I drink tea daily and use tea bags. I've thought about switching and trying out getting a strainer and giving loose leaf tea a try. Anybody do it? Any drawbacks?
I drink tea daily and use tea bags. I've thought about switching and trying out getting a strainer and giving loose leaf tea a try. Anybody do it? Any drawbacks?
Depending on how much you drink at a time a french press would work quite well for loose tea wouldn't it?
I've switched almost completely to tea over the last few years, partially due to stomach issues. I tried loose leaf a few times but I couldn't tell enough of an improvement in flavor to bother with the complication over tea bags. Add to that the fact that there are several online suppliers of premium teas that offer almost everything in bags that they offer in loose. I tried several methods of steeping but never found one that wasn't a pain in the rear from a clean-up and disposal perspective.
Grizz said:Depending on how much you drink at a time a french press would work quite well for loose tea wouldn't it?
I've done that, and a large basket that fits into the mug, and some of the little filter things that you dip into the cup.
The two that worked best was the large basket and the french press. the basket is like this https://www.amazon.com/OXO-BREW-Tea-Infuser-Basket/dp/B07GF4WYGT/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1547750867&sr=8-4&keywords=tea+infuser+basket but we have a cheap plastic one that works fine.
The drawback to all of them is clean up. It's not in a convenient little baggie.
I think you'd have to find a loose tea that knocked your socks off. If it was better than what you're drinking now with tea bags, then it might be worth the trouble.
I've settled on Twining's Irish Breakfast, but I drink it in the afternoon. I will occasionally mix it up with an Earl Grey or something more exotic, but I keep coming back to the Irish Breakfast tea.
In reply to 1988RedT2 :
You might like this too then, it replaced Irish breakfast for me.
E: That said my favorite tea is Lapsang Suochong, which is ridiculously strong and smokey tasting. I want to get a tin of Russian Caravan tea, as it's supposed to be great
Massive tea drinker here.
Generally loose leaf tends to be better quality than the bagged stuff (and tends to be cheaper for the same quality and quantity), although some of the higher end bagged stuff is getting pretty good. There are also a bunch of teas that I happen to like which are almost impossible to get as bagged teas.
To steep you want to make sure that whatever you are using gives the leaves enough room to expand - if you cram too much tea into to small a steeper, it'll affect taste.
And if you're forgetful like me and need an expensive solution to not forget that your tea should only steep for a couple of minutes, I highly recommend this. And yes, I have one at home.
Oh, and for those who like Lapsang Souchong, check out this tea. This tea shop only has it as a seasonal blend now (and they blend it themselves) so it only appears to be available in winter, and I love it.
Lapsang Souchong reminds me of beef jerky. Not in a good way.
I need an infuser. Maybe this one:
Or this one:
I like the Titanic one, do you happen to have a source for it?
In reply to BoxheadTim :
I would guess from the name that it's like the russian caravan, which is a blend of lapsang, oolong and keemun tea.
I like a teapot like this:
But, I like to drink a lot of tea. Generally, when using loose tea, I can refill that pot 2-3 times before the leaves need to be tossed. And the center strainer is easy to lift and rinse out. Loose tea is nice for certain teas, like pu-erh, that really are not the same when bagged.
I love my Teavana Perfecta. YouTube demo. Or at least this style of brewer.
Wife is tea obsessed to the point of having a business plan to open a tea room and attending professional tastings and expos.
I like big baskets in my cup for easiest cleaning. Knock leaves out and rinse. Wash every now and again to avoid buildup.
You can get way better stuff loose than in bags. Bags can effect flavor too. If you really want bags and good tea, try Tea Forte. It's a bit pricey though and you can still get better for cheaper loose.
If you're looking for a nice simple way to steep loose-leaf tea that doesn't break the bank (an ex who got me into loose-leaf tea had one of those $300 automatic makers- it was nice but wholly excessive...) I'd recommend something like this. It's what I use and have for the last 6-7 years or so- the only downside is these days it's hard to find ones that they also sell replacement filters for, so every so often when the screen just gets too dirty to use I have to get another one- but at $20 a pop they're cheap enough, and I can keep one at work and one at home.
My favorite tea has always been Golden Monkey- I got it from Teavana initially, but for a while have just gotten it from a local shop. Haven been mostly drinking Hibiscus flower tea lately though in trying to help with my blood pressure, but it can be steeped in my tea maker just like the Golden Monkey.
Trick I learned from Teavana when I was out of town at a convention held near one of their stores- full-on boiling water is a bit too hot for what black teas really do best with (I've learned that the hot water from our office's water filters is WAY too cold- I have an electric teapot that I use to boil water for tea at work), so they would put a small ice cube in with the tea and pour the boiling water over it and it would be just about the right temp without fussing with thermometers.
In reply to dxman92 :
Are you still looking for a Shimano derailerd
As I sit here sipping at a cup of freshly-brewed loose tea, I'll throw in my two cents. Most of the basics have been covered. Water temp matters a lot. Boiling water has to cool a bit before pouring over - one of my English relatives swore by "walking the kettle to the pot," in other words, taking the boiling kettle from the kitchen to the table (in the sitting room), thus giving it time to cool a little. Standard brewing time for most black teas is 4 minutes; much more and it starts to get quite tannic and (to my taste) much less pleasant.
I much prefer brewing only what I intend to drink at a sitting, rather than a whole pot at once. I use a stainless steel infuser with a cover. Dump the leaves once they dry out, and throw it in the dishwasher every now and again. Alternatively, single-use bags work as well.
I'm fortunate to live not far from an excellent tea blender, Harney & Sons. I often go in to the tasting room and sample various types.
In reply to Indy-Guy :
I decided to stick with the stock derailleur on my bike so I'm going to pass on it. Thank you for reaching out to me w/that..
In reply to 02Pilot :
I find getting the water to just shy of boiling ends up with it perfect.
In reply to 02Pilot :
I was vacationing somewhere recently and I happened to buy a box of Harney & Sons tea. I don't even recall what variety, but I remember it was good. Funny thing is, I grew up with a lad named John Harney, so I remembered the name. I don't think it's distributed locally, but I'm sure I can buy some online.
Grizz said:In reply to BoxheadTim :
I would guess from the name that it's like the russian caravan, which is a blend of lapsang, oolong and keemun tea.
It is. A very good one, too.
I've been wanting to get it for a while but I always forget when I'm on amazon.
I was really happy a few years ago when a place opened up near me with tea in the name but it turned out to be some suburban mom deciding hosting tea parties for little kids was a viable business idea. I don't even think it lasted 4 months before going under.
Verily, I thought that the popularity of tea died with King George III. Who knew that so many still take pleasure in a cup of char?
Twinings Irish Breakfast is my go to morning cup, brewed stand up strong and topped with a splash of milk.
I like the Suchong I've had but couldn't drink it all the time.
Harney and sons is an awesome tea house and delivers to my door.
Everyone seems to have assumed that you mean black tea and that may well be the right assumption...
If green tea is more your speed, a drip coffee maker dedicated to it might be the answer you are looking for. I had a Chinese employee whose spouse made frequent trips back to China and would bring back very high quality green tea. They used a drip coffee maker. Actually they had 2, one for coffee and one for tea.
meh. single round bag of Tetleys Brit blend. double the cheap WM stuff taken to work. and I remember loose leaf Tetleys from the '70s with my poncey loose leaf period at Highland Coffees in the mid '90s at LSU although work had a blend by Teaism called 'World Peace' that was cool. world peace. 
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