Tea Time! (Discussion and Tutorial)

[Sejanus]

Seeing as we have a coffee thread, and seeing interest in tea I thought we should get one of these started.

Specifically I would like this space to sort of be a gathering place for great home-brewed tea. Which is not that hard as long as you take some time, get some proper tools/ingredients and follow some rules. Then you too will know the pleasure of a great cup of the world 2nd most popular drink (next to #1, water!).

Here is how I brew my tea, with some of the equipment I use. Now these are only what I use (and some of them are pricey, but I am crazy).

Ingredients/Hardware:
For a great cup of tea you will need!


Good Tasting Water (NOT DISTILLED)
Tea (Loose Leaf)
Kettle (Electric or Stovetop)
Teapot


Factor #1, Tea Leaves:
First, to get the best cup of tea you need to brew with Loose Leaf Teas! You can get a decent cup of tea from a bag but it takes a much different set of rules to get it done which I will not cover here.

The best place to get loose leaf teas is either online or at a local Tea Shop. Most Tea Shop owners know everything that needs to known about Tea and can point you in the right direction based on your own personal tastes. Ask questions! The more you ask, the more you learn and you can then make your own choices.
NOTE: If you run across Tea Grades, Aim for O.P. (Orange Pekoe) Tea. It is the nice and basic loose leaf that you are looking for. When it doubt, the more letters in the grade (T.O.P., etc) the more expensive the tea.

For a basic intro there are three different types of Tea. Green, Oolong and Black (Or Red) Tea. Each follows some different brewing rules which I will go over when they have differences. Most of the tea you think of (Say Earl Grey) is Black Tea which is most common here in North America and England. Oolong and Green Teas are what you think about when you think of Japan or China for the most part.

So you have your tea. Here is the first thing you need to remember: You need to keep your tea in an airtight dark tin like these:
http://www.teacentre.se/catalog/images/TC-TeaTins.jpg
This will allow your teas to last a year or more. Keep them in a cool pantry.

Factor #2, Water!
So now that you have your leaves, you need your water. If your tap water tastes good then go for it. If you need to use a filter then grab the water before you brew. The fresher the better for the water. Don't use distilled since it won't extract the right about of Tea Goodness. Bottled water isn't so good either since it will be a little too stale. You need lots of oxygen for Tea Brewing so choose fresh!

Factor #3, Boiling the Water/Pre-Brewing Prep:
Ok, put your water in the kettle and start the boil. Get your teapot ready for the brewing. You can choose any kettle really but there are some things you need to keep in mind:

It needs to be big enough
It needs to retain heat

I personally use a Japanese Tetsubin Teapot like this one:
http://www1.istockphoto.com/file_thumbview_approve/2806523/2/istockphoto_2806523_black_tetsubin.jpg
It is a Cast Iron Teapot with a Porcelain interior. It gets hot and STAYS hot, which is best for the tea. If you have a straight porcelain Teapot or metal or whatever, get a tea cozy to keep it warm if you aren't confident it can stay hot.
When the water reaches a boil, poor some into the teapot and slosh it around until you preheat the pot. This is important for two reasons:

It rinses out the inside of the pot
It preheats the pot, which prevents the heat from being stolen from the tea

Bring the water back to a boil and get ready for actual brewing!

Factor #4 Brewing!
Here we go! The moment of truth! While you are waiting for the water to come back to a boil, decide how tea you are going to brew. For each cup of tea (6 Ounces of water) you will need 1 spoonful of tea leaves. Spoon your tea into a strainer or cheesecloth. Choose the biggest one that will fit into your pot, you want those leaves to expand as MUCH as possible BUT you need to be able to remove the leaves at the end of brewing.

So you have your tea portioned, your water is boiled. You are ready to brew. NOT YET! What kind of tea are you brewing? It matters because teas need to brew at different temperatures.

If you are brewing Black Tea like Earl Grey, pour the water onto the leaves right off the boil. Black Teas are best when brewed at the full boil. If you are brewing Green or Oolong, let the water sit until it is lowers in temp to around 200 Degrees F for Oolong, 180 for Green. Just give it a long 5-7 count for Oolong or a 12 count for Green and that should be ok. If you are paranoid, use a thermometer to make sure! Whatever temp you need, pour onto the leaves when you reach it and put the lid on your teapot.

Brew time also matters. The GENERAL rule is 3-5 minutes for Black Tea, 4-7 for Oolong and 2-3 for Green Tea. Play around with these depending on how you like the strength of your tea. Remove the leaves as SOON as your time is reaches to prevent over brewing. Your properly prepped pot will keep the tea nice and hot. My Testubin keeps tea hot for over an hour!

Factor #5 Post Brew.
Your tea is done! If you followed the proper brewing steps it should be perfect the way it is. No milk/sugar needed. Oolong/Green should NEVER have additives, it just ruins the subtle tastes. For Black Tea you can add stuff but if you want to add milk, add it to your cup before you pour the tea. This prevents the milk from possibly curdling/bringing solids out of solution for your tea. Sugar can be added when the tea is hot, preferably before the milk so it dissolves best.

Some food for thought, some studies suggest milk actually stops the 'healthy components' in tea from doing their job. I never add anything to my tea, unless I am not at home. The tea I buy is too expensive to ruin with additions, but the tea on the train needs milk/sugar to be drinkable.. :rofl

This is just a basic outline for tea brewing and such. There are some other factors but for a basic tutorial this works. Let the tea drinkers of TSD unite for discussion!

[peacefrog]

Thanks for the tutorial. If I want to add sugar and milk, and if I put milk in the cup before the tea, how do I add sugar before the milk as you suggest? Can it go into the pot?

[Sejanus]

Thanks for the tutorial. If I want to add sugar and milk, and if I put milk in the cup before the tea, how do I add sugar before the milk as you suggest? Can it go into the pot?

I would put the sugar in with the milk. While the sugar will not dissolve all the way in cold liquid it will get a little head start and finish dissolving when you add the hot tea.

You should keep the pot for water/tea really..

[Queen of Blades]

Great thread, Ken!

Very informative. I might just attempt brewing some loose leaf tea now. I never have before. :ashamed001

[Sejanus]

Great thread, Ken!

Very informative. I might just attempt brewing some loose leaf tea now. I never have before. :ashamed001

You'll never go back to Tea Bags again ;)

[Queen of Blades]

You'll never go back to Tea Bags again ;)

I don't know. I am pretty lazy. And impatient. :o

[sparky5693]

Excellent to see some tea conversation (thanks sejanus). I'm an avid green tea drinker. Nothing else seems to make me feel as good as a warm mug of green tea (okay okay, sometimes oolong)

On a recent trip to Japan I was able to take part in a tea ceremony, given by a friend. I learned a great deal about teas, while there. I was able to experience some great teas, including a strange teaball. After the first infusion, the ball opened up to look just like a rose, made entirely of leaves.

A tetsubin is an excellent vessel for tea, but you do have to be cautious with greens, as it can over brew the tea (leaving it slightly bitter). I prefer a kyusu teapot myself, but that's just personal opinion. Many teas work best when brewed in a teapot that does not have a basket inside. You need to allow lots of room for the leaves to "bloom".

[Sejanus]

I don't know. I am pretty lazy. And impatient. :o

It takes no more than 7 minutes or so. Most of the time is simply waiting. Plus the results are sooo much better.

I know you can do it.. :p

[IsaacRN]

I make a mean pitcher of Sweet Tea :)

[Sejanus]

After the first infusion, the ball opened up to look just like a rose, made entirely of leaves.

A tetsubin is an excellent vessel for tea, but you do have to be cautious with greens, as it can over brew the tea (leaving it slightly bitter). I prefer a kyusu teapot myself, but that's just personal opinion. Many teas work best when brewed in a teapot that does not have a basket inside. You need to allow lots of room for the leaves to "bloom".

Those tea balls are becoming increasingly popular for White Teas so I am hearing, as well as for greens.

Also a good point about the lack of basket. I personally do not use a basket when I make tea that I am going to drink right away. For tea that I plan to drink over a long period of time the basket (or a huge bag of cheesecloth) is nice to remove the leaves to prevent the over brewing.

[Queen of Blades]

7 minutes

7 MINUTES??????

Good Lord!!! :eek:


:rofl

[Sejanus]

7 MINUTES??????

Good Lord!!! :eek:


:rofl

Yeah.. 4 minutes to boil the water, 3 minutes for infusion. It can take 5 minutes to make pop-tarts! It is not that long! :rofl

[Queen of Blades]

Yeah.. 4 minutes to boil the water, 3 minutes for infusion. It can take 5 minutes to make pop-tarts! It is not that long! :rofl

Yeah, but I don't have to babysit the pop tarts. :rolleyes:

[Sejanus]

Yeah, but I don't have to babysit the pop tarts. :rolleyes:

You don't have to babysit boiling water either.. it isn't going to over boil :D

[Queen of Blades]

You don't have to babysit boiling water either.. it isn't going to over boil :D

Yeah, but if I don't babysit the tea, it will over brew, right? :p

[Sejanus]

Yeah, but if I don't babysit the tea, it will over brew, right? :p

Set a kitchen timer, come back when it goes off and pour your tea. Or you could be toasting your English Muffins at the time. :D

[Queen of Blades]

Set a kitchen timer, come back when it goes off and pour your tea. Or you could be toasting your English Muffins at the time. :D

Let's not discuss my english muffins, ok? :p

[Sejanus]

Well since you brought it up, here is some advice for Tea Bag Brewing!

Tea Bags are a slightly different beast as opposed to loose leaf tea. The time is about the same but there are two things you should keep in mind when you brew with a tea bag.

First is, do not let the water boil for a tea bag. The boiling water will extract the bitter qualities of the lower quality tea in the bags. Keep your water at around 180 degrees and infuse with that.

Second is NEVER squeeze your tea bags into your tea to 'get that little extra out'. Same reasoning as above, you'll get the bitter qualities out of the bag. Just let it drain a bit and discard.

There you go Jo, now you can brew a yummy cup of Tea bag Tea! :D

[IsaacRN]

Now that was helpful...ive always done the squeezing.

[Sejanus]

Now that was helpful...ive always done the squeezing.

Another side effect is the fact squeezing adds to the cloudiness of the tea.

[IsaacRN]

I use Luzianne tea for my Ice Tea......its specially formulated to Not cloud up

[Sejanus]

I use Luzianne tea for my Ice Tea......its specially formulated to Not cloud up

It can ALWAYS cloud up....

[IsaacRN]

Nooooooo.... Not according to them :P

[Sejanus]

Nooooooo.... Not according to them :P

They lie... lol

[sparky5693]

If you guys/gal haven't tried real loose leaf tea you should. Usually, bag tea is the tea leaf dust, and leftovers that were too small to sell separately. Dump those leftovers in a paper sack, and voila, something to sell.

I know a lot of you enjoy your lipton, or luzianne, but give the real thing a shot sometime. Sure, bag tea is easier, but what you're experiencing is not really the way tea was meant to taste.

[Queen of Blades]

There you go Jo, now you can brew a yummy cup of Tea bag Tea! :D

Thanks, Ken!

[IsaacRN]

If you guys/gal haven't tried real loose leaf tea you should. Usually, bag tea is the tea leaf dust, and leftovers that were too small to sell separately. Dump those leftovers in a paper sack, and voila, something to sell.

I know a lot of you enjoy your lipton, or luzianne, but give the real thing a shot sometime. Sure, bag tea is easier, but what you're experiencing is not really the way tea was meant to taste.


Well im brewing for Ice Tea.....specifically sweet tea..so i wouldnt want to waste loose tea...or even try to make a pitcher of tea with loose tea.

[Sejanus]

Well im brewing for Ice Tea.....specifically sweet tea..so i wouldnt want to waste loose tea...or even try to make a pitcher of tea with loose tea.

You are very much right, for Sweet Tea I wouldn't waste loose leaf tea.

Hey Bobby, have you ever tried Dragonwell Green? It's a Chinese variety.

[sparky5693]

I have tried dragon well, but I have found that it varies greatly between sellers (usually good though).

Currently I've gotten onto a gyokuro tea kick. I brought back an insane amount of different teas while I was over there. It's so easy to find good tea. Best of all, most vending machines have like 1 soda, and the rest is tea (green, and oolong), with an occasional can of coffee. I keep meaning to try the puerh, (from trees at least 100 years old) but haven't yet.
If you haven't already found them, i'd recommend checking out o-cha.com. The sell some of the freshest tea I have ever found. Rishi-tea.com is also good, but nowhere near as fresh.

[Sejanus]

I was lucky to get to try pu erh served in the traditional Gungfu brewing with Yixing pots. Was a lot of fun to be a part of the whole ritual and when I get to Japan I also plan to take part in a Japanese Tea Ceremony not only for my own enjoyment but also I am curious how the whole experience differs from the Gungfu ceremony.

[SSLSTudio...]

Great thread, Ken!

Very informative. I might just attempt brewing some loose leaf tea now. I never have before. :ashamed001

Oh you havent lived life have you ? :p

Go ahead once you go loose leaf ya never go back to crap in a bag.

[IsaacRN]

Im enjoying this thread :)

[qhsdoitall]

Excellent to see some tea conversation (thanks sejanus). I'm an avid green tea drinker. Nothing else seems to make me feel as good as a warm mug of green tea (okay okay, sometimes oolong)

On a recent trip to Japan I was able to take part in a tea ceremony, given by a friend. I learned a great deal about teas, while there. I was able to experience some great teas, including a strange teaball. After the first infusion, the ball opened up to look just like a rose, made entirely of leaves.

A tetsubin is an excellent vessel for tea, but you do have to be cautious with greens, as it can over brew the tea (leaving it slightly bitter). I prefer a kyusu teapot myself, but that's just personal opinion. Many teas work best when brewed in a teapot that does not have a basket inside. You need to allow lots of room for the leaves to "bloom".

I have a Kyusu Teapot with a wire mesh strainer that goes around the inside of the teapot. It allows the leaves to fully bloom. I have 3 or 4 different Japanese green teas including one with brown rice (Genmai). Coffee in the morning and Japanese Green Tea in the afternoon.

::

[Sejanus]

I have a Kyusu Teapot with a wire mesh strainer that goes around the inside of the teapot. It allows the leaves to fully bloom. I have 3 or 4 different Japanese green teas including one with brown rice (Genmai). Coffee in the morning and Japanese Green Tea in the afternoon.

::

Is it a flexible wire mesh strainer by any chance?

[qhsdoitall]

Is it a flexible wire mesh strainer by any chance?

Yes, but I would not take it out. I would consider it an integral part of the pot lining the sides.

[Sejanus]

Got to love the different schools of straining/lack of the straining thought! :D

[Slick & Smooth]

I am especially fond of green teas but golden tea has it charms as well. I believe the Golden tea is Huang da Cha and just half fermented which gives it a golden glance. It has a really nice somewhat earth- and somewhat herblike taste.
Dragonwell I like as well.
My absolute top tea would be buddha ama cha. It might be a shock for the tea purists but it isn't actually made from a teaplant but from a hortensia which is dried on sweet rice leaves giving it an incredible mild and subtle sweet flavour. I believe it is traditionally consumed in Japan on Buddha's birthday. Though it is really expensive (if it is dirt cheap something is not right) I really recommend you try it sometime.

[SSLSTudio...]

Ok Tea Guru's

What is your basic idea for the Russian Samovar , I was about to buy one because one. My Glass tea pot broke which sux as a tea pot and I can upgrade to a real Japanese one but at the same time I need to buy a new Kettle/water boiler since the one im using now has the lid broken off that you need to start the boiling of water.

Very interesting how distilled water is not the right water.. or would that be minera bottled water is bad too (I use mineral water in the Senseo to make Coffee but that a whole different thread ). that means im stuck with tap water because I dont have a nice Japanese waterfall in my Garden.. oh well must fix that.

Ken makes a good point about the Leafes needing to bloom but then you would need to get the leafes out , to make that step faster there are pots with strainers buildin as it seems that is what Rich is talking about ? but a strainer /leaf holder would seem to me to not fully let the leafes bloom.
another point would be Ken ok you have the leafes inside the pot do you strain your tea into something else ? then poor the tea back in your you go fishing for the leafes I didnt quite get that ritual there.

The Samovar is what most russians use to make tea ,do we have any russian members or someone that can explain more about this it seems its a kettle and tea pot in one thats mainly why I wanted to get it because it would replace my glass tea pot, and my handicapped water boiler I have each time I need to start boiling water I need to insert a mini screwdriver and fiddle .

Im still figuring out what this Samovar can do for me ,even though in my heart I wanna go the Japanese style cuz I love Japanese culture.

http://www.samovartea.com/

[IsaacRN]

OMG...that setup looks so cool

[Sejanus]

Ken makes a good point about the Leafes needing to bloom but then you would need to get the leafes out , to make that step faster there are pots with strainers buildin as it seems that is what Rich is talking about ? but a strainer /leaf holder would seem to me to not fully let the leafes bloom.
another point would be Ken ok you have the leafes inside the pot do you strain your tea into something else ? then poor the tea back in your you go fishing for the leafes I didnt quite get that ritual there.

A little more about the straining/lack of straining comments.

To get the most out of your loose leaf Teas you need to give them LOTS of room to bloom properly which is why the typically mesh strainers/tea balls simply do not work too well. So what is the solution? Well.. sort of depends on how much effort you want to put into it.

You certainly can use a strainer in the pot. You won't get the bloom to the same effect but if you use a BIG strainer (or one like Rich has where it is basically a complete pot lining) you can minimize or completely remove the negatives. In pot strainers of ANY kind are very easy and user friendly.

You can neglect the use of a strainer all together and poor your tea directly into a cup THROUGH a strainer that is sitting on the cup. This works great if you are serving all your tea at once or if you are only making a single cup with a mini pot. (For example, I have a one serving Tetsubin which holds water for only one person.) This allows you to have full bloom AND get your tea strained. Problems arise however if you are having tea for more than one person or you do not want to serve it all at once since your teas will continue to infuse which will only cause the tea to become bitter.

There are some others who actually just leave the tea in throughout the whole process and get left with the old 'tea leaves' in the cup to read your fortune. I do not claim responsibility if your tea leaves say you are going to die. Just so we get that out of the way :D.

Really the whole straining process is a personal choice. If you are comfortable with a little less blooming you can use the biggest in pot strainer that will fit, or find a lining like Rich has. If you don't care about a little left over tea in the cup then just pour your tea with no straining if you are serving all at once or pour through a strainer sitting in the cup and discard. The thing you simply have to remember is "Keep the tea hot and prevent over infusion". The rest is really up in the air.

[Sejanus]

(continued thoughts from previous pages' post)

Oh, finally about that Russian Tea Giant over there.. :rofl

I have never used one, but from what I know of them they work well but are a rather large investment for the biggest ones and take up a LOT of room, they are also more of a multi-person tea set up.

Another point about water:

If your tap water is not up to par Rene, consider getting a cheapish Charcoal activated filter jug and running your water through there before you brew. The important thing to remember is the freshness of the water and also that it isn't too 'squeaky clean', hence why distilled water is a no go. It won't extract anything. Mineral water is sort of on the opposite side, it is not fresh and it might have too MUCH mineral content and your tea will be heavy or worse, if you had a Russian Tea Giant like that you might have to de scale it every couple of months from the boiling of the mineral water.

[desmoface]

Great thread. I'm not much of a coffee drinker, but I loves me bloody tea.

Here was me last order from Upton Teas:

River Shannon Breakfast Blend

Extra Bergamot English Earl Grey

Earl Grey

Bond Street English Breakfast Blend

Tasty.

Steve

[sparky5693]

Ok Tea Guru's

What is your basic idea for the Russian Samovar , I was about to buy one because one. My Glass tea pot broke which sux as a tea pot and I can upgrade to a real Japanese one but at the same time I need to buy a new Kettle/water boiler since the one im using now has the lid broken off that you need to start the boiling of water.

Very interesting how distilled water is not the right water.. or would that be minera bottled water is bad too (I use mineral water in the Senseo to make Coffee but that a whole different thread ). that means im stuck with tap water because I dont have a nice Japanese waterfall in my Garden.. oh well must fix that.

Ken makes a good point about the Leafes needing to bloom but then you would need to get the leafes out , to make that step faster there are pots with strainers buildin as it seems that is what Rich is talking about ? but a strainer /leaf holder would seem to me to not fully let the leafes bloom.
another point would be Ken ok you have the leafes inside the pot do you strain your tea into something else ? then poor the tea back in your you go fishing for the leafes I didnt quite get that ritual there.

The Samovar is what most russians use to make tea ,do we have any russian members or someone that can explain more about this it seems its a kettle and tea pot in one thats mainly why I wanted to get it because it would replace my glass tea pot, and my handicapped water boiler I have each time I need to start boiling water I need to insert a mini screwdriver and fiddle .

Im still figuring out what this Samovar can do for me ,even though in my heart I wanna go the Japanese style cuz I love Japanese culture.

http://www.samovartea.com/

Despite it's poor reviews online, I use the boiler below. I can actually set the temperature it holds the water at, in 5 degree intervals via an lcd thermostat. I have noticed the Japanese tend to use a zojirushi boiler.
http://sale.hsn.com/bravetti-electric-tea-kettle_p-2170313_xp.aspx?web_id=2170313&sz=0&sf=&dept=&cat=&subcat=&gs=&attr=&ocm=sekw

With the water, it's the minerals you want to keep. The consensus is that the loss of minerals in distilled water. I would think and spring, filtered, or mineral water would be fine.

[Sejanus]

Despite it's poor reviews online, I use the boiler below. I can actually set the temperature it holds the water at, in 5 degree intervals via an lcd thermostat. I have noticed the Japanese tend to use a zojirushi boiler.
http://sale.hsn.com/bravetti-electric-tea-kettle_p-2170313_xp.aspx?web_id=2170313&sz=0&sf=&dept=&cat=&subcat=&gs=&attr=&ocm=sekw

With the water, it's the minerals you want to keep. The consensus is that the loss of minerals in distilled water. I would think and spring, filtered, or mineral water would be fine.

Personally as long as the kettle boils the water, anything else is bonus.

[sparky5693]

Personally as long as the kettle boils the water, anything else is bonus.

True that. Being the uber techno nerd that I am, I wanted to have precise temperature control... and yes, that is overkill :ashamed001

[TraderJoe]

This might sound obvious/redudant............but I really enjoy Peppermint tea :drool

Yes, I have tried the loose-tea variants and with Japanese pots, but I am not fluent with all the terminology and such. My girlfriend did bring a pot back from when she was in Japan years ago.

[Sejanus]

True that. Being the uber techno nerd that I am, I wanted to have precise temperature control... and yes, that is overkill :ashamed001

I can certainly see the reason for having it. Makes brewing the more delicate teas a tad easier!

This might sound obvious/redudant............but I really enjoy Peppermint tea :drool

Yes, I have tried the loose-tea variants and with Japanese pots, but I am not fluent with all the terminology and such. My girlfriend did bring a pot back from when she was in Japan years ago.

Peppermint Tea is yummy...

Post a picture of the pot!

[Sailinblues]

Good Evening,
I have a small 3 cup French press that is sitting in my cabinet unused. It's a little small for coffee. Would this be satisfactory for brewing green teas? It basically will only make one med cup, so keeping it warm wouldn't be an issue, and I think it would give the leaves plenty of room to bloom. With all of the java paraphernalia in the house, I don't need to be bringing in more stuff, but I would like to try the loose green teas. Thanks.

[Sejanus]

Good Evening,
I have a small 3 cup French press that is sitting in my cabinet unused. It's a little small for coffee. Would this be satisfactory for brewing green teas? It basically will only make one med cup, so keeping it warm wouldn't be an issue, and I think it would give the leaves plenty of room to bloom. With all of the java paraphernalia in the house, I don't need to be bringing in more stuff, but I would like to try the loose green teas. Thanks.

I have heard of people using French Press to brew Tea. It is actually pretty useful since you can push the leaves away and then pour, getting yourself a pretty clear cup.

I would say you should give it a shot! Should work well.

[qhsdoitall]

I have heard of people using French Press to brew Tea. It is actually pretty useful since you can push the leaves away and then pour, getting yourself a pretty clear cup.

I would say you should give it a shot! Should work well.

I use the French Press at home for this. I use the AeroPress for coffee.

[Sejanus]

I use the French Press at home for this. I use the AeroPress for coffee.

Yeah it's a pretty easy and effective way to do it so I hear if you are trying to multi-task.

[Edcculus]

Just poppin in real quick!

I recently saw a Good Eats episode talking about tea, so I thought I'd share:

Part 1 (http://video.google.com/url?docid=4808297921128046281&esrc=sr1&ev=v&len=625&q=good%2Beats%2Btea&srcurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D QrqBe9sWHsk&vidurl=%2Fvideoplay%3Fdocid%3D4808297921128046281% 26q%3Dgood%2Beats%2Btea%26total%3D14%26start%3D0%2 6num%3D10%26so%3D0%26type%3Dsearch%26plindex%3D0&usg=AL29H21l_sCjVHaudBJeJylZ_g3haVYO_g)
Part 2 (http://video.google.com/url?docid=-211603862029623938&esrc=sr2&ev=v&len=621&q=good%2Beats%2Btea&srcurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D _RA7aJqfnX4&vidurl=%2Fvideoplay%3Fdocid%3D-211603862029623938%26q%3Dgood%2Beats%2Btea%26total %3D14%26start%3D0%26num%3D10%26so%3D0%26type%3Dsea rch%26plindex%3D1&usg=AL29H20MuhLAovGvOxvvlzM2Jp4tEYoUqg)

[Sejanus]

Just poppin in real quick!

I recently saw a Good Eats episode talking about tea, so I thought I'd share:

Part 1 (http://video.google.com/url?docid=4808297921128046281&esrc=sr1&ev=v&len=625&q=good%2Beats%2Btea&srcurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D QrqBe9sWHsk&vidurl=%2Fvideoplay%3Fdocid%3D4808297921128046281% 26q%3Dgood%2Beats%2Btea%26total%3D14%26start%3D0%2 6num%3D10%26so%3D0%26type%3Dsearch%26plindex%3D0&usg=AL29H21l_sCjVHaudBJeJylZ_g3haVYO_g)
Part 2 (http://video.google.com/url?docid=-211603862029623938&esrc=sr2&ev=v&len=621&q=good%2Beats%2Btea&srcurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D _RA7aJqfnX4&vidurl=%2Fvideoplay%3Fdocid%3D-211603862029623938%26q%3Dgood%2Beats%2Btea%26total %3D14%26start%3D0%26num%3D10%26so%3D0%26type%3Dsea rch%26plindex%3D1&usg=AL29H20MuhLAovGvOxvvlzM2Jp4tEYoUqg)

Alton Brown is great at giving basics! You will probably find that if you watch this episode, a lot of what he says sounds like what I wrote in my original piece. The answer to this is simple. HE STOLE MY IDEAS! :rofl

Nah.. I just got a bunch of ideas from him and expanded on some of them.
Can't go wrong with Good Eats!

[IsaacRN]

my favorite cooking show......its fun and educational

[SSLSTudio...]

This might sound obvious/redudant............but I really enjoy Peppermint tea :drool

Yes, I have tried the loose-tea variants and with Japanese pots, but I am not fluent with all the terminology and such. My girlfriend did bring a pot back from when she was in Japan years ago.

Im with you on that , I have a friend who goes to Greece every year to visit his Father he brings me back bags filled with fresh mint tea ,best ever !
and its healthy too for the stomach I believe.

[IsaacRN]

After watching 1 episode of the Good Eats....i want to drink tea :(

[jbcohen]

Personally I have been doing this for over thirty-five years. I have done this every way possilbe I have up to two hundred different blends of granular tea in my desk drawer, some that will make your hair stand on end. In my personal opinion there is almost nothing better than a cup of hot joe to get me going in the morning. If I need a real jolt I will use Gunpowder Green to get me going. That stuff did not come by its name causally. I love a cup of hot joe in the morning. Never really liked coffee much always fell back on a cup of hot tea to get me going.

After approximatly thirty years and over one hundred blends of tea I have this down to a fine science.

[jnich67]

Great thread and very timely! I've been flirting with the idea of taking my tea to the next level.

Can someone recommend a good basic teapot with a large basket (the HD of teapots, if you will)? I'm thinking of something that will make 3-4 cups that I can keep at my desk (which is in my home) and drink while I work. I've seen a number of glass teapots. Do these actually keep the tea hot? I wouldn't think they do. I've been looking at a Chatsworth pot on specialteas.com. Has anyone ever tried one? Thanks for the information. This is great!

Jordan

[Sejanus]

Glass is not one of the better holders of heat in the world of thermodynamics but it will get the job done in a pinch. Movingly slightly up the ladder an earthenware teapot (Brown Betty or the like) would probably give you better heat retention. You can always buy a tea cozy to go with it though which will certainly make a difference.

In the end, pick a tea pot you like and go for it. You really can't go wrong with any of the choices.. they will all work in the end, just some have different properties.

Enjoy your tea!

[jnich67]

Just an update, I went ahead and picked up a Brown Betty (very cute) and a bunch of teas from Indigo Teas. I'm still trying to figure out whether to get a strainer or just stick with cheese cloth. The shape of the pot makes it difficult to find a strainer large enough to do the job.

My wife if annoyed that I'm taking up even more room in the house - I've already annexed the shelf in our bathroom for shaving stuff ;)

This if fun!

Jordan

[javyn]

Extra Bergamot English Earl Grey

That stuff is insane! Oh, Upton has a wonderful low grade Rooibos.

[jbcohen]

I must disagree I have been doing this for thirty years now and amlmost always with glass tea pots and have worked great. At home I use a stove top tea kettle, does an excellent job at work I use a cofee pot and coffee filters, I just simply filter tea through the coffee stream. My advice is to concentrate more on the teas themselves then the tea pot. I have found that an average coffee maker will get the job done in an excellent maner. In the area of teas not all granulars are made the same. Some have more caffine then others some are smoother than others. If I want a jolt I will use gunpowder, it came by that name for a reason. I have found the best place to shop for teas are specialty shops, such as in my area there is a store called ME Swings that sells both coffee and tea, and has excellent blends of teas. Safeway is ok not great, in my opinion. The best grocery store for these tends to be Magurders.

I have found three types of teas and here my impressions of each after thrity years of doing this:

Flavored - tends to be the mint, pepermint, spearmint - tends to be popular among the women, stay away like the plauge.

Black - tends to be most of the teas we men drink, most prelvant is Earl Gray, made popular by Captain John Luke Piccard of the StarShip Enterpise (says to his machine Tea Earl Gray hot).

Green - Most prelevant is the Gensing tea, if you look at a fresh cup the tea will be tinged green, thats how it got its name. Gren tends to be great for people like myself with a family history of heart problems.

That's my opinion and I am sticking with it.

[sparky5693]

I must disagree I have been doing this for thirty years now and amlmost always with glass tea pots and have worked great. At home I use a stove top tea kettle, does an excellent job at work I use a cofee pot and coffee filters, I just simply filter tea through the coffee stream. My advice is to concentrate more on the teas themselves then the tea pot. I have found that an average coffee maker will get the job done in an excellent maner. In the area of teas not all granulars are made the same. Some have more caffine then others some are smoother than others. If I want a jolt I will use gunpowder, it came by that name for a reason. I have found the best place to shop for teas are specialty shops, such as in my area there is a store called ME Swings that sells both coffee and tea, and has excellent blends of teas. Safeway is ok not great, in my opinion. The best grocery store for these tends to be Magurders.

I have found three types of teas and here my impressions of each after thrity years of doing this:

Flavored - tends to be the mint, pepermint, spearmint - tends to be popular among the women, stay away like the plauge.

Black - tends to be most of the teas we men drink, most prelvant is Earl Gray, made popular by Captain John Luke Piccard of the StarShip Enterpise (says to his machine Tea Earl Gray hot).

Green - Most prelevant is the Gensing tea, if you look at a fresh cup the tea will be tinged green, thats how it got its name. Gren tends to be great for people like myself with a family history of heart problems.

That's my opinion and I am sticking with it.

Actually the term gunpowder comes from their look. Gunpowder was a impressive invention. It was invented in China, and china happens to be the source of many of our teas. The tiny rolled up pellets of tea reminded them of how gunpowder looked, hence it's name.

Heck, i've seen decaffinated gunpowder tea.

[Sejanus]

Glass does work well (frankly most mediums work well.. except something silly like plastic) but glass has two features as opposed to cast iron that I note. One is obviously how much more delicate a Glass Teapot is, however since no one is throwing them around it shouldn't make THAT much of a difference unless of course there is a physical flaw in the glass. However the heat retention in Cast Iron is second to none, which I personally like.

Having said that though, different schools of thought are always welcome and none are wrong. Just differences in viewpoint. :D

[jbcohen]

Gee thanks sparky I love learning new things. My glass pot works great sejanus.

[_JP_]

I've been enjoying some Lapsang Souchong tea that I picked up a few days ago. It's good for three infusions and I find myself enjoying the variances in flavors and aromas between the infusions as I make each succeeding cup. But it got me to wondering, do some of you store the "used" tea between infusions for a later date. If so, how?

[Sejanus]

I've been enjoying some Lapsang Souchong tea that I picked up a few days ago. It's good for three infusions and I find myself enjoying the variances in flavors and aromas between the infusions as I make each succeeding cup. But it got me to wondering, do some of you store the "used" tea between infusions for a later date. If so, how?

Most teas I deal with are not suitable for multiple infusions, but in the cases where I have heard of multiple infusions it seems most of them are part of a ritual and the infusions come very quickly after each other and not say.. a day later.

I would think quality would suffer if you tried to store wet tea for later use.. but to be honest it is not something I have really thought about too much.

[TstebinsB]

snip... cuz I love Japanese culture.

+1

[sparky5693]

I've been enjoying some Lapsang Souchong tea that I picked up a few days ago. It's good for three infusions and I find myself enjoying the variances in flavors and aromas between the infusions as I make each succeeding cup. But it got me to wondering, do some of you store the "used" tea between infusions for a later date. If so, how?

I was taught that all infusions should complete within an hour of the first.

[SSLSTudio...]

Basic Introduction to Japanese Tea ceremonie in english.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cN5de0HR_ME


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNMh0tdwxyQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoYZqd5tHN8&feature=related

[Sailinblues]

I was taught that all infusions should complete within an hour of the first.


I found the same thing through trial and error. Now, even if I only want a cup, I make the pot. (All infusions, usually only 2) The extra is put in a glass jug in the fridge, I make some Iced Tea concoctions for work out of it.

For all of you bargain hunters, I picked up 6 tins of this yesterday at T.J. Maxx
3480

3481

It's single origin (Japan). Their website sells it for $18.50 for a 3 oz. tin. I paid $2.99 per tin. Might be worth checking your local stores.

[Edcculus]

Since I last posted in this thread, I've gotten pretty big into tea. I've been drinking mostly green teas. I really enjoy Lung Ching and Silver tips.

I just made an order with an ebay vendor Yunnan Sourcing of a few different types of Pu-erh to try. The most experience I have with the stuff are those little "nests". I wanted to try the real stuff. I also ordered a gaiwan to brew green tea.

[JayKay]

Has anybody ever tried teas from Teavana?

[Padron]

Great thread guys :D

I am more of a coffee person myself, but do enjoy this places teas from time to time:

http://www.celestialseasonings.com/

Quite nice, and I like a variety of there flavors :)

[JayKay]

Padron, if you like celestial seasonings and are looking to try fresher loose leaf tea check out http://www.teavana.com I love their teas but am not a huge fan of straight tea leaves and purely natural tea flavors.

[sparky5693]

Has anybody ever tried teas from Teavana?

No I haven't, but i've heard good things. I stocked up pretty heavy on my last trip to Japan, but I had always used www.o-cha.com myself. It's really amazing how common green tea is over there. You can buy really good prebottled tea in most vending machines. Here, I can't even find a single bottle of plain green tea. They all seem to have sugar, or additional flavorings, which just aren't for me.

[sparky5693]

Since I last posted in this thread, I've gotten pretty big into tea. I've been drinking mostly green teas. I really enjoy Lung Ching and Silver tips.

I just made an order with an ebay vendor Yunnan Sourcing of a few different types of Pu-erh to try. The most experience I have with the stuff are those little "nests". I wanted to try the real stuff. I also ordered a gaiwan to brew green tea.

What do you think of the pu-erh? It's one of the few teas that improve with age. It's amazing to think you're drinking tea from such an ancient tree.

[netsurfr]

I use a tea infuser that can be found at Teavana or other sources. Here is a link:
http://www.teavana.com/Teavana+Perfect+Tea+Maker+16+oz/cid=56/page_no=1/edp_no=3970/shop.axd/ProductDetails
I find this combined with a 4 cup Mr Coffee for heating water is just right.

[sparky5693]

I use a tea infuser that can be found at Teavana or other sources. Here is a link:
http://www.teavana.com/Teavana+Perfect+Tea+Maker+16+oz/cid=56/page_no=1/edp_no=3970/shop.axd/ProductDetails
I find this combined with a 4 cup Mr Coffee for heating water is just right.

Very cool. I found myself lookin at this (http://www.adagio.com/teaware/ingenuiTEA_teapot.html?SID=9d131a81e7e72efd9c96452 93e8571d7) today. It looks like the same unit. I usually use my kyusu pot, but this looks great for when i'm short on time. Are you happy with yours?

[sparky5693]

Then, there's this (http://www.o-cha.com/green-tea/clear-glass-teapot.html).

[netsurfr]

Very cool. Are you happy with yours?

I am extremely happy with my unit. In fact, I have a 32 ounce for home use and a 16 ounce unit at work. The first unit you pictured is essentially the same as the Teavana unit with a different label on it. The second unit looks interesting but I already have a setups that meets all my infusing needs.

I have also used the mesh strainer out of my Japanese tea pot when in training for a few days. They always have hot tea water so I take advantage of it but with my own tea. The strainer fits perfectly inside a travel cup that I have. I take a little loose tea with me and the mesh strainer can be placed in a styrofoam coffee cup between uses.

[Padron]

Padron, if you like celestial seasonings and are looking to try fresher loose leaf tea check out http://www.teavana.com I love their teas but am not a huge fan of straight tea leaves and purely natural tea flavors.


Thanks JayKay!

I will check it out :)

[Edcculus]

I use a tea infuser that can be found at Teavana or other sources. Here is a link:
http://www.teavana.com/Teavana+Perfect+Tea+Maker+16+oz/cid=56/page_no=1/edp_no=3970/shop.axd/ProductDetails
I find this combined with a 4 cup Mr Coffee for heating water is just right.

My roomate has one basically like that. It works great.

Also, one of my favorite sites for loose leaf teas is Special Teas (http://specialteas.com/). They ship fast and have decent prices. I'm definately no expert, but I kind of find Teavana to be a little simplified.