12 Best Bubble Tea Kits to Up Your Boba Game
This detailed guide will share the best bubble tea kits online today! This way you can start making delicious boba at home using different boba kits and save a sh*t ton of money while you're at it...
Searching for the best boba tea kits online can be a tedious task... Where do you buy it from? Which brand should you try first? What flavor should you get?
All of these questions are valid and could give you purchase paralysis. Then you end up going to your neighborhood boba shop to pay an arm and a leg for your favorite boba drink...
That's why we put this guide together, to help you make a decision and finally jump on the "making boba at home" bandwagon!
So keep reading to learn our top picks and most importantly what to look for when buying these boba kits.
What are the Best Bubble Tea Kits?
A boba tea kit is a great way to make this refreshing drink at home. Most of the ingredients are prepared for you, so all you have to do is put them together and enjoy them.
Check out our overviews below then scroll down or click on "Read More" to jump down to the in-depth reviews:
- 10-minute preparation
- Delicious & chewy tapioca pearls
- 10+ flavors to choose from
- Sustainable & environmentally friendly
- 3-minute preparation
- Great classic and taro milk tea flavors
- Includes re-usable cup and straw
- 3 types of loose-leaf tea
- All ingredients are vegan
- Includes boba recipe cards
- Comes in 4 delicious and instant flavors
- Total of 10 drinks
- Individually packed so you can carry it anywhere
- Great value: it makes 60+ drinks
- Includes 6 flavors - something for all tastes
- Includes straws and a shaker
- 56+ drinks with 40 straws and 2 bags of boba pearls
- Premium loose leaf tea
- 7 different flavors
- Signature jumbo size golden bubbles
- Perfect for gifting
- Organic beet powder
- Stainless steel straws with silicone tips
- 3 bags of boba pearls
- Quick & delicious tapioca balls
- 100% pure ingredients sourced from Taiwan
- Each drink is only 90 calories
- Australia & New Zealand deliveries only
- Low fat, low carb and no added sugar
- Lactose-free & 100% pure whey protein isolate
- Comes in 2 popular flavors
- 18 servings in one package
- Individually packed so you can easily take it anywhere
- Made in Taiwan
- Comes in 2 popular flavors
- Comes with 2 loose leaf teas
- Reusable stainless steel straws
Now stick around so you can learn more about each product we mentioned and what you should look for when you're shopping for one!
1. ReTea Bubble Tea Kit with Reusable Cup
Best Overall
Our top choice of all time goes to the ReTea Bubble Tea Kit Brown Sugar Milk Tea flavor, click here to read our detailed review!
Why did we choose this boba kit as our best on the list? Here are a few reasons:
First and foremost, it tastes absolutely delicious! The flavor that we chose was the Brown Sugar Milk Tea flavor and it tastes exactly like what you would buy from a boba shop. Plus you can choose from 10+ other flavors!
Secondly, it is super easy to make, with just 4 steps in less than 10 minutes. They claim that it takes 5 minutes to make, but we tested it out and think that 10 min is a more reasonable estimate...
Thirdly, the simple and quick process does not compromise the flavor and most importantly the texture of the boba pearls. This is important because the pearls are the most important part of the drink, at least for me.
So I was pleasantly surprised at how tasty the boba pearls were!
Finally, it is a great value for the price, especially since you will be getting a reusable boba cup and the next time you order, all you need are the ingredients.
What's involved in making this Bubble Tea Kit?
This boba kit offers the best balance between efficiency and taste because it doesn't compromise the flavor or texture of the tapioca pearls while taking less than 10 minutes to make it.
The process is fairly simple and straightforward. You first start by steeping your tea for about 10 minutes. While the tea is steeping, you boil the boba pearls for about 2-3 minutes, then let them soak in brown sugar for another 5 minutes.
Then you assemble your drink by drizzling the brown sugar syrup in your cup, add the boba pearls, followed by milk, ice, and black tea.
And voilà, an at home bubble tea drink that rivals the best boba shops in town!
What's included in this boba tea kit?
This boba kit comes with a 23.7oz (700 mL) reusable boba cup, a metal straw, and a small cleaning brush for the straw.
The kit comes with enough ingredients to make 5 boba drinks. The ingredients are tapioca pearls, dark brown sugar, brown sugar syrup, and Assam black tea bags.
Plus there's a recipe card that you can follow to make sure the drink comes out perfect. But you don't really need it since it's so friggin' simple to make... Really!
2. Starter Bundle DIY Boba Tea Kit by Pearly
Runner Up
The Starter Bundle by Pearly stands out due to its super-speedy preparation (convenience, anyone?), and its completeness. This bubble tea kit features the milk tea flavor and taro milk tea flavor, which are all-time favorites amongst bubble tea heads!
Although there are many bubble tea kits out there, some require you to get additional ingredients or a significant amount of time to boil the tapioca pearls, to the extent that you end up going to your nearest boba store while your kit gathers dust at home.
Which defeats the purpose of buying a boba tea kit online...
What's involved?
This is definitely not the case with the Pearly Starter Bundle. Making bubble tea has never been this easy. We've tested this kit and indeed it takes less than 3 minutes to prepare, plus all the necessary ingredients come right out of the box (well, except the water and ice).
All you need to do is mix the powder of your choice with some hot water, add ice, microwave the tapioca pearls for 20-30 seconds, and then add them to your drink.
I was pleasantly surprised with the flavor. The end result is delicious and is quite similar to most bubble tea stores!
What's Included?
We also like that this bubble tea kit includes a reusable cup and straw. This is always a plus in our books because let's face it, all those single-use plastic cups and straws from the bubble tea industry are harming the environment. We like to see companies that care about the environment.
This kit includes a total of 12 preparations (6 classic milk tea and 6 taro milk tea), plus a reusable cup and straw, making it one of the most cost-effective bubble tea kits on the market.
Starter Bundle Boba Kit by Pearly
Make sure you check out the other products on their site! You can get for example the taro bubble tea kit by itself or if you want to splurge, their Big Boba Bundle that comes with absolutely everything you need!
3. Premium DIY Bubble Tea Kit - "Daily Joy" by Locca
Best Loose Leaf
This premium bubble tea kit by Locca comes with premium ingredients to ensure you get the freshest and tastiest boba tea from the comfort of your home.
We have selected this kit because it comes with real ingredients - no powders included here.
What's Included in this Boba Kit?
This is also one of the most complete DIY bubble tea kits. With this kit, you will get premium grade matcha, jasmine tea, and earl grey lavender black tea. These are vacuum sealed to ensure you get the freshest possible tea.
You will also get about 400 grams (14 oz) of tapioca pearls and 8 boba straws. Detailed instructions with clear steps on how to make your boba treat complete this kit.
What's Involved in Making this Boba Tea Kit?
With this boba tea kit, you will be able to prepare Instagramable bubble tea classics such as Jasmine, Matcha, and Earl Grey Lavender milk teas.
Just note that since this kit does not include any powders, you will need to complete it with a homemade or store-bought sweetener and milk of your choice.
And keep in mind that the tapioca pearls need to be boiled for about 35 minutes and need to soak in the sweetener for another 35 minutes. This takes some time, but it is quite easy to make and you know you are getting freshly made boba pearls each time!
Keep in mind that once the boba pearls are made, you can store them in the fridge for a few days.
Premium DIY Bubble Tea Kit - "Daily Joy" by Locca
4. J Way Instant Variety Bubble Tea Kit
Best Variety Pack
This bubble tea kit from J Way Foods is the best variety pack option, and it comes with 4 different instant flavors to try out at home.
The box is quite colorful and could make for another cute gift for boba lovers!
What's Included?
The flavors consist of 4 packets of classic milk tea, 2 packets of creme brulee, 2 packets of taro milk tea, and 2 packets of passionfruit pineapple green tea, totaling 10 drinks per bubble tea kit.
This bubble tea kit also comes with 10 paper straws, but unfortunately, it doesn't come with any reusable cups.
What's Involved?
Similar to the previously mentioned J Way Boba kit, this one can be prepared in only a couple of minutes and the boba pearls are flavored with brown sugar.
5. Buddha Boba Ultimate DIY Bubble Tea Kit
Best Value
With this boba kit, you will be drinking milk tea for months. There is enough to make 60 or more drinks.
You can make 10 drinks out of each flavor and top it off with mini boba pearls.
What's Included in this Boba Kit?
The bubble tea kit has 6 flavors, boba pearls, reusable boba cups, reusable straws, and a shaker, all coming in funky blue packaging with bright colors and multi-colored bubbles.
The 6 flavors are taro, honeydew melon, green tea latte, milk tea, Thai tea, and spiced chai tea latte.
The cups come with dome lids, so you can take them with you to work. The straws are bright, almost fluorescent colors. The shaker looks like a cocktail shaker and would be perfect for having friends and family over for a boba party.
What's Involved in this Boba Making Kit?
This boba making kit is all powders, so that drink itself is pretty easy and quick to make. The tapioca pearls are not pre-cooked, so you would need to boil them, but only for about 5-7 minutes.
However, you will need to soak the pearls in a homemade or store-bought sweetener for about half an hour, the longer the better. Otherwise, they won't have any flavor and flavorless boba pearls are just yuck...
6. Ultimate DIY Bubble Tea Kit by Locca
Best Vegan
This is another bubble tea kit from Locca tea. The boba is vegan and gluten-free, so everyone can enjoy this boba kit.
One of this kit's highlights is the use of premium loose leaf tea!
What's Included?
It contains 7 loose leaf tea flavors, boba pearls, straws, and recipe cards.
With 7 flavors of tea, you can really experiment and have fun with this set. The flavors are jasmine milk tea, black, Thai, organic matcha, organic earl grey lavender, organic hibiscus rosehips, and organic peach Oolong tea.
Unfortunately, it doesn't come with reusable cups, but it does have environmentally friendly packaging.
What's Involved?
Similar to the previously mentioned Locca bubble tea kit, the Daily Joy, this boba kit involves making everything from scratch for a more authentic boba making experience. From steeping your loose leaf tea, to boiling boba pearls and soaking them in syrup.
Again, this kit is ideal for those who enjoy the process and don't mind that it takes some time to get done. Keep in mind that once the boba pearls are made, you can store them in the fridge for a few days.
Ultimate DIY Bubble Tea Kit by Locca
7. Bar Pa Tea Premium Matcha Bubble Tea Kit
Best Gift Idea
This milk tea kit makes the perfect gift for any boba lover or even for someone who’s never tried it because every cup you make just looks so pretty!
While this kit is a little expensive compared to other bubble tea kits, you get quite of bit of reusable items, so you only need to restock on tea and boba pearls.
What's Included in it?
The boba kits come with everything you need to enjoy authentic bubble tea at home: matcha green tea powder, jasmine green tea, golden bubbles, reusable straws, a bamboo whisk, a cleaning brush, a travel bag, and organic beet powder.
You can make either matcha latte milk tea or pink matcha with beet powder.
Green tea is full of health benefits including lots of antioxidants and when mixed with jasmine it has a gentle and fragrant taste.
What also makes this kit super special is its golden bubbles, which are their signature jumbo size, giving you lots to chew on.
What's involved in making it?
Similar to the Locca Boba Kits, this tea kit requires steeping the tea and boiling and soaking the tapioca pearls. So it will take about an hour for the pearls to be ready, but once they are done, you can store them in the fridge for a few days.
8. WuFuYuan Boba Tapioca Pearl Bubble Tea DIY Kit
Best Tapioca Pearls
This bubble tea kit doesn't have milk tea flavors, it just has boba pearls. So it is ideal for those who already have their own tea leaves and/or flavored powders. It is fairly simple and quick to make and it has one of the best tapioca pearls.
What's Included in this Bubble Tea Set?
This tea kit comes with 3 bags of WuFuYuan boba pearls, 3 reusable stainless steel straws with silicone tips, a cleaning brush, and a canvas carrying bag.
The reusable straws are great and the silicone tips mean you won’t hit your teeth against the steel. They’re also dishwasher safe, saving you time on washing them.
What's Involved in Making this Boba Tea Kit?
You will have to cook the boba yourself, but this will take just 5 minutes. Use 10 cups of boiling water for 1 cup of pearls. When the pearls float to the top of the pot, cover them and cook for 4 minutes. Turn off the heat and simmer until they are the right chewy consistency.
You can add flavors to the tapioca pearls after cooking, such as sugar or honey.
9. Bubble Tea Club Brown Sugar Matcha Milk Tea
Best Matcha
This kit comes in either a 10 servings pack, 20 servings, or 40 servings. The kit uses 100% pure ingredients sourced from Taiwan, home of bubble tea, making sure you get the best flavor right at home.
Each drink has just 90 calories, making it a good choice if you want the loveliness of milk tea without feeling guilty.
This bubble tea kit is perfect for our friends down under since it is an Australian-based company that only delivers in Australia and New Zealand.
What's Included in this Boba Kit?
Each kit contains specific servings of brown sugar syrup, matcha powder, tapioca pearls, and paper straws.
The paper straws mean you can only use them once, so once you’ve finished all your servings then you have to buy everything you need to make this bubble tea kit again.
The bubble tea kit contains matcha and brown sugar classic milk tea.
What's Involved in Making these Boba Tea Kits?
The tapioca pearls are not cooked, and according to their instructions, it takes about 30 minutes to cook and soak them before you can enjoy them. And of course, the matcha is pretty straightforward to make!
10. Boba Fit Milk Tea Protein Kit
Healthiest Kit
It is low carb, low fat, with no added sugar, or artificial additives, and it is lactose-free (which is perfect for some of us - IYKYK)...
They use 100% pure whey protein isolate, which is ideal for anyone who is trying to increase their protein intake while enjoying a delicious cup of bubble tea after working out!
What's Included in it?
This bubble tea kit is great if you have specific dietary requirements and if you already have the rest of the stuff you need from previous bubble tea kits because unfortunately, this boba tea kit only comes with the flavors.
It does not come with any reusable cups, straws, or tapioca pearls...
What's Involved?
If you already have the boba pearls or if you're not planning to have them in your drink, then making this is pretty quick. Just add 1 scoop to your favorite drink, then mix and enjoy!
11. J Way Instant Boba Bubble Pearl Kit
Best Instant
There are 18 servings in this boba kit that’s made in Taiwan for an authentic milk tea experience at home.
While the straws are paper, so you can only use them once, this kit is perfect for taking anywhere because everything is individually packaged, and it takes under one minute to make.
What's Included in these Boba Kits?
Each of these bubble tea kits contains 18 classic boba milk tea packets, 18 straws, and 18 individual portions of boba.
What's Involved in Making these Boba Kits?
Simply place the packet of boba in the microwave for 20 seconds, add hot water to the milk tea powder, add ice, then place your boba in the cup.
It’s so easy to make this for beginners or for those on the go.
12. BobaGreen DIY Bubble Tea Kit
Best Classic Milk Tea
This Boba Kit comes with 2 flavors that are amongst the best boba tea flavors: classic milk tea, and taro milk tea.
Taro is a root vegetable similar to yam, it makes a thick-ish consistency of tea and is a little sweet. It creates a lilac color and makes for a great Instagram shot.
It comes in cute packaging with black and green spots, and you can choose from stainless steel straws or borosilicate glass.
What's Included in this Boba Kit?
This boba tea kit contains boba (tapioca pearls), loose leaf Earl Grey black tea, loose leaf Jasmine green tea, premium taro powder, 2 reusable boba straws, a recipe, and an information booklet.
What's Involved in Making this Boba Kit?
This boba tea kit requires a bit of preparation before you can enjoy it, which makes it perfect for those who enjoy the process of making bubble tea at home.
Making this boba kit requires steeping the tea as well as boiling and soaking the boba pearls. Plus you can keep the cooked boba pearls in the fridge for a few days.
What is Boba Tea?
Boba tea, also known as bubble tea or bubble milk tea, originated in Taiwan in the 1980s. It is tea with boba pearls and can be either hot or cold. Boba pearls come in several types but the most popular are tapioca pearls.
Milk tea is a refreshing drink that can be made with any flavor you can think of. The tapioca balls or other pearls lie at the bottom. When you bite into the chewy pearls, they give another flavor and texture, enhancing your bubble tea.
It is made with boba pearls, milk, tea, sugar, and possibly flavorings.
Why Purchase Reusable Bubble Tea Kits?
Maybe you don’t live anywhere near a bubble tea shop or want to save money (those amazing pairs of shoes aren’t going to buy themselves). Not only are you saving money by making your own boba tea at home, but you can even bring these bubble tea kits to some stores.
Or maybe you are trying to be more eco-friendly. The amount of plastic waste from boba shops is scary. Just using a reusable cup or straw every time you enjoy boba tea instead of using disposable products, could save a massive amount of waste.
Plus you can save your unused products in a cute boba mini fridge!
Considerations When Ordering Your Bubble Tea Kits
Reusable Parts
The issue of waste in the bubble tea industry has become increasingly controversial with a #Thirsty4Change campaign created by LaSalle College of the Arts and the Lien Centre for Social Innovation, to encourage sustainability in the bubble tea industry.
While it can be better for your wallet to get cheaper bubble tea kits that have disposable parts, it does not mean you throw these away after just one use. Every little helps in preventing harmful carbon emissions and plastic waste.
It can save you money in the long-term to buy reusable products as the more you use it, the more value for money it is, and the less waste you are creating.
If you still want to enjoy bubble tea without killing sea animals, then reusable kits are a better option.
Quality of Ingredients
If you are looking for a bubble tea that tastes just like you’d get from a café, then you might be happy to pay a bit extra for good quality ingredients.
Powders are generally not as good as loose tea. Powders can be a mix of things including milk which decreases the quality of the tea. If you are lactose intolerant, then you will want to avoid this so you can choose your own dairy-free milk. However, powders are highly convenient and some bubble tea shops use them anyway.
Using loose tea gives a stronger flavor and you get the most health benefits too, as the more cut up the leaves (like ground powder), the more the oils in the leaves are damaged which contain the health benefits.
Convenience
Some kits will contain everything you need to make a bubble tea while some will only contain the pearls or only some of the items. If you are a beginner and want everything included to try it at home, then a kit with everything you need is better.
If you are a regular bubble tea drinker, then you may already have your own tea that you prefer and some of the kits that include only the tapioca pearls might suit you best.
You may always want to consider how long you want to prepare your boba tea. Some of the pearls require cooking, some five minutes, some up to half an hour.
Price
If you haven’t had bubble tea before and aren’t sure if you’re going to like it, then one of the cheaper kits may be better.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is boba tea healthy?
Tea is full of health benefits and boba tea can give you a boost of energy, but it’s not particularly healthy.
According to the USDA, 8 ounces of boba tea contains 120 calories, 1.5 grams of fat, 28 grams of carbohydrates, 28 grams of sugar (1).
You can make your boba tea healthier by choosing different options. For example, choosing crystal boba instead of tapioca as it has far fewer calories.
Is boba tea halal?
Boba tea will more than likely be halal even if it is not certified. Always check with the shop or packaging when purchasing it.
The only exception could be to avoid the jellies as a topping because this could contain gelatin.
It isn’t typical for the boba balls to be made from gelatin even though they can have that type of chewy consistency.
What boba tea flavors are there?
How long is a piece of string? Each shop will have a different selection, but you can choose from a wide range of teas such as black, jasmine, and matcha, or a range of fruit bases such as watermelon, honeydew, or taro.
What boba tea doesn’t have caffeine?
Any of the fruit-based drinks or fruit teas will not contain caffeine. Fruit teas are not actually teas but fruit infusions.
All of the tea bases will have varying degrees of caffeine.
Can you get boba tea without tapioca pearls?
Bubble tea is known as such because of the tapioca pearls in the drink, however, you can order boba tea without any boba pearls.
The drink itself is delicious without the boba with a selection of refreshing flavors and other toppings, such as cheese foam.
Another alternative is crystal boba pearls made of Konjaku or popping boba made using spherification and fruit juice.
Bottom Line
Which one of these bubble tea kits do you fancy? Whichever you pick, a bubble tea kit is a great way to make boba at home and have fun experimenting with all the different flavors.
Or you can choose to buy any of these as a gift for someone else who is a boba fanatic like you! Click here for more boba gifts and ideas.
This article is intended for informational purposes only. It is not meant to replace professional medical advice, treatment or diagnosis. Do not consume any type of tea if you are allergic to it. The information in this article is not intended to treat serious medical conditions. Please seek professional medical advice before using home remedies.