Tea

[Mike 56]

Like most people in the US I am a coffee drinker. Once in a while I would put a tea bag in a cup of hot water to make a cup of tea and it was just ok. My wife has a small tea pot in her china cabinet so this weekend I gave it a try. I put a tea bag in it poured some boiling water it and let it set about five minutes. I think I might be a tea convert the tea was outstanding. I was wondering if I could get tea tips from the tea experts on the forum. The tea I am drinking is just run of the mill Lipton tea that we use to make ice tea with.

[Aloha]

I use loose tea mostly but have bags as well.  I have a loose tea kettle that allows me to pour water over the loose tea and brew then strain the loose tea out.  I'll snap a photo and post up here later.  I'd also argue that boiling water for tea as well as coffee is a no no. 

[Grathr]

Im no tea expert, but I bet some of our british members will check in soon.

Personally I drink a lot of Twinings English Breakfast tea, Earl Grey tea, green tea with lemon or chai and Yogi Egyptian Spice and Sweet Chili tea.

Also. Used tea bags are great for cleaning tape residue and other gunk off your knife.


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[Yadda]

Earl grey "hot" 

[Steinar]

My wife buys her teas on the net, rather fancy stuff in my opinion. I'm happy with Twinings Prince of Wales. No fan of the different types of Earl Grey, as I have drunk enough bergamot oil for a long life...

[Mike 56]

Thanks for the input. I will buy a sample pack of  Twinings tea this afternoon and give it a go. After the water comes to a boil I should let cool a little before pouring it in to the pot?

[Steinar]

Thanks for the input. I will buy a sample pack of  Twinings tea this afternoon and give it a go. After the water comes to a boil I should let cool a little before pouring it in to the pot?

Nope. Warm the pot with hot water, pour it out, add tea, add water as close to boiling as practical. Black tea likes heat. (Lighter teas, like green or white, requires lower temperatures.)

[Corwyn]

I'm an Earl Grey kid as well and although I like Twinnings, Ahmad is my favourite:

[hiraethus]

No need to get fancy.  Decent tea (bags are fine - Yorkshire or Punjana for preference here), boiling water and a teapot are all you need.  Fresh milk and white sugar to taste.

[Billy Ruffian]

I'm with hiaethus - tea bags are fine as long as they are of a decent quality, and as he suggests Yorkshire and Punjana are the best brand of teabags.

There are all kinds of tips that people swear by but it's really simple, the only cardinal rules are to use fresh, boiled water (not stuff that's been re-heated) and don't add milk until it has brewed (cold milk lowers the temperature and stops the brewing process).

I really couldn't live without tea, I have had eight mugs today and that's about average. I would give up drinking beer before I gave up tea.

[firiki]

'Really love my tea, personal preference is Assam.

+1 on decent quality teabags, although I prefer loose tea, moslty Mlesna. Twinings is good, I like their English Breakfast tea as an all-rounder. They had a Scottish blend I quite liked, now I don't know. Thanks for the tips on brands.

Early Grey, Chinese Gunpowder (green), tea with a rosebud or two in the pot, Silver Tip tea if you can handle that... Tea is one of life's most underrated delights in these parts of the world.

I tend to be picky about temperature and brew time, stirring - no, no, no, please - and way of pouring the water, preferably slowly and steadily from a certain distance in a circular motion

I like me tea hot, no sugar, maybe some honey occasionaly, or a slice of lemon, or a drop of brandy.

Enjoy your tea OP 

PS: Lipton Yellow Label is a good one to experiment with. Last time I tried, that was last year, it was OK if you knew how to work it.


 

 

[MadPlumbarian]

Coffee, yuck now tea on the other hand, Both the wife and I are iced tea nuts! But as for tea my wife will have one cup a night to relax, and I also will have one every once and a while. As for what tea, idk just a simple cheap one with six bags of sugar, but, also a little swirl of honey. Puts a little flav!
JR

[kirk13]

PG Tips in the pyramid bag for my money. Yorkshire is nice but takes time to stew. Just don't drink tea in coffee shop chains. The water needs to be boiled,not scalded.

On the other hand,tea in a greasy spoon with a tea urn is damn good

I really can't start a day without a mug of tea

[Megan]

I drink too many cups of coffee per day.
But I truly enjoy tea as well. Doing it properly makes a huge difference. Whether we are talking about coffee or tea.
I started drinking Earl Grey because of uhh.. Captain Picard. Honestly. As a youngster.
I do enjoy a lot of the fancier loose teas now too. Especially in the evening.

[jerseydevil]

Tea?  Pour powder into jug, add water, put in fridge to cool.    Aside from that, I don't drink tea.  I've often thought of giving it a try, but that thought usually only lasts until the coffee's ready......

[NKlamerus]

Tea?  Pour powder into jug, add water, put in fridge to cool.    Aside from that, I don't drink tea.  I've often thought of giving it a try, but that thought usually only lasts until the coffee's ready......

You forgot to add sugar

[jerseydevil]

Tea?  Pour powder into jug, add water, put in fridge to cool.    Aside from that, I don't drink tea.  I've often thought of giving it a try, but that thought usually only lasts until the coffee's ready......

You forgot to add sugar

There's enough sugar in that powdered iced tea mix.  In fact I'm almost positive it's just sugar with a bit of brown color and some sort of artificial tea flavoring.......

[NKlamerus]

Tea?  Pour powder into jug, add water, put in fridge to cool.    Aside from that, I don't drink tea.  I've often thought of giving it a try, but that thought usually only lasts until the coffee's ready......

You forgot to add sugar

There's enough sugar in that powdered iced tea mix.  In fact I'm almost positive it's just sugar with a bit of brown color and some sort of artificial tea flavoring.......

Ah. Down here it is called Sweet Tea.

What brand is it your using?

Semi-off topic. I marched in the Macy's Day parade a few years back when my highschool band went. The entire tuba section glowed when we found out McDonald's sweet tea is the same there as it is here.

The band had ordered "tea" at all the buffet feedings.....needless to say we were not ready for anything warm to come out of a pitcher with "tea" on it...

[kirk13]

I started drinking Earl Grey because of uhh.. Captain Picard. Honestly.

Don't worry Megan,your not the only one

I used to really enjoy an Earl Grey after work(too delicate for breakfast), til my illness. Went off it big time. Could even take the smell til about two years ago

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

I loved tea, but it upsets my stomach which was devastating!!! Luckily I discovered green tea which tastes even better IMO

Tetleys did a green tea with blueberry, which was delicious, but they seem to have stopped it now

[Corwyn]

I only drink two types of teas:
Black Tea - Earl Grey with bergamot and jasmine, preferably Ahmad or Twinnings, served with milk and maybe brown sugar
Green Tea - Sencha maybe with some added pineapple and with a slice of lemon and honey

[Gareth]

Be wary of anything that calls itself a Scottish blend, all that means is that it's been aimed at our very 'soft' water rather than at England's much 'harder' water. 

To get tea just right you really do want to preheat the pot. So; boil your water, pour a little into your pot, swirl it around and pour it out.  Now your pot should be nice and warm and you need to add your tea (loose or bags) and your freshly boiled water.  Let it brew for about 5 minutes, pour into a nice china cup with milk and white sugar to taste.

OR, dump a teabag in the bottom of your favourite mug pour on the boiled water, let it stand for a few minutes or until you get bored of hanging around, give the bag a bit of a squeeze and throw it at the sink, add milk and at least two sugars, stir and drink it as fast as you can before taking the kids to school/realising you're going to be late for work and running out the door.

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

Lol

[RT1969]

Wow, this is feeling like the Coffee thread already! 

Yes, I drink tea. Yeah, with hot water, whether it boils or cooled off a little depends on whether I hear the "clack" of the water heater or not. 

Mostly bagged stuff, at the moment Earl grey with milk. I usually add a little sugar for flavour and sweetener for, well, sweetness. I can already see the  eyes starring at me from the depths of the forum, waiting for their turn to express their outrage for everything I did wrong.   

But yeah, I sometimes drink tea that has brewed for an hour and where I forgot to take the bag out. Just add a little more sugar and milk and reheat in the microwave if necessary! 

So, I am a tea drinker, but certainly no connoisseur. 

[Mike 56]

Yesterday I bought some English Breakfast tea. I started out with fresh filtered water warmed the pot poured the hot water over the tea bag slowly. It was very nice cup of tea. Everyone has been a lot of help teaching this yank how to make a good cup of tea. I will be trying different teas and at some point I will be trying tea leafs as well as buying a nice tea pot. Last night I saw some cast iron tea pots with a screen for tea leafs are these any good?

[ducttapetech]

I like tea actually. I like to look at a tin of it while I am drinking my coffee.

Nate

[powernoodle]

At the Powernoodle Command Center and Underground Bunker Complex ("PCCUBC"), we are fans of Republicoftea.com.  My latest favorite from there, which is truly a strange brew, is the Organic Tumeric Ginger green tea.  The first ingredient is turmeric, so the tea tastes like water that has been filtered through pressure-treated lumber.  It tastes like your backyard decks smells when its wet.  But it also has green tea and cinnamon, and is quiet palatable once you get used to it.  And turmeric is a potent anti-inflammatory with other health benefits. 

[derekmac]

I love tea.  Green tea, black tea, honey lemon, fancy loose tea, doesn't matter.  The fancy ones I drink black, and only a few I'll add milk to.  No sugar though!!!  YUCK!!! 

[firiki]

It tastes like your backyard decks smells when its wet.  But it also has green tea and cinnamon, and is quiet palatable once you get used to it.  And turmeric is a potent anti-inflammatory with other health benefits. 

Sounds tempting enough to give it a try. Kind of extreme though . I add freshly gratted ginger root and sometimes a pinch of oregano and mint in my black tea for those reasons. The taste alone would be worth it anyways.

Assam    Funny, when I was a kid I thought the saying ''Not for all the tea in the world'' was bizzare.

[firiki]

Yesterday I bought some English Breakfast tea. I started out with fresh filtered water warmed the pot poured the hot water over the tea bag slowly. It was very nice cup of tea. Everyone has been a lot of help teaching this yank how to make a good cup of tea. I will be trying different teas and at some point I will be trying tea leafs as well as buying a nice tea pot. Last night I saw some cast iron tea pots with a screen for tea leafs are these any good?

That's the way to do it. Now, watch your temps and you're almost there. You don't need a thermometer, you'll get to know what's what. As for tea pot, I'd go for a glass one. The hard part will be to find a good infuser cone.