Tea: leaf or tea bag?

[Binky Profile]

We have used tea bags for donkeys years. Leaf tea is such a faff to dispose of, whereas used tea bags can easily and cleanly be popped in the compost bin. However, I am wondering if there is a difference in quality with the tea being used - there used to be suspicion that lower quality tea was used in bags, but I'm not so sure about that now.

We get Bettys of Harrogate Tea Room Blend by mail order, but would like to try a leaf tea if anyone can recommend a favourite of theirs? We like bright tea (Assam) rather than Darjeeling etc. or anything smokey.

[Uschi Profile]

I use leaf. My boyfriend got me onto that. Aldi sell nifty metal tea strainers with little lids that remove the need to faff with filter bags. I know, metal is not to everyone's taste, but I am fine with them.
After use I sit them on the lids until the excess moisture has drained away, then I just tip the dregs out into the bin. The lid is poured out, goes back on the filter, which I then upend so it sits on the lid. While it dries out, any bits of tea leaf left inside drops into the lid. Sounds complicated, but works a treat.

[Stokey Sue Profile]

I don’t drink tea - wish I liked it, so much easier to stay warm and hydrated in an English winter with the aid of theubiquitous cuppa

But I do make tea for visitors of course, and I use loose leaf tea in a Chatsford pot - it has a built in strainer and you can remove the leaves when it has brewed, I think they are brilliant

I see they also make a mug insert

http://chatsford.com/chatsford.htm

[DEB Profile]

I use leaf tea, I find the quality more to my taste. I use a a tea pot with defuser
eg
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Infuser-Borosi ... g=mh0a9-21

or

https://www.amazon.co.uk/London-Teapot- ... 157&sr=8-2

there are loads of others about.

[Uschi Profile]

Mine look like this.

[Joanbunting Profile]

Neither of us drinks tea and I just can't bear the smell. If anyone wants it in this house they make their own!! I have teapot for my cousin when she comes its known as Psm's pot. She brings her own tea, bags I think

[Pampy Profile]

I have a couple of tea pots with inserts for the leaf. However, I don't think that the tea brews as well, as the leaves are more closely packed together. I've started to dispense with the insert and use a strainer. I save the used leaves to put on the garden - it's an excellent soil conditioner and very good when used round acid loving plants. Coffee grounds are good for the garden too.

[Alexandria Profile]

We had rarely drunk tea or herbal infusions except if one of us was "under the weather" however, we do enjoy it more now than in the past every so often, and we buy Earl Grey at a specialised tea shop, ( owners from London ) in leaf form by the kilo. A 1/8 or 1 / 4 of a kilo lasts us quite awhile ..

I have the same strainer as Uschi more or less and also have several others as well ..

One is similar in shape to Uschi´s but it is Porcelaine and the other is on a chain and is metal where one stuffs the tea in a " locket " type gadget and drops the gadget in to the tea pot and steeps the tea ..

We do not use tea bags.

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

If I fancy a refreshing cup of tea, I have double mint in teabag form.

At the studio, I've got a tea Genie, that brews the leaves, and pours down into the cup.
Very tidy.



T2 has a leaf with hibiscus, that I really like.

[Binky Profile]

T2 - is that a tea company (like Twinings)? The concept looks attractive.

(by the way, I thank you daily for the Sodastream info. I have my fizzy water plain or with a lime/mint cordial and it's perfect. Our local Lakeland has a gas bottle exchange too, so no worries about a refill).

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

Binkiness,
T2 is on the high street. Some of the tea mixes are too confused. But let me check out the proper name of the hibiscus box the have.

Ive got some smaller sodastream bottles from boots. They are a bit handier.

[karadekoolaid Profile]

I am totally non-functional without tea in the morning. We use something called " Mamri" Tea - which is Assam tea. I buy it in kilo bags in the USA. Works for me; nice , strong tea. My family back home use Yorkshire tea.
Rat bags? Nah, never use them!!
Infusions? Hops, malt and water is my favourite....

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

Ha ha ha.
Infusions,
I sometimes just have ginger and lemon in hot water as a refreshing brew.
I learnt that at a 5star hotel which had a tea "party" on the beach.
No tea leaves, just a variety of fruits, spices or additions in the pot.

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

Binky
I've just been into T2, and bought the strawberry and cream tea.

It's perfect for me.

A word of warning if you find yourself there. The "black" teas are bitter and pungent. I've also bought a rosebud earl grey tea, and really don't like it.
As Tony drinks early grey and mint, I've had to add mint tea to it.
Which has made it perfectly drinkable.

But I'll be pleased when it's finished.

[Wic Profile]

I once bought a huge bag of loose 'fruit tea'. I can’t remember what exactly was in it, I decanted it into a Kilner Jar, without its label, but it smelled wonderful and tasted of blackberry, apple, roses - all sorts of things like that, and was delicious. The shop was in an old part of Ghent and full of metal racks of herbs and spices, teas and oddities. It also had a back room, and we didn’t enquire what was in there, but several people shuffled in and out of it, so we had our suspicions. We couldn’t find the place when we went back the following year.

I use one of those useful tea strainer thingies when I make drinks with such stuff, but never make actual tea, I can’t bear even the smell of it. When I lived abroad nobody could understand this, if I was English surely I had to like tea. No!

[WWordsworth Profile]

J did not drink tea at all when we first met. Having tasted his mother's offering I understand why.
My father would have described it as "shamrock tea" ie made with 3 leaving.

He drinks it by the bucket these days.

[Binky Profile]

We have a selection of fruit teas. My husband likes rooibos, or something called Nightime before bed.

I drink any fruit tea, except the last two I have bought (mint and an apple) leave a strong and unpleasant aftertatste, even after brushing my teeth.

My mouth feels dry and parched on waking, and this doesn't happen with ordinary tea with milk, or any other fruit tea. The teas are not branded as I didn't buy them at a supermarket or specialist shop - they were on sale at our local market (usually good and trustworthy stall holders). Shan't be buying them again.

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

There's a woman at the art school who insists on black tea - with absolutely no colour to it.
Any hint of tea, she's adding hot water.

I wish she'd ask for something else during the tea break. It's nerve racking.

Binky, apple is one of my favs.
Apple and blueberry teabags at the studio.

Wordsworth, come again with the shamrock tea please?
I can't quite get what it is ........ and am curious

[WWordsworth Profile]

Blinking predictive

Shamrock tea = v weak tea.
Shamrocks usually have 3 leaves.

Sounds like a good description for your colleague's tea?

[Sakkarin Profile]

Shamrock tea! Ha!

My mum's tea was like your shamrock tea, but even worse, as she drowned it in milk, so it was a very pale beige milky sugary concoction. Yuk.

Coffee was basically hot milk with Camp coffee essence and lots of sugar. Or if we were lucky, the cheapest of cheap and nasty instant coffees. Oh dear me.

I could not stomach either, I always asked for a glass of water when offered a drink. It wasn't till I was an adult that I learnt that coffee and tea were actually rather good if made properly.