I have a feeling that people who take snuff would also tend to be the same type to appreciate other fine pleasures, including coffee and tea. Being a coffee and tea enthusiast myself(as well as being in the coffee business) I would love to start a discussion on these wonderful comforts, which as everyone knows are at least as varied and complex worlds as that of snuff, with an immeasurably wider audience(for lack of a better word). Myself, I my favourite all around tea is Prince of Wales. I do prefer Chinese black teas in general. I love a good keemun, lapsang souchong, as well as Earl Grey but the last one is, of course, not an all day tea. Begamot is also wonderful in snuff. Coffee is so complex. Always changing, and every misiscule variable has a noticed effect. One farms’ crop can be outstanding in 2009, but in 2010 just not be the same. Then there’s the roast and everything that goes into it. Then once the coffee is roasted it changes over time, even very short periods of time, due to conditions it’s kept in. Day to day, even hour to hour, a coffee is always changing. And of course brewing methods. A barista is always tasting throughout the day, adjusting the grind on the machine, and it is always changing. Humidity, temperature, so many factors, an espresso is always growing. French press is a great style of making coffee. Iraqi coffee is a passion of mine, in which coffee is fermented in green glass bottles, and then this is used as a base for the next pot. Whatever is left after a coffee drinking session is returned to the base, and that goes into the morrow’s pot. It’s like a sourdough starter, always giving an aged sour base to the fresh coffee it’s brewed in. I would like to see who is into coffee and tea on here. It’s my guess there would be many.
I’m enjoying a nice big cup of coffee with my Dholakia Swiss Chocolate. French presses, stove-top espresso makers, drip pots, whatever. It’s all good.
In the mornings, I like Crumbs Of Comfort with my grounded Starbucks.
Eight O’Clock 100% Columbian whole bean, fresh-ground and through the French press (I was savagely vindicated when Consumer Reports found 8O’C to be the Number One and Starbuck’s far down at #11, but that’s just me). Drip coffeemaker when the baby’s keeping me busy and I don’t have time to mind the kettle and press. I have enjoyed Turkish coffee in the traditional style when I could have some, and while I’m not a tea drinker my wife enjoys many teas and also has been known to experiment with making her own herbal blends as well. Currently drinking 8O’C and switching between Swisher Wild Cherry and Göteburg Rapé No. 2 portionsnus…
@matero, you are quite right, I’m a coffee fanatic and I’m talking about COFFEE. Not just any crap. I have a drip coffee machine, which I never use, an espresso machine and a French press which I use all the time. I do drink tea too but I’m not really a tea lover.I like green tea, Earl Grey and Heuningbos maybe once or twice a month. My wife does not drink coffee, only Rooibos tea.
french press even when I’a, drinking the crappy coffee that cost next to nothing. Only way to go with coffee that I know of. Though I don’t love coffee just like it. I have to admit for me coffee is just a drug I don’t drink it often for the taste (I like the taste I do). Now tea I love. Coffee is to me more like a quick bit on your lunch hour, you do want it to be good but your main motivation isn’t the flavor. Where as tea is more gourmet to me. Not say coffee is not capable of the same as I can defintly say there are some wonderfull coffees just stating my opinion.
I drink both tea and coffee, more tea in winter though. I’m not too picky about brands, types and methods but usually stick to Irish premium quality brands like Bewley’s(coffee and tea), Barry’s(tea), Lyons’s(tea) and Robert’s(coffee). All Irish teas and most of coffees are blends with quite distinctive character, which you really miss if you don’t get them. Cheapos like Tetley’s tea are available but those are for fresh immigrants and Brits. Now I have only one type of tea at house, Bewkey’s Gold Blend, a refreshing type of tea made of Kenyan, Assam and Rwuandan leaves and one coffee, Robert’s American roast coffee, which is little too mild for me. For coffee making I use plunger which I suppose is same as ‘French press’.
Right now with teas my big thing has been the olongs I can get cheap. The one is a Tiwainesse greenish olong I’ve dubed 2 seasons since it’s about half as good as the four seasons olong similar in some regaurds kind of subtle floralish hint pretty mild but complex and flavour-full. The other is Tung Ting olong. Pretty standard genericish almost black olong. Good but not particularly unique in anyway. Of course all teas are loose leafs because bags are evil.
As far as coffee, may I suggest intelligentsia, to be found at intelligentsiacoffee.com. Verve, Ritual, Stumptown, there are so many wonderful roasters right now in the US. Out here I just roast my own like I do with everything. Also one of my loves in yerba mate. If anyone hasn’t heard of it yet, it’s a green leaf from south america, filled into a gourd and sipped through a metal pipe fitted with a strainer at one end. It has a whole culture and lore surrounding it, and in many parts of SA it is much more common than coffee. the gourd gets nicely cured and darkened inside after a while, and develops a taste of its’ own. To me, mate and snuff go together, as both were taken by pre-columbian native people in the Americas and sometimes I use the same process on each. I have toasted and ground both mate and tobacco, and even sniffed yerba mate before. It worked, but didn’t clear my nose the way snuff does, which is why I started taking snuff initially. Glad to see there are coffee enthusiasts on board.
I love coffe. I don’t drink it too often but for me it’s almost always simple espresso from my espresso machine. Right now I drink Italian Illy brand and Costa blend, which I sometimes mix what makes them even better. I used to drink Lavazza Espresso/Qualita Rosa as well but they are a bit too sour for my taste. Costa’s blend is I think the best I’ve drank, but I never tried anything but what you can get at a grocery store. I just had a nice cup of espresso with a hint of amaretto liqueur, very good thing. For tea I drink usually green tea or Twinnings Earl Grey. I still have a little bit of cinnamon green tea I bought in Poland, it’s great and I’ll definitely buy some more when I’ll have the occasion. @matero: I’ve read quite a lot about yerba mate, I’d like to try it but I heard that the bagged stuff you can get at a store is nothing compared to leaves prepared in a traditional way, so I think I’ll have to end up with buying guampa and bombilla some day.
I’m a big coffee fan…in the past I’ve enjoyed some great coffees from India, Dominican Republic, Ethiopia and Brasil among others. At home I like the Lavazza Red or Gold. When I’m out I go to Caffe Nero or Costa. Yep, I enjoy taking snuff with coffee. Tea…I couldn’t stand it until I was about 12 and then couldn’t get enough. The only tea I drink at home is Yorkshire Tea which has been my favourite for a long time now. I enjoy good whisky and rum also but don’t do that much for the sake of my liver. I had a fantastic time last week sampling Cuban and Jamaican rums at a tasting night.
I only drink Port City Java coffee in a French Press. It’s great stuff. Tea wise I am down for anything, not really picky. However, I do love this Darjeeling tea that I picked up called Margaret’s Hope.
I love coffee as well, usually Chock-Full-o-Nuts or 8 o’Clock Bean, nothing too fancy I guess, just good and strong. I’m not too big in tea. I made some Catnip tea years ago but didn’t get the results I was after.
I’m not really into coffee or tea. I’m not really very choosy, something like Nescafe or Kenco for coffee and PG Tips or Tetley for tea, I like herbal teas though camomile and peppermint being my favourites. Stefan
Yorkshire tea, by the pint, all day long, supplemented by lots of SP and Fubar.
I agree bob. Tea bags are evil. Enjoying Harney & Sons Palm Court Blend at the moment.
To say that you like Starbucks is a confession of guilt. As far as American brands, give me MJB in a French Press. Cold brewed coffee is also outstanding. European coffee’s I think are wonderful, too.
Was a coffee fiend for years. My favourite was Kenya AA done campfire style or drip a la Melitta. Last few months though I’ve been on a tea kick as the coffee was getting to my belly in a way that was not fun. Teawise I like greens in a Yixing pot, lapsang suchong, darjeeling and a flavoured tea from Biglow’s called Constant Comment, which is a black flavoured with orange peels. I find the tea a lot less jarring to my head even when strong, and I like the fact that it is so good for you physically as well as emotionally and spiritually. In Canada we have an outfit called Murchie’s which sells highest quality loose teas from around the world.
I’ll second Snuffster - Yorkshire Tea is great. Tetley’s isn’t bad either. Bah gum Or even bah t’hat
Aye lad, and none o that fairyin’ arairnd wi a birra lemon innit, tas t’ bi med wi ot watta 'n milk, tha knows. Reet gradely!
Tea bags ? Evil ? Rubbish. Who can be arsed fannying around with pots and loose tea ? No-one I know, that’s for sure. Tea bag into a mug, pour on water, job done. Plus you get a hotter cup of tea. Tea bags. Greatest. Invention. Ever. I tell you what is evil though - iced tea. Now that’s the devil’s work.
Hot cup of dust, more like. Teabags are filled with the floor sweepings of the tea makers factory. All the high grades of tea are much larger. Generally the bigger the grade, the more expensive as well. Tea looses most of its flavor due to surface area being exposed. Thereby larger grades of tea remain fresh much longer. Also tea needs to expand to fill the pot thoroughly, and a bag restrains it. The tea companies figured out sometime ago that what they otherwise would be throwing away, they could sell to naive consumers (just like cigarettes)._Who can be arsed fannying around with pots and loose tea ? No-one I know, that’s for sure_Well, me for one. Bob, presumably for two. I’m having a nice cup at the moment. Its strong enough to make my eyebrows stand on end. I used to drink bag tea when I first stared. I can never go back now. As for getting a hotter cup of tea, well, you can always stick it in the microwave for a minute and get it as hot as you like.
Its very simple. Use Yorkshire tea, made with boiling water. Put some milk in it and sugar if so desired. What is evil is putting lemon into milkless tea which is then served tepid. There may be a name for that and I daresay people should be allowed to drink it if they so wish, but it is not tea. Having it as hot as you like is a redundant concept - you can only make it with boiling water.
He means it cools down as it steeps. It then cools down further if you don’t drink it all right away. A trip to the microwave gets it piping hot again.
snuffster: I like tea with lemon, don’t drink it too much but occasionally I like it. I don’t know what’s the problem in serving hot tea with lemon. I’d rather say the tea is tepid when you put cold milk in it. I often get strange looks from British people when I ask them if they want some lemon in their tea. For me tea with milk is something strange, not saying evil, it just seems strange for me. Well, just a drinking habits difference.
Harrumph. Have a look at my challenge on the snuff in literture thread by the way!
Of course, evil being a joke.
Oh I know it was a joke And yes, I’ve looked on the literature topic a moment ago, I already googled the quote, but as you probably know nothing showed up. I’ll get back to it maybe later, I’m having 2 exams this week and I know nothing, so I think I should learn at least a little before taking your challenge.
The only reason its on there and why Im confident is that by pure fluke its just been a book lying around in my house for years and the thread came up, but I’ve got to say that that IS an evil chellenge!! Good luck with those exams mate.
I don’t really see much difference between loose leaf and bagged tea. Leaves are slightly moister than bags, thus taste is fuller. This depends on make of tea naturally and I’m talking about Barry’s now: Barrystea.ie. Cheapo tea bags are crap.
@Xander: “Hot cup of dust, more like. Teabags are filled with the floor sweepings of the tea makers factory. All the high grades of tea are much larger”. Cheap teabags may be filled with dust, but tea has to be in smaller leaves to brew properly in a teabag. Buy a decent brand and as AllanH says, there’s little difference in the taste from loose tea. “The tea companies figured out sometime ago that what they otherwise would be throwing away, they could sell to naive consumers (just like cigarettes).” The tea companies also figured out some time ago that the vast majority of people prefer teabags. They fill good teabags with high grade tea to remain competitive.
I go quite regularly to a tearoom in Bakewell (where the cakes come from), and they use loose tea. Very nice it is too but there is hardly any difference between that and PG Tips teabags. Teabags are far more convienient and don’t make as much mess as loose. I agree with Brad teabags = best invention ever. Stefan
@ Brad: As stated, even if you stuffed high grade tea into a bag, the bag itself would prevent the tea from expanding and coming in contact with as much water as possible during the infusion process. For the same reason, tea balls and any infuser gadgets are also to be avoided. Some teapots come with these contraptions. Its better just to let the leaves have the whole pot, then the tea can be poured through a strainer after the steeping process is complete. Teabags were invented to send samples through the mail. Some customer took it upon themself to stick the little packet in the cup or pot themselves. Word got back to the manufacturer and the commerical teabag was born. The lowest grade of tea is dust. I’ve seen nothing better from Tetley. The next grade up is fannings. Fannings are also usually sold in bags, but are considerably larger than dust. The only ones I’ve seen from either Yorkshire and Barrys are at this level. Next is Broken Orange Pekoe, or BOP. Orange has nothing to do with color or flavor. No one knows really what it means, but all tea grades there up use it. Be prepared to pay considerably more for this, but at least at this level you are actually paying for tea and not water coloring. Sometimes these can be sold in bags, but its pretty rare in my experience. A few companies will do kind of a superbag or a sachet with this. Above that is Full leaf or simply OP. Beyond that it gets a little confusing but look HERE for an expanation of the grading. Some of the best grades of the best teas can fetch $70-$80 per ounce. I’ve neer had anything that expensive personally. Most tea companies today buy what they specialize in. Tetley or Lipton pretty much just buy the dust from all the tea factories, becasue their business is teabags, not loose leaf. Twinings buys a bit of both. Fortnam & Mason pretty much buy high end, but all are buying from the same sources. Look for much smaller companies that source to individual growers for the best quality teas. In conclusion, I must disagree. There is an ENORMOUS difference between “good” brand of bag tea and loose tea, even cheap loose tea. As a snuff conoussuierr, I think you could appreciate that. Speaking of snuff, this thread probably should be relocated into the OT section. This is a snuff site, after all.
Loose tea doesn’t really have to be any more work than bags at all. Just pour them into a pot and pour water on top and you’re done. Something fibrous stuffed into the spout of the pot will prevent leaves in your cup. Here we use palm leaf fibre, but anything with that texture will do, and one simply rinses it with water. You can just as easily put loose tea in a mug and pour water over that as well.
Looses is definatly easy as hell. You can use a press even that works great. I have to say bag tea even the ones that are the best I’ve had. You know the ones that have actual leaf in them, well frankly they always taste somewhat flat. The other thing is there isn’t nearly the amount of variety which bagged tea never seems to come close too. I’ve tried some of the more expensive teas and oh my god they are too good for everyday but well worth the price as they are an experience. One of my favorites is golden yunnan which try finding that in a bag.
When I quit drinking alcohol I found tea to be a good substitute to appreciate for an evening beverage. I am particularly fond of spiced chai teas. Ken
@Xander: “As stated, even if you stuffed high grade tea into a bag, the bag itself would prevent the tea from expanding and coming in contact with as much water as possible during the infusion process”. And as I’ve stated, that’s why teabags have smaller leaf tea in them. This has nothing to do with cost and everything to do with taste. If there really was a marked variance in the price of smaller leaf tea, why are teabags more expensive than loose tea ? The manufacturing process must have a fairly negligible cost. To quote the website for my favourite brand (Ringtons): “the invention of the teabag in the 1950s made small leaf teas very desirable, and led eventually to the development of machines specifically designed to make them, by crushing the leaves rather than rolling. Some teas produced in this way have exceptional strength and flavour”. “Its better just to let the leaves have the whole pot, then the tea can be poured through a strainer after the steeping process is complete”. No, it’s better just to use teabags because it’s much, much more convenient. No pot to heat, no strainer to clean, no messy leaves to be disposed of, no pot to clean, no tepid tea (use a microwave ? please !) and no stewed tea because you can remove the teabag at the moment the tea is brewed perfectly. “There is an ENORMOUS difference between “good” brand of bag tea and loose tea, even cheap loose tea”. No there isn’t. It’s nonsense to claim that a decent teabag gives a worse cup of tea than cheap loose tea. And a company’s blend (PG Tips say) doesn’t taste markedly different whether it’s loose or in bags. @matero: “You can just as easily put loose tea in a mug and pour water over that as well”. Now that’s just plain silly !
Oddly enough my parents have made tea that way as long as I can remember, truly awful. Good tea bags rule.
Tea: Lipton Tea, both standard teabag type and their various "pyramid teabag type/flavors. I run a pot of water through the coffee maker with nothing in (no filter or coffee) for the water as an easy way to have water a near enough temperature to pour over the teabags and into the cup (instead of attempting to microwave or trying to bother with the stove). Coffee: Folger’s Columbian Dark and whatevr they use at Sweetwater’s Donut Mill (when they have new kids working there it can get almost like espresso the way tjey make it, but its pretty hard for even them to screw up a good cup of coffee out there)
I like Numi’s spiced assam (despite the really corny texts in the packages) and the lapsang souchong from Stash, which is also surprisingly cheap in loose form. I’m a cheap coffee type of guy. I like all of the powdery Mexican ones you can find around here and Dunkin’ Donuts whenever I hit the East Coast.
Tea bags I use expand massively, same as loose leaf tea. It’s just different cut or grind of tea, same otherwise but you get more taste of actual tea plant from leaves. That scrap dust claim is probably an urban legend from 1970’s.
Why is it silly to make loose leaf in a mug? If I happen to have a tin of loose tea, and don’t want to make a pot, there’s nothing illogical or foolish about just heating water and pouring it on top of the leaves in a mug. By the time it brews, say 4 minutes, the leaves will have settled to the bottom and I have a perfectly fine cup of tea. I’m not anti-teabag at all, just saying there’s nothing inconvenient about leaves. You will have to wash the cup or pot either way, at least I hope you do.
I like Twinnings Earl Grey, hot, with milk and no sugar. Sometimes, but rarely, I’ll have it cold and very sweet. This seemed to start when I quit smoking and started craving sugar. As for coffee, we have a local roaster that sells pricey but excellent beans — $15 a pound — and that’s what you’ll find at my place. They also run a great coffee shop where I’m often socialising.
@Nelson: Whereabouts are you?
Actually same of the best loose Assam teas are extremely fine ground, finer than any bagged tea. They are really strong in flavour.
Brad, I’m afraid I’ve never seen a case in which loose leaf is less expensive than teabags. I’ve never had Rigntons to my memory/knowlege, but to say something is “very desirable” reads to me as not only incorrect, but a maketing tactic. The science of teamaking has been around a lot longer than they have, and there is a lot of science to it: Thermodynamics, surface area, chemistry, biochemistry, etc, ect. I make 4-5 cups a day in my teapot. I rarely clean it, as the tannins build up a petina on the interior which improves the taste over time. Its no trouble at all. 3 minutes to boil, 5 minutes to steep and good to go. If I want something “convienent”, I’ll drink a glass of water; tastes better than bag tea. Clean up is just as easy, at least once you have a nicel litte system down in your kitchen. You are welcome to my home any time and I will make you a proper cup of tea. I’ve converted dozens of naysayers already, I daresay I can convert a diehard like you. If you can find it on the internet (no time to search now, myself) Alton Brown of the show “Good Eats” did an excellent tea episode called “True Brew 2” (or may be written Roman II). It covers all the basics and is a good introductory lesson into tha science and technique of tea making. I wish you well, and hope I have not offended you.
Another thing neat about loose leaf is that you can rebrew the same leaves. Some teas don’t even hit their real stride untill several brewings. Especialy some of the fancier white teas like silver needle often third or fourth cup will produce the eureka moment. Though the bottom line is how much are you enjoying it? Which ultimatily is why I recommend trying as many teas as possible. One that can never be bagged is the famous Temple of Heaven Gunpowder green tea. It’s lightly smoked and it’s rolled into little balls and not only is a super yummy tea (one of the few greens I reccomend milk with) but it’s actualy lots of fun to watch the tea unfurl. In the end though whatever works for you. I know I would never go to same lengths for coffee that I go to for tea. Nothing wrong with that for whatever reason being a tea snob does much more for me then being a coffee snob. Hell I often look for the coffee that doesn’t say it’s arabica (yeah I love robusto).
i used to work nextdoor to a tea warehouse . they would get the wooden crates of tea from all over the world . it was nambarrie tea an northern irish company … they diffently didnt use floor sweepings for there teabags judging by the amount of tea they would dump eveyday … this has to be the worst drink i ever heard ordered today at a coffeeshop a green tea coconut latte with soymilk , please
@Xander: “Brad, I’m afraid I’ve never seen a case in which loose leaf is less expensive than teabags.” Be afraid no more - tea bags are between double and triple the price of loose tea.“You are welcome to my home any time and I will make you a proper cup of tea. I’ve converted dozens of naysayers already, I daresay I can convert a diehard like you.” You’re making the rather rash assumption that I’ve never tasted loose tea ! It’s all we had in our house when I was a nipper - teabags were seen as an unnecessarily expensive luxury. I’m not denying that there are certain types of tea that will always be better in loose form than in bag form, but the idea that teabags are simply a clever marketing ploy and solely made from the cheap remnants from the floor of the tea factory is incorrect. Teas are specially picked, processed and blended to taste good from a bag. If they weren’t, I’d still be drinking loose tea.
Well, its talking about the grades of tea that are put into bags as compared to the same grades loose. Yes of course, that would be cheaper, that just makes sense, less packaging labor, etc. But I just won’t buy dust or fannings no matter how cheap they are. As bob stated thy usually taste quite flat. Also they will not keep a fraction of the time in storage. Good grades normally aren’t sold in bags, mainly for the reasons stated above. Hey, that article is arguing more for my case and against yours! Please also find of interest: Tea Bag (wikipedia) in particular the notes on history and production.
@cstokes4: I’m in a small B.C. town.
This might seem a bit daft to say and please correct me if I’m wrong. Tea is a way of life in the UK, everybody drinks lots of it so wants it quickly so bags are a lot more popular. In America coffee is the “tea”, so it seems to me tea is more a novelty in America, you can tell that by all the exotic teas you like. Maybe Americans see making tea as a novel ritual, rather than a way to get a drink quickly. Because teabags are so popular in the UK, they have to use high quality tea to remain competetive. Maybe in America the dust is in the teabags, but here there is no difference in quality between loose and bagged. You would probably notice that our coffee is inferior to yours. To be honest I don’t know if it is or not seen as I’ve never been to America. Just my 2p’s worth. @Brad I tried Ringtons tea for the first time yesterday, there was a bloke coming round selling it at the door. I’d never heard of the tea or company before yesterday but I have found a new favourite tea. Better than PG, Tetley’s and Yorkshire. Lovely stuff! Stefan
Actually, I think that the majority of tea drinkers in the US, use bags. However there are die hard purist in every facet of any interest. In the US, brands such as Tetley’s, Lipton’s and Luzianne are pretty much seen as cheap and terrible. They are mostly used for sweet tea and iced tea. Especially here in the south. As for me, I enjoy fine coffee and just about any tea. I can tell the difference between a bad cup of coffe and a good one, but I have a harder time with teas. I do love certain teas, though, but I’m sure that most religious tea drinkers would view me as a blasphemous drinker.
@Xander: “Well, its talking about the grades of tea that are put into bags as compared to the same grades loose. Yes of course, that would be cheaper, that just makes sense, less packaging labor, etc.” No, it’s talking about the same blend of tea in loose leaf form and in teabag form. You claimed that the latter was made up of the cheap remnants from the production of the former. If this was the case, the loose tea version would be more expensive. “Also they will not keep a fraction of the time in storage”. Absolutely not an issue in my house where we go through a foil wrapped packet of bags every week and a half ! Anyhoo, I think Walrus1985 may have a point about cultural differences here. Brits drink an awful lot of tea and 96% of it is brewed from bags. The quality of the tea in the bags has to be high for the companies to remain competitive. And I found this on wiki: “teas from all origins and elevations, made in all methods of manufacture, are popular in the USA, a tea market which has traditionally been more flexible and willing to try new types of drinks than tea markets throughout the old world”. As I’ve said, these kinds of posh teas will never taste as good brewed from a bag. Much like a smoker will stick to one brand, most Brits I know are fiercely loyal to a particular blend. PG Tips teabags, for instance, have about 20% of the total U.K. tea market. That article also says that 80% of tea drunk in the States is in iced form which is a pretty horrific statistic :o)
@Walrus1985: Bloody lovely tea isn’t it ? PG and Yorkshire would be my backup choices but I do get a bit antsy if my Ringtons supply is running low !
Well, I’ve walked through a lot of supermarkets in the USA. I’ve walked through a lot of supermarkets in the UK and Ireland. I’ve walked through quite a few in Japan and Norway as well, and probably a few other odd places that I can’t remember at the moment. I see different brands, but pretty much crappy supermarket grade tea. In the US its invariably in teabags, in Ireland or UK you find fannings loose, but also a lot of teabags. The general way in which black teas are graded is that a set of sifters is aranged stacked on top of each other. Everything gets put into the top bin, and the slats let all but the largest (usually whole leaves) through. Each level sorts out the biggest pieces and eventually the bottom part contains the dust. Genrally one can sell the largest bits (Top) for the most money as its the most desireable for full flavor. Prior to the invention of the teabag dust grade was not seen as marketable. So that’s what I’m taking about there. Fannings are the next grade up, and what I meant was that fannings either loose or in bags (the same exact grade of the same exact tea) is what the article you showed me was referencing. In high end markets or tea specialty shops or specialty import shops n the USA one can find decent loose tea. Its usually in tins or large bulk bags. I admit to being a minority. I’m not claiming this as a oillar of my culture. Plenty of US folks drink tea just the way you do, but its rather annoyingly nationalistic when Brits act like they own tea. This image seems to be perpetuated by pop media. Well, the rules and grades that I’m talking about came from you guys, so I’ll give you credit for that. Although there are huge aspects of tea lore that come from the Russians, French and a few other places (ignoring Asia for the moment). I almost went to some tea classes in London a few years back to get some certifcations, but I put the idea on backburner. At least I know some of you are drinking tea properly, so I have hope. But really, I think when discussing it we need to separate national culture from the art. Italy has some of the best wines in the world, and wine drinking there is certainly a cultural element, but I’ve seen them drink crappy wine from boxes as their everyday routine. As cstokes says, there are diehards and purists in almost any interest. Also don’t worry about the iced tea being drunk here; its dust grade tea bags they use. Nothing is really going to waste (except people’s money). Its just colored sugar water really. I’ll let you in on something though: Iced tea was invented by an Englishman.
Here is where I buy my loose teas. They ship, but you have to call to order. The owner is a very nice guy, and very knowledgeable. Many of the higher end teas on the list are purchased directly from the estate, not a middle man. Olde Cup and Saucer
I recommend if you have not tried it yet to get this one. Kukicha. Interestingly it was considered poor person tea for a really long time. Because it was what tea growers in japan kept for themselves and claimed it was too crappy to sell. So for a really long time no one else ever bothered to try it. (it’s shredded stems). As it turns out it’s wonderfull. The few I’'e tried taste very sweet but not overly so and where almost a scary emerald color very vivid. It’s an awesome tea. As you can see it’s more expensive then most of what they have and unless they have crap that’s a damn good price. It’s now a very highly valued tea that was considered basicly a waste product. Shows that all the rules are guide lines some pretty valuable but again your own palate is the only one you need to please, but do try that one if you like greens. Oh yeah it’s also got a ton of the happy chemicals that teas have.
@Bob: I’ll give it a shot next time I’m up there, which might be this weekend. I’m also going to buy an ounce or two of Lapsang Souchong. It’s a great little place filled with couches and books.
http://www.rishi-tea.com/store/golden-needle-organic-fair-trade-black-tea.html Here is a tea that is definatly worth trying very unusal but awesome.
Sounds really good. Must be good for almost $14/oz.
yeah it is. It’s smooth in a way that seems almost supernatural. One of my favorites. It’s up there with good matcha in over all awesomeness.
I’m not a big fan of the Rishi teas. Some of their stuff is okay, but a lot of it has this weird soapy taste for me. For what it’s worth, I’m firmly in the loose leaf camp, although if someone makes me tea with a bag, I won’t refuse it. I buy most of my tea from Ito En, with my all time favourite being Vanilla Hojicha. As far as I know, their Vanilla Hojicha is only available loose, but it’s entirely worth it.
I just ordered an Aerobie Aeropress coffee maker. Saw a couple of videos of it on YouTube and read a lot of positive comments so decided to go for it. It’s actually made by a company that makes frisbees and other sports toys. Site seems to be down at the moment http://www.aerobie.com/ Has anyone tried Lancashire Tea? It was launched as a rival to Yorkshire tea and is pretty good, but I think its undergoing a relaunch at the moment. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lancashire\\_Tea
shikitohno I can defintaly see that in a lot of their blends I personaly like their stuff alot. Though their really high end teas are just mind blowing. The four seasons taiwanesse olong is great. The snow sprout green redefined how amazing a tea could be. Makes all the white teas I’ve tried seem like rough neck teas for people that eat rocks (a bit of an exageration really).
@ Tc2642: No, I’m not that concered with ceremony/ritual. I guess I meant “drinking properly made tea.” I used to love Eary Grey, but I only have it once a month or so nowadays. It, and in fact, all flavored black teas have kind of lost a lot of appeal to me. The amazing differences in tastes between an Assam, a Keemun, Darjeeling, Ceylon etc are enough to keep me interested. Yes, you are correct. It was largely aristocratic drink when it first caught on in western culture. I think its important to keep separate national culture from tea culture. National culture may have tea in it, but anyone who loves tea can be part of tea culture. Although, there is nothing wrong with beer for breakfast, right?
@ ohare0130: I regularly use an aeropress and it really makes the best dam coffee around without spending a fortune on equipment. I use it to brew Peet’s House Blend which tastes fantastic and I would also recommend Peet’s Major Dickinson. The trick is to adjust it to your personal liking. I myself heat the water to a little below boiling, pour the water through, stir it as fast as possible for about ten seconds, and then press down the plunger with only enough pressure to make it go down. It tastes so good I would call it coffee nectar…
I like tea. All kinds of tea; bagged, loose, black, green, white. Tea steeped from proper tea bags certainly have their place in my daily life. Sweet chai masala (long brewed, not steeped, PG tips bags with spices (green cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, peppercorn and clove) with condensed milk is a wonderful after dinner drink. I mostly drink Chinese gunpowder green, though. I steep large pots of it and drink it through the day. Even when it gets cold. Fun fact #29: ISO 3103 is a standard for making a proper cup of tea. Not meant as a “the right and only method” but a way to prepare a cup of tea in the same way over and over again.
A pint of stout and full Irish is excellent breakfast!
No two ways about that Allan. I was in Dublin last year and the pub grub and breakfasts were just outstanding. Somehow it ddn’t feel wrong to be drinking Guiness early in the day.
@Xander: “what I meant was that fannings either loose or in bags (the same exact grade of the same exact tea) is what the article you showed me was referencing”. No it wasn’t. What that article is doing is comparing the same company’s blend of the larger, loose leaf tea and the same blend of the fannings which are made into tea bags. They are completely different sizes of leaf, which is immediately obvious if you open a teabag which is the same blend as the loose tea from the same company. The two will also be made from different blends of tea to maintain a similar flavour in either loose or bag form. And as the article clearly states, the larger loose leaves (which are not “fannings”) are actually cheaper than the smaller leaves which go into the teabags. The Edinburgh Tea and Coffee company: “As tea is turned from fresh green leaves into the brew we know and love, different sizes of tea leaves are made. After being sorted by size, the larger leaves are sold for leaf tea, and the smaller ‘fannings’ grades for teabags. While the larger grades of tea do taste a little bit different, what really makes the difference in taste is how the tea is plucked and manufactured before being sorted for size”.
@ Brad Majors: We have a saying here: “I think you’d argue with a possum.” So anyway. I give up. I’m tired of arguing.
Awwww … i was enjoying that ! I like a good argument me. One final thought then. Well, maybe two :o) Lets assume you’re correct and that the article is referring to loose fannings, i.e. the exact same grade of the exact same tea as is in the bags. Lets also assume that any loose tea which is cheaper than teabags falls into this category. We are now talking about well over 99% of the British tea market (and I suspect a similar figure for the American market). So of the 140 million kilos of tea sold in the U.K. every year, only a tiny fraction is the “high grade” tea to which you’re referring. That gives a couple of scenarios: (1) During the tea production process, over 99% of the tea is lost through the sieves and sold off cheaply for tea bags/fannings grade loose tea. I think we can easily discount this one. (2) At least some of the higher grades of tea are deliberately processed further to satisfy the huge demand for tea bags and fannings grade loose tea. Another scenario is that you’re wrong about the loose leaf tea referred to in the article and that the loose tea market has declined so significantly that the cost differential between “middle” grade tea and fannings has all but disappeared. The other point is that you mentioned that you’re in “the minority”. Having now said that you’ll never purchase either teabags or loose tea which is cheaper than teabags, this is a massive understatement. Absolutely no offence dude, but you’re an inveterate tea snob. You’re like the wine snob who says “if I can’t have Chateau Lafite, I’ll just have a glass of water, thanks”. If we could only all come round to your house and taste proper loose tea we’d all be instantly converted. And there’s “hope for us all yet” because at least some of us drink expensive loose tea. Which is all absolutely fine, there are millions of others like you and I have no problem with that. Whatever floats your boat. The only thing I have a problem with (which is where the discussion started) is the assertion that all tea bags are filled with cheap shite from the factory floor which would otherwise be thrown away. I think I’ve made the case that while this may have been the case in the distant past, it can no longer be true. Right, what shall we argue about now then ? How about “Beatles suck. Stones rule !” :o)
Brad: Tea snob, yes. I admit to that. Proud of it, in fact. I really don’t enjoy tea from bags. I drank them for years and tea never “clicked” with me until I started reading and learning about it. I always thought of it as mundane and bland, but that’s another story for another time. Whisky was the same until someone taught me a bit of single malt lore. Once you find out what your missing, its hard to go back. Yes, I insert chrotchety, snarky, snide and exagerated remarks into my comments all the time, so don’t take me too seriously. Don’t take offense to them, either. Part of my personality is perpetual good humored grumpiness. You seem to have found most of them anyway. However, the invitation was genuine, but to you personally, not everyone. The tea doesn’t have to be expensive to be good, but I stand by the physics of the bag (or ball, or strainer for loose tea wannabes) hinders the blossoming of the leaves. So thats all I have to say about that. No, Beatles do not suck. But the Who rules. The Stones are tepid by comparison to either. They made the British Invasion sound American. No, I’m not going to argue about it. So there. :-P~~~ Wait, isn’t that John Lennon in your avatar? You’re deliberatly tormenting me now, aren’t you?
@ Brad where are the other major tea drinking countries? Guess what type of tea they drink? Usaly not bags. Ever hear the qoute all the tea in china??? For the sake of arguement I’ll make a ridiculous one here. The beatles suck so do the Stones. Really all the beatles ever did is rip off Wings (the band), and the Stones just Zap the creative voices of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards seriously check out their solo careers (hows that for deliberatly bad arguement.)
@Xander: “Whisky was the same until someone taught me a bit of single malt lore”. Well there’s something else on which we disagree. For the same price I’ll take a blend over a single malt any day. “They made the British Invasion sound American”. Absolutely. What’s wrong with that ?
@Bob: That’s some terrific genuine frontier gibberish :o)
ha genuine frontier gibberish that’s Mel Brooks.
If you’re going for gibberish then try to break some new ground. I’ve honestly made the choice that if I ever meet mick jagger I’am going to play fan boy for his solo career and also like I’ve never heard of the rolling stones. I bet he’d roll with it.
TIIIIIIMEEE…IS ON MY SIIIIIIIDE…YES IT ISSSSS
@matero: Howard Johnson’s right !
My Aeropress arrived yesterday morning and so far I’m impressed. I think a coarser grind would work better though so I picked up some Peruvian Macchu Pichu and a Latin American blend to try out tomorrow morning.
Some say, I am an “English German”, though that’s definitely not true. I prefer tea (PG Tips) with milk together with SP snuff whole day long…
I’m an English Gentleman, I prefer Earl Grey with no milk but a very small spoon of Sugar!
Probably accounts for my proclivity for floral snuffs; I love to mix Earl Grey with Black Assam and either Rose Petals or Lavender Blossoms, sometimes with cream.
Just had breakfast: Black tea with milk cause I am thirsty, some bread with marmelade cause I am hungry and McChrystals O&G cause I am a boy who likes to enjoy the new day.
I love Lavazza coffee in my De Longhi expresso maker. And for tea i love Lapsang Souchong and Assam… well, i like all black teas really.
Lapsang Souchong is like latakia.
I used to run a coffee shop where we roasted our own beans. I LOVE coffee. I ordered beans from Guatemala, Columbia, etc. Also quite a few kinds of espresso. That’s a whole other type of addiction! I can make a bad ass espresso drink! Nothing wakes you up like a pinch of snuff and a cup of coffee! I like a DARK columbian or Sumatra coffee STRONG with lots of cream and sugar!
I drink any kind or grade of tea without milk or sugar. recently bought a comparatively cheepo espresso machine. Best coffee I ever had was home ground Jamaican Blue Mountain. But so so expensive.
I can’t stand the bagged tea that is on the shelves in the US. It’s factory scraps most of the time. Harney & Sons is my favorite company for breakfast tea and I really enjoy the loose Earl Grey from a local Middle Eastern deli. For green tea, I haven’t found the right brand for me yet. I have enjoyed many different kinds of green and white teas but never found one that stands out as a solid winner like the Harney & Sons or that Earl Grey.
milk and tea mixed together does some weird things. I dunno why ppl drink them mixed! yuck.
Same could be said for coffee. Some styles of tea require milk.
I cant say im an entrepreneur of coffee and tea but I LOVE oolong tea and espresso. Preferably americanos lol.
LOL, I think you mean connoisseur.
Oh yes, and I guess entrepreneur! I like my coffee and tea but im not yet ready to start a business for it.
I use a french press for coffee and tea, Expresso maker at times. edm
I’ve just bought a glass teapot with a stainless steel filter and i’m trying some Wu Yi Oolong in it, with a dash of milk. What a pleasure. Looking forward to trying some Keemun after the OP mentioned it.
My favorite place for tea: http://camellia-sinensis.com/tea/ My favorite place for coffee : http://www.toimoicafe.com/tmc.html?language=0
Loving Tulsi (Holy basil) tea right now. And i think i read you can make a snuff out of it if you have a cold. I have it with milk and honey.
I enjoy tea more than coffee but really like to take coffee snuffs. Funny, I think.
I drink a lot of coffee. I started to taper off of it and I did a real good job; quite often I would not have a single cup all day. For Christmas I got one of those insta-brew kuerig machines that you put the k-cups into. I drink more coffee than I ever did now. I was a little skeptical of the machine and how well it works, but I use it all the time and it works great. It also came with this little thing that you can use your regular goffee grinds in, they call it a ‘My K-Cup’ and its just a k-cup with wire mesh that you make your own coffee with, its really nice. I have a box comming in the mail that has Tullys Italian Roast, French Roast, and 3 Green Mountain brands, Double Black Diamond, Dark Magic, and Sumatrian Reserve. All 5 are Extra Bold Dark Roasts which is how I always prefer my coffee. I like French press coffee a lot, but my pot isn’t of high quality and is very small. I love doing Schmalzler while having my cofee.
I drink tea every now and then, Earl Grey in tea bags, twinnings I think I leave the bag in untill I finish the tea. I don’t know anything about the best quality tea or how tea bags make it different and stuff. I’m not a big tea drinker anyway
Several days ago I cut some woodruff for tea and snuff flavouring . This recommendation is from 1827. “The sweet woodroof, woodruff, or wodderowffe, (Asperula odorata) flowers in May. When fresh gathered, its flowers are of a beautiful snowy whiteness ; and when magnified, appear sprinkled with shining, frosted particles. Woodruff is found on sheltered banks, and at the roots of trees. It may be transplanted into gardens, at the roots of trees, so as to surround them. Its height is from five to ten inches: it generally grows with the wood sorrel; it is usually a month, and in a severe blighting spring it has been six weeks later in putting forth its whirl of delicate flowers than the wood-sorrel. Withering, in his Botanical Arrangements, thus characterises this aromatic plant: ’ The fresh herb has no scent; but, as soon as it begins to dry, it exhales a pleasant and lasting fragrance, like that of new hay: its strongly aromatic flowers, infused in water, far excel all the teas imported from China. The dried leaves of this plant give to snuff all the scent of the tonquin bean, and its aroma is more lasting.” Time’s Telescope 1827
@philips are we talking Galium odoratum? If so, it’s not too uncommon in the UK, speaking as a botanist.
“are we talking Galium odoratum? If so, it’s not too uncommon in the UK, speaking as a botanist.” Yes, we are. Also called Asperula odorata. I discovered its uses in Germany where, amongst other things, it’s used to make traditional May Wine. It’s a very versatile herb and (like tonka, tonquin) contains coumarin, so useful for scenting snuff. A sprig of dried leaves was placed in a 1lb canister of Princess on Sunday night where it will stay for a month or so.
Start out the morning with Tulsa ,[vana] Ocimum gratissintum. Has a anise flavor the other Ocimum sanctum is also very good. Better then green or black tea that contain high levels of sodium fluoride, that block the third eye and the production of melatonin. Love fresh ground & perked coffee could drink gallons and usually do. But very corrosive now I am past the point of no return.So I heading it the direction of yerba mate. As for snuff I like the vitamin N now, but swim uses Kanna [Sceletium tortuosum} on occasion and yopo for vacation and metamorphism. Relax with Uzara [xysmalobium undulatum]. Some time you just got to think outside of the snuff box pay the price of admission and dance to the beat of your own drum.
I enjoy gunpowder green tea that I mix with my homegrown lemon balm. I also enjoy our local breakfast and peach teas from the Charleston Tea Plantation. As for coffee, only what is on sale. $$$
I am going to have to remember about sweet woodruff as a flavoring agent. What a wonderful tidbit to pass on, Philip! Would like to find a copy of the book that you referenced as well.
Love quality coffees, teas, yerba mate, and lotsa other herbs.
basement_shaman, I’ve always found Camellia S. to enhance spiritual/psychic vision. As well as coffee…But question, is Tulsa the same as Tulsi (holy basil)? I could look it up… I guess I should visit erowid or something and look up that uzara anyways…I’m kinda envious, I’m on some Rx meds right now and have to be careful with new herbs.
To anybody in the US: check out Porto Rico (yes, that is spelled correctly), out of NYC. They deal in quality coffees and loose teas both nicely fresh-which you can buy as little as an ounce to try something new. They don’t always have all of the “highest grade” and rarest teas, but they do have quality stuff, and a good enough variety, for mostly quite good prices. I find it a perfect place to stock up on everyday drinkin’ loose teas, and single source as well as blended coffees. Kona, Sumatra, Peru, Blue Mtn., India, etc…
Also anybody into Puerrh’s out there?
my main tea actualy.
Right on! I really like a high quality puerrh, but nothing that smells fishy. But it seems like a fishy puerrh can be ok a year later. But honestly for an everyday tea, I just look for a basic, relatively smooth, inexpensive, black. Maybe a nice Yunnan, Hunan, Assam, Ceylon…
Im curious , where do you get the iraqi coffee from ? Is it made like turkish coffee ?
fishy is good in my opinion. Just drink it black or with butter.
Well to each his own, I almost always drink tea black, but occasionally with sugar, stevia, or honey. I’m not sure I’ve heard of with butter, just regular butter? Do you just add a pat after brewing and pouring? I’ve just learned in the past year or two about a rinsing, or brief infusion and pouring out the liquid before the main infusion. I’d always worry about losing flavor and goodness doing so, but it seems to be ok. The best I’ve tried were perhaps some of those toucha’s including a huge one (half Lb- to full Lb) that was a gift, super smooth but deep and dark.
look it up. Some places drink their puerh like that. The important trick and this is really important. Is do it with the crapiest Puerh you can. Otherwise it’s terrible.
Interesting, I was going to say that I’d heard of some high altitute dwellers (the Tibetans perhaps?) customarily drank some sort of brew with yak butter. I’ll remember that if I get a nasty batch of Puerrh.
that is it.
Huh! I heard the yak butter tea is rather, shall I use the term “gamey”. I’d be a little shy about it, but maybe…
So speaking of coffee, who favors single origin coffees? I usually do, with an occasionall blend here and there. Seems if you go anywhere that roasts thier own beans, or gets roasted ones from the roasters quickly, will have something I like well enough. I like stuff from Peru, and Sumatra quite often. The Ethiopian’s I’ve tried in the past few years just don’t seem to have that red-winey taste I used to love. Seems the local coffeeshops around me usually have Kenya and Guatemala on tap…
I do prefer single origin coffees. There is always something off about blends. Some how they always seem cut to me, like we have a great coffee and we’ll mix in some cheaper stuff to stretch out the stuff. My favorite though is definatly Blue Mountain.
enjoying a cup of Russian Caravan loose tea right now. This tea smells like Drum tobacco (which is not a bad thing since that was my tobacco of choice) but has a rich smokey flavor.
bob, yeah I remember Blu Mtn to be nice and very mellow, but definately a luxury coffee! I can often find some nice freshly and locally roasted beans for $6-10 a pound at my local CoOp grocery- much of it single sourced, but also some good blends from some (apparently) very competent roasters. I do really reccommend Porto Rico coffee and tea, if you don’t mind mail ordering coffee or tea, it’s quality and fresh, and they do mostly single sourced beans. I couldn’t help but give them a little plug…
FlippinBird, if you like smokiness, have you tried Lapsang Souchong or Tarry Souchong?
Mr. O, no I haven’t. I rarely go to my local tea shop because the lady that works there is a flippin nutcase. Is there anywhere online I can order those from?
The place I reccomended to bob, Porto Rico (yes that is the correct spelling) importing, or Porto Rico coffee or something. Lots of good teas, mostly at quite good prices. Most if not all of their bulk teas can be purchased from by the ounce, to by the pound. Or if you find yourself in Greenwich Village in NYC, they have a nice- but not huge- shop there.
Mr. O Thanks for the info, I found the online store and will definitely try Lapsand Souchong, the pine smokeing sounds delicious.
Good! I hope you find some that you like! I used to buy thier “Golden Yunnan”, I hope they still have it, was a great smooth and very aromatic Chinese black, with a good amount of yellow tips one of the best values ever!
The best Lapsong I had was a cheap loose leaf sold at my local chinese grocers. Five bucks for a decent sized tin and man it was wonderfull. Love golden Yunnan the term velvety comes to mind when I drink that one.
Exactly, if you drink a cup of Ceylon or such, and compare it to a cup of a Yunnan, or Hunan or such it’s a pretty big difference. The way my palate is these days I can hardly even drink a Darjeeling- too puckery/astringent, but I’m all over a nice Chinese black!
I have tried one darjeeling I like, I guess there is no accounting for taste.
Dang @MrO! Those shipping prices for Porto Rico are outrageous! I guess if you buy a bunch of tea at a time it evens out, but for someone just wanting to try a few it just doesn’t seem worth it.
Shipping is too rich for my blood, and I live fairly close in Maryland!
I decided to go back to my local tea store tomorrow morning, in spite of the lunatic running the store as she is very knowledgeable about her products. If that doesn’t go well I found another site that sells Lapsang Souchong that has more reasonable shipping prices. Google “the tea table” if you are interested.
High quality tea, amazing choice. Those guys are passionate with their job. They meet local producers and buy directly from them. For serious tea lovers only!
Hmm they didn’t used to be so bad… I gotta check on them again…
I used to order from them like 5/6 Lbs of coffee and about 2 Lbs or so of tea, and it never seemed too steep.
I think they might have changed thier shipping method or something, but I’ll look into it. I wouldn’t mean to steer you wrong.
@MrO I was referring to the cost of shipping for just a couple ounces which I would buy. $10 for $5 worth of tea just didn’t seem worth it. But if I was buying like you did at 2lbs I guess it makes it seem more cost effective.
Anyways I went to my local tea store and they had Lapsang Souchong! I also bought 2 ounces of Rose White tea which I am enjoying right now, and some berries made for adding to tea.
On teas Upton teas has a good selection with quality ranging from average to connoisseur levels. Shipping in the US is $4.20.
Theres a shop in the twin cities here, if you are or find yourself in MN. It’s called Teasource, and a great place to visit in person, one would probably be hard pressed to find better tea without traveling a fair distance. The reason I mention this is that they also do mail order, although their website is kind of weird-the way they list the prices and such, they’ve got a good variety, and they also have reasonably priced tea as well, I can’t justify spending a hundred bucks on a pound of tea, but perhaps an ounce or too of it wouldn’t be too bad of a hit and I believe they do that, if not 1 or 2 ounces, I’m pretty sure they do 1/4 pounds. Don’t know about their shipping either though…
If any of you here want to geek out on tea there is a good forum here: http://www.teachat.com/
Thank’s Ansel! Will check it out
I’m a caffene fiend as well as a snuff fiend.
In my opinion, anything that comes in a teabag does not qualify as tea! Give me loose Indian Black tea. For decient tea I have to go to an Indian store. The orientals keep the best stuff for themselves (or ship it to natives abroad) the second rate tea goes to Britain and the rest of us just get the crap.
Iced coffee is also a passion of mine. Strong coffee and very dark tea (about the same color as weak coffee!)
The odd thing is that I am not all that fond of espresso.
I like a nice iced coffee, or hot coffee, whatever, guess long as you got some good beanage.
speaking of Indian, have you ever tried (what my source called) “Monsoon Malibar”, aged in the fresh outdoors with only a roof overhead to protect from rain. Pretty nice, not too expensive.
Do you favor Assams or Darjeelings or something else? I like the Assams, but the Darjeelings are too “puckery” for me.
If you don’t like espresso, how do you feel about press pot coffee?
Also, wondering if anybody has a cold brew kit? Always kind of wanted one.
Well, I like instant coffee and even prefer it to Starbucks. Jacobs is my go to. Tea on the other hand, I buy loose and my favorites are lapsang souchong, Earl Grey, and most Black variants.
Coffee I just grab from the machine at work. Tea I make on occasion, usually when I’m trying to relax at home. Loose-leaf with a pot and metal strainer. I have little tins of all sorts, but I usually go for peppermint or orange / green tea.
Tea. I like it. Twinning’s, it’s easily accessible and reasonable quality. English Breakfast, 3 in the morning. Oolong, sometimes in the afternoon. Their mint is crisp but warm. Lady Grey is always fun.
I drink entirely too much ice tea. My favorite is a French-American red tea blend. But Lipton [old world English red that’s oxidized] works as long as you don’t aerate it at any step.
I buy other varieties on occasion, but the product need some prominence. Yes, I take the bag out of my tea after the timer goes off. Not all Stateside make disgusting tea, just most of them…and I openly mock them.