FOT Forum
FOT Community => General Discussion => Topic started by: Josh on November 02, 2008, 08:25:32 PM
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I'm trying to cut down on the coffee. There are many types of tea, and there are many makers of tea.
Experienced tea drinkers, help.
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(http://anicecuppa.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2007/08/pgtips.jpg)
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Been drinking Rooibos for years as an alternative to coffee -
http://www.teamuse.com/article_040501.html
It's been great for the sinuses/allergies.
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I was about to mention Rooibos- I don't know that much about tea either, but I chose it off the list at Tealuxe and liked it.
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I agree with Jason, though it does depend on what you're looking for. If you're looking for herbal tea, the PG Tips aren't for you. If you're looking for a black tea, you can't go wrong with those.
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i like 'nem femme celestial seasons ones in the super mercado
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I like TG's, from england.
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I like Lady Grey. Pretty much any loose earl grey or lady grey is going to be really good. Irish Breakfast is also yummy.
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Chai tea tastes great. But it's also got a fairly high caffeine content. So it might not be what you're looking for.
If I drink coffee in the morning, I tend to crash hard in the middle of the day. Tea keeps me on more of an even keel.
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(http://www.energyfiend.com/wp-content/caffeine/morning-thunder.jpg)
Morning Thunder is an earthy combination of maté—a South American herb—and mountain-grown black tea that gives you the lift you need without the coffee jitters. Maté is traditionally shared at gatherings of friends and family, and is passed around in a hollowed-out gourd and drunk through a silver “straw” called a bombilla. Because both maté and black tea are rich in antioxidants, a cup of this robust brew is a healthful and exhilarating way to start your day.
An 8 ounce cup of morning thunder tea contains 40 milligrams of caffeine.
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Jason is correct. PG tips is perfect everyday tea.
Classic Earl Grey, or Earl Grey Deluxe (with more bergamot), is probably my favorite overall tea.
As for green tea, if you can get your hands on some fresh Gunpowder (fresh as in: you keep it in the fridge), go for it. Also, you can't go wrong with the Japanese Gyokuro. It tends to be pretty expensive though.
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Like Jason, my parents swear by PG Tips.
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I am with Erika on this one - earl grey/lady grey are the best.
My Day In Tea usually looks something like this:
7 a.m: Orange Pekoe
8:30 a.m: same
9:45-ish: Earl Grey
Noon/lunchtime: Lady Grey
2-ish: Earl Grey
4-ish: Lady Grey
5-ish: Chai
After dinner: Mint
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Irish breakfast is great with cream, especially at breakfast time.
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Congrats! I picked up tea drinking last year and it has become a great afternoon ritual.
Honestly, Bigelow Green Tea is the best of about 10 green teas I tried. Not the organic one, the regular one. Joe Torre would be so happy.
I like Lipton Black Pearl pyramid bags as my daily black tea. It's a very tea-flavored tea. I will try the PG bags next time I buy tea, though my local supermarkets don't seem to stock it.
Teas' Tea, which I discovered from other FOTs, is a very good tasting bottled tea. Expensive, but no calories and delicious. The Oolong is the best for my money, then the Rose Green. Jasmine is also good.
I bought some Marriage Freres (supposed to be the best tea in the world) and Harney and Sons from Williams-Sonoma. They are both very good - bolder and stronger, with a more distinctive flavor. But I don't have time to make loose-leaf tea every day. And they are $17 and $12, respectively, for a canister.
One thing it took me a while to learn - tea is much better if you brew it slightly shorter than you think. Green tea bags about 90 seconds, black tea bags about 4 minutes. The bitterness comes at the end of the brewing.
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I find that after a morning of drinking coffee Mint Tea is a nice change.
The Bigelow Mint Medley that my work stocks is allright, I haven't really tried too many other kinds for a comparison.
Thats my tea sense.
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My Day In Tea usually looks something like this:
7 a.m: Orange Pekoe
8:30 a.m: same
9:45-ish: Earl Grey
Noon/lunchtime: Lady Grey
2-ish: Earl Grey
4-ish: Lady Grey
5-ish: Chai
After dinner: Mint
Junkie.
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I like this tea:
(http://bp2.blogger.com/_S_MVggme6pk/RudBuS44cKI/AAAAAAAAAIA/1Mk92vN7v44/s400/cctea.jpg)
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My Day In Tea usually looks something like this:
7 a.m: Orange Pekoe
8:30 a.m: same
9:45-ish: Earl Grey
Noon/lunchtime: Lady Grey
2-ish: Earl Grey
4-ish: Lady Grey
5-ish: Chai
After dinner: Mint
Junkie.
Mine is something like this:
9-12 am: one pot (~1.5 litre) of Darjeeling FOP or Earl Grey Deluxe
18-22 pm: one pot of Kusmi green tea or Earl Green (with ginseng)
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I went to the Celestial Seasonings store the other day (its factory is near my house) and it was the weirdest combination of old lady, anglophile, and hippy sensibilities, which are traits I notice in tea drinkers generally.
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I also love "Eastern Shore Chanticleer Breakfast Tea" which is basically black and green teas with some sunflowers mixed in. Just a teeny bit of floral taste. It's better with a little sugar than without but it really pops. Yum!
I can't seem to enjoy tea blends that don't have black tea in them. I find herbals kind of annoying... like I'm drinking bath water.
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I'm not sure if it's technically considered a tea but yerba mate is awesome. The company Guayaki makes a decent one available in most grocery stores. I like to sweeten mine with lemon and honey. It's different from most teas (more energy, I find)and it doesn't really give that shaky rush you get from coffee, but more of a steady, energetic kind of high.
It's kind of complicated and daunting for me to explain the makeup of mate but you can read about it on Wikipedia. God bless other, less lazy people.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yerba_mate (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yerba_mate)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mate_(beverage) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mate_(beverage))
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Another vote for PG Tips, not just because of the chimps in the adverts.
(http://www.bbc.co.uk/manchester/content/images/2005/03/01/gallery_tandem_400_400x300.jpg)
At the moment, I'm going through Tetley's because that's what they had at the supermarket and is a suitable replacement.
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Tina Fey does a hilarious bit about Kombucha, (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kombucha) starting at the 4-minute mark in this video. (I have never tried Kombucha tea, and therefore cannot endorse it).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJdRFSPL5Pw&feature=related
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Tina Fey does a hilarious bit about Kombucha, (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kombucha) starting at the 4-minute mark in this video. (I have never tried Kombucha tea, and therefore cannot endorse it).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJdRFSPL5Pw&feature=related
I love Kombucha.
This stuff especially:
(http://redtext.littlerabbit.com/images/2007/09/kombucha.jpg)
It's expensive, but worth it I think. Put me in the column with the other tea junkies.
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If you have a Trader Joe's nearby their Pomegranate White Tea (small amount of caffeine) is really nice as well as their Peppermint (no caffeine).
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This thread has been awesome so far. Thanks to everyone who's contributed. B'coat, I appreciated the brewing length tip, and I totally agree with Erika about herbals.
I went to the fancy grocery store on Monday and picked up a box of PG Tips as well as some other things:
(http://us.st12.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/englishteastore_2023_25678045)
(http://img375.imageshack.us/img375/7307/256650bigal5.jpg)
Beth, as for yerba mate, I've tried this brand and like it:
(http://us.st12.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/amigofoods_2023_344407506)
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(http://img375.imageshack.us/img375/7307/256650bigal5.jpg)
These tea bags are so hi-tech!
Um...for tea bags.
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This is my favorite tea:
(http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m47/hippocatgeek/sleepytime-med.jpg)
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I like a good cup of valerian tea, for relaxation.
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I find herbals kind of annoying... like I'm drinking bath water.
that's the best description of herbal tea i've ever heard.
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I find herbals kind of annoying... like I'm drinking bath water.
that's the best description of herbal tea i've ever heard.
Only someone who drinks bath water would know that.
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So I've been thinking about getting into loose tea. I really like the idea of using one of those kettles where you put the tea leaves in the top. Does anyone have experience with it? Is it worth it?
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I like those little metal things that you put tea into and otherwise treat like a tea bag, except that you can't microwave them.
(http://img03.picoodle.com/img/img03/3/11/10/f_48034061tpm_aca6873.jpg)
Not those tea balls though; they suck.
There are tea kettles out there of such bad design that it staggers the imagination. Where you need Jeeves-like skill to actually pour tea out of them without getting it everywhere. I hate those.
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I only use loose tea, except when I drink pg tips. (If you only use tea bags you're not cool.)
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I find herbals kind of annoying... like I'm drinking bath water.
that's the best description of herbal tea i've ever heard.
Only someone who drinks bath water would know that.
No judging. You don't judge me I judge you.
Also, this is a fun gadget for making a single cup:
(http://www.kitchencontraptions.com/pictures/l_56236.jpg)
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One thing it took me a while to learn - tea is much better if you brew it slightly shorter than you think. Green tea bags about 90 seconds, black tea bags about 4 minutes. The bitterness comes at the end of the brewing.
Can you explain this? I've never liked tea because of the bitterness, maybe I'll try again doing it properly. Maybe, I wasn't doing it properly at all... I always assumed you boil water in the kettle and pour the water into a cup and drop the teabag in right? So, I should take the bag out after 90 seconds for green tea? I'm a tea-a-dummy.
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I'm so happy there are lots of tea-loving FOTs (I realize that sounds stragely insulting).
Do you put anything in your tea? I only do when I'm drinking orange pekoe (my first-thing-in-the-morning choice), and then it's usually a bit of lemon. A slice is best but some juice from one of those little plastic squeeze thingies will do in a pinch.
I grew up putting milk in my tea, which I think is more of a British thing. Lately, though, I lost my taste for it completely and had to switch.
I'm also a huge fan of ginger tea. It's one of the few herbals I'll go near.
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So I've been thinking about getting into loose tea. I really like the idea of using one of those kettles where you put the tea leaves in the top. Does anyone have experience with it? Is it worth it?
Totally worth it, but you need to buy great tea
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One thing it took me a while to learn - tea is much better if you brew it slightly shorter than you think. Green tea bags about 90 seconds, black tea bags about 4 minutes. The bitterness comes at the end of the brewing.
Can you explain this? I've never liked tea because of the bitterness, maybe I'll try again doing it properly. Maybe, I wasn't doing it properly at all... I always assumed you boil water in the kettle and pour the water into a cup and drop the teabag in right? So, I should take the bag out after 90 seconds for green tea? I'm a tea-a-dummy.
If ou buy bags o'tea, I use nem a couple of times, as in fill up the cup with some fresh hot water. If I use the good stuff (loose tea) I do it right, use the egg timer and get it out of there. The stuff in the bag is brewable a couple of time, it's pretty strong
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One thing it took me a while to learn - tea is much better if you brew it slightly shorter than you think. Green tea bags about 90 seconds, black tea bags about 4 minutes. The bitterness comes at the end of the brewing.
Can you explain this? I've never liked tea because of the bitterness, maybe I'll try again doing it properly. Maybe, I wasn't doing it properly at all... I always assumed you boil water in the kettle and pour the water into a cup and drop the teabag in right? So, I should take the bag out after 90 seconds for green tea? I'm a tea-a-dummy.
Yes, tea gets more bitter the longer you brew it. And the bitter sets in pretty quickly, according to my brief experiments.
I have found that a teabag-brewed cup of standard black tea:
Is weak and watery after 2 minutes
Is great and flavorful after 4 minutes
Is bitter after 6 minutes
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Lipton's instant and Karo.
In equal parts.
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One thing it took me a while to learn - tea is much better if you brew it slightly shorter than you think. Green tea bags about 90 seconds, black tea bags about 4 minutes. The bitterness comes at the end of the brewing.
Can you explain this? I've never liked tea because of the bitterness, maybe I'll try again doing it properly. Maybe, I wasn't doing it properly at all... I always assumed you boil water in the kettle and pour the water into a cup and drop the teabag in right? So, I should take the bag out after 90 seconds for green tea? I'm a tea-a-dummy.
Yes, tea gets more bitter the longer you brew it. And the bitter sets in pretty quickly, according to my brief experiments.
I have found that a teabag-brewed cup of standard black tea:
Is weak and watery after 2 minutes
Is great and flavorful after 4 minutes
Is bitter after 6 minutes
So take the teabag out of the cup after 4 minutes? I always thought you were just supposed to leave the teabag in the cup as you drank it.
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Good God no.
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One thing it took me a while to learn - tea is much better if you brew it slightly shorter than you think. Green tea bags about 90 seconds, black tea bags about 4 minutes. The bitterness comes at the end of the brewing.
Can you explain this? I've never liked tea because of the bitterness, maybe I'll try again doing it properly. Maybe, I wasn't doing it properly at all... I always assumed you boil water in the kettle and pour the water into a cup and drop the teabag in right? So, I should take the bag out after 90 seconds for green tea? I'm a tea-a-dummy.
Yes, tea gets more bitter the longer you brew it. And the bitter sets in pretty quickly, according to my brief experiments.
I have found that a teabag-brewed cup of standard black tea:
Is weak and watery after 2 minutes
Is great and flavorful after 4 minutes
Is bitter after 6 minutes
So take the teabag out of the cup after 4 minutes? I always thought you were just supposed to leave the teabag in the cup as you drank it.
You really are a tea-a-dummy. The good news is, you must really like tea to have been drinking bitter swill all these years. You're going to find heaven, my friend.
Orrrrr... you may discover that you have no tastebuds. :(
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No, I've never really consumed tea because it didn't taste very good, I guess because I was doing it all wrong!
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I'll admit my tea dumbness as well, reluctantly.
I always thought it tasted like sucking on a wet paper towel and gave up early. I see now it's only because I've been doing it so, so wrong! I hear no mention of squeezing the teabag to get out the juices. Is that another mistake? Should you just let it float there, or what?
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We need a step by step guide for the tea-a-dummies.
Is this stuff any good? It's on sale at my grocery store.
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/512KGS64XZL._SL500_AA280_PIbundle-6,TopRight,0,0_AA280_SH20_.jpg)
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I'll admit my tea dumbness as well, reluctantly.
I always thought it tasted like sucking on a wet paper towel and gave up early. I see now it's only because I've been doing it so, so wrong! I hear no mention of squeezing the teabag to get out the juices. Is that another mistake? Should you just let it float there, or what?
No squeezing! Let it float or yank it around with the string.
(Sometimes I will say something and be aware that it sounds sort of dirty, but lack the capacity to figure anything out beyond that. These are the times I miss FOTchan.)
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I only use loose tea, except when I drink pg tips. (If you only use tea bags you're not cool.)
See, this is what I needed to hear. Can you recommend a good teapot for making loose tea? I was hoping to find something like this (http://teatreasures.com/page/Tea-Supplies/PROD/Cast-Iron-Teapot/C2897) (although hopefully cheaper).
EDIT:
I think I may get something like this (http://www.enjoyingtea.com/labate1.html):
(http://us.st12.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/enjoyingtea_2026_54672)
Would that be a wise choice? I really want something in cast iron.
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We need a step by step guide for the tea-a-dummies.
Is this stuff any good? It's on sale at my grocery store.
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/512KGS64XZL._SL500_AA280_PIbundle-6,TopRight,0,0_AA280_SH20_.jpg)
I've never had this particular brand, but it's probably good enough. Heat your water to near boiling and only leave in the bag for a couple minutes at most. And be sure to add a lot of honey and/or lemon, depending on your tastes.
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No squeezing! Let it float or yank it around with the string.
Um... that's what he said?
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I only use loose tea, except when I drink pg tips. (If you only use tea bags you're not cool.)
See, this is what I needed to hear. Can you recommend a good teapot for making loose tea? I was hoping to find something like this (http://teatreasures.com/page/Tea-Supplies/PROD/Cast-Iron-Teapot/C2897) (although hopefully cheaper).
EDIT:
I think I may get something like this (http://www.enjoyingtea.com/labate1.html):
(http://us.st12.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/enjoyingtea_2026_54672)
Would that be a wise choice? I really want something in cast iron.
Yes! That looks almost exactly like one of my pots, which is cast iron, a solid Japanese pot. It's pretty awesome. Highly recommended.
I alternate between that one and a Bodum (http://www.bodumusa.com/shop/line.asp?MD=2&GID=7&LID=570&CHK=&SLT=&mscssid=AMF9ACTNVLLK8JMACSSJ77ENNNVBA023):
(http://img206.imageshack.us/img206/779/webpictlarge10554166860ql4.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
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(http://www.lolotov.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/09/neti-pot3.jpg)
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My tea keeps turning out too watery. I get it to a boil, pour it in my cup (not a tea cup but I do only pour one cup of water in and then place the tea bag in and let it float. It ends up smelling fragrant (the Stash green chai as shown above) but it tastes pretty watered down. Am I missing a step? I'm just letting the tea bag float and took it out after about 4 minutes. Is it the brand or am I doing something wrong? It smells so good but it's deceiving!
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Gilly, you need to filter the tea through your nose to get the right flavor.
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This is an audiobook of The Book of Tea by Okakura Kakuzo.
http://librivox.org/the-book-of-tea-by-okakura-kakuzo/
(LibriVox volunteers are my favorite people right now: They make public domain audiobooks of public domain books. I listen to these when running, cleaning the house, commuting, etc. The quality varies immensely; this guy is mediocre, but other books such as Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow are professional quality. It is better to listen to them pitch-shifted by about 20%, which you can do on an iPod if you mark the files as audiobooks in iTunes. )
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(http://www.lolotov.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/09/neti-pot3.jpg)
I do use a Neti Pot regularly, but I think our hippie hygiene preferences should be saved for another thread.
In terms of other beverages, though, I'm really into sparkling water and I hope to get one of these (http://www.amazon.com/iSi-32-Ounce-Siphon-Brushed-Aluminum/dp/B00007JXR7/ref=wl_it_dp?ie=UTF8&coliid=I1IOFZNFBGLHE3&colid=1ACBXY05HTV3T) creatures real soon:
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31C63AHXZ7L._SL500_AA280_.jpg)
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My tea keeps turning out too watery. I get it to a boil, pour it in my cup (not a tea cup but I do only pour one cup of water in and then place the tea bag in and let it float. It ends up smelling fragrant (the Stash green chai as shown above) but it tastes pretty watered down. Am I missing a step? I'm just letting the tea bag float and took it out after about 4 minutes. Is it the brand or am I doing something wrong? It smells so good but it's deceiving!
Maybe you just don't like tea?
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We need a step by step guide for the tea-a-dummies.
Is this stuff any good? It's on sale at my grocery store.
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/512KGS64XZL._SL500_AA280_PIbundle-6,TopRight,0,0_AA280_SH20_.jpg)
I've never had this particular brand, but it's probably good enough. Heat your water to near boiling and only leave in the bag for a couple minutes at most. And be sure to add a lot of honey and/or lemon, depending on your tastes.
I personally think that Stash is terrible. They make the nastiest green tea I've ever tasted. You're better off with Celestial Seasonings. For grocery store herbal tea though, I like Yogi Tea a lot.
As for loose tea, I just use a french press. Is that a tea-bomination?
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My tea keeps turning out too watery. I get it to a boil, pour it in my cup (not a tea cup but I do only pour one cup of water in and then place the tea bag in and let it float. It ends up smelling fragrant (the Stash green chai as shown above) but it tastes pretty watered down. Am I missing a step? I'm just letting the tea bag float and took it out after about 4 minutes. Is it the brand or am I doing something wrong? It smells so good but it's deceiving!
Maybe you just don't like tea?
Could be. I'm going to try some other brands.
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Gilly, if you're using boiling water for green tea, it's not a good idea. Let the water cool for a few minutes, or warm it to the point of almost boiling. It should be hot, not boiling. Also, only let it steep for 3 minutes, max. Otherwise your tea gets awfully bitter.
EDIT: Sorry, Tomas I double posted with your instructions.
Try this kind:
(http://pics.drugstore.com/prodimg/91635/200.jpg)
It's about 4 bucks a box. I like it. Oh, and I don't know if this is an obvious thing to say, but honey is really nice with green tea.
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It's not bitter, just really watered down where I can only taste a little flavor.
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Well, if it was Stash, it could be the brand. I usually find it to be extremely watery, and as I said, not very good.
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I'm definitely not a tea expert, so while I'm not qualified to judge the quality of plain Stash tea, I'm a fan of their more interesting varieties, particularly the Green & White and some sort of Christmas-themed blend we bought on sale after the holidays one year.
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Gilly: try throwing in the bag first, then add the water.
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I tried a couple different brands and flavors tonight and I liked those a lot more. I still can't say I'm the biggest tea fan but it's much better than coffee or soda. The only beverages I drink are water and beer but I can definitely see adding tea to that short list especially in the morning and the Sleepytime Tea (which was really good) at night.
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Gilly, you need to filter the tea through your nose to get the right flavor.
***
This is an audiobook of The Book of Tea by Okakura Kakuzo.
http://librivox.org/the-book-of-tea-by-okakura-kakuzo/
(LibriVox volunteers are my favorite people right now: They make public domain audiobooks of public domain books. I listen to these when running, cleaning the house, commuting, etc. The quality varies immensely; this guy is mediocre, but other books such as Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow are professional quality. It is better to listen to them pitch-shifted by about 20%, which you can do on an iPod if you mark the files as audiobooks in iTunes. )
I might volunteer for that LibriVox outfit. I like reading aloud.
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Are you guys with me that Iced Tea is pretty nasty?
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I might volunteer for that LibriVox outfit. I like reading aloud.
Do it! You'd be great.
You might want to dig up the archive with voice-over legend Kendrick Martin to learn how to avoid popping your p's.
Someone on there did a version of "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" with new age sounds in the background. But generally the cheese/impenetrable accent/tin-can recording quality quotient is surprisingly low.
Are you guys with me that Iced Tea is pretty nasty?
Fake ice tea from cans or soft drink machines is the worst. Real ice tea and not overly sweetened bottled stuff is great.
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I don't know why I capitalized iced tea. I've probably only tried bottled stuff so add one more tea-a-dummy strike next to my name.
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Are you guys with me that Iced Tea is pretty nasty?
Actual unsweetened iced tea is probably my favorite beverage, but sweetened bottled crap is gross.
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Waaay too much sugar in the bottled stuff. But then, there's way too much sugar in everything.
Lightly sweetened home brewed iced tea is great though.
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Sipping on some Typhoo at the moment and contemplating heading out into a cold and rainy Michigan evening.
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I might volunteer for that LibriVox outfit. I like reading aloud.
Do it! You'd be great.
Thanks, yesno. Guess I'll have to look into getting a microphone. (Secret Santa, take note.)
I'm also considering volunteering for Project Gutenberg.
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Are you guys with me that Iced Tea is pretty nasty?
YOU TAKE THAT BACK
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I'm also considering volunteering for Project Gutenberg.
PG is the best. They're the first "charity" I donated to when I was 18. I've done some things for Distributed Proofreaders before. They've come a long way from people just typing stuff in. I bet they even piggyback on Google Books scans.
ON TOPIC:
The Little Tea Book by Arthur Gray
http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/19392
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Okay, I thought I would pop in again for an update.
The PG Tips are my go-to black tea. I have at least one cup in the morning.
(http://img133.imageshack.us/img133/6465/pgtipsmr3.jpg)
And the yerba mate I use is really cheap at the Argentinian store in my neighborhood:
(http://img133.imageshack.us/img133/7443/taraguitu5.jpg)
I picked up two teas at the Middle Eastern market. First, an everyday green tea, which is a little stronger than most other green teas I've had:
(http://img81.imageshack.us/img81/7340/alwazahif8.jpg)
and a ginger tea that I haven't really gotten into:
(http://img113.imageshack.us/img113/5898/gingerws1.jpg)
What's everyone else been up to?
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My boss brought a water heater from Japan into our office. It looks something like this (except his is a little fancier, and quite a bit less filthy):
(http://i527.photobucket.com/albums/cc360/bpb_photos/water_heater.jpg)
Rather than boiling water when you'd like a cup of tea, this device keeps water in its reservoir at the ideal temperature for brewing green tea! So you just press the button whenever you want some - WOW! The environmentalist in me is a little uncomfortable with it, but the gadget-lover is delighted.
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Because of this thread, I bought a cast iron tea kettle so that I could easily make loose leaf tea. It takes a lot longer than bags and, depending on what you get, it may end up being more expensive per cup (I haven't tried to figure this out yet), but it's so much fun and I do think it makes a better cup once you get the hang of it. I've also gotten into adding extra ingredients in with the leaves, like lavender, agave nectar, etc.
So far I've only bought the loose leaf tea from http://enjoyingtea.com/, but I'm very open to suggestions for better sites or places. I've yet to look in my local Asian Food market.
(http://us.st12.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/enjoyingtea_2037_76966)
I recently got into this stuff, which is amazing:
(http://us.st12.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/enjoyingtea_2035_2783853)
It's Jasmin Dragon Pearl, which is a type of green tea.
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A.M. Thomas
Knows Steve Marriott's Place In Rock History.
And he knows how to make tea.
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Celestial Seasonings sweet coconut thai chai
&
Stash licorice spice
they're so good they'll make your dick hard.
Stay on groovin' safari,
Tor
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I bought a single-cup mesh filter at Target for $4.25. Our water filter at work puts out tea-hot water as well as cold. Pair that with loose leaf Marriage Freres, the best tea in the world, and it's a truly outstanding, easy tea experience.
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I know that maté is aforementioned supra. But I just got into making it at home. Man, that stuff is like adrenochrome to me.
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So much for hard hats.
Gilly, green tea is generally pretty mild anyway compared to, say, coffee. Stash actually makes a green tea, black tea fusion that's a good compromise.
As far as iced tea goes, here's what you do: make a superconcentrated batch of your favorite hot tea (I like to go crazy and throw in a wildcard bag of a different flavor) with four or five bags in a couple inches of water. Put it in your pitcher and add filtered water to to dilute it to taste then put it in the fridge. Then on a hot summer day (or a hot January day as we had today) you get out your glass and crush some fresh mint leaves in it. Then you pour in some agave nectar (or honey if you're a barbarian) stir it around, filter out the crushed mint so all that remains is the now-minty syrupy goo, pour in your tea, stir it up, add a few cubes of ice, garnish with another sprig of mint, and have a mouthgasm. It's nice and sweet just like DFK likes it, but it won't give you the die-a-bed-es.
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hugman, that sounds delicious.
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So much for hard hats.
Gilly, green tea is generally pretty mild anyway compared to, say, coffee. Stash actually makes a green tea, black tea fusion that's a good compromise.
As far as iced tea goes, here's what you do: make a superconcentrated batch of your favorite hot tea (I like to go crazy and throw in a wildcard bag of a different flavor) with four or five bags in a couple inches of water. Put it in your pitcher and add filtered water to to dilute it to taste then put it in the fridge. Then on a hot summer day (or a hot January day as we had today) you get out your glass and crush some fresh mint leaves in it. Then you pour in some agave nectar (or honey if you're a barbarian) stir it around, filter out the crushed mint so all that remains is the now-minty syrupy goo, pour in your tea, stir it up, add a few cubes of ice, garnish with another sprig of mint, and have a mouthgasm. It's nice and sweet just like DFK likes it, but it won't give you the die-a-bed-es.
And then add six tablespoons of dark corn syrup.
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So much for hard hats.
Gilly, green tea is generally pretty mild anyway compared to, say, coffee. Stash actually makes a green tea, black tea fusion that's a good compromise.
As far as iced tea goes, here's what you do: make a superconcentrated batch of your favorite hot tea (I like to go crazy and throw in a wildcard bag of a different flavor) with four or five bags in a couple inches of water. Put it in your pitcher and add filtered water to to dilute it to taste then put it in the fridge. Then on a hot summer day (or a hot January day as we had today) you get out your glass and crush some fresh mint leaves in it. Then you pour in some agave nectar (or honey if you're a barbarian) stir it around, filter out the crushed mint so all that remains is the now-minty syrupy goo, pour in your tea, stir it up, add a few cubes of ice, garnish with another sprig of mint, and have a mouthgasm. It's nice and sweet just like DFK likes it, but it won't give you the die-a-bed-es.
And then add six tablespoons of dark corn syrup.
I quote Goliath: "Oh, Davey."
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Oh, that same goo is also wonderful in whiskey and soda. Sort of a hippy version of a mint julep.
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hugman, did i mention i was going to be in LA the weekend of the 23rd...?
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Yes, I saw that. Wanna go to Urth and drink tea where the doofuses in Entourage do?
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only if steve in NoHo can tag team with us. i owe him a drink.
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The first one on this page (http://www.finum.com/permanent-tea-filters.htm) is the one I was talking about. It works perfectly.
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(http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h74/ejhuggins/photo-1.jpg)
Organic Bai Mu Dan White Tea with Pomegranite
Hugo's.
West Hollywood, Beeeeyatch.
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as one of my favorite threads, packed to the gills with so much tea information im too lazy to tlook through it, does anyone know where i can purchase traditional chai tea?
ive tried starbucks twice and it merely tastes like sugar overload.
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(http://www.lolotov.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/09/neti-pot3.jpg)
I do use a Neti Pot regularly, but I think our hippie hygiene preferences should be saved for another thread.
In terms of other beverages, though, I'm really into sparkling water and I hope to get one of these (http://www.amazon.com/iSi-32-Ounce-Siphon-Brushed-Aluminum/dp/B00007JXR7/ref=wl_it_dp?ie=UTF8&coliid=I1IOFZNFBGLHE3&colid=1ACBXY05HTV3T) creatures real soon:
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31C63AHXZ7L._SL500_AA280_.jpg)
That seltzer bottle would make an excellent high-powered Neti Pot. Thanks for the tip.
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For better or worse (i say for better) I can replicate starbucks iced green tea perfectly now. Gonna go make some right a'fuckin' now. (and you knows i makes it organic and shit).
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Do you sweeten it? If so, with what?
Most importantly, do you shake it in a cocktail shaker?
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When i get it at Sbucks, i get it unsweetened, but I will bet you a million dollars there's some sweetening already in it.
For mine, I put a little agave nectar up in it. See back a couple pages for my unbeatable healthy southern summer sweet mint tea recipe.
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For some reason I took this photo of my tea a while ago. Probably braggin'.
(http://img30.imageshack.us/img30/3375/teab.jpg) (http://img30.imageshack.us/i/teab.jpg/)
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put it in the pictures you took thread...just in case there are enough photos for the 2nd edition Pictures You Took book this xmas, i'd like to include this.
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Tea is my lovely afternoon pick me up; coffee has become my morning heroin.
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The greatest stuff ever:
(http://images-cdn01.associatedcontent.com/image/A1582/158225/470_158225.jpg)
(blurry picture not mine)
I love the green and mint combo- the Mighty Leaf Marrakesh Mint is fantastic too.
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Tea is my lovely afternoon pick me up; coffee has become always been my morning heroin.
Agreed.
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I can't drink coffee. It's hot! If a drink ain't near freezing point, it disgusts me.
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I can't drink coffee. It's hot! If a drink ain't near freezing point, it disgusts me.
Can you take iced coffee, Dave? I never used to like that, but then, I used to guzzle cup after cup of hot coffee no matter what the temp.
I've recently cut way back on that, and now during the summer pretty much only drink tea, iced or hot. Rarely have coffee any more.
Just recently tried Paul Newman iced tea - the green tea w/honey is pretty awesome, but i don't like their iced tea w/lemon. it tastes syrup-y.
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ive tried to enjoy hot tea but its hard; i prefer the cold stuff (tea and coffee).
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Electric Kettle: Worthwhile?
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Electric Kettle: Worthwhile?
Yes.
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Electric Kettle: Worthwhile?
Absolutely. Couldn't live without mine.
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Thank you, gentlemen.
I've been doing the "throw a teabag in a mug of tap water and microwave for two minutes,* then wait another 5 minutes or so" technique technique because it takes too damn long to use the stove.
Another appliance which is totally great but may seem redundant is the rice cooker.
* which is actually 120 seconds, Martin--I know you use Metric Time rather than the Babylonian in Sweden
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McSweet Tea 1 dollar
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Electric Kettle: Worthwhile?
Absolutely. Couldn't live without mine.
I bet you could, Martin. I have faith in you.
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That warms my heart, Sarah. Not as much as a kettle of hot water, of course, but still.
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I like that fuckin' Black Darjeeling.
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I switched from black to green and have been much happier with the average quality of a cup. Hardcore black tea drinkers will not believe the package, but green tea really is best with about a minute - and no more than a minute-and-a-half - of steeping.
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For my evening tea pot (I usually do one in the morning, one in the evening) I decided on a red rooibos with champagne aroma, which sounds like a novelty tea but is actually quite sensational. Also good because it doesn't keep me up all night.
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i like russian caravan with a teaspoon of maple syrup and soy milk.
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Teas Tea is the same as Itoen tea here in Japan. Gotta second the glory of that stuff. I wish it didn't cost an arm and a leg in the states. Also you might be able to find Yamamotoyama powered green tea in an Asian market near you or online. I buy it at Mitsuwa markets in the USA. It's great to toss into your favorite water bottle, shake up, and you got some green tee goodness.
http://www.yamamotoyama.com/greentea_3.html
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I love Teas Tea Golden Oolong - it's the stuff, man.
Unfortunately, I love it behind Mt. Dew (I'm sick! I'm sick!), but it helps me cut my HFCS intake by a good bit.
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I'm with you on that. Thankfully Coke out here isn't HFCS, but real sugar.
One great thing about living here is the selection of beverages. We don't have a lot of energy drinks, but lots of teas. And then there's the weird ones. Pepsi comes out with a new wacky cola every summer. Last year it was blue something, the year before that it was Ice Cucumber... this year it's shiso flavored. Shiso's that green leaf with the unique flavor that you might find in sushi sometimes. It's called perilla in English.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perilla
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3347/3653556202_26f8d94e94_m.jpg)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sleepytako/3653556202/in/set-72157602315761107
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Next year it will be "Crab Stick."
Japan is first on my "to visit in Asia" list.
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If you (or any other FOT for that matter) make it to my neck of the woods I'll make sure to get a day off to take you around to some of my favorite places or anything you'd want to see.
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Electric Kettle: Worthwhile?
Yes.
Yeah, they're great. Really fast. I do have some concerns about heating up food in plastic containers, though. We switched to a stainless steel stovetop kettle to allay anxiety about these kinds of things.
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there's only so much anxiety i can have about those kind of things before i have to eat lunch in a tupperware filled with last nite's leftovers. but for the most part, to avoid any conundrum, i bring a cold lunch.
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Electric Kettle: Worthwhile?
Yes.
Yeah, they're great. Really fast. I do have some concerns about heating up food in plastic containers, though. We switched to a stainless steel stovetop kettle to allay anxiety about these kinds of things.
You gonna die someday soon, Bryan - geologically speaking. Don't sweat the small stuff.
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Basically I agree with you, buffcoat. (Unless you're threatening me.) But this just seemed like one of those things that was easy to do and could potentially lower the amount of weird chemicals I was ingesting.
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Basically I agree with you, buffcoat. (Unless you're threatening me.) But this just seemed like one of those things that was easy to do and could potentially lower the amount of weird chemicals I was ingesting.
Not threatening you, Bryan. Yet.
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I know I'm bumping an old topic, but I was wondering if anybody had ever used an automatic tea brewer? I've been looking at them and really want one but they are too expensive to just buy one without personal recommendations.