Author Topic: Loose leaf tea (Read 5032 times)

fuaran · « **on:** 09 December, 2016, 07:42:13 pm »

Is it worth it? Any better than teabags?
I have acquired a box of it, so I'll give it a go anyway.

What brewing method? Worth buying some sort of tea infuser device, or just use a tea strainer?

rogerzilla · « **Reply #1 on:** 09 December, 2016, 08:23:29 pm »

Two things:

1. It brews very, very quickly compared to teabags. 30 seconds might be enough.
2. You need a very fine tea strainer. Most are not fit for purpose. Find one that looks as finely-woven as cloth, not something that looks like a sieve.

rafletcher · « **Reply #2 on:** 09 December, 2016, 09:01:18 pm »

I have to disagree with RZ. We use Yorkshire Tea. A decent "mash" is 5 minutes opposed to 30 seconds for teabags. But the flavour is better. A common or garden striker works well, but Yorkshire tea has quite large leaves when brewed.

orienteer · « **Reply #3 on:** 09 December, 2016, 10:18:49 pm »

If it's good quality tea, the leaves will be relatively large, especially when "unfurled" after brewing. Brewing time should be 4 or 5 minutes. We have a teapot with an internal leaf holder, which prevents the leaves being poured, and can be removed after brewing to prevent stewing.

Ian H · « **Reply #4 on:** 09 December, 2016, 10:41:54 pm »

I never use anything else. Wire-mesh strainers are more efficient than pierced-hole types (provided they're kept clean so as not to clog).

caerau · « **Reply #5 on:** 09 December, 2016, 11:37:45 pm »

Blimey. Srsly? Your mouth will love you for the rest of your life.

There's a reason teabags are looked down upon

T42 · « **Reply #6 on:** 10 December, 2016, 07:57:27 am »

We never used a strainer when I was a kid, we used to read the tea-leaves in the bottom of the cup.

We've used bags for years, mostly because the missus couldn't stand the caffeine any more and it seemed daft to make a full pot for one. Once the tea has cooled a bit I don't like it anyway - with bags you get a piping hot cup every time. Funny thing is that she now uses loose-leaf herbal "tea".

Hum. Maybe I'll get a small pot, or one of those tea-ball efforts...

Mr Larrington · « **Reply #7 on:** 10 December, 2016, 10:51:29 am »

Quote from: rafletcher on 09 December, 2016, 09:01:18 pm

I have to disagree with RZ. We use Yorkshire Tea. A decent "mash" is 5 minutes opposed to 30 seconds for teabags. But the flavour is better. A common or garden striker works well, but Yorkshire tea has quite large leaves when brewed.

Thirty seconds for teabags

I've taken to using two bags per (admittedly huge) mug and leaving for the time it takes to smoke a fag in order to get something that isn't almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea.

hellymedic · « **Reply #8 on:** 10 December, 2016, 10:59:32 am »

Partner and I like HUGE mugs (450-600ml) of weak tea.

Three dips of a teabag and out 30 seconds would be too long).

His brane sensitive to caffeine...

T42 · « **Reply #9 on:** 10 December, 2016, 11:27:02 am »

3 minutes for ours and it says 5 on the box. About 5 x 400 cc per day

Biggsy · « **Reply #10 on:** 10 December, 2016, 11:37:57 am »

Normal no-nonsense loose leaf makes good strong pure builders' tea - 1 level caddy spoonful per cup, brewed for 4 mins with not-quite boiling water. A pot and strainer is the only equipment needed.

Ian H · « **Reply #11 on:** 10 December, 2016, 12:23:47 pm »

Quote from: T42 on 10 December, 2016, 07:57:27 am

We never used a strainer when I was a kid, we used to read the tea-leaves in the bottom of the cup.

My great-aunt would make her tea by pouring boiling water on to a teaspoon of tea in a mug. For subsequent cups she would add more tea and water, and so on until the mug was half-full of tea-leaves. Then she'd empty, rinse, and start again.

Jakob W · « **Reply #12 on:** 10 December, 2016, 12:34:11 pm »

I had a mate at uni that did much the same, except with teabags, thereby ensuring that all of his cups got progressively more stewed

robgul · « **Reply #13 on:** 10 December, 2016, 08:46:21 pm »

We stayed in a reasonably smart hotel for a couple of nights last week and they had loose tea ..... with a detailed set of instructions on how to make tea with it - the sheet ran to almost a whole page of A4 text!!

Have to admit that we use teabags at home - builders/cheapest for me, Earl Grey for my wife.

Rob

Feanor · « **Reply #14 on:** 10 December, 2016, 08:54:56 pm »

Loose-leaf tea generally takes a few minutes to brew in a tea-pot.
Tea bags are expected to produce the same result in a cup in about 10 seconds, which is not really possible.
So the tea-bags have to do tricks to produce a product in 10 seconds.
Dyes to produce a brown-enough colour.
Flavourings to enhance what 10 seconds brewing can do .
Etc.

Dibdib · « **Reply #15 on:** 10 December, 2016, 09:42:16 pm »

How much of that is "tricks" and how much is it just that bags have tiny dust-like specks of "tea" which have a bigger surface area and therefore brew faster?

Feanor · « **Reply #16 on:** 10 December, 2016, 10:10:10 pm »

Quote from: Dibdib on 10 December, 2016, 09:42:16 pm

How much of that is "tricks" and how much is it just that bags have tiny dust-like specks of "tea" which have a bigger surface area and therefore brew faster?

I really don't know.
Anyone with any actual knowledge care to comment?

hellymedic · « **Reply #17 on:** 10 December, 2016, 11:01:48 pm »

Quote from: Feanor on 10 December, 2016, 10:10:10 pm

Quote from: Dibdib on 10 December, 2016, 09:42:16 pm
How much of that is "tricks" and how much is it just that bags have tiny dust-like specks of "tea" which have a bigger surface area and therefore brew faster?

I really don't know.
Anyone with any actual knowledge care to comment?

I couldn't find any ingredient aside from 'Black tea' in any of the 'everyday' teabags I perused on Sainsbury's website whereas Twining's cranberry & raspberry fruit 'tea' contains:

Quote

Hibiscus, Apple Pieces*, Rosehips, Elderflowers*, Cranberry Flavouring (6%), Liquorice Root*, Raspberry Flavouring (4%), *All our Herbs are gently steamed, the process is gentle to protect their delicate taste

Mr Larrington · « **Reply #18 on:** 11 December, 2016, 04:11:23 am »

So not actually tea at all, then?

hellymedic · « **Reply #19 on:** 11 December, 2016, 10:22:25 pm »

Fruit infusions never pretended to be tea. They are flavourings for hot water.
Any resemblance between stated fruit flavours and said fruit is hardly more than coincidental.

T42 · « **Reply #20 on:** 12 December, 2016, 08:46:32 am »

Real builder's tea is of course brewed in a tin can with a wire handle over a brazier in a shelter while watching the rain hammer down into the mud outside and hoping the bloody foreman will be held up at the site hut for another half-hour so that you can get a chance to drink the stuff. Sugar and milk added in the can before it's slopped into tin mugs, jam-jars or whatever for drinking. Nectar.

ElyDave · « **Reply #21 on:** 12 December, 2016, 09:32:22 am »

brewed in the mug for me, a generous pinch of tea in the bottom of the large (500ml) mug and chuck on boiling water. Never milk, leave the leaves in until finished.

With some of the more rustic SE Asian teas you sometimes end up fishing the twiggy bits out from between your teeth but that adds to the charm.

Ian H · « **Reply #22 on:** 12 December, 2016, 09:39:31 am »

On a train in Sri Lanka they had a a huge conical sieve with an inch or two of tea in it. Boiling water was poured straight through into the cup.

orienteer · « **Reply #23 on:** 12 December, 2016, 10:36:47 am »

One place I worked many years ago had hot drink dispensers. One day a new one was installed, claiming "tea from the leaf".

There was no evidence of the leaf ever being changed.

pcolbeck · « **Reply #24 on:** 12 December, 2016, 05:13:34 pm »

Quote from: orienteer on 12 December, 2016, 10:36:47 am

One place I worked many years ago had hot drink dispensers. One day a new one was installed, claiming "tea from the leaf".

Well there's the problem right there I think they'll find you need more than one leaf per cup.