Tea

[Torslanda]

I'm not a great tea drinker, being a 'milk & two sugars/NATO standard' kind of bloke, the more subtle flavours are lost on me but I've just had an idea.

For people who don't like tea bags or can't get their preferred variety except as loose leaf, is there a market for a device that will take a one person measure of loose leaf, contain it so the drink can infuse but not let the leaves out and be reusable?

I'm thinking something about the size of an egg, fit on a spoon nicely, could even have its own hook to hang on the side of the cup/mug/glass, stainless steel and easily seperable for cleaning.

Or has it been done? Anyone know of such a device?

[Chris N]

Look for a tea infuser.

[Pingu]

[hatler]

This page has got a few.

[Torslanda]

Not going to get rich that way, then!

[Canardly]

Ah, but if you attached a chain and a pair of cranks to it, you could rotate until the desired stength has been acheived. (Might get a bit messy though).

[T42]

I'm not a great tea drinker, being a 'milk & two sugars/NATO standard' kind of bloke, the more subtle flavours are lost on me but I've just had an idea.

For people who don't like tea bags or can't get their preferred variety except as loose leaf, is there a market for a device that will take a one person measure of loose leaf, contain it so the drink can infuse but not let the leaves out and be reusable?

I'm thinking something about the size of an egg, fit on a spoon nicely, could even have its own hook to hang on the side of the cup/mug/glass, stainless steel and easily seperable for cleaning.

Or has it been done? Anyone know of such a device?

Funnily enough, in Germany these are called tea eggs.  The missus has several, but only one that won't let leaves escape.

This page has got a few.

The ball-and-chain ones are OK. The ones like safety-pins aren't.

[TimO]

I used to use a spring loaded tea infuser, like this.



It worked well, but I drink tea so rarely these days, that I just have a box of "bog standard" tea bags.  I'm not even sure where the tea infuser is, it's not in my drawer of random kitchen things.  Hmm . . .

[Mrs Pingu]

Looking at the state of our 'garden' this evening,  it's apparent that the worms aren't composting some of our tea bags (which ones I do not know),
Haven't quite decided if I CBA to buy loose leaf & infusers, empty tea bags or just start putting the tea bags in the council food waste bin.

[hellymedic]

We noted with dismay that some of Sainsbury's most expensive infusions came in PLASTIC teabags; these obviously will not compost.
I don't know if this URL open for you but this is the culprit.
http://www.sainsburys.co.uk/shop/gb/groceries/fruit---herbal-tea/sainsburys-infusions-lemon--ginger---honey-x15--taste-the-difference-30g

[Mrs Pingu]

We have a mixture of teas in the igloo but they don't appear to be plastic teabags, as far as I can tell by look & feel.
I picked up some of the ones lying in the garden tonight, they feel more felty.

[Jack Standish]

I will probably sound like a heretic, but are there any good restaurants or cafes that serve good tea? I can't find or make any good tea to save my life, that's why I'm asking. yet restaurants seem to be even worse at it. In Slough, I ordered some tea at the Fat Duck, but it was horrendous. In London, when I ordered tea after my eggs in Regency Cafe, I almost choked and vomited - it was like muddy water, like there was coffe in my tea.
So, i have a bad history with restaurant tea. unless i find a wise master to help me pick and make good tea, I'll have to stick with whisky.

[hatler]

Most traditional greasy spoons sell a good cuppa. And you get a mugfull too.

[spesh]

Two nations, divided by a common language brown drink...

The U.S. Embassy in London is attempting to pour cold water on a brewing controversy about the best way to prepare a cup of tea.

In a new book released Wednesday, “Steeped: The Chemistry of Tea,” Bryn Mawr College chemistry professor Michelle Francl advised tea lovers to add a pinch of salt to their drinks.

“I grew up in the midwest, which is deep coffee-drinking country, but tea has always been my preferred drink — and I have invested a lot of time into studying it,” Francl said, according to The Guardian.

Following news reports about the book, the American Embassy in London took to social media to practice a bit of teatime diplomacy. Without naming Francl, the message said that “an American professor’s recipe for the ‘perfect’ cup of tea has landed our special bond with the United Kingdom in hot water.”

“Tea is the elixir of camaraderie, a sacred bond that unites our nations. We cannot stand idly by as such an outrageous proposal threatens the very foundation of our Special Relationship,” said a statement posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“Therefore we want to ensure the good people of the U.K. that the unthinkable notion of adding salt to Britain’s national drink is not official United States policy. And never will be,” the U.S. Embassy contended.

“Let us unite in our steeped solidarity and show the world that when it comes to tea, we stand as one,” the tongue-in-cheek statement said, before potentially unleashing a tempest in a teapot with its final line.

“The U.S. Embassy will continue to make tea in the proper way — by microwaving it.”

https://thehill.com/blogs/in-the-know/4426295-us-embassy-uk-adding-salt-to-tea/

The last line appears to be a cheeky reference to American sacrilege WRT making tea hitting the news in 2021:

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/us-embassy-london-trolls-tea-b1852479.html

[ravenbait]

You can also get teapots with removable infusers, flasks with removable infusers, and speciality infusers made of gold mesh.

When not drinking Clipper tea (bags put in the commercial compost - our worms don't like the tannins), I prefer Formoso Lapsang Souchong or Russian Caravan. I do not adulterate my tea. Mr Bait (builders tea, milk no sugar; or Assam, introduced to milk as a passing acquaintance) occasionally expresses exasperation with the number of specific mugs, insulated mugs, flasks and infusers I insist on keeping.

I refuse to drink tea from a coffee mug and vice versa, and I don't like using the vessels from which I drink smoked tea for more delicate herbal infusions or darjeeling. I recommend something of this ilk, as it will cope with the largest mug of your preferred loose leaf.

https://inpursuitoftea.com/products/extra-fine-infuser-with-stainless-lid-c68cc

The lid helps retain heat while it steeps.

Sam

[Mr Larrington]

Microwaving tea?

Time to burn down the White House again.

[Cudzoziemiec]

If they're putting salt in it, I don't care if they're microwaving it. Unless they're Tibetan. Equally, if they're microwaving it, I don't care if they're putting salt in it. Even if they are Tibetan.

[Efrogwr]

But what about the rancid yak butter?

[Cudzoziemiec]

Yes, I'll try it with salt and rancid yak butter, if made by a Tibetan and not in a microwave.

[hellymedic]

[Slight drift]
Partner was given Harrods English Breakfast teabags as a seasonal gift.
50 x 2.5g teabags, foil wrapped, in a ‘stylish’ tin.
Not much product.
Quite a lot of packaging.
Not much flavour.
Though partner likes weak tea, he’s gone back to PG Tips...

[pcolbeck]

I use Suki Tea breakfast blend:

https://suki-tea.com/collections/all-tea/products/fairtrade-breakfast-tea

They guarantee plastic free packaging (I use loose leaf rather than tea bags though).
Their Belfast Brew is hilariously strong if you like that kind of thing.

One of these type of infusers is the most fuss free way to use loose tea. No more effort than a tea bag. Just knock it out in the bin after brewing.

[Wowbagger]

We use Yorkshire tea, loose leaf, for the first brew of the day. This is in a large pot with enough for 5 cups with an infuser, which I usually take out after 15 minutes; brewing - certainly before we pour any. Later in the day we tend to have their decaf teabags. I don't seem to be able to find decaf loose leaf in WR.

[Marco Stefano]

I bought a similar stainless infuser to pcolbeck's with lid / saucer from Chilly Bottles when buying replacement gasket seals for bottles. Works very well with larger leaf tea (which doesn't play so well with ball-type infusers, I found).