Tea Question (I'm Looking At You, Ric!)

[Bond]

Okay, I have a tea question.

I have recently elevated from tea bags (Bigelow Earl Grey) to loose tea (PG Tips!). My question is: how do you personally prepare your loose tea? I know there are many different ways to, and am just looking for a baseline to start.

[Typhoid]

I drink lots of tea, so I'll throw my hat into the ring.


The way I do my loose tea, is I have a metal loose-leaf holder (much like a tea bag made of metal) you put in the teapot/cup when you steep it.

But also depending on the type of tea it is, I just put the leaves in the pot itself as it's steeping, because when you pour it out - generally you won't get the leaves in the cup.

[Vampyr]

I also have a mesh metal teabag, but I rarely use it. More of a coffee drinker myself.

[Ric]

I dont normally drink loose tea but in the past I have used one of the 'loose leaf holder' devices that Typhoid mentioned.

When I do I normally use the same thing I use to make coffee with now a days. The name escapes me but you basically put the desired amount of tea in the jug pour the hot water in then on the lid is a plunger with a filter on, which you press down slowly, this brews the tea and seperates the leaves.

Good call on getting PG ;) my favourite. I usually buy it in tea bags. They make pyramid shaped ones which I find brew a lot better than standard tea bags.

Hope that helps ;)

[Ric]

One of these -

http://www.freshpromotions.com.au/products/executive-coffee-plunger1.jpg

:D

[Vampyr]

That's a french press coffee maker isn't it?

You use it for tea as well?

[KillerGremlin]

Yes, that is a French Press. You can make some delicious coffee with a French Press although I have never used one for tea.

[Teuthida]

I use a french press for loose yerba maté. Had one of those traditional metal straws with a filter but the filter sucked...ended up eating tea mush.

Mostly drink green tea though, and for that I just take five teabags (4 green, one black), cut off their strings and throw em in a jug of boiled water that holds about five cups. Make one or two of those a day.

[Typhoid]

I've never even seen/heard of a French Press coffee maker before.

[KillerGremlin]

I've never even seen/heard of a French Press coffee maker before.

Doesn't surprise me. I never knew of such device until my friend showed me one in high school.

[Angrist]

I sometimes use self-picked leaves to make tea. Because the leaves are still on the plant, I just throw in the plant.

I also have some kind of big cup with an inner cup which has holes. You put the tea in the inner cup, and lower it into the cup with hot water.

[Ric]

I use the plunger thingy for tea that is already ground up as it brews pretty quickly anyway. It may have been made for coffee but it works all the same. If you have actual leaves you need to boil them in the water to get them to brew properly, in which case I would use a saucepan with a pouring spout on.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2069/2180276064_9f9cd81182.jpg

Althogh a more arduous method it's pretty simple to do ;) I have used this method to make stinging nettle tea.

Here is an interesting looking device I just Googled -

http://www.teeli.com/images/illus/kanne2mi.jpg http://www.backcountrygear.com/images/MSRcoffefilter.jpg

Mmm, I want a cup of tea now -
*puts kettle on*

[Professor S]

I am bit of a cofeee and tea snob, so when I really want to enjoy my tea, I normally follow the british afternoon tea method.

You'll need:

One kettle
One small mesh strainer or cup tea strainer
One ceramic teapot, older and more used the better

Boil the water needed and take it off the heat. Pour about one cups worth into the teapot, swirls and pour out (this heats the teapot ahead of time and will help keep the tea warm. Then add one rounded teaspoon of tea per cup (4-6 oz.) always putting one extra teaspoon in "for the pot". Pour in the water.

Let is steep to taste and then serve, prerably with some nice slightly sweet cookies (biscuits)

DON'T:

Pour boiling water directly into a cold teapot. You'll likely break it due to rapid expansion.

Water should always sit for a few minutes after boiling as boiling water will scald the tea. Loose tea is delicate and you don't want to trample the complex flavors. There is an ideal temperature but I can't remember off the top of my head.

Use one of those scissor like loose tea dunkers. They don't allow enough room for the tea to "bloom" and you'll end up with dull, lifeless flavors from otherwise good and expensive tea.

Pour more hot water into an empty pot with used tea. That tea is dead and lifeles in both flavor and caffeine. Caffiene is the first thing released when you steep tea. Rinse out the pot and steep new tea if you'd like to make more.


My preferences: I like British style teas as Japanese teas tend to be too subtle for me. British style are far more robust and less floral in character. I like Earl Grey (Twinings my fav), Yorkshire, Gunpowder with a touch of Lapsang Suchong (smoked green tea I use as a flavorant), Hyson, Orange Pekoe with Lemon and Bigelow makes a great Mango Green Tea. Locally, my store makes a pear and apple green tea that is amazing.