Any Tea Drinkers Out There?

[lupo pazzesco]

ginger is also excellent at combating nausea/upset stomachs. Whenever I have a stomach bug, I grab some fresh ginger and steep it in boiling water. Fresh ginger tea. Add a little honey, and life is good again.

Yes, tea makers are wicked expensive. I still lust over one. I want the TriniTEA. I want it very much. But cannot justify it. One day it will be my own! My precious!! Erm... <coughcough>

Moving on...

[teh_blumchenkinder]

I've been putting honey in my tea recently because of my allergies. Ginger is the most amazing thing for nausea (saved me after tooth extraction and during the Visit that half the population gets). Tea and steeping has been around and honored in various cultures for a reason.
What MaggieTheCat was getting at was this: there's really only tea and steepings (also known as tisanes). Tea is from a single type of bush, includes things like green, black, white, and oolong-- all the same leaf, just different drying processes. Anything else, like with 'herbal' in it, is often not tea leaf tea. But! don't let that stop you. There's some darn yummy stuff out there that I love that isn't actually 'tea.' I usually stay away from stuff that has added flavorings that aren't actual bits of stuff like fruit or herbs, mostly because they leave oil slicks or funny tastes in my mouth, or go bad more quickly. I second the Stash-- I love their Super Irish Breakfast tea!
You're going to have to learn how you like tea. Strong, weak, with what in it, each type of tea is going to be different, even if it's simply sold by different companies. My usual take when trying a new tea out is steep it for just under the recommended amount of time that it says on the package, and sip it a bit every few seconds, as it gets stronger. Usually as a tea gets stronger, it reaches a point of nasty rather than tasty-- tannins, naturally. Although with green tea, just put honey in it and the bitterness goes away. Not sugar. Honey. If you put sugar in you get sweet-tasting bitter tea! (So strange...) Numi is also a good brand, but also expensive. I buy it on sale. I prefer their black teas to their greens, 'specially the gunpowders. Try your local co-op for fun stuff. Or the Asian markets. They tend to know tea better. You're also going to have to be very careful and picky for the first while until you learn about water temperature (like don't let green-tea destined water boil, nor use it after it cools-- it tastes notably different!), amount of tea if you use loose-leaf, what kind of sweetener to use when or how, or milk or lemon...
I also second (third?) the loose-leaf option, but I recommend what I have:
http://www.hospitalitywholesale.com....r-plastic.html
It's the same size as a standard cup. I hate tea-balls, because the leaves always get squished and never flow right. It's so easy to use too-- just put the desired amount in (yet more room for experimentation!), let it soak, take it out, then rinse the stuff down the drain, in the trash, or in the compost. There's also bamboo ones, I've never tried, and you should be able to find those at Asian markets. You can also just use a tiny sieve, just make sure you don't have a lot of dust (it looks like dust, it's dust-ified tea bits) because the dust does effect the strength of the tea if you let the tea sit and cool. Or you can just use a really fine sieve, which is what tea steepers amount to anyway. http://www.amazon.com/Home-Naturals-.../dp/B00197BCO6
(.... there's about fifteen different grades of tea for telling people how whole the leaf is, for various reasons. Dust is the worst.)
Oooor you could just toss it in the bottom of your pot (not kettle, which is for boiling water for many purposes, some of which aren't food-related), but remember to put a teaspoon in 'for the pot'-- it rounds out the strength a bit better than otherwise. I also usually just make tea for one.
Yeah, I'm strange, but tea consists of water and the chemically bits that get soaked out of the leaves. It matters what you do to it! Filter your water, especially if you have water you can taste. I've had teas that, when I moved, I couldn't drink because of the water, even though the water tasted fine otherwise.
Believe it or not, despite the intricacies of it all, I like plain green tea: either jasmine I get from the local Asian market, or the bagged stuff I get at the warehouse store nearby (Yama moto yama Special Occasion Green Tea, and Celestial Seasonings plain green teas); and black tea-- the Super Irish mentioned before, Twinings, and the stuff my mom gets from the store near her.
Gunpowder Green tea is some fierce stuff, so be on the ball about it-- but if you like green tea, you'll love that. Chai is fun stuff to have during a cold winter or cool autumn evenings-- and the Celestial Seasonings Bengal tea is almost like a meal. Don't expect it to be much like the chai lattes places sell-- they're lattes. Chai without milk has a very very strong spiced taste, so be prepared for your sinuses and mouth to have fun. I tend to super-steep my chai, then re-microwave it so it's blazing super hot, almost boiling again, and then dumping the sugar in, then the milk-- so it winds up sweet and hot even though there's cold milk in it. I have never tried Japanese powdered tea, or really gotten into the yerba mate' stuff either, or rooibois (sorry if that's spelled wrong, too much Dutch getting to me). White tea and oolong are teas I'm just getting into myself-- oolong has a rich, musty taste to me, and white tastes a bit different than green...
DO NOT EVER put milk or milk products in with lemon, or the other way around, because then it will curdle. Mmmm curdled milk/sarcasm
I really hope you find what you like, because, as you can tell, I think tea is wonderful!
... I also really hope you don't find me a freaking wierdo for knowing so much about tea without looking any of it up.

[Magpie]

Yet more things I forgot:

A handy trick for masala chai on the run is to use powdered milk. You don't have to worry about the temperature. Of course, the tea is stronger (because you have a full mug of tea, rather than half milk), but that's generally considered a good thing.

If you want to get into yerba mate, don't buy it from tea stores. Go to a South American store in your area. The tea stores here charge from $3 - $5 or even more for 100 g. A 1 kg bag from Mi Tienda Latina costs $4.25. My husband drinks it daily (his family came through South America). It would cost us a heck of a lot of money if he was buying it from the tea stores, and we'd have to shop for it far too often. While I don't recommend actually trying to get really into the mate etiquette (confusing and pointless unless you're with people doing that), it's worth getting the proper gourd and straw (coya and bombillia) - it changes the flavour. Do be careful if using the gourd and straw - it looks like a giant interesting pipe, and my husband did have an interesting chat with the head of campus police once. (Nothing bad, but the guy was wondering what it was, since it looked questionable). And people who recognise the paraphernalia and thing that you're drinking coca tea might cause trouble too, if someone around isn't familiar with it.

There are claims online that mate doesn't have caffeine - it apparently contains mateine, a stereo-isomer of caffeine. Except that mateine is another name for caffeine, which can't have a stereo-isomer. It contains less caffeine than tea does, but it also has other alkaloids. If you drink it in a traditional manner - with a quarter cup or so and two or three litres of water over the entire day - it won't get too strong at any one point.

[lordlundar]

You have to remember that tea is not just a drink, but a plant as well. That said, if your "tea" does not have any part of the tea plant in it, then it's not a true tea. Herbal tea, ginger tea, and the like, while good, are only tea in the concept that they are usually steeped, not brewed, and are not, by the strictest definition, tea at all.

Now that that's cleared up, there's 5 basic types. Black, Oolong, green, yellow and white. Black tea is made from the leaves and is oxidized then cured, which gives it it's black colour. This tends to bring it a more fragrant flavour than other types. Black tea is the least expensive because it's the easiest to ship. European style flavours tend to be almost exclusively black tea.

Oolong is between black and green, dried but only to partial oxidization. It's taste tends to be between the two types as well. It's very traditional in the Chinese mainland, so it's not usually seen outside of it.

Green tea has minimal oxidization, leaving a more mellow, grassy, earthy flavour than it's more oxidized cousins. While Oolong is rarely seen outside China, green tea is seen practically worldwide now, though is most common in Southeast Asia and the middle east. It's still more difficult and expensive to ship though, so it tends to be more expensive.

Yellow tea is made the same way as green tea is, just slower, which allows the leaves to yellow. This gives it a flavour that is unique, but not totally separate from green or yellow. Traditionally, the Chinese Imperial court exclusively was served this type, so it's very rare and very expensive.

White tea is the only one that is not made exclusively from the leaves. It is made from young leaves and the buds of the tea plant. The flavour is considered to be more mellow, but otherwise similar to green tea. It's a delicate tea, so it's difficult to import and as such, expensive.

Blended teas such as Orange Pekoe or Earl Grey, are one of the standard types, usually black, that is cured with varying flavour agents to adjust it's final flavour. Outside of blended teas, sub-varieties for the main types tend to be different in what subtype of tea plant is harvested, it's geographical location, and the processing techniques.

All that said, if you're looking for something to fill in the gap or to wake you up in the morning, basic types in a grocery store will serve fine. If you want a true experience though, go to a tea hut or specialty tea store with knowledgeable staff. And remember the basics of what you need: A kettle to boil the water, a vessel to hold the steeping tea, if doing individual servings, a means of holding loose leaves while steeping (non-reactive of course, tea is acidic) additives (sugar and milk for example) and time. Remember, tea is steeped, not brewed. Apart from that, finding a particular flavour that pleases you is really a trial and error process. Good luck.

[teh_blumchenkinder]

... Lundar's post is really the one I was meaning to write. Basics, not wall-of-overwhelmingness. At least all of us really aren't going over the exact same thing. .___.'
Coffee is just as complicated, so no whining about it
(It also never tastes as good as it smells, grrr)

[hinakiba777]

The fact that Irish Breakfast (my favorite black tea) is your least favorite of your variety pack makes me sad in my heart. Tis good.

I have a massive bag of random teas in my house. My friend, who is a massive Teaphile gave me one of everything she had. Bagged, Loose, Rooibos, White, Black, Green. There was even a tea that tasted like Root Beer. ^.^

Sadly I can't offer much advice about tea. I'm allergic to Licorice Root and Peppers to there are many flavored teas I can't touch(mostly due to the Licorice Root).

Though I know Teavana, which another poster suggested, has an amazing suggestion. I suggest the Chocolate Almond Loose Rooibos. It tastes like an almond bar, and Rooibos always has such a pleasant taste anyway.

Personally I take black teas with milk and sugar. I brew it very strong so that the milk doesn't overpower the tea. It's nice. But I do agree it's best to try new teas pure. Sometimes Honey works better than sugar, sometimes Milk makes it turn badly, and sometimes it's perfect the way it is.

[Pedersen]

I just figured I'd say thank you to the folks who replied. I wound up buying two of those IngenuiTEAs, one for work and one for home. I really like them.

I also bought a total of 24 sampler packs from Adagio Teas, and have been very pleased so far.

So, whomever recommended Adagio, I thank you. My wallet wants to hunt you down and do great harm, but the rest of me thanks you

[Amina516]

I also bought a total of 24 sampler packs from Adagio Teas, and have been very pleased so far.

So, whomever recommended Adagio, I thank you. My wallet wants to hunt you down and do great harm, but the rest of me thanks you

Whats kinds did you get?

And LOL!

[lupo pazzesco]

Ooh, yes, I wanna know what kinds you got, too! And Adagio is actually really reasonably priced compared to some other places like here

although the link above has some of my all time favorite teas. just saying.

[teh_blumchenkinder]

glad you're on your way...
er. let me rephrase that.
I'm glad you've joined us tea-hippies.
And, if you're anything like the usual IngenuiTEA customers, both of them will be used so many times that they'll pay for themselves and then some.

[Pedersen]

Whats kinds did you get?

What kinds? I got the flavor samplers. A bunch of them. 20 1oz packages of loose leaf tea, in total. One IngenuiTEA gift pack (since the price was the same as the regular IngenuiTEA without any flavors, I figured why not), plus three others.

So, my total list of types: assam melody, ceylon sonata, darjeeling #22, golden monkey, keemun concerto, yunnan jig, golden spring, keemun rhapsody, pu erh dante, yunnan gold, masala chai, chocolate chai, spiced apple chai, green chai, rooibos vanilla chai, thai chai, mango, oriental spice, strawberry, vanilla.

So far, I've only tried out the vanilla, masala chai, spiced apple chai, rooibos vanilla chai, and oriental spice. I'm trying to keep myself to having only about a half dozen open packages at a time (and it's not easy).

I've discovered that anything called Chai seems to be wonderful. Vanilla was very nice, as was the oriental spice. I'm not sure what I'll be opening up and trying next, not yet. My wife has also been using the bagged tea we bought when I got started to make lots of iced tea.

Thanks to all of that, I've had a whopping two sodas all last week (where before, I would go through that in, at most, 4 hours).

And Adagio is actually really reasonably priced compared to some other places like here

Oh no you don't! I swear that when I considered adding to my current collection, my wallet took one look at me, spit on me, and is now refusing to talk to me. I'm hoping it'll forgive me by tomorrow, since I don't know how I'll do lunch otherwise.

And, if you're anything like the usual IngenuiTEA customers, both of them will be used so many times that they'll pay for themselves and then some.

Well, let's see. I'm trying to kick a soda habit. This means drinking the tea as much as (or more than) soda. Therefore, I've pretty much always got a tea in hand. So, five cups a day is not at all abnormal so far. In under a week, I've probably made 25 mugs worth. I'd say I'm definitely getting my money's worth out of it

[lupo pazzesco]

So far, I've only tried out the vanilla, masala chai, spiced apple chai, rooibos vanilla chai, and oriental spice. I'm trying to keep myself to having only about a half dozen open packages at a time (and it's not easy).

I've discovered that anything called Chai seems to be wonderful. Vanilla was very nice, as was the oriental spice. I'm not sure what I'll be opening up and trying next, not yet. My wife has also been using the bagged tea we bought when I got started to make lots of iced tea.

Told you! Chai is wonderful in any form. I've yet to meet a chai I didn't like. I've got about 7 or 8 varieties myself, including the vanilla rooibos chai. I ordered the big tin of that stuff. It's fantastic. As for what to try next, chocolate chai, chocolate chai!! If you're feeling adventurous, blend the strawberry and mango, steep it to double strength, then ice it. Very refreshing.

Oh no you don't! I swear that when I considered adding to my current collection, my wallet took one look at me, spit on me, and is now refusing to talk to me. I'm hoping it'll forgive me by tomorrow, since I don't know how I'll do lunch otherwise.

what did I do...?

Well, let's see. I'm trying to kick a soda habit. This means drinking the tea as much as (or more than) soda. Therefore, I've pretty much always got a tea in hand. So, five cups a day is not at all abnormal so far. In under a week, I've probably made 25 mugs worth. I'd say I'm definitely getting my money's worth out of it

Only 5 cups a day? Not bad for a beginner.

I made 2.5 gallons of iced tea to get me through the next 3 days at work (I bring 24 oz water bottles with me to work filled with tea. That and water get me through the day) and will have to make another 1 or 2 after that to get me through the rest of the week. That's not counting the mug I have with breakfast, and the one or 2 I have after getting home from work, and then before bed.

Tea is happiness in a mug.

I'm glad it's working out well for you!

[Monica]

I just bought some teas and a teapot and diffuser. I am trying to weed off of soda and get my caffeine fix another way. The question I have, is how much tea should I drink that will equal the amount of caffeine in a 12oz bottle?

[teh_blumchenkinder]

Equal amounts of caffeine? Huh. Since caffeine turns me into a zombie (unable to sleep, unable to close my eyes, and absolutely useless at any and all and sundry...) I usually don't think about that.
But, I can tell you that it really, really depends on the tea, and even the brand. There are caffeine meters and whatnot online... and if you're drinking something like Vault or Mountain Dew or caffeinated sodas...
An online search got me this:
http://wilstar.com/caffeine.htm
and this
http://www.stashtea.com/caffeine+and+tea.aspx
which apparently has more than just the chart
You'll be drinking more tea than soda, for sure. Eh. Water's good for you.

[Pedersen]

Told you! Chai is wonderful in any form. I've yet to meet a chai I didn't like. I've got about 7 or 8 varieties myself, including the vanilla rooibos chai. I ordered the big tin of that stuff. It's fantastic. As for what to try next, chocolate chai, chocolate chai!! If you're feeling adventurous, blend the strawberry and mango, steep it to double strength, then ice it. Very refreshing.

I've always enjoyed Chai Lattes, but I had no idea I would enjoy plain old Chai. I'm very pleased about that.

Not going to make my own blends, not yet. I'm trying each of the flavors, and seeing what I like and don't like. Vanilla and Oriental Spice were really nice, and then I tried Strawberry today. That one is now going onto my "must reorder" list. That was awesome!

Hmmm... Haven't opened the Mango yet. Maybe I will give that a shot, but only after I've tried it on its own.

what did I do...?

You made me think of buying more tea before I've really gotten through much of the tea I already bought. My poor wallet. At least we're on speaking terms now.

Tea is happiness in a mug.

It's a very relaxing thing to make. Kind of forces you to stop and do nothing for a few minutes. And tastes nice afterwards

I'm glad it's working out well for you!

Very well so far. I'm not going to quit entirely on the soda. A couple per week is not going to do real harm to me, and there's times when it just will taste right. But, for now at least, I've managed to stop craving soda so much.