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[TheExodu5]

Ugh...orange pu-erh sounds awful. Regular aged pu-erh is pretty good but can be a acquired taste. Someone says it tastes like a barnyard. I think it tastes pretty pleasant and reminds me of the wet leaves smell of a forest after it rains. I've had some foul pu-erh that tasted like scummy pond-water. So YMMV.

I don't really understand the whole thing with fruit-flavored teas. If you want strawberry flavored tea, why not just drink strawberry juice? For me, tea has such a distinct flavor on its own, it's kind of a waste to disguise it with flavorings.

That said, I do have a particular fondness for non-tea-leaf type teas like roasted barley tea, soba tea, chrysanthemum tea, rose tea, etc. Especially in the evenings when I want to sip something and relax.

It's not about disguising it...it's about complementing it.

In this case, it's not orange flavoring in the tea...it's just some small pieces of orange rind.

You may as well have the same complaints about chai tea.

 

[Seanbob11]

Does anyone have any advice about getting a teapot with an infuser? Something like tthis.

This would be my first foray into tea that's not a teabag. I like a strong black tea normally, any recommendations of what kind of loose tea I should get? Thanks.

 

[Train of Midnight]

Does anyone have any advice about getting a teapot with an infuser? Something like tthis.

This would be my first foray into tea that's not a teabag. I like a strong black tea normally, any recommendations of what kind of loose tea I should get? Thanks.

If you intend to keep tea in the pot and pour out cups as you're drinking, make sure you get a pot with a removable infuser. If you intend to make it as you drink it then that's fine, but at that point you may want go pick up a french press.

Also, see how the holes in the infuser only go down to here (see arrows)? That means that you need to have that much water to brew, so it may not function well for a single cup. Again, I recommend the French Press.

 

[morningbus]

Does anyone have any advice about getting a teapot with an infuser? Something like tthis.

This would be my first foray into tea that's not a teabag. I like a strong black tea normally, any recommendations of what kind of loose tea I should get? Thanks.

A question first, then we'll get your sorted:

Why exactly do you want a teapot? Teapots are only better than french presses in one way: it's easier to keep a full pot of finished tea. If you're only going to be making a predetermined amount of cups, a french press is better.

That's not to say that teapots aren't a fine choice, though. Some advice when buying: get a stainless steel infuser with a handle (like this one, which is unfortunately out of stock now). A recent trend in teapots is adding a french-press style plunger to the infuser, but these are always terrible and cumbersome. It's also the reason why the problem the poster above me pointed out exists in the first place. The handle is better because it easily gets the tea leaves away from the water without messing around with a hot infuser. If you can't find one, it's fine. But it is certainly what I'd look for.

As for the tea, I always recommend that you get a darjeeling as its one of my favorite black teas. You can also look for a loose leaf black tea called CTC (crush-tear-curl, the method in which the leaves are harvested). It's a lower quality tea by its very nature, but it's a workhorse tea I use when making iced teas or when I want something brewed in under 2 minutes.

 

[Seanbob11]

If you intend to keep tea in the pot and pour out cups as you're drinking, make sure you get a pot with a removable infuser. If you intend to make it as you drink it then that's fine, but at that point you may want go pick up a french press.

Also, see how the holes in the infuser only go down to here (see arrows)? That means that you need to have that much water to brew, so it may not function well for a single cup. Again, I recommend the French Press.

A question first, then we'll get your sorted:

Why exactly do you want a teapot? Teapots are only better than french presses in one way: it's easier to keep a full pot of finished tea. If you're only going to be making a predetermined amount of cups, a french press is better.

That's not to say that teapots aren't a fine choice, though. Some advice when buying: get a stainless steel infuser with a handle (like this one, which is unfortunately out of stock now). A recent trend in teapots is adding a french-press style plunger to the infuser, but these are always terrible and cumbersome. It's also the reason why the problem the poster above me pointed out exists in the first place. The handle is better because it easily gets the tea leaves away from the water without messing around with a hot infuser. If you can't find one, it's fine. But it is certainly what I'd look for.

As for the tea, I always recommend that you get a darjeeling as its one of my favorite black teas. You can also look for a loose leaf black tea called CTC (crush-tear-curl, the method in which the leaves are harvested). It's a lower quality tea by its very nature, but it's a workhorse tea I use when making iced teas or when I want something brewed in under 2 minutes.

I don't really know why I wanted a teapot over a French Press. I've not had any experience with the latter I suppose. Is there any particular make or recommended press' I should buy?

I'll be sure to order some darjeeling, looks good. Thanks guys.

 

[nakedsushi]

It's not about disguising it...it's about complementing it.

In this case, it's not orange flavoring in the tea...it's just some small pieces of orange rind.

You may as well have the same complaints about chai tea.

My mistake. That sounds more reasonable, although the inclusions of essential oils in that blend makes me think it'll be overpowering. One of the traditional ways of storing pu-erh for aging is to hollow out a big citrus like a pomelo or orange and storing the compressed leaves in there. You then take the leaves out and brew it. So it has the scent of citrus, but doesn't actually contain actual peels.

I do have the complaints about chai tea and don't drink it often. I think the only time I drink it is when I want a "milk drink".

Does anyone have any advice about getting a teapot with an infuser? Something like tthis.

At work, I use a cup + strainer combo. Then you can brew individual cups of tea and the water stays hot while you're drinking it and you can take the strainer out once your tea is strong enough. Good for multiple brew tea leaves.

From: http://www.artoftea.com/catalog/light-korean-p-108.html

The thing I don't like about teapots with strainers is that usually I'm drinking tea by myself, so I don't need to make a whole pot at a time or else the tea at the end of the pot gets cold before I get to it. Also, I'd need a separate cup to pour the tea into. The cup + strainer combo is convenient since you brew directly into the cup.

 

[TheExodu5]

Mmmmm...this orange pu-erh is delicious. I need to make it a bit stronger next time, though. Very smooth. Bit of oakiness to it. First experience with loose leaf tea...I think I'm a convert.

 

[TheExodu5]

Just tried the Samovar Jasmine tea. Wow. Incredible stuff. Wasn't a fan of green tea last I tried, but this is delicious. I love how the little tea balls open up in hot water.

 

[morningbus]

Is there anything missing in the OP that you guys would like covered? Or anything you'd want further clarification on? I'd be willing to write up a little something about nearly anything.

Mmmmm...this orange pu-erh is delicious. I need to make it a bit stronger next time, though. Very smooth. Bit of oakiness to it. First experience with loose leaf tea...I think I'm a convert.

Just tried the Samovar Jasmine tea. Wow. Incredible stuff. Wasn't a fan of green tea last I tried, but this is delicious. I love how the little tea balls open up in hot water.

Great to hear your impressions! I love pu-erh, especially when its been aged in a citrus fruit. I got a clementine full of pu-erh from the now nearly-defunct Chicago Tea Garden and it was wonderful.

 

[Train of Midnight]

You don't like TheTeaTable's offerings?

I don't know how thoroughly this was discussed, (Aint nobody got time to read every post) but TheTeaTable is a fantastic retailer. Their Vanilla Rooibos is the best rooibos I've ever had, and second best vanilla tea (Harney & Son's Black tea just barely beats it). PLUS: You get to choose any 3 samples with your order fo' free! (Specialty teas may have small fee)

I was also in contact with the owner at the time of my purchase and they were great.

Is there anything missing in the OP that you guys would like covered? Or anything you'd want further clarification on? I'd be willing to write up a little something about nearly anything.

I'm always looking for tea sales/clearances, but those are few and far between.

 

[HiResDes]

Got a deal on this frother, loving it so far

 

[TheExodu5]

I thought this Samovar Jasmine tea was expensive...but it really isn't. It takes about 10 of the little leaf balls for a cup of tea, and by my estimation there must be well over 1000 balls in this $37 bag. Less than $0.37 a cup isn't too bad.

 

[TheExodu5]

Just tried making a chai latte with the Samovar Chai Tea and Organic Samovar Sweet Crystals. Wow. These sweet crystals are incredible. They've got a very buttery flavor to them, which adds such an incredible richness to the chai latte. Really liking this.

 

[HiResDes]

Russian Czar Mod:

...Always add sugar before froth, don't know why I just figured that out

 

[morningbus]

So, I'm back from a trip to Canada and brought back some stuff from David's Tea and a new place I'd never seen before, Caesar's Tea. Caesar's tea is clearly modeled after David's Tea, but I like that they also appear to be doing their own thing, with a wide selection of teas easily accessible to people to view and smell.

Out of the stuff I bought, I think I like the Korean Sejak the most. Really great, with a slight seaweed-like taste to it.

Mighty Leaf; Free Shipping on orders over $25, plus sign up for their newsletter and receive 15% off your next purchase.

 

[Deleted member 12837]

Is there anything missing in the OP that you guys would like covered? Or anything you'd want further clarification on? I'd be willing to write up a little something about nearly anything.

Perhaps suggested/recommended varieties for people new to tea? I imagine some are milder and better "starter teas" than others. I also would think that each variety has its own additives or combination of additives (milk, honey, etc) that complement it better than other combinations.

I've never been a tea drinker but am interested in giving it a shot in the mornings as a healthy alternative to the Red Bulls I occasionally drink at the office for a boost of energy. However, I have no clue where to start and there must be a better way to figure that out than randomly purchasing and trying different types of tea.

 

[morningbus]

Perhaps suggested/recommended varieties for people new to tea? I imagine some are milder and better "starter teas" than others. I also would think that each variety has its own additives or combination of additives (milk, honey, etc) that complement it better than other combinations.

I've never been a tea drinker but am interested in giving it a shot in the mornings as a healthy alternative to the Red Bulls I occasionally drink at the office for a boost of energy. However, I have no clue where to start and there must be a better way to figure that out than randomly purchasing and trying different types of tea.

That's a great idea. I'll try and work on something in the next few days.

Any teas you guys would recommend to a person just starting out?

 

[Train of Midnight]

Mighty Leaf; Free Shipping on orders over $25, plus sign up for their newsletter and receive 15% off your next purchase.

Have you (or anyone else) tried any of ML's Oolong teas?

 

[upandaway]

So I was passing by the tea store by chance and remembered you guys talking about how tea usually has summer sales, and I was starting to run out, so I decided to see what's up.

I was assaulted with sales.

Long story short, stacking all the sales together, it's about a half kilo for 60% price. That tiny thing in the middle is a free sample.

Names are blurry because of shitty camera, but they're weird french names anyway so who cares (we just went with whatever the clerk recommended). Anyway, do not underestimate summer tea sales. What the hell man!

 

[pax217]

Russian Czar Mod:



...Always add sugar before froth, don't know why I just figured that out

Is there that much of a difference between the (English) Earl Grey and Russian Earl Grey that both are required to do a proper "Czar"?

Been doing this for a few weeks, a few nights a week, loving the drink. One spoon of sugar really makes it for me.

 

[Head of Vengarl]

I just completed my first online tea order. I used The Tea Table because it has great prices, and I ordered:

Jasmine with Flowers Tea (JWF)
Sample of Lucky Dragon Hyson Tea (LDH)
Sample of Natural Pearl River Tea (OPR)
Sample of Chun Mee Tai Pan Superior Tea (CMT)

The 3 samples were all free, which is really awesome. You get to do that with every order, too! I think that's great and it will definitely have me coming back to The Tea Table in the future. The only bummer is that I only ordered $2 worth of tea, and paid $5 for shipping. -_- I know it's much cheaper in bulk, but since I've never had any of those teas I started off ordering a small amount.

 

[thcsquad]

That's a great idea. I'll try and work on something in the next few days.

Any teas you guys would recommend to a person just starting out?

Well, it's probably important for a new person to try both black and green before deciding they don't like tea.

Tazo's Zen tea is a mainstay at work. It's a green tea with spearmint (among other things, but the spearmint is very prominent). It's an excellent, smooth tea that I could just drink continuously.

They also make 'Awake', a decent black tea.

For somebody coming off of a Red Bull, maybe a Yerba Mate would be good to try.

 

[Easystride]

I recently had some Ito En Oi Ocha from an Asian grocery store that was really good.

Does anyone know any tea leaves that would produce a similar taste?

 

[Head of Vengarl]

So my new teas from The Tea Table arrived. I can't wait to drink them on Monday (I usually only drink tea at work). While they were shipping, I stopped by World Market because my mom told me they sell loose leaf tea there. Has anyone tried it? They sell a 4oz. bag for $10, which is a few dollars cheaper than buying 4oz. worth of tea from The Tea Table since there's no shipping costs. Here are the ones that interested me:

 

[Train of Midnight]

Picked up this beauty from Gracious Home for $35 yesterday. My friend broke a cheaper one that I had a few weeks ago, so I had him pay for half of it. Normally sells for $120 (95 on Amazon) but they had it on clearance. Amazon reviewer says the box describes it as 24-carat gold plated, but I'm not seeing that on any of the sites that sells it so we'll see. Don't really care either way, but that would be awesome if it was.

Still on sale if anyone's interested.

 

[chaostrophy]

Just made my first pitcher of iced Cheeky Lychee from David's. Refreshing and delicious!

 

[Train of Midnight]

Also picked up this teapot from TheTeaTable. Got it for half off, and 3 samples of some of their Oolongs to boot! Can't wait to try it out on Monday

 

[Candeldandel]

ZOMG TEA THREAD! Yay!

My favorite tea mug. I got it at a great little potter's house on the coast (Cannon Beach) ages ago. Here it is steeping some Earl Grey, my fave <3

Now this tea is kind of a mystery to me; I found it in a little shop in Bandon, and since the box is so small, I wanted to order more. However, I cannot find it anywhere on the internet! I would love to know more about it, but alas, it seems to be a one-off or something. That same company makes my favorite bagged Rose tea as well.

 

[thcsquad]

The crappy Teaforte infuser I use isn't working for the Yerba Mate. The problem with the infuser is that the part where the tea holder attaches to the rest of the infuser doesn't really close tightly, so finely ground tea often escapes. This Guayaki Yerba Mate is pretty finely ground compared to the rest of my tea, so a decent portion escapes the infuser into the cup. I have to get a better tea brewing system, either a teapot or a french press.

 

[Dr.Acula]

Got some green tea at the Korean store today.

Hmm, this tastes kinda funny...

Oh God...

 

[hom3land]

Great thread! Work at teavana which I know is overpriced but Damn their teas are good and their presence will only introduce more people to tea. They have an app that comes with a tea timer. Just select tea type and it automatically chooses the correct time needed. Thought it would be useful for new people to teas (don't wanna be seeping your white tea for 5 mibutes!)

One thing they dont have is straight up matte finish or ones that I can drink on its own. The ones they have all have a heavy earthy flavor even though they are flavored with fruits and spices. To be able to drink it I have to mix it with a white tea, which defeats the purpose since I want all the caffeine. So any suggestions for a good mate tea?

 

[Leeness]

Hm... uh oh. I ordered some tea from Harney & Sons, and I haven't received a confirmation email yet.. And I didn't make an account and I didn't save the order number. Haha. I figured I'd get a "You ordered!" email before shipping, that would have the order number. But no.

I guess I'll watch my credit statement and see if I ever get tea. Next time, I will save my order number :<

 

[Sheik]

I want to drink more tea. I love "fake" creamy teas such as taro bubbletea, chai, thai iced tea, etc. Also green tea flavored drinks and desserts. My friend bought a tea set and some teas from David's Tea so I got to try some of those. They were pretty good.

 

[LadyRiven]

I recently had some Ito En Oi Ocha from an Asian grocery store that was really good.

Does anyone know any tea leaves that would produce a similar taste?

If you're going for a strong green, maybe gunpowder green tea?

 

[LadyRiven]

Got some green tea at the Korean store today.

Hmm, this tastes kinda funny...

Oh God...

Ahaha, I'd be like "FUUUUUUUUUUuuu" (I do not like mushrooms)

 

[ReaperXL7]

Damn, and here I always thought that I was a tea enthusiast....Apprently i'm pretty small time.

I've only ever drank good old fashioned southern sweet tea, and various types of tea bags. I've never gotten into loose leaf, but going through this thread I may have to try it out.

My favorites include:

A tea shop just opened up recently near me and i've been meaning to go by there though i'd have to find out the name of it, i'd love to get some suggestions. Chai Teas are normally my favorite, and I almost always add sugar as I normally prefer sweet over bitter.

Either way, subscribed. Tea is easily my favorite beverage.

 

[ReaperXL7]

I just found out the name of the Tea Shop it's called Teavana, I have not had a chance to check it out yet, but it seemed like a pretty good place to buy both the tea itself, and various accessories.

this is their website: http://www.teavana.com/

I actually had a question also for parent, or nutrition gaf if anyone can answer this. I've allowed my daughter to taste my teas on occassion, and she really seems to enjoy it. My concern is that she is just turning three, so i'm unsure if it is a good idea to allow her to drink tea on a regular basis. Has anyone had any experience with children drinking tea, is it usually considered a bad idea, or are there concerns I should know about? ( I've been doing research on this, but I'd like to get some possible first hand knowledge if I can.)

 

[morningbus]

The crappy Teaforte infuser I use isn't working for the Yerba Mate. The problem with the infuser is that the part where the tea holder attaches to the rest of the infuser doesn't really close tightly, so finely ground tea often escapes. This Guayaki Yerba Mate is pretty finely ground compared to the rest of my tea, so a decent portion escapes the infuser into the cup. I have to get a better tea brewing system, either a teapot or a french press.

Yeah, I'd definitely suggest a french press for mate. They teapots I've used still allow for a bit more of the mate to escape than I'm okay with.

One thing they dont have is straight up matte finish or ones that I can drink on its own. The ones they have all have a heavy earthy flavor even though they are flavored with fruits and spices. To be able to drink it I have to mix it with a white tea, which defeats the purpose since I want all the caffeine. So any suggestions for a good mate tea?

If you don't like the earthy taste of green yerba mate, then I'd suggest you try roasted mate. It has an almost chocolate-like taste closer to a black tea. Either that, or try pairing green mate with lemon flavors (either iced and mixed with lemonade, or hot and with a squeeze of lemon and a bit of honey).

Hm... uh oh. I ordered some tea from Harney & Sons, and I haven't received a confirmation email yet.. And I didn't make an account and I didn't save the order number. Haha. I figured I'd get a "You ordered!" email before shipping, that would have the order number. But no.

I guess I'll watch my credit statement and see if I ever get tea. Next time, I will save my order number :<

I'm not sure if this'll help you, but here was the turn-around on my last order with Harney:

Tuesday Morning, February 7th: Order placed.
Thursday, February 9th: Shipping Info emailed to me.
Friday, February 10th: Order received.

Harney and Sons is based out of Connecticut and I live in Massachusetts, so the shipping speed may vary.

 

[hom3land]

I just found out the name of the Tea Shop it's called Teavana, I have not had a chance to check it out yet, but it seemed like a pretty god place to buy both the tea itself, and various accessories.

this is their website: http://www.teavana.com/

I actually had a question also for parent, or nutrition gaf if anyone can answer this. I've allowed my daughter to taste my teas on occassion, and she really seems to enjoy it. My concern is that she is just turning three, so i'm unsure if it is a good idea to allow her to drink tea on a regular basis. Has anyone had any experience with children drinking tea, is it usually considered a bad idea, or are there concerns I should know about? ( I've been doing research on this, but I'd like to get some possible first hand knowledge if I can.)

Roobios tea is caffiene free. Work at Teavana, when you go into the store expect to be helped alot. but if you are nice and show that you know what your talking about, they'll leave you alone. the tea's can be really expensive. They'll bring up the tins, which if you don't have a place to store your tea, are actually not bad since they have the steep time and temp on them. Everyone dogs on teavana and I can understand why (pushy sales, top down selling (ie.. if you ask for green tea, they'll probably show you the gyokuro imperial which goes for $20 for 2 ounces, then show you the cheaper ones) but it can be a great resource.

 

[Danoss]

I actually had a question also for parent, or nutrition gaf if anyone can answer this. I've allowed my daughter to taste my teas on occassion, and she really seems to enjoy it. My concern is that she is just turning three, so i'm unsure if it is a good idea to allow her to drink tea on a regular basis. Has anyone had any experience with children drinking tea, is it usually considered a bad idea, or are there concerns I should know about? ( I've been doing research on this, but I'd like to get some possible first hand knowledge if I can.)

My guess would be to keep a child's caffeine consumption to a minimum (preferably nil). Something naturally caffeine-free like Rooibos would be fine, I'd think. It'd certainly be better than cordial or juice.

I've read that flushing the tea with the hot water (essentially making a cup or pot of tea and immediately discarding the water) is one method of decaffeinating the tea, removing up to 80% of the caffeine. This may be a good idea if you insist on serving regular tea to your child.

I have seen the results of a child aged 3 that has been served Coca-Cola on a regular basis and it really is unpleasant. Seeing the addiction at such a young age is rather disturbing. Not a lot of study has been done on this, but seeing a child go to great lengths to get their fix can't be a good thing.

 

[morningbus]

I just found out the name of the Tea Shop it's called Teavana, I have not had a chance to check it out yet, but it seemed like a pretty god place to buy both the tea itself, and various accessories.

this is their website: http://www.teavana.com/

I try to be as fair as possible towards Teavana, but they make it hard. I'll leave it at this: there are higher quality teas at significantly better prices on the internet.

I actually had a question also for parent, or nutrition gaf if anyone can answer this. I've allowed my daughter to taste my teas on occassion, and she really seems to enjoy it. My concern is that she is just turning three, so i'm unsure if it is a good idea to allow her to drink tea on a regular basis. Has anyone had any experience with children drinking tea, is it usually considered a bad idea, or are there concerns I should know about? ( I've been doing research on this, but I'd like to get some possible first hand knowledge if I can.)

You'd need to be concerned with two things here, really: the temperature and caffeine content of the tea your daughter is drinking. The temperature one is pretty easy to safe guard against, but the caffeine question may be a bit more difficult. If she's drinking something that uses real tea as its base, then she is consuming caffeine and there could be a host of problems associated with that. It's a stimulant and it is probably better that she doesn't have any of that.

The good news, though: herbal teas are almost always caffeine free! (exceptions: any tea derived from a holly plant, e.g. yerba mate, guayusa, yuapon holly). Some good suggestions for kids: hibiscus tea, popular in the Middle East and great hot or iced, and rooibos, a tea from South Africa.

Teavana actually has a pretty wide selection of rooibos-based teas, so if you're heading there anyway, I'd suggest coming back with one or two that you'll think she'll like.

 

[ReaperXL7]

Roobios tea is caffiene free. Work at Teavana, when you go into the store expect to be helped alot. but if you are nice and show that you know what your talking about, they'll leave you alone. the tea's can be really expensive. They'll bring up the tins, which if you don't have a place to store your tea, are actually not bad since they have the steep time and temp on them. Everyone dogs on teavana and I can understand why (pushy sales, top down selling (ie.. if you ask for green tea, they'll probably show you the gyokuro imperial which goes for $20 for 2 ounces, then show you the cheaper ones) but it can be a great resource.

Awesome, thanks for the heads up. I thought I actually knew a good bit about tea, but just browsing this thread I learned that I actually know very little so I actually would not mind alittle help when I go in the first time, or two.

This thread is a great resource though, lots of great information here. Can anyone give me some suggestion as to what types of loose leaf teas would be similar to the Ultra Spice Chai?

You'd need to be concerned with two things here, really: the temperature and caffeine content of the tea your daughter is drinking. The temperature one is pretty easy to safe guard against, but the caffeine question may be a bit more difficult. If she's drinking something that uses real tea as its base, then she is consuming caffeine and there could be a host of problems associated with that. It's a stimulant and it is probably better that she doesn't have any of that.

The good news, though: herbal teas are almost always caffeine free! (exceptions: any tea derived from a holly plant, e.g. yerba mate, guayusa, yuapon holly). Some good suggestions for kids: hibiscus tea, popular in the Middle East and great hot or iced, and rooibos, a tea from South Africa.

Teavana actually has a pretty wide selection of rooibos-based teas, so if you're heading there anyway, I'd suggest coming back with one or two that you'll think she'll like.

this is great information thanks, also thanks Danoss usually my daughter on really drinks water, milk, and some juices so she's not really given alot of suger in most situations. If I can find a suitable tea that has small/ no amounts of caffine then perhaps I can let her enjoy some aswell.

I noticed on the Teavana website that they state white teas usually have very low levels of caffine, So i'll need to do some research before I allow her to drink any.

Also the reason I find Teavana interesting is that it's the only Tea related shop that i've found in my area, and it's pretty convenient having a place where I can just go and buy it, but if prices vary that greatly than I may end up just going through one of the sites listed in the OP. Though Teavana might be a good place to get a taste for loose leaf teas before hand so I know what i'm buying off the net.

Thanks for making the OT Morningbus, it's a great help

 

[morningbus]

Awesome, thanks for the heads up. I thought I actually knew a good bit about tea, but just browsing this thread I learned that I actually know very little so I actually would not mind alittle help when I go in the first time, or two.

This thread is a great resource though, lots of great information here. Can anyone give me some suggestion as to what types of loose leaf teas would be similar to the Ultra Spice Chai?

I've not had the Ultra Spice Chai, so I'm just going off the ingredient list here, but it looks to be a fairly standard Masala Chai (black tea, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, etc.). I'd suggest giving the Adagio Chai Sampler a shot. It contains a Masala, plus a few others you may like.

 

[hom3land]

Awesome, thanks for the heads up. I thought I actually knew a good bit about tea, but just browsing this thread I learned that I actually know very little so I actually would not mind alittle help when I go in the first time, or two.

This thread is a great resource though, lots of great information here. Can anyone give me some suggestion as to what types of loose leaf teas would be similar to the Ultra Spice Chai?



this is great information thanks, also thanks Danoss usually my daughter on really drinks water, milk, and some juices so she's not really given alot of suger in most situations. If I can find a suitable tea that has small/ no amounts of caffine then perhaps I can let her enjoy some aswell.

I noticed on the Teavana website that they state white teas usually have very low levels of caffine, So i'll need to do some research before I allow her to drink any.

Also the reason I find Teavana interesting is that it's the only Tea related shop that i've found in my area, and it's pretty convenient having a place where I can just go and buy it, but if prices vary that greatly than I may end up just going through one of the sites listed in the OP. Though Teavana might be a good place to get a taste for loose leaf teas before hand so I know what i'm buying off the net.

Thanks for making the OT Morningbus, it's a great help

When you go in they actually have 2 samples of a mixture of roobios and herbal teas. The Blue berry bliss (roobios) mixed with the Pinapple Kona Pop (herbal, served cold and taste like cool aide, kids seem to love it. The other is a Opus Rouge mixed with a citrus lavender sage.

And if you want to try Chai, there is a sample of the White tea chia mixed with the mate chai. Their Masala chai is pretty good too. Luckily I find their Roobios, herbal teas, and flavored black teas (excpet the darjeeling) to be pretty reasonably priced.

 

[hom3land]

I've not had the Ultra Spice Chai, so I'm just going off the ingredient list here, but it looks to be a fairly standard Masala Chai (black tea, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, etc.). I'd suggest giving the Adagio Chai Sampler a shot. It contains a Masala, plus a few others you may like.

Wow that looks like a great sample. How much comes in each sample? it says 8-10 cups.. so 1.5 ounces?

and the prices! 1 lb of black dragon pearls or golden monkey only $50 ! Wow. Those go for about $150 lb at the brick and mortar. Have you had those? Can you attest to their quality?

 

[morningbus]

this is great information thanks, also thanks Danoss usually my daughter on really drinks water, milk, and some juices so she's not really given alot of suger in most situations. If I can find a suitable tea that has small/ no amounts of caffine then perhaps I can let her enjoy some aswell.

I noticed on the Teavana website that they state white teas usually have very low levels of caffine, So i'll need to do some research before I allow her to drink any.

Also the reason I find Teavana interesting is that it's the only Tea related shop that i've found in my area, and it's pretty convenient having a place where I can just go and buy it, but if prices vary that greatly than I may end up just going through one of the sites listed in the OP. Though Teavana might be a good place to get a taste for loose leaf teas before hand so I know what i'm buying off the net.

Thanks for making the OT Morningbus, it's a great help

Glad to be of help!

There is some controversy in the tea world regarding caffeine content. In the studies I trust, the basic gist is this: different types of tea (white, green, black, etc.) all have the capacity to have the same caffeine content. While some teas do have less caffeine than others, it varies wildly amongst teas even within the same type. So while your specific black tea might have more caffeine than this specific green tea, there is another green tea that has more caffeine than that.

White tea is often marketed as being low in caffeine, but that is either ignorance or deceit on the part of the retailer. White tea can be as caffeinated as any other tea.

Anyway, I'd suggest you avoid giving your daughter actual tea all together, especially because it is pretty easy to avoid. They make flavored rooibos that can literally match any tea and it naturally caffeine-free.

Wow that looks like a great sample. How much comes in each sample? it says 8-10 cups.. so 1.5 ounces?

and the prices! 1 lb of black dragon pearls or golden monkey only $50 ! Wow. Those go for about $150 lb at the brick and mortar. Have you had those? Can you attest to their quality?

While I haven't had those specific teas from both, I can say pretty unequivocally that Adagio at its worst matches Teavana's quality. In my experience, of course.

 

[ReaperXL7]

Glad to be of help!

There is some controversy in the tea world regarding caffeine content. In the studies I trust, the basic gist is this: different types of tea (white, green, black, etc.) all have the capacity to have the same caffeine content. While some teas do have less caffeine than others, it varies wildly amongst teas even within the same type. So while your specific black tea might have more caffeine than this specific green tea, there is another green tea that has more caffeine than that.

White tea is often marketed as being low in caffeine, but that is either ignorance or deceit on the part of the retailer. White tea can be as caffeinated as any other tea.

Anyway, I'd suggest you avoid giving your daughter actual tea all together, especially because it is pretty easy to avoid. They make flavored rooibos that can literally match any tea and it naturally caffeine-free.

Yeah, like I said the more I read up the more I realise how little I knew about tea which is crazy considering the amount I drink.

One last question, then i'll leave you be

In terms of brewing, how much and how long is usually acceptable when actually making the tea with loose leaf tea. Actually making the tea itself has always been the confusing part mainly because everyone seems to make it differently. With Tea bags I usually do one, or two bags per cup of water, but with loose leaf seems like you'd want to do things alittle different than you would with tea bags.

Also thanks again for the roobios suggestion for my daughter, looking into it further it seems like that will be the best option for the time being.

 

[morningbus]

Yeah, like I said the more I read up the more I realise how little I knew about tea which is crazy considering the amount I drink.

One last question, then i'll leave you be

In terms of brewing, how much and how long is usually acceptable when actually making the tea with loose leaf tea. Actually making the tea itself has always been the confusing part mainly because everyone seems to make it differently. With Tea bags I usually do one, or two bags per cup of water, but with loose leaf seems like you'd want to do things alittle different than you would with tea bags.

Also thanks again for the roobios suggestion for my daughter, looking into it further it seems like that will be the best option for the time being.

The guide in the OP is a good starting point, but it is, of course, to your taste:

Most teas are 1 teaspoon (that's the smaller spoon you use for eating, not a measuring teaspoon) per 1 (8oz) cup of water. The nice thing about loose-leaf is that you can customize it exactly as you want; if you like it a little stronger, you can add half a teaspoon or another full teaspoon.

 

[Leeness]

I'm not sure if this'll help you, but here was the turn-around on my last order with Harney:

Tuesday Morning, February 7th: Order placed.
Thursday, February 9th: Shipping Info emailed to me.
Friday, February 10th: Order received.

Harney and Sons is based out of Connecticut and I live in Massachusetts, so the shipping speed may vary.

I ordered on Saturday and still nothing so...Hm. Guess I'll see! If I have to reorder (and next time I order), I'll keep my order number though haha.

 

[upandaway]

Most teas are 1 teaspoon (that's the smaller spoon you use for eating, not a measuring teaspoon) per 1 (8oz) cup of water. The nice thing about loose-leaf is that you can customize it exactly as you want; if you like it a little stronger, you can add half a teaspoon or another full teaspoon.

+1. After a lot of playing around, I'm really loving teaspoon black + half oolong and -1 minute the brewing time written on the black, for an evening tea.

In general it seems I'm better with -1 minute on anything. At least it's consistent I guess.