Skip to content
  • Blog
    • Learn
    • Sip
    • Connect
    • Travel
  • Beginner’s Guide to Tea
  • Matcha
  • Puerh
  • Tea in NYC
  • Book
  • About Me
  • Blog
    • Learn
    • Sip
    • Connect
    • Travel
  • Beginner’s Guide to Tea
  • Matcha
  • custom-logo
  • Puerh
  • Tea in NYC
  • Book
  • About Me
Learn

My Home Puerh Storage Setup

February 8, 2021February 10, 2021 2 comments
My Home Puerh Storage Setup

This post contains affiliate links. I may earn a commission for purchases made through these links at no additional cost to you. You can find my privacy policy here.

Recently I’ve gotten a lot of questions about home puerh storage. I was a bit hesitant to write about it because this can be a contentious topic. Let me start this post by saying that I am in no way an expert on puerh storage. This set up is just what works for me and my tea. TeaDB has written a lot of really great articles if you’d like to dig deeper.

I never really gave much thought to puerh storage until fairly recently in my tea journey. That is partly due to the large amount of tea I have and because I live in New Jersey, where the weather isn’t super extreme. One winter, we had a mouse who decided to move in with us and nibble his way into a big bag of lovely white tea. I had no choice but to throw it all out since it was likely to be contaminated. Only I would have a mouse who likes tea!

The mouse incident got me started researching and reading blogs from all of the puerh heads that I know. Some people have really intense setups that could run the risk of mold if something were to go wrong. I personally don’t enjoy the taste of traditionally stored tea, so I knew that I didn’t want anything crazy. The main goal was simply to protect and maintain the puerh that I had collected over the years.

My Puerh Storage Goals

  • Protect from excess heat or moisture
  • Maintain some moisture to help the cakes age
  • Protect from non-tea aromas
  • Protect from pests

What My Setup Looks Like

I was super happy to find that my parents still had my old mini fridge from college. Many people use these (not plugged in!) because the seal on the door helps keep moisture inside. It had somehow survived being used by both my brother and me without any weird odors. I gave it a thorough cleaning and then aired it out for about a week before putting in the tea.

Some tea friends recommended adding some moisture to the setup, so I purchased Boveda Packs. These are often used for cigar storage and offer the advantage of not having actual liquid near the tea. Some people recharge them periodically, but they are fairly inexpensive. I will most likely just order more when the time comes.

Along with adding moisture, it is important to watch the humidity levels to avoid mold. I purchased some inexpensive hygrometers on Amazon, and the batteries are still going strong a few years later. My pumidor stays pretty consistently close to 60% relative humidity. If I open the door, it dips down but will usually go back up again without me having to do anything.

My Home Puerh Storage Setup
A peak inside of my homemade pumidor

Is It Worth It?

I was skeptical at first because my tea tasted just fine before. That being said, I have definitely noticed a difference in the teas that I know really well. They’re much more aromatic than they had been in my previous Ziploc baggie in a drawer system. Sheng puerh will continue to age over time, and the stable humidity level definitely seems to be helping that process.

Whether or not it is worth setting up a special puerh storage in your home will be different for each person. If you drink a decent amount of puerh, it is definitely worthwhile to try a simple setup like this to see if you would enjoy the results. You can always upgrade down the line if your collection starts to outgrow it.

What does your home puerh storage look like? Tell me about it in the comments below!

Puerh Storage
I love decorating my pumidor with stickers from some of my favorite tea companies
GuidePuerhTea
About Nicole Wilson

About Nicole Wilson

Nicole Wilson is a tea writer and educator who has been sharing her love of the leaf online for more than a decade. Her website, TeaforMePlease.com, is the longest continuously running tea blog written by a female author. In 2018, she won the World Tea Award for Best Tea Blog. Every week you can expect to see reviews of specialty teas and related products, informative articles, reports on important events, and more.

Related Posts

20 of the Best Quotes About Tea
20 of the Best Quotes About Tea
All About the Tea Importation Act of 1897
All About the Tea Importation Act of 1897
4 Reasons Why Your Green Tea Tastes Bad and How to Fix It
4 Reasons Why Your Green Tea Tastes Bad and How to Fix It
7 of the Best Non-Fiction Books for Tea Lovers
7 of the Best Non-Fiction Books for Tea Lovers

Post navigation

Being Tea Teacher Training – Module 5
The Life of Tea: A Journey to the World’s Finest Teas by Michael Freeman & Timothy d’Offay

2 comments

  1. Marc says:
    March 20, 2021 at 4:28 pm

    Curious to know what method you use to keep track of your pu cakes,
    since the wrappers and neifei are always in Chinese, unless of course
    you read Chinese. I’ve been using post-it notes with descriptions in
    English for lack of a better way.

    Reply
    1. Nicole - Tea for Me Please says:
      March 20, 2021 at 5:35 pm

      There are so many western facing vendors now that this isn’t much of a problem anymore. I try to label any teas that don’t have English on the wrappers when they arrive. That way it’s easy to reference where it came from and how old it is.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Hey, there!

Hey, there!

Nicole Wilson. Tea Writer and Educator
Do you love to drink tea, but wish you knew more about it? I'm here to help! The world of specialty tea is massive so it can be a lot to take in. On this blog, you'll find over 1,000 articles and tea reviews to start your journey. I'm always happy to answer any questions you might have!

Help Support This Site

patreon

Get access to exclusive behind-the-scenes content, my private Discord server, surprise quarterly packages, and more!

My New Book!

My New Book!

Subscribe!

Subscribe to my weekly newsletter for the latest blog posts, tea news, and more!

Categories

  • Connect
  • Learn
  • Sip
  • Sponsored
  • Testimonials
  • Travel

Archives

Instagram

Amazon Rec’s

Amazon Recommendations
  • Blog
    • Learn
    • Sip
    • Connect
    • Travel
  • Beginner’s Guide to Tea
  • Matcha
  • Puerh
  • Tea in NYC
  • Book
  • About Me
Copyright © 2023 | All Rights Reserved | Designed by Little Theme Shop