Tea Drinkers?

[Desertthorn]

So besides putting a tea bag in a cup of hot water, could someone tell me if there is a great way to make tea. Is Earl Gray the optimum or ....

How do you make a good cup of tea?

[cleochatra]

Re: Tea Drinkers?

I tend to only do iced beverages, so my iced tea maker works quite a bit.

My fave these days is black cherry or raspberry. I just use herbal tea, but I've mixed flavors before with super results (black tea + peppermint? Divine)

[Alexa]

Re: Tea Drinkers?

If you wnat want I would call 'proper' tea (I.e. black tea, but also same for Earl Grey, Lady Grey etc) then you can use a pot. Using just boiled water, pour in. Let it sit for at least 3 minutes, then stir a fair bit, then pour into cup and add milk/cream.

If making in a cup - same, but on a smaller scale and leave the bag in for 1-2 minutes.

I have DECAF black teabags with cream - weird at first but got used to it and prefer it now.

For herbal or fruit teas just fling them in a mug, pour boling water in and take bag out within a minute or is too strong I find.

Happy tea drinking.

[not2late]

Re: Tea Drinkers?

It's all in the water temperature and the length of steeping.

Here is a links:

Guide to Brewing Tea

I have to find it, but in one of the magazines that came in last week, there was a tea brewing guide.....I'll have to find it.

[2big4mysize]

Re: Tea Drinkers?

and in the water you use. if you don't like the taste of your tap water you won't like the taste of your tea neither.
so if you got bad tasting tap invest in one fo those water filter you can either use as a pitcher or screw onto your tap.

[Desertthorn]

Re: Tea Drinkers?

You guys are great. So if I use a pot, can I add the tea leaves directly to the pot and then add the water. Lady Gray I haven't heard of.
Your right about the water 2big, when I was in the desert it tasted like tin. Yuck. I filtered it and ended up buying water to drink

[2big4mysize]

Re: Tea Drinkers?

you can add your leaves directly to the water or you can use a tea strainer thingie you can even pour the tea with the leaves so you can read them when you are done if you want or fiter them out using a fine mesh strainer

[bizzlekitty]

Re: Tea Drinkers?

I have one of these ingenuiTEA cups from Adagio Teas for at home. At work, I use a tea ball for loose tea. Brew time depends on the type of tea.

My favorites are Earl Grey (brew time 5 mins) and any green tea (brew time 2 mins typically).

[Skeptika23]

Re: Tea Drinkers?

I love Lady Grey. I love it so much I save it up for a treat cup o
tea!

[mizski]

Re: Tea Drinkers?

Loose tea leaves are the way to go. The tea in bags are the "crumbs" left over from drying the leaves.

For a pot of tea, I usually use this:



Bodum Assam Teapot

For a single cup, this brew basket fits right in your mug (I use this almost every day):



Republic of Tea Brew Basket

There are a lot of online vendors who sell decaf teas. I get mine from Harney & Sons.

Putting milk or cream in tea destroys the flavonoids and other good benefits from drinking tea. Black or black with lemon and/or sweetener is best. HTH

[liv]

Re: Tea Drinkers?

You mean you guys do not just throw it all in the microwave
I am into spice teas these days

[Desertthorn]

Re: Tea Drinkers?

I see that Twinnings sells Lady Gray. I might be able to find that in the Pacific Northwest.

Is Twinnings a decent brand name. Hummm, The town of Olympia might have a proper tea company. Let me go check .

[mizski]

Re: Tea Drinkers?

Twinings is an excellent brand.

Is Earl Gray the optimum or ....

Forgot to answer this in my earlier post. Earl Grey tea is the most popular flavored tea in the world. It is flavored with oil of bergamot (orange). Some brands are stronger flavored than others.

Twinings came out with Lady Grey to offer a milder version of it's popular Earl Grey tea. It also is flavored with oil of bergamot but in lesser amounts along with lemon and orange peel.

Other black teas I like are darjeeling (delicate yet very flavorful), English Breakfast and Irish Breakfast (both have a robust tea flavor but is not bitter). Twinings carries all these flavors in decaf (both bag and loose leaf).

[not2late]

Re: Tea Drinkers?

Okay here's the link to the magazine, I mentioned earlier.

Think Outside the Bag - Natural Solutions Vibrant Health Balanced Living

It gives water temperatures and brewing times for white, green oolong and black teas.

RE: loose leaf tea

This is the way to go. Mizski is correct that the powdered tea in most bags is the leftovers and is called "dust". The higher the quality the tea, the more the tea leaf is left whole.

[not2late]

Re: Tea Drinkers?

I see that Twinnings sells Lady Gray. I might be able to find that in the Pacific Northwest.

Is Twinnings a decent brand name. Hummm, The town of Olympia might have a proper tea company. Let me go check .

Twinnings is a good brand. I'm seeing more British imported teas where I live like "P&G Tips", "Harney and Sons", "Yorkshire", etc.