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Tea |OT| Oh, tea.

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L

LProtag

Member
Alright, I want to get into some Yunnan Sourcing tea. I'm going to try out their tea of the month club for a month, but I want a gaiwan and might as well order some of their tea along with it so I'm not paying a ton on shipping for just the gaiwan.

What should I try? I already want to try the milk oolong I found there, but I'm not sure what else is good.
 
Y

yyyugen

Member
LeadProtagonist said:
Alright, I want to get into some Yunnan Sourcing tea. I'm going to try out their tea of the month club for a month, but I want a gaiwan and might as well order some of their tea along with it so I'm not paying a ton on shipping for just the gaiwan.

What should I try? I already want to try the milk oolong I found there, but I'm not sure what else is good.
Click to expand...

I would say that aside from puer, ys really shines in their black tea selection, especially for the price. I have dried a decent amount of the black offered and can recommend the wild tree purple dehong. I tried after seeing a good many people praise it. Im not sure what you like but if your a fan of black teas( red tea, really) then give it a try.
 
F

FunkyDealer

Banned
I love tea! Probably drink seven cups a week, used to do more but I drink more coffee now than I used to which has reduced the tea-intake a bit.

This year I've begun experimenting with honey and found some great combinations. Particularly with some types of chai, it tastes like Christmas.

I mostly brew with bags, but I love mixing loose tea.
 
T

Train of Midnight

Banned
cc448b60950121d8509d389f0279205a_medium.jpg


FYI: Touch of Modern has an electric kettle with a built-in water filter for $60

Pretty fancy if you'e not too stingy about your water temp.

Product Details
— 1.7L Water Capacity
— Comes MAVEA Fast Flow Filter
— Illuminated Blue Led Water Gage
— Filter Life Indicator

Removes:
— Chlorine Taste + Odor
— Limescale
— Metals
— Industrial Pollutants
Click to expand...
 
P

PrawnyNZ

Member
I don't normally drink tea, but went to a plantation just outside Hangzhou in China while on a tour recently and the tea was soooo good. Disappointed I didn't bring some back now.
 
T

teepo

Member
PrawnyNZ said:
I don't normally drink tea, but went to a plantation just outside Hangzhou in China while on a tour recently and the tea was soooo good. Disappointed I didn't bring some back now.
Click to expand...

it most probably dragon well tea, which happens to be first in the ten femous teas from china. luckily for you, it's quite easy to find. let me point you towards one of the more reputable sources for chinese teas

http://www.ebay.com/sch/m.html?_odk...XDragon+Well+.TRS0&_nkw=Dragon+Well+&_sacat=0
 
webkatt

webkatt

Member
Any suggestions on a electric kettle?

I have some Amazon money to spend.

Looking for something with a filter, temp control, and large volume.

And if it has a built in infuser that would be awesome. I don't know if this exists.

USA plugs.
 
C

Cindres

Vied for a tag related to cocks, so here it is.
My girlfriend and I just recieved a nice healthy shipment of loose leaves from Whittards today, split the cost and split them 50/50 into individual jars for our desks:

White Chocolate
Sticky Toffee
Apple Crumble
Whiskey
Vanilla Shortbread

Enjoy a cup of the Sticky Toffee now as it's the one I was most excited to try, absolute heaven. The Vanilla Shortbread also smells delicious in particular.

Added to the Vanilla. Earl Grey and Lychee on my desk at work already, running out of space for all these jars...

Anyone else infusing at work? We've both been using tea infuser balls for quite a while now but I'm worried we're not doing it justice this way. (though I can't imagine how...)

Thinking about getting one of these:
https://www.whittard.co.uk/tablewar...teapots/peking-glass-tea-for-one-strainer.htm
 
K

Kamaji

Member
Anyone got one of these?: Kamjove TP-190

http://rjtea.net/images/detailed/2/DSC04043.jpg
http://rjtea.net/images/detailed/2/DSC04045.jpg

I got one today and can't really understand how it works (embarrisingly enough). It's a press tea pot.

From the instructions you pour loose leaf tea into the inner pot and let it steep and then push the button to release it into the big pot. The issue i'm having is that it's impossible to make a full cup from that little inner pot and I have no clue on how to use the entire outer pot.
 
L

LProtag

Member
So I finally, months after my last post, got into Yunnan Sourcing stuff. I have a full time job now, so I splurged a little.

I bought their easy to use gaiwan/cup set:
jz5x7pw.jpg


I figure this will last me a little while while I get the hang of it. I can't get all the liquid out always because the tea backs up the exit, and it drips a little messily, but oh well. Sometimes little pieces of tea get into the cup.

Anyway, gongfu brewing has been pretty fun. It's surprising how much the taste of the tea changes with each infusion. I got one month of their tea of the month club, but I haven't touched the pu-erh yet. That's what I'm going to try next.

Anyway else do gongfu brewing and have some tips? Eventually I'll get a proper gaiwan.
 
A

Ambient80

Member
So is most of the stuff Teavana sells decent quality? I wanna start making some tea and we have a Teavana locally so that would be easiest. Just curious.
 
L

LProtag

Member
Ambient80 said:
So is most of the stuff Teavana sells decent quality? I wanna start making some tea and we have a Teavana locally so that would be easiest. Just curious.
Click to expand...

General consensus is that it's alright, but overpriced for what it is. You could probably get better quality stuff from Adagio or a similar retailer online for around the same price. Harney and Sons is pretty cheap on Amazon too, and it's much better, in my opinion.
 
entremet

entremet

Member
So I'm gonna get an electric kettle soon.

Make doing tea much easier after experiencing it first hand.

It seems like a need to revoke my US citizenship for that, though lol.
 
A

Ambient80

Member
LeadProtagonist said:
General consensus is that it's alright, but overpriced for what it is. You could probably get better quality stuff from Adagio or a similar retailer online for around the same price. Harney and Sons is pretty cheap on Amazon too, and it's much better, in my opinion.
Click to expand...


Good to know, thanks :)
 
M

morningbus

Serious Sam is a wicked gahbidge series for chowdaheads.
Yeah, don't let their old school website dissuade you, Upton Tea is super legit and has pretty great customer service.
 
D

Deadly Cyclone

Pride of Iowa State
Anyone have good tea suggestions for nighttime that are good with cream and sugar but doesn't have caffeine?

I like teas as a bit of a dessert, but too much caffeine late and I can't sleep as well.
 
C

CheesecakeRecipe

Stormy Grey
Deadly Cyclone said:
Anyone have good tea suggestions for nighttime that are good with cream and sugar but doesn't have caffeine?

I like teas as a bit of a dessert, but too much caffeine late and I can't sleep as well.
Click to expand...

While a much different flavor profile from Black/Green teas, I absolutely looooooooove DavidsTea's Coco Chai Rooibos for a dessert/treat style brew. Goes great with some added cream and sugar, and an excellent choice as the fall rolls on thanks to the spice. Fully caffeine free since Rooibos doesn't contain any.
 
M

morningbus

Serious Sam is a wicked gahbidge series for chowdaheads.
Deadly Cyclone said:
Anyone have good tea suggestions for nighttime that are good with cream and sugar but doesn't have caffeine?

I like teas as a bit of a dessert, but too much caffeine late and I can't sleep as well.
Click to expand...

You have two options, really: a decaffeinated tea or an herbal tea.

Decaf tea can be hit or miss because they often use low quality leaves, which results in a lower quality product. A good rule tomshop by is that decaf tea should be 10 to 20 percent more expensive than its not decaffeinated counterpart. If you're interested in this option, I can recommend Upton's selection. I use their decaf Assam to make iced teas after 8pm. Check out the selection here: http://www.uptontea.com/shopcart/catalog.asp?begin=0&categoryID=47

Herbal teas are a much broader category and can come in lot of different varieties and styles. Check out chamomile or mint teas. If you're looking for something to add milk and suagr to definitely check out roobios.
 
H

hugocésar

Member
I just got my latest order in from O-Cha (third time ordering thanks to this thread).

Ordered two bags of Sencha and my first try at Gyokuro (in addition to getting the correct teapot). I think I have Sencha down pretty well. I haven't mastered it by any means, but I can time it all well enough now. Gyokuro is a pain the ass to get right though. I do see myself improving, but the temperature and timing is really tricky to get right.

I'm thinking of getting either an electrical stove for my room, or just going all out and getting that expensive Breville tea maker (although I don't know how good that is for green tea as that's pretty much all I drink now, aside from the occasional black for the rough mornings).

I ordered this, if anyone's interested:

Uji Asamushi Sencha "Ujibashi San no Ma"
Mogake Shiboridash Teapot
Yame Gyokuro
Kagoshima Sencha Yutaka Midori
 
V

Volimar

Member
Nothing I enjoy more than my Organic, Fair Trade, Vegan, Gluten Free tea.

kFeWVdn.jpg



We've gone too far. My favorite thing about this is that they bend over backwards to placate people while still using a term that many Roma find offensive (gypsy).
 
B

BananaPancake

Member
I like the smell of tea but I've always hated the taste. I've only ever tried plain tea though none of these different types of flavoured teas etc. I know there's a wide variety of teas out there these days. I wonder are there teas out there that don't taste as strong as a plain/original tea but taste more like something else? I've always been curious to try some new ones but I don't know where to start or if they all have that same tea flavour.
 
H

HiResDes

Member
BananaPancake said:
I like the smell of tea but I've always hated the taste. I've only ever tried plain tea though none of these different types of flavoured teas etc. I know there's a wide variety of teas out there these days. I wonder are there teas out there that don't taste as strong as a plain/original tea but taste more like something else? I've always been curious to try some new ones but I don't know where to start or if they all have that same tea flavour.
Click to expand...
Try some Adagio Blends, Pu'Erh also seems to have quite possibly the most evolved taste in terms of tea tasting like something else. It's earthy and nutty. Chai is pretty common and is a great entry point into tea. I definitely would stick to black or white tea and avoid green, which I believe has a stronger flavor that most would associate with tea.
 
B

BananaPancake

Member
HiResDes said:
Try some Adagio Blends, Pu'Erh also seems to have quite possibly the most evolved taste in terms of tea tasting like something else. It's earthy and nutty. Chai is pretty common and is a great entry point into tea. I definitely would stick to black or white tea and avoid green, which I believe has a stronger flavor that most would associate with tea.
Click to expand...

I know so little about tea that I just had no clue where to start. I didn't know that green tea was stronger that's good to know. I will definitely have a look for these types during my next shop. Thanks a lot :).
 
K

Koriandrr

Member
Ahh very nice OP, thank you for the info, will definitely use it.

I'm rarely going for anything fancy, but I do have my daily dose of normal brit tea, which is PG tips with milk. No sugar. Ever. Sugar and tea is ew imo


When I'm feeling fancy though or usually at night when I can't fall asleep I get a nice Red Ginseng loose tea. I absolutely love that stuff. And I've heard it's great for you. Also a good occasion to use my Pylons note tea infuser:
$(KGrHqNHJEwFIp7bQ6ZuBSM(oHOMVQ~~60_35.JPG


UK here and I get my tea off Amazon, not in the first post, but maybe worth mentioning? They've got some nice options.


P.S.: Feeling experimental, will check thread for recommendations, but happy to receive any - I love my herbal/green teas!
 
M

morningbus

Serious Sam is a wicked gahbidge series for chowdaheads.
BananaPancake said:
I like the smell of tea but I've always hated the taste. I've only ever tried plain tea though none of these different types of flavoured teas etc. I know there's a wide variety of teas out there these days. I wonder are there teas out there that don't taste as strong as a plain/original tea but taste more like something else? I've always been curious to try some new ones but I don't know where to start or if they all have that same tea flavour.
Click to expand...

I assume you've mostly had black tea? If so, it's worth checking out the different varieties like green tea, white tea, or oolong.

I'd definitely suggest trying out a white tea, as its flavor is very subtle. You don't have to worry about buying any of the fancy stuff we often talk about in here from the internet at this stage. Check out a decent grocery store (especially if it has a natural foods section) and a flavor you think you'd like.
 
S

SonofdonCD

Member
Cool thread! I will definitely peruse it and utilize the tips here.

But to start out, I love a spicy tea. I like to make ginger tea myself. But I would like to find some other spicy teas to buy. Any suggestions?
 
H

HiResDes

Member
crooked spin said:
I'm trying to drink a little less coffee and a little more tea so yesterday I shopped at this place around the corner from my apartment: http://www.bellocq.com/

Got the Keemun Panda and a green whose name I'm blanking on...
Click to expand...
Keemum Panda is good, have had that before it's definitely smoky, but is a little more earthy and has a slightly less rich characteristic than Lapsang. It has a taste that resembles charred hickory in a good way.
 
B

BananaPancake

Member
morningbus said:
it's worth checking out the different varieties like green tea, white tea, or oolong.

I'd definitely suggest trying out a white tea, as its flavor is very subtle. You don't have to worry about buying any of the fancy stuff we often talk about in here from the internet at this stage. Check out a decent grocery store (especially if it has a natural foods section) and a flavor you think you'd like.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the tips and info :).
 
M

morningbus

Serious Sam is a wicked gahbidge series for chowdaheads.
HiResDes said:
I just started using steepster, anyone on there yet?
Click to expand...

I used it a few years back, then they kind of mothballed the site to work on other projects, then came back to try and sell tea subscriptions through it. I'm not an active user, but it was nice for cataloging the tea I was trying at the time.
 
H

HiResDes

Member
morningbus said:
I used it a few years back, then they kind of mothballed the site to work on other projects, then came back to try and sell tea subscriptions through it. I'm not an active user, but it was nice for cataloging the tea I was trying at the time.
Click to expand...

Maybe I'll try ratetea then.
 
T

teepo

Member
steepster is as good of a tool as any other rating site, that is as long as you have a good filter it's a powerful tool
 
Collete

Collete

Member
Anyone have recommendations when it comes to creating your own tea blends?
I'm trying to find the best value/quality for regular herbs/tea like chamomile, black tea, rooibos etc in bulk.
I'm looking at Monterey Bay Spice Company/ which doesn't seem too bad, but I want to see if you guys have any better recommendations.
 
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