Cherry Bark Tea Canister

I gave this very attractive canister an average rating due to the amount of work needed to (somewhat) overcome the very strong, and very unpleasant lacquer smell.

First of all, due to reading the reviews I was aware of the risk of buying, potentially, what might end up as a pencil holder. An expensive pencil holder. But I decided that even if that was the case, it would look very nice on my desk. That said, I was able to use this canister for its true purpose--holding tea. But only after a lot of patience.

The con I gave, "work-involved," is a bit of a misnomer but I couldn't find the words to describe it in a tag. What I mean is, as soon as I got it, I opened it up, got a damp cloth, and wiped down the tin inside and out, dried it, and let it sit open for three days. After that time, the smell seemed to be gone, so I closed it up and let it sit another day. The smell came back. So I got another wet cloth and did another wipe down.

After letting it dry, I felt brave enough to put a couple scoops of tea in there to see if it would absorb the smell.

Another day of waiting, and the lacquer smell seemed to be gone, and I tried my tea (lapsang souchong, by the way.) It tasted as it should--no weird artificial, chemical funk, no burning in the mouth like another unfortunate reviewer. All seemed well, so I dumped the rest of my lapsang inside.

The smell came back after a couple days.

Now, despite the fact that the smell was back in the canister, I scooped out some leaves and smelled them on their own. That lacquer smell was missing, strangely. So I brewed a mug and it tasted fine.

Am I able to use the canister for tea? It seems so, yes. At least for now. Does it have an unpleasant smell? Unfortunately, yes, the container itself does, but so far it hasn't ruined my tea.

I can't say that I'd recommend this product, simply because you may or may not be able to use it properly, and it may or may not ruin your tea. While attractive and of convenient design... I don't approve of the lacquer or wood glue, or whatever it is that is blasting me in the face with odor when I open it.

This one's a hit or miss, so be aware when purchasing.

This canister is very pretty and natural looking. I bought it thinking it would be a nice addition for my collection. When I opened the lid, a very "chemical" smell hit me. It smelled like lacquer/paint. I aired out the canister for a few days, and then put the lid on again for an overnight trial. (I was afraid to put my tea in quite yet...)When I took the lid off the next morning, the smell was back. I would not put a food item in this container.

I love this canister to put my tea in! It keeps is nice and fresh and looks nice on my shelf.

This canister is beautiful and seems to have a nice, tight seal. However, when I bought it I noticed a very potent, unpleasant smell that seemed to be a combination of the cherry bark and maybe some sort of lacquer. I hand washed the canister and left it out for days until the lacquer smell was not noticeable and began storing a tea in it (one I had tried before and enjoyed.)

When I went to brew a cup of the tea days later, there were hints of the smell. I took a sip of the tea, which tasted disgusting and left a burning sensation in my mouth even after spitting it out.

Not only did this canister ruin a batch of tea, but I am also now left with a useless canister that I am afraid to use for its supposed purpose!

I love cherry wood and have over 20 of these cherry wood containers. I store all of my teas in them. I wish they had various sizes so that I can store more of each tea.

This Cherry Bark Tea Canister is absolutely beautiful! I'm sure I'd get many bows if I gave this as a gift! It's very convienient, great capacity..it stores about 3oz. tea leaves maybe more & it's slight bark aroma is just marvelous! I truly am in love & very happy with this canister.

I had this on my Wish List for a future purchase. HOWEVER, when I saw they were on sale for half price I couldn't resist. I bought two, and when they arrived I was so impressed by them that I just ordered two more!! I love that they are made of cherry wood, and are even more gorgeous in person. They are very well constructed, the inside lid is a perfect fit and the outside top has a tight seal. I know my tea will be well protected from light and air. In short...I'm VERY pleased! Thanks Teavana for offering these at 50% off. :-)

I bought this just for my Black Dragon Pearls black tea. Perfect container for a perfect tea!
Yay!!! Expensive but worth every penny. I will buy this thing again when I find another tea that's worthy of this container.

Great for storing tea, keeps it fresh and seals in the aroma. Would recommend using for only one type of tea. Well constructed and durable, it does not look or feel cheap at all.

This tea canister is very well made and is attractive to boot. Has a nice weight to it, like you would expect of a wood item. I like the feature of the inner lid that ensures a seal to keep the tea fresh.