Basics on making a decent cup of tea

[knitsabit06]

Hello all,
I started drinking tea last year and I need a little advice from tea drinkers. What kind to look for, how long to steep tea bag, sugar and milk? or just sugar? I like tea, I just think I could like it a lot more with a little help.
Thanks!

[sheriffkarli]

it all depends on what kind/brand you're using. I have a somewhat local tea shop that sells all kinds of wonderful exotic tea's that are to DIE for! but seeing as their a little pricy, i've been growing my own mind, popping the leaves into a tea ball, steep for 5 min, than drink! This way, i know what all in it, and it costs next to nothing!

[jshires]

I used to work at Starbucks (known for coffee but they have great tea too) and so we had to take a "tea class". Green teas and herbal teas steep for 3 mins. Black teas for 5 min. use water just before it starts to boil (boiling is too hot). Milk and sugar is optional. I like milk and sugar in black tea, honey in herbal teas and green tea. NEVER use milk in a tea that has orange or lemon. it will curdle. Hope that helps!

[EmilyFlew]

Also, green tea should have even cooler water. I let the water boil then turn off the heat and let it cool for one full minute. Definitely experiment with good quality tea and different flavors--the giant boxes of bags at the supermarket are very different from the good stuff.

[halfelvenwriter]

Teavana has a lot of really awesome, though also often pricey, exotic loose teas as well as staple varieties.  I set a bit of money aside so I can get my Earl Grey and Black Currant through them, and ask for gift cards for my birthday so I can get the Turkish Tea (has some apple and spices in it...one of my favorites).

However, no matter where you get tea, get an inexpensive tea ball or tea strainer and try some loose tea sometime.  You can usually find some in the grocery store.  Even if you don't notice a great difference in taste, there's something fun and satisfying about putting a teaspoonful of leaves into the strainer and pouring the water through them...maybe it has to do with taking a little more time and effort to fix a cup of tea than plopping a tea bag into a cup. Not that I haven't been rushing around and plopping lots more tea bags into styrofoam cups this week than filling strainers with loose tea. 

[r_matey]

The BBC weighs in (in pictures!) here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/03/uk_how_to_make_perfect_tea/html/1.stm

And if you're a Neil Gaiman fan (or even if you're not, really):
http://www.neilgaiman.com/journal/2005/06/last-tea-post.asp
Which is where I found the first link way back when.

I do think you get a more satisfying experience if you take time to warm whatever you're steeping the tea in (a pot or your cup) -- it stays hot longer and there's something nice about the ritual of it.  And I think it tastes better.  Same goes for boiling the water in something other than the microwave.

[suavisvinum]

i don't think i could live without tea. i hate coffee, and i need my early a.m. caffeine fix.

personally i usually like the loose leaf teas, but there are quite a few decent bag teas out there if loose leaf seems a little daunting. or if you just want something quick and easy.

[knitsabit06]

Thanks everyone. Unfortunately, I'm stuck in the dorms this year so I don't know how often I'll have too many choices, but all good tips to keep in mind for later!

[kinkyknit]

My tip would be to drink your tea from a china cup.  I loooove tea (well, I am British) but even the most delicious Earl Grey tastes all wrong from anything else! x

[clockworkclover]

The food co-op near me sells cheap and good organic tea leaves as well as various sorts of dried herbs and fruits that could be added to a basic black loose leaf tea.

I, personally, have had very bad luck with infusers making a huge mess in my kitchen, so I use pre-packaged tea now. However, the food co-op also sells re-usable tea bags that could be stuffed with loose leaf tea. I've not used them, but I have friends that have and they have enjoyed them.

I'm not sure if that will help you, but if you have a health food grocery store near you, they sell fabulously wonderful pre-mixed teas, though they can be a little expensive.

[CraftyChef]

It's all a matter of taste. I like my tea strong, and it has to be scaldingly hot, too. I steep the heck out of it, and my tea gets milk if I'm in the mood. If you pour cold milk into hot liquid it can curdle, so your milk should be room temp or nuked for a few seconds to bring it to temp.

Sugar. Must have sugar. Sugar cubes are just plain fun. Brown is nice.

[PimpernelSmith]

A Life without tea is the third terror -- outranked only by a life without milk, and a life without chocolate.

World's best, basic, loose leaf, black tea: Connoisseur's Master Blend from Grace Tea.
Sooooo smooth you could skate on it! And takes additions from the herb garden very well. 

That said: Having experimented loads, the rules I have come to trust are --
1) Good loose leaf is less bitter
2) Filtered water is best tasting
3) Black tea wants water just at the boil, and over-boiling (which loses you oxygen) tastes worse than less-than-boiled.

My habit is to use lemon or mint - with sugar- when I need waking up (read 'work days'), and milk and sugar when I need coziness (read 'Sunday mornings').  During stressful times, I love to add lemon balm to black tea -- I get the zip of black caffeine and the calm of the balm! Yummy too.   

*plink plink* two cents

[untoherselfalone]

I don't know about tea, but I know about the bags!!

I got these amazing little disposable cloth bags from my mom and have since seen them around. They are little envelopes you put the tea in so if you are on the go you can strain your tea this way. You could even pre-package your tea for early morning needs or gifts! They are japanese so i can't read the writing but she got them at pike market in seattle and i have seen them at coffee/tea shops elsewhere. They look like little personal tissue packets.

[brookem]

the tea bag must go into the cup first- before anything else and only
1/2 teaspoon of sugar- dont over sweeten. my whole family drinks tea- these are about the only tips they seem to agree on 

[doggy]

Ooh, I love love love LOVE Chamomile tea! It tastes really good plain, just stick the teabag in the cup and keep it in there as long as you want, because it also tastes very good when it's strong ^^

Orange spice is also good, especially with some fresh squeezed lemon juice, and a dash of cinnamon.

[haleyy]

I agree that drinking tea of mirowaved water than boiled just isn´t right but do to my living conditions I´m forced to. I think tea is about the easiest thing to make ever. Hot water and a tea bag to your prefered taste.

[BeccaJaneStClair]

I always pour my milk/cream into the cup before I pour in the hot water, as well as adding my sugar/splenda, because this way it mixes evenly. 

For tea "quickly", I've discovered that adding 2 teaspoons of loose tea, or 2 teabags to my coffe pot filter (i have a 4 cup pot) and running that through the coffee maker.  I do this in the AM before I head out the dor - starting the tea before I take a shower, because I discovered that my water tends to boil over if i leave it to boil while I shower, and if I boil it ahead of time, my tea gets too strong, so...to the coffee pot I went for experimenting. 

Of course, this is no the way I prefer to make tea, but in a pinch, it works!

[batgirl]

Adagio teas has a nifty gizmo I use to make tea tidily in my office! It's called "ingenuiTEA" !

[haleyy]

What is everyones favorite tea?

I love vanilla rooibos, earl grey, mint green tea and strawberry.

[clockworkclover]

I like mint tea, black currant, cinammon (mixed with pretty much anything), lemon, good ol fashioned earl grey, and cherry!

Though I'll drink just about anything that's not TOO bitter! 

[Avian Flight]

Thanks everyone. Unfortunately, I'm stuck in the dorms this year so I don't know how often I'll have too many choices, but all good tips to keep in mind for later!

One really good thing to have in dorms is a water boiler. They tend are a good investment and are really useful if you want tea, instant coffee, hot chocolate, and even for cup noodles. My version is even better, it's like an electric pot which you can use to heat up soups or boil ramen noodles. So easy to use and clean up, all you need to do is plug it in.

My favorite teas are jasmine, vanilla, lemon, and chai! I'm really not familiar with other teas, especially earl grey.. i should try it sometime. I always drink my tea with milk/nondairy creamer and sugar. Yum. Nondairy creamer is also great for dorms because you don't need to refrigerate it.

[edelC]

Amazingly there are international standards on how to make tea, this is the british standard on the subject http://ftp.ee.surrey.ac.uk/papers/AI/L.Gillam/bs_tea.pdf#search=%22british%20standard%206008%22

which defines how to make it exactly right every time, it says that you use loose leaf, freshly boiled water, 2% leaves to liquid, let it steep for 6 minutes and if you are using milk, put it in the cup first, before you add the water to prevent scalding the milk.

just goes to show that some scientists have way way too much time on their hands.

as for infusers I used to hate them until I bought this one from Bodum (who make great tea pots for loose leaves) http://shopstashtea.com/700042.html  I didnt buy it from this website BTW, its pricey but the best one I have found, tea from loose leaves is a million times better than tea bags, (having said that tea bags work when I am barely functional in the mornings)

the best black tea is Barrys, its an irish brand of tea,

[batgirl]

My BF's Dad, when I lived in England, could tell which family member made a pot of tea, by taste. One day we were all in the kitchen and he was in the living room watching TV. They had me make the tea and my BF's brother brought it out, to try to trick him. He took ONE sip and muttered "Not bad. For a yank."     LOL

[suavisvinum]

What is everyones favorite tea?

I love vanilla rooibos, earl grey, mint green tea and strawberry.

oooh... mint tea. i have much love for all things minty, and a serious addiction to mint tea.
'tho i do love a good cup of strong, black tea for those mornings when i just can't get going, and green tea is all kinds of good for you.