Making a good cup of tea

[Consul]

I realize this is something no American can ever properly manage, but I've taken to buying Twinings loose-leaf teas from the local bulk-food market (one of my favorite places to shop). Now I'm trying to find the best way to brew it within the limits of my gear.

I'd like to get myself a Japanese cast-iron kettle one of these days, but if you had nothing but some pots and pans (with lids) and a mesh strainer, could you make a good cup of tea?

If you can name off some other handy pieces of kitchen gear, I'll let you know if I have them or not. :grin:

Tonight, I simply brought my water to a boil, cut the heat, dropped in my measured amount of tea, slapped on a lid and let it steep for five, then poured through my small mesh strainer into a cup. It tastes better than those teabags, that's for sure.

 

[nickt]

Oooo... you didn't warm the pot! :shock: My mother would have a fit!

Oh yeah and the milk has to be added to the cup after the tea...

 

[Consul]

Warm what pot? I dropped the tea right into the just-boiled water. And I actually did warm the cup beforehand.

 

[Echo North]

I always thought it was wrong to bring the water to the point of boiling (or at least a "rolling boil"). You just want it hot...but not boiling.

Could be myth a though.

Mike

 

[nickt]

[quote author="Consul"]Warm what pot? I dropped the tea right into the just-boiled water. And I actually did warm the cup beforehand.[/quote]

Tsk tsk tsk!

1. Heat the water to the boil.
2. Add some to the tea pot
3. Return to heat
4. Throw out water from pot
5. Add tea to warmed pot
6. Add boiling water to pot
7. Add lid and woolen tea cosy (teapot cover)
8. Steep for some amount of time
9. Pour tea through strainer into cup (optional)
10. Add milk to cup
11. Add sugar (if you take it)
12. Sip and say something like "Oooo lovely..."

BTW I'm not big on tea... :shock:

 

[Consul]

I don't have a teapot. I thought I mentioned that in my first post. I suppose I could use a second cooking pot.

I'd really like to get one of those cast-iron Japanese teapots, though. They look really nice and, well, anything cast-iron is just plain cool.

 

[beatpoet]

I like my tea with nutmeg (MAOI inhibitor/antidepressant/hallucinigen) and cinnamon (lowers blood pressure)

 

[nickt]

[quote author="Consul"]I don't have a teapot. I thought I mentioned that in my first post. I suppose I could use a second cooking pot.

I'd really like to get one of those cast-iron Japanese teapots, though. They look really nice and, well, anything cast-iron is just plain cool.[/quote]

There's the problem right there. My former description also required you to wear a cardigan. Try this (outdoors)...

1. Put "billy" on the fire till boiling
2. Remove from fire
3. Add tea
4. Add gum leaf
5. Wait (usually while rolling a cigarette)
6. Swing billy round in a full circle to sink tea leaves
7. Tip into chipped enamel mug
8. Drink (while smoking cigarette)

BTW my daughter has a cast iron japanese tea pot (but it's tiny!)

 

[SSLtech]

Well, I thought that there was a full set of instructions I posted, but I can't find it with a search...

I eventually found this which I originally posted on ProSoundWeb...

http://recforums.prosoundweb.com/index.php/m/321433/2172/

Best recipe for true British creativity:

PG tips & Hobnobs.

Boil about a half-gallon of water in a kettle. As it nears the boil, remove about a pint and use that to warm the pot. -Carefully and slowly 'roll' the water around the inside of the pot until the pot is MUCH too hot to hold with bare hands. This should be timed to coincide with the kettle coming to a rolling boil.

In one smooth motion, tip the near-boiling water out of the pot and down the sink, IMMEDIATELY throw two PG tips bags into the bottom of the pot, and FLOOD the teapot immediately with still-boiling water.

As soon as the pot is full, cover the top with the lid, and -wasting NO time at all- plop a warm tea-cosy over the pot.

Wait four minutes, then remove the cosy and the teapot lid, stir it moderately briskly, then replace the lid and tea cosy and let it stand for two more minutes.

Pour into large mugs (milk and sugar as each person's taste suggests), having arranged the Hobnobs on a plate in the middle of the room, for everyone to share.

If that doesn't get the old convivial pleasure-buds going, then I don't know what will!

Keith

Key is the choice of tea. -by all means enjoy Twinings, but eventually try PG tips. -For many people, this is an epiphany. Twinings is pleasant enough, but beginner stuff, well suited to the US palate... PG tips is like a single malt compared to Johnny Walker...

water MUST BE BOILING. -Try a test if you doubt this... -The different compounds are released at different temperatures, and the 'richer' or 'smoother' ones come out at hotter temperature. -If you make two versions side-by-side, one scalding and the other merely 'quite hot', the 'quite hot' one will taste bitter by comparison, since the bitter components separate at lower temperature than the smoother flavinoids, which require excoriating, steam-like scorching heat!!! :twisted:

never let tea bags "stew". -Once the tea is made, REMOVE THEM. For loose-leaf tea, this is less simple, but to revisit temperature, it is why you warm the pot. It is why people own tea-cosies. It is why tea can be a transcendent experience. (by all means cool the tea once the tea leaves/bags have been separated, but NEVER allow tea leaves to brew in water which is EVER anything less than scalding hot.

Picture here... Tea cosy on the left at the back.

Keith

 

[CJ]

Consul, as much respect as I have for Keef on Technical matters, I was steered way off course by the above prescribed methods for brewing the Twinnings.

Qualifications include a trip to he Doctor because of a Throat Cancer scare, which turned out to be the way I was brewing the tea.
Also, I drink at least three pots a night, sometimes five or six on the weekends.

Listen closely, as I instruct you on th Correct method.

Fisrt, Twinnings Earl Grey, in loose leaf form out of the tin, is a totally different animal than your Lipton Teabags.

If you pour boiling water over these leaves, you will release tons of bad stuff.
Tanic acid levels go way up.
This is a Carcinogen!
Thus, the milk.

I was not using milk.
I was making the tea very strong.
Those leaves are concentrated.

Also, overheating the leaves by leaving them in the pot for 5 minutes is just absurd.
Talk about a stew pot full of nasty tasting chemicals!

OK, so here we go.

Put a tin pot on the burner with your cool fresh water in there.
Heat the water on low heat.
This slow cook gives time for the chemicals and algae in the water to evaporate.

In a ceramic picture, put the tea.
When the water just starts to steam, pour it into the ceramic pot.
Let it sit about one minute.
Cool off the tin pan with cool water.
Pour the tea back into the cool pan very slowly.
You want to discard the leaves as soon as they sink to the bottom.
If you brew leaves that have sunk, this is when you are getting the nasties, thus, avoid the 5 minute steep.

OK, discard the leaves in the bottom of the ceramic bowl.
Cool off the bowl with cool water.
Pour the tin pan tea back into the ceramic picture.
Repeat this process until all th leaves have sunk.
This way, you do not throw out leaves that still have the good stuff.
No milk or sugar needed, it is so good.
Smooth like Japanese Tea, kicks ass like Red Bull.


Try it and see.

The perfect Cuppa.

 

[Freq Band]

I have a Bergamot orange tree(Citrus aurantium ssp. bergamia) that I sourced from a mail order catalog.

Does anyone know how to use this in tea ?
I believe it's oil is found in Earl Grey.

=FB=

 

[clintrubber]

Revisited item indeed, but no problem. Might have posted it back then as well, but just in case:

Instructions here, from Ginger Baker
(and please allow me to have left out the bizarre line about adding milk to tea :shock: )

[quote author="[url=http://lyrics.dainutekstai.lt/199361/masters-of-reality-t-u-s-a.htm]Masters Of Reality - T.U.S.A.[/url]"]Now this is serious! if theres one thing in this country that really bothers me
Is the inability of yanks to make a good cup of tea
Instructions are printed on the teabag
But either they can't read
Or they think it's a gag

Pour boiling water over the tea
How simple and clear can the instructions be?

They bring you a cup with a lemon slice
And an unopened tea bag beside it (how nice)
And a pot of water and it may be hot
But boiling it isn't so tea you have not

Why can't we
Get our tea
We need tea
To set us free

It's boiling water that brings out tea's flavor
- - - - - - -
They drink luke brown water that looks like gnat pee
And it's got nothing to do with a good cup of tea

Pour boiling water over the tea
How simple and clear
Can the instructions be?

Pour boiling water over the tea
Pour boiling water over the tea[/quote]


Nice song BTW, and really tasty drumming on that album (ah those cymbals ).
It's this one:

 

[RAM]

I feel so crude in comparison to you guys.....
I just turn the kettle on and throw a tea bag into a mug(not a cup they're way too small).
Then I put the boiling hot water to the cup, stir it just right (has to be really strong) then take out the teabag and add milk and sugar.
I go through cups of tea really fast so I just don't have the patience to spend really long making only one cup.

I guess it's kind of crude but it sure does make a good cup of tea!
Ah bewleys! think I'll go have one now....

Rob

 

[clintrubber]

[quote author="RAM"]I guess it's kind of crude but it sure does make a good cup of tea![/quote]
Don't feel to bad about it...
I mean, in the US I've seen them converting ice-tea into 'tea' (...) by using a microwave oven :shock:

 

[RAM]

I think I'd get sick if someone gave me tea like that!
Tea leaves are definitely worth it for one of those relaxing cups of tea after a big meal though. That's probably the only time I have them.
It's unbelievable how many people don't know how to make tea. I was in a restaurant ahile ago and we got a pot of tea with dessert....the pot only had one teabag in it.
It was the weakest tasting tea ever. Really horrible.

Rob

 

[Steve Jones]

Guys.... Guys.... All you need to know is here...

http://www.vimeo.com/794351

 

[Emperor-TK]

[quote author="CJ"]If you pour boiling water over these leaves, you will release tons of bad stuff.
Tanic acid levels go way up.
This is a Carcinogen![/quote]

I'm with CJ. Both the flavors and the caffeine found in most teas are quite soluble, and don't need long steep times or high steep temperatures (above 90degC). Longer/hotter steeps will produce more tannins, which tastes positively rancid to me (I'm not aware of the health issues though). Fans of long/hot teas are probably fans of that tannic taste, and not of the tea itself. The tannins will overwhelm any of the smooth subtle flavors that differentiate one tea variety from another, you might as well spike your tea with vinegar IMHO.

Arrhenius' equation tells us that there is approximately a doubling between the rate of tannins evolving at 90C and 100C, which makes properly timing your leaf removal more difficult 100C. For God's sake, don't boil your tea! :green:

-Chris

 

[SSLtech]

It depends entirely on WHAT type of tea.

Certainly, if you plan to leave the tea bag in (as so many American seem perfectly content to do) then you will experience what I mentioned earlier about "stewing" the tea at a high temperature. -If that is someone's habitual approach, they may well try reducing the temperature as the solution to the excess tanin 'draw'... but that's really 'solving the problem' in entirely the wrong manner. -Sure, it reduces the tanin, but if it was TIMED correctly at the hotter temperature, the tanin would also be similarly lower, but with a MUCH more pleasing flavour. -However, this way of doing it requires more dedication and attention, whereas the lower temperature method os more forgiving, and ...well, basically... rather better suited to 'lazy' people.

-Indeed, people at high elevations have long noted that you can't make a 'proper' British cup of tea when the air pressure gets too low, because water boils at too low a temperature.

-So while I respect that others may be used to something different, I'd have to differ with the following qualification: that to make a proper 'BRITISH' cup of tea, you ABSOLUTELY and UNEQUIVOCALLY have to use BOILING water as hot -or at as close to 100° as you can manage, given air pressure and altitude- as is possible.

This is the reason behind warming the pot, and the very raison d'etre for the tea-cosy. -and on it, I shall bear no debate, -at least not in MY household! :wink:

Keef

 

[mushy]

I learned everything I know about tea here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qz4iT4efavs

 

[zebra50]

You want YORKSHIRE TEA....

None of that foreign muck!

Oh, and milk with Earl Grey? Just not the done thing! A slice of unwaxed lemon, if you must.