Tea brewing

[Randi]

OK, here we go... another silly thread!

We all know the British are famous for tea brewing, but I notice that they simply leave the tea bag in the pot. That is outrageous! What if someone want a cuppa 10 min. later? It has all gone BITTER!

And tell me, what is the reason for pouring milk in first? I know there are a few explanations to that one, but I'd like to hear your view!

I like a good strong cup of tea - with milk, but it's not the way we make tea in Denmark. We put the loose tea in the pot (in some little container, or cloth bag) and then take it out after 3-4 min.

How do you make tea??

[king2005]

I add 3 tea bags to a mug. Fill the mug 3/4 full with hot water. Attack the bags with a spoon.. Take them out, add a little brown sugar, top it off with 1% milk...

[momoffuzzyfaces]

Ok, now please don't faint! I just toss a tea bag or two in a covered glass pitcher and set it in the sun for a while! Sun tea is great!!!

You use milk? I like lemon!

[Almita]

I have never had tea with milk before, does it make it thicker or what does it do?

We just heat water in a pot and put three or two bags or tea and we also poke it. That's about it we add sugar to it too.

[catnapper]

Fun thread!

Hot tea: microwave my cup for 1 min 45 sec (horrors! )
Place English Bereakfast teabag in mug for like ten seconds... enough to give flavor but not strong. Bitter is not my thing! No milk, no cream, no sugar.

Iced Tea: I don't know what I'd do without Lipton's Cold Brew teabags. I fill pitcher with cold water. Add one Cold Brew teabag, place in 'fridge. Pour wonderful glass of tea an hour or so later. For some reason, I do not remove these tea bags until the pitcher is done. I think its because I don't leave it in the fridge long enough to become bitter! Again, no sugar. I'll occasionally add sugar if its sat in the fridge long enough to become slightly bitter, or I'll add a little more more to dilute it.

PS: NO LEMON! EVER! I stopped using lemon after my mom showed me how using lemon in a styrofoam cup has a chemical reaction with the hot tea and foam.... now it seems like posion no matter what container no matter hot or cold. LOL

[Jessika]

I don't like lemon in my tea to begin with... but that description you gave sounds violent LOL

I love sun tea because its slower brewed... and I've heard of putting milk in your tea but I think that's more of a British thing as nobody does it here. Sweet tea is BIG in the south, and since I'm in southern Missouri its a hit or miss as to whether or not I'll find it out at restaurants and such. I LOVE sweet tea, but it has to be perfectly sweetened, not too much, and not too little.

[Randi]

I add 3 tea bags to a mug. Fill the mug 3/4 full with hot water.

Three tea bags!! Wow, that must be a strong cup of tea!! And hot water? Is has to be boiling when you pour it!

MOFF! I agree, lemon in some tea's can be quite nice.

Almita, what milk does to tea and how and when you pour it in, is the big question. Some think that people started pouring milk in to cool it enough to drink it immediately, and some claim it's for the taste. Now, the biggest question is why do you have to pour the milk in first? Some say that it reacts differently (better) with the tea, when you do that, but I'm sure, there are many explanations for this.

Catnapper!! What ARE you doing? LOL! Do you put a tea bag in cold water, and then in the microwave?? Horrendous!!

Jessica, I'm sure it's a British thing to put milk in your tea, but I must admit, I like it, if it's the right tea - English Breakfast, and strong enough!

You know, some are even heating the pot before they brew tea - and that IS the way to do it.

I'm sure our British members can tell us much more.

[jackie]

I drink my black tea with milk and honey, and my herbal teas alone.

I just toss a bag in a cup, add boilung water and let it sit from 2-10 minutes depending on the tea.

[Kfamr]

Funny,
I have a cup of tea 'brewing' on the counter right now. Pomegranate Green Tea.. Yum! Free sample I received from http://www.yogitea.com/

Sometimes I boil the water on the stove or if I'm feeling lazy (like today) I microwave it.

Depends on my mood as to how I drink it. Sometimes with milk/coffee creamer & sugar, sometimes with just the cream, sometimes just tea. Right now I'm in a just tea mood.

At work we have french vanilla creamers.. I LOVE it with 1 or 2 vanillas creamers in it.

I used to drink iced tea all the time but haven't recently.

[Randi]

Uhh, I would never put cream in tea, and I don't think any Brit would either. I would accept cream in my coffee - if there was no milk, though.

Now, I don't have a microwave, but at work, I have put some milk in for, I think 20 sec. to heat it for my coffee - I use half milk/half strong coffee.

[Kfamr]

The reason for creamer being that no one in my house drinks milk, but we usually always have creamer.

Same for work, no milk (other than the cartons we use) so I have to use creamer. Most retaurants here give you coffee creamer for your hot tea when you order it.

Tastes the same as milk in tea, IMO.

[critter crazy]

Hot Tea-I use 1-2 tea bags, depending on my mood. I usually add milk and sugar to me tea.

Iced tea-I like lemon in my Iced tea.

[Freedom]

Boil the water in the kettle. Heat the teapot with warm water.

One bag per cup plus one bag for the pot. Pour the water OVER the bags. Let steep 3 to 4 minutes.

Remove bags carefully. Do NOT squeeze the bags out, that just makes the tea bitter.

Warm teacup. Well, we stopped using teacups about . . . 20 years ago. Now we have these huge soup cups, so we can sit and enjoy a cuppa, without getting up for a refill.

Dad:
Pour tea into cup, almost up to rim.

Pour cold milk into cup until it overflows.

Add 3 Sweet N Low's. (He used to put in 4 heaping spoons of sugar until he developed diabetes 8 years ago.)

Me:
Pour tea into cup, about 3/4 full.

Pour cold milk up to rim, or else it is just too hot to drink for 15 minutes!

No sweetner for me.

Oh, and it MUST be Salada tea bags.

[Sevaede]

I don't drink tea. Or, at least, I haven't found one that I enjoy the flavour of its drink. Suggestions?

An idea of the milk/tea thing... Maybe the reason folks pour the milk first, then tea, is for tempering (as putting the colds into the hots would curdle or otherwise affect the cold undesirably)? As for why there is milk in tea *period* my guess is to cool the drink down.

[ratdogg]

I dont really like tea a whole lot, but its better than drinking diet soda I suppose. Lately i've found myself drinking water or gatorade. I think it'd be fun to make tea straight from the leaves and stuff. I definitely want to try boiling water in a teapot that actually whistles