I have crossed to the dark side and am now getting tea k-cups for the Kurieg. If I am using a tea bag I put it in the cup and use the Kureig for hot water.

I've tried so many different methods of making tea, but in honesty I now mostly do it like my Brit friend did for years before she passed - flip on the electric kettle, plop teabag in a favorite mug, steep, then add a splash of milk. Easy.

Some claim that teabags aren't authentically English. Oh, but they ARE. ;-)

Some claim that teabags aren't authentically English. Oh, but they ARE. ;-)

Agree. I import PG Tips for when I don't feel like making loose tea! It is quite amazing how cheaply you can import English teas from Amazon.com w/ prime shipping. I have mine set up on Subscribe 'n Save.

Bewley's Irish Breakfast, and Bewleys Dublin Afternoon tea are also wonderful, as are Taylors of Harrogate teas.

Never heard of Boscovs but will check them out. I like to use different loose teas so Kuerig would never work for me. I like to mix teas etc. Yes the teavana infuser! I still can't get the photo to post. No milk!!! LOL I can't stand even sugar in my tea. Ha ha. I use bags when I run out of loose tea.

Beagles, I looked for Dublin Afternoon Tea but find only Dublin Morning and Irish Afternoon. If you're recommending one of these, which one? Excited to try these....Thanks!

I can buy PG Tips locally. WalMart even sells it.

Sorry. I transposed/combined my Brewleys in my head! I looked at my Subscribe & Save. The two I get are:

Bewley's Irish Afternoon

Bewley's Dublin Morning Tea

I can buy PG Tips locally. WalMart even sells it.

Hmm. I was unaware of this. I do not shop at Wal-Mart and it has probably been 2 years since I was at a grocery store. I thought it was only sold in Britain, and via Amazon (and I saw it at a British import store when I was on vacation but they were asking a fortune for it!) Guess I should check locally!

Yes the teavana infuser!

Here is a picture of the one I have (from their website). Not sure if its the same one you have?

If this is the one you have, be careful w/ it. I am on my second one... my first unexpectedly began to leak when it was about 2 years old and it was on a table next to a computer so I very nearly lost the computer to the tiny bit of tea that leaked out! My new one also recently leaked a little bit and stained a placemat :( I am DONE with these.

Yes that is it. It was a gift from a few years ago. I use it constantly. The lid is broken and I find it a pain to clean but it has never leaked. I'm so use to this I'm afraid to try a pot with a metal strainer. I guess I don't want to spend money on something I'm not sure I will like.

well, just be careful :) because mine never leaked... until it leaked!

My Yorkshire lass of a DMIL taught me this way: boil the kettle. Pour a bit of the hot water into the pot to warm it. Add a tea bag for every two people, and pour the water directly over the tea bags. Steep. Pour. DFIL says to pour a little water over the tea bags and dump it, then prepare as above. Cuts the tannin, he said.

DMIL says people are always giving her fancy teas, but she really prefers "whatever is on sale". Although, she and my son share a fondness for a South African tea called "rooibos". It is quite nice!

but for one cup, it's the microwave for me.

Beagles - do you have a Wegman's - that's where we buy our PG Tips. Incidentally - they slightly reduced the amount of tea in their bags.

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/shortcuts/2015/mar/16/pg-tips-reduced-tea-bags-price-same

dsg - I also drink Bewley's tea - both Dublin Morning and Irish Afternoon. It's a fond reminder of my trips to Dublin and taking tea at Bewley's Cafe on Grafton Street. Unfortunately Bewley's is closed at the moment for remodeling and when it re-opens next year it will be smaller, only one floor.

http://www.irishtimes.com/business/retail-and-services/bewley-s-on-grafton-street-closing-until-autumn-1.2055724

My palate isn't sophisticated enough to taste the difference between Dublin Morning and Irish Afternoon. Plus I add sugar and milk which diffuses the taste. But there is a difference - traditionally breakfast teas are black tea blends with a more robust flavor to accompany a morning meal. They usually have a higher caffeine level and are stronger so they hold their taste even with the addition of milk and/or sugar.

Afternoon teas are meant to be lighter to accompany light snacks or sandwiches. But there isn't a universal standard so one brand's afternoon tea may be stronger than another's brand breakfast tea.

I simply make my tea like my Grandmothers (one from Ireland, the other from Scotland) - boil water in a kettle, pour boiling water into a cup, mug or teapot to warm it, then toss out the water and add a teabag, then pour boiling water over the bag, allow to steep to desired strength.

maire_cat, we have a Wegman's about 40 minutes from us at our PA house. A trip is made there about once a month b/c I adore Wegman's Chocolate Chip ice cream. Nothing better. I will have to ask for PG tips to be purchased next trip. Thanks!

That's annoying they reduced the amount in the bags! So many manufacturers are doing that lately! :(

Boiling water over a teabag. I like my tea very hot, so it has to be a kettle, one of those instant water dispensers won't do. I pour the tea into what I call my nuclear travel mug, it keeps the tea hot for about 1 hour and warm for about 2 hours! No milk and some sugar (agave if available).

Beagles,

Wegman's also carries Typhoo, for sure, and, I think, Bewley's along with a decent selection of loose tea.

If I use loose tea I use these paper filters. Also available on Amazon and some brick and mortar stores. Teavana has a similar one.

Out instant water comes out at 160 degrees. That is pretty hot and the hottest most teas should be made. Some call for cooler temps but I make all mine the same.

Does the temperature of the water affect different teas differently? Granny had a towel with an old Yorkshire proverb:

"Lest the kettle boiling be,

filling the teapot spoils the tea"

But perhaps that's because they usually used a black tea in the cold north?

According to the guide that came with my electric kettle, the ideal water temperatures are:

french press coffee 200

oolong tea 190

balck tea 180

green tea 170

white tea 160

I'm mostly a coffee (snob) drinker, but I do like my tea now and then. I prefer Smith tea which comes in linen teabags and is oh so good. Steven Smith Teamaker is the full name and I love the Meadow herbal tea (decaf), the Brahmin black tea and the Decaf Green Tea.

Love this thread. Until recently, I only drank hot tea when I was sick.. but I've had a need for more quiet, peace and calm lately and for some reason, that's led me back to tea. I have a few varieties on hand-- most of them for iced tea. I'd like to pursue some different tea flavors.. both white and black teas.

I have a local shop that sells loose teas and also a wegman's nearby. Thanks for all the recommendations.

I prefer loose teas so I use this mesh tea strainer basket. I have a couple, smaller ones for a single mug and a larger one for when making a pot. It is easy fairly easy to clean (we let the leaves dry in the basket and then dump them in the garden). Anything left behind is easily sprayed free in the sink. I am not a fan of tea balls. They work but I am not always coordinated so am inclined to make a mess when trying to get tea in or out of them. I make the kids use tea bags.

My siblings and I grew up drinking tea, as our nana was Scottish. When we were quite young, we were only allowed Cambric tea (hot water, milk, sugar and a wee bit of tea). We gradually graduated into the real stuff, though. I like to make mine, using tea bags rather than loose tea, in a warmed pot. I still favor the kind I grew up on, Red Rose, although we keep many varieties here in our pantry now. I've created a tea connoisseur/monster (LOL) in my daughter. She favors the South African Rooibos, but hits up Teavana regularly when she's home from college for different varieties.

Funny story: I have four brothers and four sisters and we're all avid tea drinkers. When we get together for reunions, etc., our spouses think it's so funny that we all gather together for our hot tea every morning without fail (and our afternoon tea, too) . . . while most every spouse drinks coffee. But, the vast majority of our children are now avid tea drinkers, as well.

Interesting about the temps. I had a book on tea like "tea 101" and I swear it had lower temps in it than what beagles is saying. A friend has not returned the book so I can't check. I did check a teavana container and it has different temps. Hmmm... Well I doubt I will change my water temp. I don't even follow the rules for steeping time : )

beagles didn't suggest water temps ;) That was hhireno.

My one-touch tea maker has different buttons for different teas so you can get optimum water temp for each type. Some are too hot for my taste though. I like to be able to drink my tea right away, not wait 10 minutes for it to cool!

hhireno thanks for the info on the Wegmans tea selection. I don't actually go myself to the store, so I had no idea. I'll have to put some of those on my list for Wegman's and compare prices w/ what I pay at Amazon via Subscribe and Save.

Sorry beagles and hhireno, it's been a long day!

Beagles, ,You should go to wegmans just for fun. I'm used to it because I'm surrounded by them and shop there a few times a week. Others are astonished. Some contain really nice full service restaurants.

For tea most of mine come from a local tea shop. All the teas are loose and organic. Also sells organic herbs and stuff like that. I do occasionaly buy bagged tea as the kids find it quicker. I usually get Stash or wegmans brand.

funkyart, much tea drinking has started from being sick. I also tell people, probably said it on this forum before, if you say you don't like tea, you just haven't found the right one. There are many varieties and then there are different brands and of course bagged vs loose, etc. I rarely drink green tea straight. I always add some herbal tea. That is what is fun about loose tea is you can create your own mix. I also make it stronger than recommended but then get three or 4 cups out of it with the last one very weak.

If I'm using loose tea, I boil the water, fill the teapot with boiling water, then dump the water out. add the tea and fill with more just boiled water. Perhaps at 205 degrees. Let steep for 4 minutes, then pour into the teacup through a strainer. I think that the tea tastes better by not being confined in a teaball. For teabags, boiling water over a Red Rose teabag, then steep for 4 minutes. I have to avoid caffeine, so I've had to give up caffeinated tea. I get loose decaf tea leaves at Wegman's.

I love a good cup of tea! The variety depends on my mood and the time of day. Evenings I must go the herbal or decaf route. I have pricey loose varieties and supermarket staples like Lipton decaf. The only ones I don't like are florals, like jasmine.

For a quick beverage with lunch I'll just pour instant hot water over a tea bag. But when my focus is to enjoy a good cup I use a glass pot with a metal strainer. Boil my water, rinse the pot, measure out my tea, then pour water over the leaves & steep. And always pour into a nice cup! I take my tea straight - no milk, sugar or lemon. An exception is Chai. For a treat, instead of hot chocolate after shoveling, I'll add steamed milk & a drizzle of honey.

I've seen some people keep the steeped tea in the pot. That makes for bitter tea. You want it steeped, not stewed.

An interesting note regarding PG Tips - which they recently began carrying at our local (Hannaford) supermarkets. I have to be careful when I drink it. Not sure what the caffeine content is - it is mild and smooth tasting - but it can leave me feeling wired & shakey.

Amck,

I drink PG Tips decaf. I just opened a box of Typhoo decaf. Both are very good.

My only complaint, and that's too strong a word, is the bags don't have strings so I have to dirty a spoon just to fish it out of the mug. I don't use milk or sugar or squeeze the bag so I don't need a spoon. I've been keeping a box of frilly topped toothpicks next to the teas so I can use one of those instead of a spoon. Somehow, in my odd logic, I don't mind throwing out a little toothpick but I do mind dirtying a spoon.

Last December, I really liked Candy Cane Lane by Celestial Seasonings. I had one last week and it wasn't as good as I remembered it. Thinking maybe it was just too early for that taste, I bought a box of something pumpkin spiced. The sample was a caffeinated tea and was very good but I have to severely limit by caffeine. I threw caution to the wind a bought a decaf without sampling it. It's fine, not quite as good as the sample, and I'll use up the box but I wouldn't buy it again.

Also last year, I had a very nice chai, one that didn't have the medicinal taste so many have. When I returned to buy another box, they didn't carry that flavor anymore! Eighteen other flavors by that brand but not that particular chai. I'm hoping it's a winter flavor that they'll release again. I'm going to add it to my shopping list right now, I hope I recognize the box. I already have a shelf full of 'meh, okay but not exactly right' boxes.

hhlreno, look for Bigelow's Apple Cider Tea -- it is an herbal, no caffiene and a nice seasonal flavor.

I have a tea infuser, a glass mug with an infuser that sits inside and a tea ball/spoon for loose teas, but the ones I make most often are bags. For either, I use an instant hot dispenser most of the time and brew directly in the cup.

I love tea. I use a beehouse pot and some cast iron pots to make my tea. I also have a Water boiler. Most black teas are made in 208F. Some are at 195F. Green teas can vary. I like the mesh filters versus the tea ball because they work very well and allow me to reuse the multiple time.

My favorite teas are from Mariage Frere, Palais de The and a place in Chinatown in San Francisco called Red Blossom. I also like Adagio teas in New Jersey. The Mango Tea from them makes great hot and iced tea. Republic of Teas also makes great Ginger Peach Tea! Too many to list. Favorites change every week! I don't drink alcohol, so tea and coffee are my alcohol and chocolate:-)

Good luck!

I use the Republic of Tea Ginger Peach and Blackberry Sage for iced tea and have been drinking both hot the past few weeks. I also like Adagio's Midsummer's Night Dream blend. It's wonderful as a light iced tea..

When I am sick, I usually reach for Bigelow's Constant Comment or Twining's Earl Grey (which I call Froot Loop tea because it smells like FLs to me!). I also enjoy Sleepytime .. but my current box seems to be much weaker than I remember it.

I will still drink coffee in the morning-- I often go to bed thinking about that first warm, creamy cup lol.. but I think I'd like to switch to tea in the afternoon/evening.