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So, I plan on purchasing this http://www.davidstea.com/takeya-flash-chill-iced-tea-maker?&TF=8215E1C9208C&DEID= sometime in the new year, any recommendation's for a decent loose leaf tea to put in there for someone who mostly drink's pg tips or red rose tea? I've wanted to get into drinking loose leaf instead of just bag's because I remember hearing that the stuff in bag's is the tea closest to the stock and was kinda sub par
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Dec 7, 2012 04:30
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I was looking at getting my girlfriend this for christmas http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-TEA...uisinart+kettle She drinks a wide variety of teas and thought this could be useful. Or should i just stick to an electric kettle with a temperature setting?
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Dec 8, 2012 04:42
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It looks nice, but if you're making tea in it, that means that that's all the kettle's going to be making until you wash it out. If you're not feeling like a whole pot it seems kinda big to be making just a cup at a time. If you use it as just a kettle and brew in other pots, well, the capacity is 1.2 liters This other Cuisinart is $20 cheaper and holds 1.7 liters (although if you fill it with 2 liters it seems to work fine) http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-CPK...uisinart+kettle With that you can just brew a cup or make a pot and make coffee or whatever without having to change out the water. There's also this Bonavita for $90, although the one single review of it doesn't seem so hot: http://www.amazon.com/Bonavita-1-7-...variable+kettle There's also this $50 Melitta: http://www.amazon.com/Melitta-40991...variable+kettle Of course, that's just based on how I use my kettle. You know your girlfriend, maybe she would prefer the one you posted since it saves her a step in making tea? Steve Yun fucked around with this message at 08:28 on Dec 8, 2012 |
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Dec 8, 2012 08:25
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Just wondering; does yerba mate make a good (semi-sweetened) iced tea?
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Dec 8, 2012 09:22
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Steve Yun posted:There's also this Bonavita for $90, although the one single review of it doesn't seem so hot So mostly "we received a broken kettle and didn't bother to exchange it, but we'll complain about it anyway like it isn't broken" and  TOXINS!!! The boiling point here is about 210F, and from what I recall the kettle had no problem figuring out it couldn't get to 212F, but I can certainly check again later. Could just be... broken.
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Dec 8, 2012 11:00
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Yeah, that guy does sound kinda crazy
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Dec 8, 2012 11:47
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d6r9b posted:Or should i just stick to an electric kettle with a temperature setting? I will never stop recommending this: Please don't get her a kettle that she has to brew 1L of tea in if she wants to use it. I've been using the stainless steel cuisinart for a year now with no complaints whatsoever.
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Dec 8, 2012 16:35
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Renzuko posted:sometime in the new year, any recommendation's for a decent loose leaf tea to put in there for someone who mostly drink's pg tips or red rose tea? Find a nice Darjeeling maybe? It's my personal favorite and I grew up on Red Rose.
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Dec 8, 2012 17:41
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Renzuko posted:So, I plan on purchasing this You can try the black tea blends at. http://www.uptontea.com/shopcart/toc.asp?parent=Teas&child=Black They also have ice tea mixes. Ice tea sampler: http://www.uptontea.com/shopcart/item.asp?from=catalog.asp&itemID=GS23&begin=0&parent=Teas&category=Sampler+Sets&sortMethod=0&categoryID=109
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Dec 8, 2012 21:02
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I bought a really non-nondescript bag of green jasmine tea at a local Chinese supermarket, and when I poured it into a container one of those little bags of moisture-absorbing balls you get in shoes and stuff fell out. I've never seen that before. Is this common? Can I still drink the tea?
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Dec 10, 2012 21:14
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Admiral Goodenough posted:I bought a really non-nondescript bag of green jasmine tea at a local Chinese supermarket, and when I poured it into a container one of those little bags of moisture-absorbing balls you get in shoes and stuff fell out. I've never seen that before. Is this common? Can I still drink the tea? Yes, you can still drink the tea. The dessicant packet was there to keep the leaves dry. If the packet broke open and dumped little balls of silica gel everywhere, you'd obviously want to remove them first, but otherwise it's fine.
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Dec 10, 2012 21:32
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Mister Macys posted:Just wondering; does yerba mate make a good (semi-sweetened) iced tea? On another note, does anyone have a favorite Lapsang Souchong that they like to drink? I have only had the Twinnings version, but want to go for something that is a full leaf tea instead of powder bag. I have checked my local international markets (mostly korean, some chinese), and nobody seems to sell it around here. I guess online is my best bet? e: stupid 7 Bowls of Wrath fucked around with this message at 21:56 on Dec 10, 2012 |
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Dec 10, 2012 21:38
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Admiral Goodenough posted:I bought a really non-nondescript bag of green jasmine tea at a local Chinese supermarket, and when I poured it into a container one of those little bags of moisture-absorbing balls you get in shoes and stuff fell out. I've never seen that before. Is this common? Can I still drink the tea?
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Dec 10, 2012 22:08
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That's great news, I was really looking forward to trying it. Thanks for the fast replies 
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Dec 11, 2012 00:47
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7 Bowls of Wrath posted:
Cool. This brings me to my next question: How long and how cold do I cold brew?  I want to get into mate as I never touch coffee, and I want to lower my juice and soda intake.  Previous tea experience is limited to lemon tea (from a bag) and a few herbal/fruit teas from David's and Teaopia/vana. Not counting "iced teas" and stuff served at asian restaurants. Mister Facetious fucked around with this message at 06:02 on Dec 11, 2012 |
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Dec 11, 2012 05:59
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Mister Macys posted:Cool. This brings me to my next question: drat...Ive never really considered this since when we drink it we use the traditional gourd method, (which if youre not familiar with) only we just replace the hot water with cold lemonade. I would say look up some ratios online to see how much yerba to put into a traditional strainer if brewing a cup, and then do that in cold lemonade put it in the fridge and strain it after a night. My sense for how to do this is very imprecise so you may need to experiment. If you come up with something that tastes good to you, share! e: a quick google search and I found this video which may help a little?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idhrr7H1FVI 7 Bowls of Wrath fucked around with this message at 07:46 on Dec 11, 2012 |
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Dec 11, 2012 07:37
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7 Bowls of Wrath posted:
I love Teavivre's Lapsang. It's potent, which is the point of the type. Good, full-bodied flavor and deep smokey aftertaste.
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Dec 11, 2012 07:58
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MixxMaster posted:I love Teavivre's Lapsang. It's potent, which is the point of the type. Good, full-bodied flavor and deep smokey aftertaste. Going to check it out for sure, thank you for the suggestion. I really love the style of tea so I'm willing to chase after that stronger experience
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Dec 11, 2012 08:12
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I used to drink Tazo (Starbucks brand) black tea called "Awake" at school, and wanted to switch back to tea from coffee. I tried it again, and now it just tastes mediocre. I had this stuff at a restaurant in Little Italy, and fell in love: Stash Black English Breakfast Tea http://www.amazon.com/Stash-Premium-Breakfast-Tea-20-Count/dp/B000CQIDHY/ref=sr_1_30?ie=UTF8&qid=1355225768&sr=8-30&keywords=stash+tea Everything else just tastes flat compared to this. Plus, I'm too lazy to brew loose tea. I got some great stuff from a little shop near the Astor Place subway stop. I grabbed one of these: The Republic of Tea, Fine Vanilla Almond Black Full-Leaf Tea http://www.amazon.com/The-Republic-...ords=almond+tea Nothing special, but I love it as a dessert tea. Also a tin of these: Harney & Sons Fine Teas Black Currant Tin http://www.amazon.com/Harney-Sons-F...ack+currant+tea I like it midday, or when I'm in the mood to switch things up a bit. Love me some currants. It comes in little "sachets," so it's loose tea in a little mesh baggy.
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Dec 11, 2012 12:46
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particle409 posted:I used to drink Tazo (Starbucks brand) black tea called "Awake" at school, and wanted to switch back to tea from coffee. I tried it again, and now it just tastes mediocre. Did you normally drink it from a Starbucks and try it again at home? For whatever stupid reason, Starbucks stores use full-leaf Tazo bags while the stuff they push out to mass market is lovely fannings bags (and packaged in paper and cardboard at that). Personally, I love Zen, and have started a thousand workdays with it, but it's completely undrinkable when purchased as teabags. They do sell the good stuff in-store and online if there's a Tazo flavor you can't do without.
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Dec 11, 2012 16:31
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My Contigo started leaking for some reason. Can anyone recommend a good thermos that won't break the bank and that won't spill tea all over my file folders?
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Dec 18, 2012 11:24
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7 Bowls of Wrath posted:Going to check it out for sure, thank you for the suggestion. I really love the style of tea so I'm willing to chase after that stronger experience Just don't put it in the same area with your other teas (or anything that may also pick up the smell). Yes, it's that strong. I keep mine in an almost airtight aluminum canister, in the fridge.
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Dec 18, 2012 13:59
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QuentinCompson posted:My Contigo started leaking for some reason. Can anyone recommend a good thermos that won't break the bank and that won't spill tea all over my file folders? Someone recently got me one of these Zojirushi mugs, I don't really know what it costs but it seems really well built and doesn't leak.
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Dec 18, 2012 15:35
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There's been some discussion of variable-temperature water kettles, and I just saw (and bought, but do not yet have in hand) this one: http://www.amazon.com/Hamilton-Beac...ton+Beach+40996 It looks like a pretty decent kettle, and the cheapest variable-temp one I've seen. It even has a timer, so you can have water ready when you get up, which is nice. The only complaint in the reviews is that the interface is rather obtuse, but it seems as though once you get used to it it's fine.
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Dec 19, 2012 12:34
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So I just bought some really nice Sencha premier from Adagio. Before this, I've mostly stuck to cheaper chinese greens like Gunpowder and White Monkey. Out of the japanese greens I tried at the store, Sencha was my favorite (Gyokuro wasn't bad, didn't really like the Genmai Cha or Hojicha). Anyway before this I've really only been doing single infusions, but with how expensive Sencha is I'd like to get the most out of the leaves. What's a general guideline to follow for second or third steepings? My initial steep is the recommended 2 min at 170 F. And how long can I keep the leaves after the first steeping, does it start to go bad or lose flavor the longer I wait until the next steep?
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Dec 22, 2012 16:03
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I'd try something like 30 seconds for the second and 45 seconds for the third. Some people will even tell you just to pour water over and then pour it right back out for the second steep. Once it gets going it doesn't take much to get the flavor out of sencha. You might also experiment with going a bit shorter on the first steep, maybe 90 seconds. I think it's generally ok for the leaves to sit for a few hours, but hanging out in the presence of water and oxygen is only going to do bad things to them given enough time.
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Dec 22, 2012 23:44
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That did the trick, the previous times I tried a second steep I did it for longer than 2 minutes thinking it'd need more time, but it always came out too bitter. 30 seconds gives it a surprisingly bright sweetness that's absent from the first cup!
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Dec 23, 2012 16:24
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What brands should one go for with Yerba Mate, and how high/low does Pipore rank? I'm interested in using milk as a substitute for water, any tips on doing so? Will it really ruin my gourd?
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Dec 24, 2012 16:01
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Muffiner posted:What brands should one go for with Yerba Mate, and how high/low does Pipore rank? I ordered the first batch of mate from Guyaki, then the subsequent pound from Mountain Rose Herbs. My boy likes MRH as it is pretty cheap but organic and farm-sourced. We think doing it in milk sounds gross, but try it! I'd not do it in the gourd simply because I would worry about all subsequent mates tasting like spoilt milk.
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Dec 24, 2012 20:46
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milpreve posted:I ordered the first batch of mate from Guyaki, then the subsequent pound from Mountain Rose Herbs. My boy likes MRH as it is pretty cheap but organic and farm-sourced. We think doing it in milk sounds gross, but try it! I'd not do it in the gourd simply because I would worry about all subsequent mates tasting like spoilt milk. I'll use a glass cup instead of a gourd, something like a vodka shot glass or a glass teacup. Experiments with both cow and camel milk shall commence soon. Muffiner fucked around with this message at 21:24 on Dec 25, 2012 |
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Dec 25, 2012 11:11
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Hey tea people, so my brother bought me a tea jug pot thing, it says I can use it to just straight up brew tea, or to hold tea to turn it into iced tea. I hot brewed some iced tea last night and put it in the fridge and now all the stuff is just sitting in the bottom of the jug, is that normal?
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Dec 28, 2012 00:02
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Is the tea in anything? Usually you have it in a bag or a strainer that you can take out. If it's just in there with the water then it will sink. Just strain it out before you drink it if that's the case. You can use a fine sieve.
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Dec 28, 2012 09:11
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Okay, the jug has a sieve in the lid that covers the spout in the jug so that's fine, I was just wondering if the fact that the tea was at the bottom of the jug was normal.
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Dec 28, 2012 10:04
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In my experience, about half the leaves start out floating and gradually sink. If you left the leaves in long enough, they probably would all sink.
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Dec 28, 2012 22:10
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They just kinda stay in there till I make a new jug. BUT this time I decided I'd see if I can use the same bits of plant twice (brother bought me some rooibos and herbal tea) and so far it does not look like it's working, REALLY opaque instead of the purple it was when I first brewed it. edit - to clarify for the first bit so not to sound too gross, I've made jugs one after another, not leaving them sitting there.
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Dec 28, 2012 23:31
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QuentinCompson posted:has anyone had experiences with the Chinese tea sellers on e-bay?
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Dec 29, 2012 19:29
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Renzuko posted:They just kinda stay in there till I make a new jug. Even if it's cold, the tea is going to keep steeping as long as it's in water. If you're doing a hot brew first, there's not much reason to keep the leaves (or whatever you're using) in there, especially once it's cooled down. If you're cold-brewing--that is, just starting with cold water and leaving the leaves in overnight or longer, which is what it sounds like you're sort of doing already--then you can keep the leaves in if you want, but personally I would probably remove them once the tea was done. At any rate, if you're leaving the leaves in for a long time then most of the flavor is leeching out and you won't get a very good second go with them. Repeat steepings work better for smaller batches, like a few cups per steep. And, of course, if you hot brew and then take the leaves out it'd probably be a while before you could use them again (unless you do it more or less immediately and use another container), in which case you wouldn't want to because they'd likely get nasty. But yea, the leaves sinking is totally normal. They'd get waterlogged after a while if you're leaving them in there for any appreciable length of time.
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Jan 1, 2013 22:39
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I've got a couple green tea questions that might have been asked before. There's a couple indie Asian stores around where I live. One specializes in tea, the other sells tea as one of their products. The tea store is ludicrously expensive. Their top-tier tea is ~$35 per 4 oz, and their second-in-line is ~$32 per 4 oz. I haven't bought their tea, but I've smelled it, and it smells incredible. The other place is an all-encompassing Asian good store, selling reasonably priced import products. They have a tea section, where "regular" green tea is $5 for about this to the top of this container, and their "premium" green tea is $6. (Premium shown) I asked the guy at the store the difference between the two, and he said something to the extent that premium tea leaves are harvested earlier, and as such have a better flavor. As I've stated in the second post of my honey thread, I'm a fan of putting fancy-ish honeys into my tea to accent (but not overpower) the flavor. My questions are 1. Will I notice a significant difference in quality between what I have and what the expensive stuff is (is it worth it to buy some every once in a while) 2. After a point, does tea quality matter if I'm adding another flavor to it? To clarify, I actively avoid letting the honey overpower the tea flavor, and I make absolutely sure not to make it too sweet.
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Jan 4, 2013 20:48
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The expensive green teas usually have a very flowery/grassy taste. Especially the Japanese ones. In those areas green tea is also almost never drunk mixed with anything. If you think of adding sweeteners, that is usually a near eastern thing. The teas used there are more of the smoky kinds and usually sell pretty cheap, because they are not that fashionable. So if you insist on adding honey, you should probably stick to normal gunpowder or something like this.
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Jan 4, 2013 21:50
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Yeah, if you're sweetening your tea, you don't need to worry about getting the really high end stuff. You can still get the flavour of the tea, absolutely, but it will fade off the subtleties of the good stuff.
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Jan 4, 2013 22:02
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