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Becky Brenton's avatar

Whoa, if you're a tea snob, I must be a tea elitist. I take this so much farther, one would probably think I'm English, which I'm not. Commercially filled tea bags don't touch my hands unless it's an emergency. Oh and I've read the history of tea - fascinating! One of my fav books are "For All the Tea in China" by Sarah Rose which tells the story of tea espionage in the 1840's.

Currently, my fav teas are from Canada (two tea shops I visited in 2024) and one from Tuscon (Seven Cups Fine Chinese Teas, which I have visited a time or two. https://sevencups.com). I now order them online - loose leaf tea.

The rules are this: for black tea, bring water to a boil and pour into the teapot at between 200°F and 212°F to ensure the robust flavors are fully extracted, then put in your loose leaf tea. Some delicate black teas, such as certain Darjeeling varieties, benefit from a slightly cooler temperature, around 185°F to 195°F. Green tea must have a cooler temp of between 160°F and 180°F, so keep your thermometer handy.

To achieve the correct temperature without a thermometer, bring water to a full boil and let it cool for about 30 seconds before pouring it into the tea pot. Never pour the water directly over the tea leaves! Let steep 5 minutes for black tea, less for green tea. I have special biodegradable tea bags made with abaca pulp, cellulose and a sealing fiber with no plastic that I fill in the morning (or sometimes the night before) that I use or sometimes I use a loose tea leaf strainer.

Never, never, not ever squeeze your tea bag.😊 It releases more tannins in the tea which increases bitterness. That is a British rule, but I do violate it from time to time because I read that tannins are actually good for you. Just don't do it in England.

Don't get me started on my entire set-up ha ha!🫖

What do I do when I'm at a cafe? Skip the tea and order the best coffee they have!

Bill Buckley's avatar

Bar, not a snob, you just have a highly sophisticated Tea Sense. Let’s see, take the thermal conductivity of low grade stainless steel, the heat capacity of 8 ounces of 212-degree water, divide, carry the 2 and take the integral – back of the envelope says 30 seconds in your mug reduced the temperature approximately 3 degrees. Proof of a very highly refined Bar tea sense which of course requires appropriate service from the barista!

I like my morning coffee very hot, so it goes from the drip maker to the microwave to my reading chair. Then it is Sip – Ouch! Sip – Ouch! Back to the microwave, repeat. Definitely a guy thing demonstrating a very plebeian sense by comparison.

Your routine, slowing the morning down, is also very Zen like!

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