A tea chest is a type of wooden case originally produced and used to ship tea to the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. The conventional tea chest is a case with riveted metal edges, of approximate size 500 by 500 by 750 millimetres (20 by 20 by 30 in).
Modern tea chests (2023) are made of plywood with metal corners and lined with aluminium foil and parchment paper to provide aroma-proof packaging. They are generally shipped in shipping containers, so modern tea chests are commonly dimensioned to fit in standard shipping containers.[1]
The term is now used widely to indicate similarly sized cases, including corrugated boxes, produced for various home and commercial uses.
Wooden tea caddies are also occasionally referred to as "tea chests".
A tea chest holds 42 to 58 kilograms of tea;[2] the size depends on the origin and client. Sizes vary from 400×400×620 to 500×500×750 mm.
- ^ "German Insurance Association: Transportation information Service: Tea". Retrieved 8 February 2023.
- ^ The Economist, (UK Magazine) (1994). Desk Companion. London: Penguin. p. 31. ISBN 0-241-00265-6.