Tea
- Thread starter Laurelin
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Because microwaves heat things? 
I microwave my water for hot chocolate in a microwave, but went with a kettle for trying different teas.
I...don't know what this means. If you mean use a kettle, I do actually do that. Same dude told me to get a good tea kettle as it was the ONLY way to make good tea, so I figured if I was looking for good tea (still am), may as well do it right. Other thing was to find good tea leaves, but I've no idea what good tea leaves are, where to get them locally, or what to do with them after wards. Seems like they'd get in your drink and mess everything up.
I microwave my water for hot chocolate in a microwave, but went with a kettle for trying different teas.
I...don't know what this means. If you mean use a kettle, I do actually do that. Same dude told me to get a good tea kettle as it was the ONLY way to make good tea, so I figured if I was looking for good tea (still am), may as well do it right. Other thing was to find good tea leaves, but I've no idea what good tea leaves are, where to get them locally, or what to do with them after wards. Seems like they'd get in your drink and mess everything up.
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You use an infuser! It's a little tea-leave strainer ma-bob. Many tea kettles have them built in so you can make a whole pot but you can get little ones where you just scoop out some tea leaves and then put it in your mug. Then when your tea is brewed strong enough you just pop it out, pop it open, and toss the leaves out.
The microwave is too slow. My gas stove boils water very quickly. And it MUST be all the way to the boiling point to make good tea....not just hot water.
I drink a few cups of tea a day. Morning, I drink 2 cups of coffee, but afternoon and evening, I have tea. I'm not crazy about herbal teas and prefer black tea. My favorite is Earl Grey. I also like English Afternoon and English Breakfast. But Earl Grey, is by far my favorite. I got one from Canada that has mapel flavoring in it. It's pretty tasty.
I am sure the water has something to do with it. My spring water is very pure and not minerally tasting at all.
I drink a few cups of tea a day. Morning, I drink 2 cups of coffee, but afternoon and evening, I have tea. I'm not crazy about herbal teas and prefer black tea. My favorite is Earl Grey. I also like English Afternoon and English Breakfast. But Earl Grey, is by far my favorite. I got one from Canada that has mapel flavoring in it. It's pretty tasty.
I am sure the water has something to do with it. My spring water is very pure and not minerally tasting at all.
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I use the microwave to heat my water, but it's because I don't have a stove and unless I want to go upstairs to my parents' then it's my only heating option. Truthfully? I don't taste a difference between microwaving and stove boiling.
I have always drank tea, but lately I've been drinking A LOT of tea. It's helping me with my diet. Everytime I crave a goodie, I make a cup of tea instead. Since I can't have any added sugar on this diet I have to drink my tea plain, so I've gone herbal. Yogi teas are the best! I'm addicted to the Healthy Fasting, Bedtime, and Egyptian Licorice. They are all caffeine free. I have my one cup of Green Tea Energy in the morning, which is all I'm allowed for caffeine for the day. But yeah, Yogi teas are the best.
I have always drank tea, but lately I've been drinking A LOT of tea. It's helping me with my diet. Everytime I crave a goodie, I make a cup of tea instead. Since I can't have any added sugar on this diet I have to drink my tea plain, so I've gone herbal. Yogi teas are the best! I'm addicted to the Healthy Fasting, Bedtime, and Egyptian Licorice. They are all caffeine free. I have my one cup of Green Tea Energy in the morning, which is all I'm allowed for caffeine for the day. But yeah, Yogi teas are the best.
I drink regular supermarket available tea. My favorite is Bigelow Constant Comment, with its orange flavor. My parents used to drink it and thus I have a sentimental attachment to it. I will add thqat it is especially good in the evening with rum in it and toast on the side. Serving suggestion, you know.
I also enjoy earl grey and darjeeling. Since I work at Starbucks I get Tazo teas too. I like their Passion and wild sweet orange herbals, though I doubt they are really teas at all because they steep so fast.
My husband is a Kentuckian and as a result I have become an expert on making iced tea. He used to drink this horrendously sweet sweet tea, but I have weaned him to black tea with fresh peppermint in it. I use Red Rose tea, six tea bags per gallon plus a bunch of fresh peppermint. If I am making it without mint I uise eight bags.
The best iced tea beverage I know, though, is Tazo Berry Blossom White tea lemonade. I make at least two gallons a day of this. I take eight bags of the tea, pour a half gallon of boiling water over it. Steep abput six minutes, then add a packet of Kool Aid lemonade and a cup of sugar and another half gallon of cold water. Don't cringe at the Kool Aid, it is delicious, refreshing, and has half the sugar and calories of most sweet drinks, even less than half if you drink some kind of pop.
I also enjoy earl grey and darjeeling. Since I work at Starbucks I get Tazo teas too. I like their Passion and wild sweet orange herbals, though I doubt they are really teas at all because they steep so fast.
My husband is a Kentuckian and as a result I have become an expert on making iced tea. He used to drink this horrendously sweet sweet tea, but I have weaned him to black tea with fresh peppermint in it. I use Red Rose tea, six tea bags per gallon plus a bunch of fresh peppermint. If I am making it without mint I uise eight bags.
The best iced tea beverage I know, though, is Tazo Berry Blossom White tea lemonade. I make at least two gallons a day of this. I take eight bags of the tea, pour a half gallon of boiling water over it. Steep abput six minutes, then add a packet of Kool Aid lemonade and a cup of sugar and another half gallon of cold water. Don't cringe at the Kool Aid, it is delicious, refreshing, and has half the sugar and calories of most sweet drinks, even less than half if you drink some kind of pop.
darjeeling tends ot be a little overpowering for me and as gustav said, when your drinking like 10 cups a day in a family of 4 tea drinkers...it gets pricey. weve cut back to 1-2 cups a day now because good tea is too expensive in the USA.
darjeeling would be a good brand to try if you find other blacks not quite strong enough. make sure water is always poured HOT and let the tea steep
an electric kettle is the EASIEST way of boiling water, i hate stovetop boiling as the kettles are very difficult to clean properly (they always have tiny openings ) and make sure the kettle is cleaned throughly regularly (hard water makes yicky tea and even good water will slowly build up on the heating element (or bottom when dealing with stove top)
ive personally found LOOSE teas do best with a proper teapot, hot water goes in, teaball packed with loose tea goes in cozy goes ontop and stew.
however direct form kettle teabags do best, and keeping it moving while it steeps will get you an even stronger tea as the biggest problem with teabags is the leaves get compacted in the middle and dont release all the flavor.
darjeeling would be a good brand to try if you find other blacks not quite strong enough. make sure water is always poured HOT and let the tea steep
an electric kettle is the EASIEST way of boiling water, i hate stovetop boiling as the kettles are very difficult to clean properly (they always have tiny openings
) and make sure the kettle is cleaned throughly regularly (hard water makes yicky tea and even good water will slowly build up on the heating element (or bottom when dealing with stove top)ive personally found LOOSE teas do best with a proper teapot, hot water goes in, teaball packed with loose tea goes in cozy goes ontop and stew.
however direct form kettle teabags do best, and keeping it moving while it steeps will get you an even stronger tea as the biggest problem with teabags is the leaves get compacted in the middle and dont release all the flavor.
I used to drink copious amounts of tea, especially after that first trip to Scotland when I discovered that the UK really does lack that "coffee-making" gene. Worst cup of coffee I've ever had was in the Glasgow airport.
I can't remember the name of the English Breakfast tea I was drinking for a bit, but I thought the British Tetley was ok. Much better than Lipton by far!! Used to take it straight black, then started adding a splash of milk and a wee bit of sugar after I realized that along with lacking the "coffee" gene, I have yet to meet a UK person who can remember "no milk". It's just automatic. I went around various parts of Scotland, had untold cups of tea one day and they all had milk. Really, it's true...walk into a place and within 5 minutes, unless you've shot someone, the kettle will be on. If you have shot someone, the kettle will switched on after the cops are called.
GO: a good, properly brewed cup of black tea with a splash of milk has a proper mouth-feel to it. That used to be my biggest complaint of tea, but I was also drinking nothing but cheap Lipton crap.
And MMMMmmmmmm HobNobs....I got hooked on those!
I've since switched back to coffee after moving to CO...couldn't drink tea for a bit there for a couple of reasons. I do enjoy a cup of Aveda's The (pronounced "tay")...it's their special loose-leaf blend designed for relaxation. I've got a tea ball floating around somewhere.
I can't remember the name of the English Breakfast tea I was drinking for a bit, but I thought the British Tetley was ok. Much better than Lipton by far!! Used to take it straight black, then started adding a splash of milk and a wee bit of sugar after I realized that along with lacking the "coffee" gene, I have yet to meet a UK person who can remember "no milk". It's just automatic. I went around various parts of Scotland, had untold cups of tea one day and they all had milk. Really, it's true...walk into a place and within 5 minutes, unless you've shot someone, the kettle will be on. If you have shot someone, the kettle will switched on after the cops are called.
GO: a good, properly brewed cup of black tea with a splash of milk has a proper mouth-feel to it. That used to be my biggest complaint of tea, but I was also drinking nothing but cheap Lipton crap.
And MMMMmmmmmm HobNobs....I got hooked on those!
I've since switched back to coffee after moving to CO...couldn't drink tea for a bit there for a couple of reasons. I do enjoy a cup of Aveda's The (pronounced "tay")...it's their special loose-leaf blend designed for relaxation. I've got a tea ball floating around somewhere.