Tea

I was just reading the coffee thread and notice a few people drink tea so I decided to start a seperate one about that. Personally I love tea. I am just wondering what most people drink and where they get it from. There is only one store near me that sells loose leaf tea and I hate going there because the staff is horible and I had less pushy sales when trying to buy a car!

For black tea, I like Tetley's British blend as well as Yorkshire.

I also love jasmine tea, particularly the pearls. Adagio Teas has a great selection. Their tea is REALLY good and you can select small sample sizes (maybe brews 5 cups worth) to try varieties out first. They also send you a free sample of a different tea every time you order.

Upton Tea

Hands down the best service, quality and value I have come across. What's really cool is you can try those $150/kilo (and higher) samples for a few bucks. Not that I have done that, but it's kind of cool they do it. These guys go to the tea auctions all over and buy the crates, etc. Super fast, super fresh, super awesome.

I am mostly into Assams, Oolong, Green, Pu-Ehr and some flavored types like Earl Grey and Lapsang Souchong (flyangler had the right spelling ).

To give an example. Shipping is flat $4 iirc, and when I order (they are in MA, I am in PA) they always ship same day and I think it arrives two days later.

+1 for Upton!

I stick with mostly black teas- Earl Grey, Irish Breakfast, English Breakfast, Assam, Lapsang Souchong, Pu Erh (VERY unique). For the occasional green, Sencha or Gunpowder.

For herbals, try yerba mate, rooibos or honeybush.

I'm just about to have an afternoon cup of Ulva Highlands Estate Ceylon Broken Orange Pekoe (BOP). It's not bad.

The thing I really dig is once you find a type you like (black, green, etc) there is a whole world of different teas in each.

Changed my mind and went with a Chinese Jasmine with flowers. It's really nice if you like Jasmine flavored tea.

I like PG tips the best. I used to get them sent over from the UK cheaper than I can get it here. My mum died 3 years ago, which cut off my supply. Since then I'm down to my last 1000 or so tea bags.

I did order from Adagio about a week ago. I have only tried one so far and it was pretty good. Really fast shipping to. I ordered and had it at my door when I came home the next day. What do you all use to brew in?

What do you all use to brew in?

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I have a small stoneware single tea service(the pot fits over the cup), as well as a Japanese tetsubin. I use the tetsubin more than anything else. Electric kettle FTW!

Boil fresh water in the kettle and just pour over tea bags in a pre-heated mug for my black tea. For my jasmine (and other loose teas), I used unbleached tea bags, placed in my (pre-warmed) teapot.

I have a stainless strainer. I microwave the water and set the thing in. It's hard to get the 180 right for greens. I plan on an electric tea kettle in the future. I also have two sets at home for serving, one a traditional Chinese large pot with cups and the other a very small clay pot with the warming dish and cups that I got from a guy I used to work with who came from Taiwan. I only brew Oolong in it because the flavor actually infuses into the clay.

I use one of those fancy smancy doesnt work nearly as good as it sounds cups that when you place it on top of another cups it drains and strains the tea out. Its from Teavanna, adagio makes one too.

I have been wanting an electric kettle for tea. Anybody reccomend one that isnt insanly expensive?

the other a very small clay pot with the warming dish and cups that I got from a guy I used to work with who came from Taiwan. I only brew Oolong in it because the flavor actually infuses into the clay.

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Is it Yixing clay? I've been looking for one of those for a while now.

dataz722 said:

Anybody reccomend one that isnt insanly expensive?

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It's probably like anything, you get what you pay for. I have seen the ones with the three most common settings 160/180/190/212. Upton has one they had manufactured for them and it's about 40 clams. I wouldn't get a fixed temp, it's too inflexible imho. Especially if you like to go between greens and blacks. Greens taste horrid when brewed too hot and/or too long.

flyangler18 said:

Is it Yixing clay? I've been looking for one of those for a while now.

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Hmm, not sure. It's a tiny little thing that is a reddish color. He was so into his tea. He even gave me a kilo of the best Oolong I ever had. Thing was they got it pretty cheap there.

zoebisch01 said:

It's probably like anything, you get what you pay for. I have seen the ones with the three most common settings 160/180/190/212. Upton has one they had manufactured for them and it's about 40 clams. I wouldn't get a fixed temp, it's too inflexible imho. Especially if you like to go between greens and blacks. Greens taste horrid when brewed too hot and/or too long.

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That is pretty much exactly what I was looking for with the different settings but most were about 150.... to me that a little much just for the convinience of it heating the water for me. I will have to go check out upton.

I vary my teas from seasonals to fruit infusions, but my favorite right now is Oolong!

Had an Asian friend pick me up a box of loose oolong and been enjoying it for weeks now.


Steep mine in a steel mesh ball.

I find I like British/Irish blends better than anything I can readily get in the supermarket here in the States. I've had most of the major British and Irish brands/blends, but my all-time favorite is Yorkshire Gold. It's fairly strong black tea, yet somehow smooth and mild. But since that's so expensive here, I order my second favorite tea by the case and drink it everyday... Bewley's Traditional Green (not green tea).

Just Earl Grey in the American Style paper dipping bags. Usually Bigelow cause it's readily available and comes in a nice foil pouch to seal in the aroma. But I only have tea once in a great while (except ICE TEA, which is my preferred kind of tea.)

Laughing_Gnome said:

I like PG tips the best. I used to get them sent over from the UK cheaper than I can get it here. My mum died 3 years ago, which cut off my supply. Since then I'm down to my last 1000 or so tea bags.

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PM me I might be able to get them here...

Ok so if you asked that question in my office, any of my friend's houses, my scout hall, university, a shop in general it would degrade into a war over whether its Barry's or Lyons. Most generally battle on the side of whichever they were fed as kids...

Loweface said:

war over whether its Barry's or Lyons

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You can get a war right here... Bewleys beats both of them!

menschmaschine said:

You can get a war right here... Bewleys beats both of them!

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That would be more or a battle than a war...

Loweface said:

PM me I might be able to get them here...

Ok so if you asked that question in my office, any of my friend's houses, my scout hall, university, a shop in general it would degrade into a war over whether its Barry's or Lyons. Most generally battle on the side of whichever they were fed as kids...

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I was in an Irish cafe (There are such things?) Near Niagara falls a couple of weeks ago. They had LOTS of Barry's tea on sale. They also had steak pie for SIX BUCKS A SLICE!!!!! I still had some though, because it is so rare here. I wept a little at every bite. Americans don't know that you can put meat in pies.

I was in an Irish cafe (There are such things?) Near Niagara falls a couple of weeks ago. They had LOTS of Barry's tea on sale. They also had steak pie for SIX BUCKS A SLICE!!!!! I still had some though, because it is so rare here. I wept a little at every bite. Americans don't know that you can put meat in pies.

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I often see Barry's for sale at my local grocery and I buy it regularly.

I love me a steak pie! In fact, I have a recipe for a steak pie that uses dry stout to make the sauce.

Laughing_Gnome said:

Americans don't know that you can put meat in pies.

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Yeah and you can also put tripe in a sheep's stomach and call it haggis, but you won't ever see me eating that again!

j/k... I really do like most British food... especially Roast beef and Yorkshire Pudding!

I drink green tea a good bit.

I get it from TeaGschwender. Great web store, great tea, and awesome customer service.

I am currently drinking China Gunpowder green tea. that is some tasty stuff.

China Gunpowder Temple of Heaven