Tea

[Josh]

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.

[Jason]

[cutout]

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.

[AllisonLeGnome]

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.

[masterofsparks]

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.

[Trembling Eagle]

i like 'nem femme celestial seasons ones in the super mercado

[Bob Balaban]

I like TG's, from england.

[erika]

I like Lady Grey. Pretty much any loose earl grey or lady grey is going to be really good. Irish Breakfast is also yummy.

[daveB from Oakland]

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.

[Stan]

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.

[Martin]

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.

[Sarah]

Like Jason, my parents swear by PG Tips.

[emma]

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

[Julie]

Irish breakfast is great with cream, especially at breakfast time.

[buffcoat]

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.