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OnceIWasAnOstrich posted:I use one of these guys precisely because it keeps things hot for a while, but not to the extreme burn my face off after 6 hours that some do. It is also completely bulletproof and does not leak at all ever. I've apparently converted all my coworkers on accident since everyone here seems to have one. I have one of these and agree, it doesn't keep tea hot forever but I'm ok with that because the rare times I use it I'm putting hot tea in it with the intention of drinking it within an hour or so. My only complaint is the mechanism for the mouth/drinking hole isn't the easiest to clean and the tea has stained it over time.
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Aug 21, 2012 22:56
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Reiterpallasch posted:I stopped by the Imperial Tea Court in San Francisco (near the ferry building) and on a whim bought an ounce of their medium-quality white tea--about $35 a pound, as I recall. Maybe I'm just a philistine but that tea was delicious and, unusually for a white, incredibly forgiving. It does as fine with the lovely water heater at work as my electric kettle, and I've made it with significant variance in the length of infusion without noticeably affecting quality. Roy Fong is extremely particular about the teas he stocks, so it's no surprise that you got a decent tea from there. I haven't purchased much to take home but I've drunk through all of their normal offerings on the menu at the Berkeley location, which is actually quite a bit better aesthetically, but has declined some in service.
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Aug 22, 2012 01:00
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OnceIWasAnOstrich posted:I use one of these guys precisely because it keeps things hot for a while, but not to the extreme burn my face off after 6 hours that some do. It is also completely bulletproof and does not leak at all ever. I've apparently converted all my coworkers on accident since everyone here seems to have one. That is a loving beautiful tumbler. Dayamn that thing is well sculpted. *fires up the amazon prime*
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Aug 23, 2012 02:22
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For Canadian tea-loving goons, Teaopia has apparently been bought out (or something to that effect) by Teavana. I happened to find this out by visiting a Teaopia while out-of-town, and I noticed their store was almost empty. There isn't much left, and I don't know how long or what stock they'll have locally (I was at the one in Waterloo, and it had only four teas they were trying to get rid of), but they have a number of teas they're trying to off-load at a 75% discount. Not all their teas, mind you; I bought some Masala Chai which was full-price. Like I said, there wasn't much selection, so I only got a Lapsang Souchong because the others didn't interest me and because my tea cabinet is full. But they also had spring-steepers, and collapsible silicone steepers and a few other accessories, including cheap tins (though they only had the very small ones left in Waterloo), for less than a buck each. I can't guarantee how long it'll last since the store looked pretty much empty, but it might be worth a look.
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Aug 24, 2012 00:26
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Is it common for Adagio to take a week to ship an order? I put an order in on Sunday and got a shipping notification from them on Monday, but UPS tracking says they still don't have the actual package.
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Aug 24, 2012 17:52
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Under normal circumstances for places if a tracking label is generated, until it hits the origination UPS sorting facility, it will have no information on it. This can take up to 24 hours and they usually update around midnight. However, your package is probably toast, I would contact them and see what's up.
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Aug 24, 2012 21:21
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Yeah, that's never happened to me with Adagio. They're always really fast.
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Aug 25, 2012 05:08
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Does anyone have any experience with this? I'm trying to decide whether or not it's worth shelling out a few extra bucks to get a variable temperature electric kettle, or if this one isn't very accurate. http://www.amazon.com/Adagio-Teas-U...electric+kettle
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Aug 26, 2012 02:15
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I use my boyfriend's pretty much every day. It works nicely and I'd say it's pretty consistent based on the settings you choose. My only complaint might be that the little knob doesn't have any temperature labeling so you'd need to remember exact temperatures on your own if those are important to you. I'd say it's worth the price though.
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Aug 26, 2012 02:27
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It's okay but seems to be outclassed by most other kettles at similar price points as far as I've seen in this thread. I wouldn't dump mine or anything but it's certainly not ideal for stuff like mate or oolongs.
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Aug 26, 2012 02:43
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Just got a new steeper mug from David's Tea in Toronto and I really like it so far. Its a reasonably large mug with a stainless steel steeper basket and ceramic lid that doubles as a rest for the strainer basket when you're done with it. Usually I hate these things because the basket is too small or sits too close to the top of the cup but this thing actually goes about 3/4 of the way down into the mug and is wide enough for the leaves to expand. Its even better than my ingenuiTea just because its easier to keep clean and seems to keep the water at a more consistent temperature while the lid is on. 
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Aug 26, 2012 04:46
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Srebrenica Surprise posted:It's okay but seems to be outclassed by most other kettles at similar price points as far as I've seen in this thread. I wouldn't dump mine or anything but it's certainly not ideal for stuff like mate or oolongs. Do you remember any of them by chance? I looked through the first few and last few pages, but didn't see any of them.
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Aug 26, 2012 15:31
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I'm watching a documentary on Netflix called All In This Tea and it's fantastic! You should all check it out, it's totally fascinating and makes me want to go overseas and taste a ton of tea.
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Aug 29, 2012 05:42
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OnceIWasAnOstrich posted:I use one of these guys precisely because it keeps things hot for a while, but not to the extreme burn my face off after 6 hours that some do. It is also completely bulletproof and does not leak at all ever. I've apparently converted all my coworkers on accident since everyone here seems to have one. What would you recommend as one that can melt my face after sitting on a desk for 6 hours?
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Aug 29, 2012 07:35
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Fuzzy Pipe Wrench posted:What would you recommend as one that can melt my face after sitting on a desk for 6 hours? Thermos Nissan JMW500P6 16-Ounce Stainless-Steel Backpack Bottle
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Aug 29, 2012 09:15
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Awesome! I've been looking for a good thermos to bring along on long hikes for hot tea/cold beer/hot chocolate.
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Aug 29, 2012 09:30
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So my cheap-rear end Longjing finally arrived from the eBay seller in China. Not the best I've ever seen, but at 35$ for 500g it was a crapshoot in the first place, and I half-expected worse. At least it is, very obviously, this year's, and the packaging is good (airtight bags in tin boxes) so it arrived undamaged. Tastes kind of... watery, you end up having to use more leaves to get the same amount of flavour. Must be one of the lower grades. Still good enough for everyday consumption. The tea crew at work already expressed desire to get in on that poo poo if I decide to order more. EDIT: No, I won't be ordering more. This really is inferior product. The flavour is one-dimensional and lacks nuance and is more on the bitter side instead of sweet. Lesson learned! (lesson being that mooching off people who go to China is still the cheapest way to get decent tea) woodenchicken fucked around with this message at 06:53 on Sep 7, 2012 |
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Sep 6, 2012 09:58
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GenericGirlName posted:Does anyone know of any good loose tea shops in NYC? Head to Chinatown and go into one of those gigantic cluttered stores that sell food and household goods. They will have great loose leaf tea in unglamorous glass jars that you scoop into plastic bags and buy by the ounce. Get some Lapsang. Mmmm...tarry.
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Sep 6, 2012 16:12
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axolotl farmer posted:Head to Chinatown and go into one of those gigantic cluttered stores that sell food and household goods. They will have great loose leaf tea in unglamorous glass jars that you scoop into plastic bags and buy by the ounce. I know of one place in China Town that is right next to my favorite restaurant. Will the tea be not horrible? I don't know anything about tea or what it takes for a tea shop to be good or bad  I just don't want to waste money on stale leaves or something? But I guess it won't REALLY be a waste its China Town, it will be hella cheap.
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Sep 8, 2012 03:54
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As a general rule if you can open a jar of loose leaf and take a whiff and there's no aroma the leaves are probably stale. Glass jars are great for presentation if they're kept away from direct sunlight - just be sure to not get more than you can drink and try different varieties. You can get away with paying :tenbux: and getting two or three teas that seem appealing to you, and then maybe even a small tea set if you're missing that. If you're really hard up you can probably just stop by, take some pictures of the jars, and people in this thread can tell you what's up.
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Sep 8, 2012 20:14
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GenericGirlName posted:I know of one place in China Town that is right next to my favorite restaurant. Will the tea be not horrible? I don't know anything about tea or what it takes for a tea shop to be good or bad If you are in Chinatown and the tea is sold out of big jars, it probably means that they sell a lot of it and the leaves should be fresh. Avoid places that look touristy. Always smell the tea you're buying 
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Sep 9, 2012 08:15
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Tea people! I request your advice on tea to go. I have a nice thermos that suits my needs. Do you brew your tea, pour it into pre-heated thermos, and leave, or do you throw water and leaves in and let it steep on the road? Obviously, the type of tea matters for that somewhat, but I hate wasting the leaves by only brewing the one thermosful, and I could make a second batch if I had leaves at school. I've been doing inexpensive Chinese-grocery oolong, but I also do rooibos chai and vanilla honeybush. Thanks!
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Sep 23, 2012 03:53
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Certain teas do fine for extended steeping times - if you have a hot water source at school and want to reuse oolong leaves, then you should be fine as long as the water can get somewhere around boiling. For rooibos they are typically only good for one steep, so unless you have tried that stuff with multiple steeps, that is better for the "brew, then keep in thermos" method.
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Sep 23, 2012 20:04
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I'm still looking for a variable temperature electric kettle for ~$50-60. Any recommendations?
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Sep 24, 2012 00:19
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Does anyone have a recommendation for any good books or documentaries about the history of tea/the tea trade or the process of tea production? I've been watching some interviews with various tea company people (like the head guy at Twinings) lately, and wouldn't mind finding some more good things to watch or read.
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Oct 18, 2012 17:56
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Zelmel posted:Does anyone have a recommendation for any good books or documentaries about the history of tea/the tea trade or the process of tea production? I've been watching some interviews with various tea company people (like the head guy at Twinings) lately, and wouldn't mind finding some more good things to watch or read. I think I posted about this a while back but there's one on Netflix called All In This Tea that I really enjoyed.
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Oct 18, 2012 20:11
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Upton has a history section on their catalog, check the archive for Reversals of Fortune in the Tea Industry.
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Oct 18, 2012 21:47
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I've read "All the tea in China" by Kit Chow and Ione Kramer, "The Book of Tea" by Okakura Kakuzo, and "New Tea Lover's Treasury" by James Norwood Pratt. The last one is a fairly conversational read and the tone is easily digestible, giving a history of the origins of tea up to contemporary timeframes. Mr. Pratt was interviewed for Chow's "Obsessions" web series here on Youtube. As far as production goes, Aroma Tea in San Francisco regularly makes trips over to China and Taiwan to source their teas - the owner was working on a documentary and has some footage available on Youtube regard puerh production here. There's plenty of Youtube videos out there in addition to some of the other resources mentioned - similarly, Twinings has done a few interviews such as this one.
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Oct 18, 2012 21:50
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Thanks guys. I've watched "All In This Tea" in the past, and recently watched a bunch of Twinings videos on youtube. I'll definitely check out some of the other things you guys mentioned as well.
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Oct 18, 2012 23:14
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As much as I love The Book of Tea, it's not so much about tea as it is about taoism, zen, and aesthetics in Japanese life. Tea and tea ceremony is very much discussed but if you are looking for something more straightforward about tea history and production this isn't where you should start. Not that I'm saying you shouldn't read it, its pretty short and you can probably even find the entire thing online somewhere. Just make it the fourth or fifth book you pick up and not the first.
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Oct 19, 2012 00:03
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Koaxke posted:I'm still looking for a variable temperature electric kettle for ~$50-60. Any recommendations? Anyone?
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Oct 19, 2012 00:14
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Just read through this whole thread, glad to see it's still going. I've only recently gotten into tea, so I've been exploring the shops in my city. My favourite so far is Herbal Infusions, which has some fantastic flavoured blends. The Orange Cookie is amazing, and they just got one into the store last week called Lavender Vanilla that's delicious, but it's not on the website yet. For the gooniest of tea fans, they also have an Apple Smoked Bacon blend.  Tealish has some other interesting blends. Say Tea has a better variety of standard teas, but they don't seem to do a lot of shipping. Question: I want a caffeine-free tea for drinking at night, but the few herbal teas I've tried were so bad I poured them down the sink after just a couple of sips. (One was chamomile, the other raspberry-hibiscus.) What else should I try? Decaffeinated black teas? Maybe flavoured rooibos?
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Oct 19, 2012 00:50
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Your best bet is to try rooibos and a variety of herbals, yes. As long as you keep actual tea out of the equation, you can visit places and get ginger, flower buds (rose, lavender, hibiscus, chamomile), nettles, and the like. Many actual tea shops will stock an herbal or decaf blend, but if you're looking for something hot to help tide you to sleep, you can also try apple cider or hot water mixed with honey and citrus.
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Oct 19, 2012 01:01
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David's Tea has a lot of nice herbals too, and assorted decafs, since it seems like you're in Canada. Cornelia Bean ships from Winnipeg and have a lot of the sort too.
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Oct 19, 2012 01:08
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If you get more into tea and want to order a lot at once, Upton Teas might be worth it. They've got good quality at good prices (and an overwhelmingly huge selection), but if you're in Canada the shipping is a flat $10 or so, so unless you're ordering a bunch it's probably not worth it.
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Oct 19, 2012 01:28
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Koaxke posted:Anyone? This kettle is a little (okay, a fair deal) more than $60 right now on Amazon, but it's the one I have (so I feel comfortable recommending it... and I think a few other goons may have it, too, if I remember correctly), and I'm very happy with it: http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-CPK...electric+kettle It's a pretty durable unit, and I bring it to work with me all the time. If you're willing to wait for a good sale, I got mine at Younkers on a stupidly good sale for about $70. Watch out, though, if you go the Younkers route: their coupons rarely include "small kitchen electronics." Otherwise, a quick Amazon search turned up this friend: http://www.amazon.com/Adagio-Teas-U...electric+kettle I don't have any experience with this kettle, but the reviews look pretty positive (save the different temperatures are shown by colors instead of numbers...). Adagio puts out some pretty good teas, so maybe they also put out some good kettles...? :S edit: HA! That's the kettle you asked about above. If only I could remember things better!  Sorry! No experience with it, but, like I said, the reviews look pretty positive for the most part...
Niemat fucked around with this message at 02:53 on Oct 19, 2012 |
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Oct 19, 2012 02:50
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I just got my UtiliTea kettle the other day, and have liked it pretty well so far. All I have right now are blacks, so I don't know how well the temperature control itself works. The kettle is nice and sturdy though, and seems solid and well made. I don't regret buying mine.
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Oct 19, 2012 14:39
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Trip report: Jasmine 1st Grade tea is pretty good. It's different. The flower flavor is definitely there but not nearly as "in your face" as the eternal life blend I have with jasmine blossoms just straight up in there. Definitely enjoyable. I might have to spring for a temperature kettle here at some point. I generally just go by the rules of thumb based on the type of boil, but that's a bit inconsistent. To try still, I have a pinhead gunpowder that is supposedly pretty good. We'll see how it stands against temple of heaven gunpowder.
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Nov 12, 2012 17:42
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Paramemetic posted:Trip report: Jasmine 1st Grade tea is pretty good. It's different. The flower flavor is definitely there but not nearly as "in your face" as the eternal life blend I have with jasmine blossoms just straight up in there. Definitely enjoyable. I was also searching for a variable settled on this one and holy jesus it's awesome. The amazon reviews sum it up nicely.
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Nov 13, 2012 02:44
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Does a blend of lemongrass and lemon balm count as making my own tea? We dried a ton of both and have been drinking lemony-deliousness for a month now. What can I plant next year if I want to start an actual tea garden? Can you do that?
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Nov 13, 2012 04:18
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