway leader Authorize.net to process your credit information. You can rest assure that your information is safe with Kokomo Tea.

Do you have an actual retail "store" somewhere?

Currently, we do not have a brick-and-mortar retail store. We do, however, have plans to open one in the near future.

Do you have a wholesale or corporate catalog available?

Currently, we do not offer wholesale sales or a corporate catalog. If you are interested in a corporate gift package or having your office supplied with Kokomo Tea’s premium loose leaf teas please call us at (813) 866 3320 or email us at contact@kokomotea.com to discuss your options.