Tea Drinkers (enthusiasts)

[Janna]

How do you recommend I go about drinking tea (and liking it)?

 

I love coffee. However, since getting off of caffeine, sugar, and pretty much everything else that isn't a fruit or vegetable, I don't really want coffee anymore. A couple of days ago, it was a chilly morning, so I brewed just enough coffee for one cup. I'm telling you, I was jittery all day long. I felt like I had ingested ephedra!

 

I'm getting kinda tired of water, and as the days get cooler (esp. the mornings), I find I'm looking for the ambiance that my mind goes to - a fresh cup of hot coffee on a chilly morning, snuggled up on the couch with my Bible, or doing school with the kiddos.

 

So I'm thinking perhaps I should try some tea. How do you recommend starting out? I will tell you that I'm not going to invest in a teapress, or a tea pot with a filter for the actual tea leaves...yet. I have gone all out with this kinda stuff with the coffee (french press, coffee pot that grinds using a burr grinder so every pot is from freshly ground beans, the espresso maker - I have them all). I will admit that it makes the coffee taste wonderful, but I also know that a good cup of Folgers isn't always that bad either (tasting, that is). So I figure I can just get along fine with tea bags for a little bit while I explore this new option.

 

I am pretty sensitive to additives and "fake" flavors. I get almost an instantaneous headache. So artificially flavored teas are out for sure. I will also say that when I drank coffee, I drank it black. I'm not afraid of a strong flavor like that. So is there a tea you would recommend? Since I'm only wanting to start out with bagged tea, are there better brands? I have used Bigelow, Good Earth and Celestial Seasonings before. My favorite tea is Chamomile and Bigelow's "Sweet Dreams" herbal tea. But that truly does have a sleep inducing effect on me, so that wouldn't be a wise choice for the morning, LOL. Is Twinings good? What about Republic of Tea? Are these worth the extra cost?

 

Really, I know very little about tea, so I'm all for being educated- even about the worth of investing in a teapress or a pot with a filter for the leaves. I just won't buy it quite yet.

 

Thanks, ladies!

[Guest]

I'm assuming were talking honest to goodness tea here, or metaphorically this post is way over my head.

 

I've been liking the TAZO tea -Passion tea, to be exact - it has a bit of a fruity flavor, though. I don't know if it is artificially flavored or not. It's what they serve at Starbucks, but you can buy the TAZO in the stores, too. (I've seen it at Target.) I'm simple, I just use a teapot to heat the water and then seep the teabag in my cup of hot water. I prefer flavored, fruitier teas, though, and not the plain kind.

[Nicole M]

I'm assuming were talking honest to goodness tea here, or metaphorically this post is way over my head.

 

:smilielol5:

 

Janna, your timing is impeccable.

[clwcain]

:w00t:

 

oh...the other kind of tea.

 

:o

 

:leaving:

[KidsHappen]

I can't help. If you are talking metaphorically, head on over to Doran's post for lots of helpful info. :)

[Anne Rittenhouse]

Someone please, I can't answer this with a straight face.

[KidsHappen]

Someone please, I can't answer this with a straight face.

 

Yeah, I am dying laughing here. :lol:

[TeacherZee]

I nearly spit my tea over the computer when I read the subject. But you were asking about the drinking kinda tea.

 

Twinings is good. Lipton works well for me too. I like Earl Gray but it is flavoured with bergamot and I am not sure what that would do to your headaches. I drink mine black and without sugar. Right now I am drinking mint tea because I don't want to drink black tea in the evening (I'm in Europe) and my green teas I tend to sweeten a bit with honey.

 

Hope that helps:D

[clwcain]

Poor Janna. She asks an innocent question and, well, all we can do is snicker.

[beansprouts]

No. She. Didn't.

 

:lol:

[beansprouts]

Poor Janna. She asks an innocent question and, well, all we can do is snicker.

 

 

I know, Chris. I am sure she has no clue what is so funny, and I feel a little bit badly about that. I actually am interested in hearing replies to her honest inquiry.

 

BTW how do YOU know???

 

:lurk5:

[Janna]

Oh. My. Goodness.

 

I can't believe I just did that. I swear, it was unintentional! I know of The Thread in which you speak (and have wisely stayed out of, LOL).

 

See, now I'm re-reading my post in a whole new light and am laughing myself. Especially the very first line, LOL (and shudder, too!)

 

But is it possible to seriously answer my highly innocent and pure question (batting eyelashes)?

[Rich with Kids]

Well, I line up the whips and ticklers, then set the tone with Barry White, lighting and a disco ball...wait. Oh. Never mind.

[KidsHappen]

Oh. My. Goodness.

 

I can't believe I just did that. I swear, it was unintentional! I know of The Thread in which you speak (and have wisely stayed out of, LOL).

 

See, now I'm re-reading my post in a whole new light and am laughing myself. Especially the very first line, LOL (and shudder, too!)

 

But is it possible to seriously answer my highly innocent and pure question (batting eyelashes)?

 

 

Actually if you are interested in Iced Tea, I am a good southern girl and I can help you out. I like Lipton, Luzianne and some of the Celestial Seasoning flavors. I use two family size bags, steep for about 10-15 minutes and mix with a gallon of water. I don't like sweet tea but my brother does and I add about 3/4 a cup to his. You can add more but then you get more of a syrup. You can also use an alternative sweetner if you like. My dad makes sun tea. I think that you have to use more bags and leave it out in the sun all day to get it strong enough. My dd drinks a lot of hot tea. I will see what she has in the cabinet and report back later.

[clwcain]

If you're looking to avoid caffeine and you don't like the taste of black tea, may I recommend some high quality organic Chai-spiced Rooibos? My favorite is Numi, but Stash and others are good, too.

 

I like it with a touch of cream.

 

Wow that's hard to type with a straight face.

 

Stash also makes a great black & green tea blend. I enjoy that neat.

[Tarheel Heather]

Well, I line up the whips and ticklers, then set the tone with Barry White, lighting and a disco ball...wait. Oh. Never mind.

 

:lol::lol::lol:

[NevadaRabbit]

How do you recommend I go about drinking tea (and liking it)?

 

 

Well, now, not everybody likes their tea exactly the same. I could tell you how I like mine (strong, unsweetened ... virile, one might say) but that doesn't mean you would enjoy it.

 

You don't need fancy equipment. A teapot, some teabags, some method of heating the water, and voila. I just made a pot of iced tea right there in the kitchen, in full view of my children - there's nothing particularly magical about it.

 

:D

 

Seriously, there are so many varieties out there, just pick up a few boxes and start trying. If you don't like too much flavor, try Lipton decaf tea bags with one or two flavored tea bags in the pot as well. You'll get just a hint of flavor. Green tea is delicious. Just like coffee - some need their Peet's, some like the Folger's and there is everything in between.

[The Governess]

:rofl: Your subject line is hilarious!! And even moreso because it was unintentional.

 

Now that I know that you are really asking about *actual* tea, I'll tell you that when I started drinking tea I was living with an Irish family. They brewed strong black tea, English breakfast or something similar, and added sugar and milk. I'm a coffee girl at heart, and am starting to like tea more in general, but a good strong cup of black tea is a good transition into the tea world and is a good substitute for coffee.

 

I'm not so sure about brands, I've used Bigelow and other random brands. I think the important thing is making it strong enough. You may need to double bag it. Weak tea is just....undrinkable, IMO.

 

We went to China a few months ago and tried a lot of tea while we were there. I bought some Lichee (sp?) tea and I must say that it is very yummy. It is naturally sweet and you don't need to add sugar. You could probably find this at an Asian grocery store or a specialty tea shop.

 

Good luck!! :001_smile:

[Tammyla]

I make my tea in the coffee pot in the morning. I have a cup of hot tea with milk or apple juice to begin the day. Then I drink the rest as ice tea flavored with sugar or fruit juice. There are lots of great Teas, but my stand by is the family sized bag (Luzianne) to a pot of water. Easy peasy in the morning.

 

In the winter I love Earl Grey with milk or Chai. And don't forget hot coco on the cold days.:cheers2:

[Tap]

Back to the real tea question:

 

Do you have a tea shop in your area? I would start there. Go in and tell them what you want. They often have samples that you can try. Then just buy an ounce or two of different ones to try at home.

 

The tea will most likely be loose tea, but all you need is a cheap tea diffuser to get going. You can find different diffuser styles at the tea shop. They will be more expensive there, but you can also get them in just about any grocery or even the dollar store.

 

Just like with coffee, expensive coffee does taste different to an experienced pallet. But cheap tea is great if you don't know the difference. It really depends on your budget! I don't mind expensive tea because it keeps me out of the Starbucks. A 50cent cup of tea is expensive at home but better that the $2 I will spend otherwise.

 

You can also talk to the tea shop about the level of caffeine in the different styles of tea. Black vs Green vs Oolong vs Rooibos. You can decaf a regular tea buy steeping it for one minute in boiling water, then moving the tea to fresh water. Most of the caffeine is released in the first minute the tea is in water. You will lose a little flavor, but if you do it from the beginning, you won't know the difference.

 

I order my tea on line from Mighty Leaf Tea. They have a good site and I like the tea in the bags. This makes it a little more expensive, but more portable, so for me it is worth it. I use loose at home. If you decide to order from them, they have sampler boxes that are really nice. I also may have a coupon for them so PM me if you decide to go this route. A little disclaimer....Mighty Leaf Tea is not a bargain site, they do have good deals buy you need to be selective about how you order to get a good deal.

 

 

As far as grocery store teas..

Tazo is my preferred brand in a store. I can taste the bag in a lot of grocery store teas, but that is just me being picky. I would go with a sampler of a few different brands to see what you like. If you find some that you don't care for, just pass them on to a friend or to someones work office.

[iquilt]

Rooibos tea would be my first try - not fruity and no caffeine but a simply good tea. I use mine without sweetener (straight up, I guess) and it's wonderful. I'm trying myself to acquire a taste for green tea since it's so good for health, but haven't had as much success. Chai is a good "treat" tea that reminds me of fall.

[Laurel]

For brands of tea, I prefer either Republic of Tea, or Tazo. I grew up drinking really fruity herbal teas (tissanes, actually), but depending on my mood, I like fruity herbal teas, or green tea, or white tea, or a strong spiced chai. I would just experiment, buying whatever kinds strike your fancy. (Starbucks carries Tazo, so you could try a cup before buying the box, though it's not that much more expensive to buy the box.) If you find a place that carries Republic of Tea (random places tend to carry them, independent coffee shops, health food stores, gift/specialty stores), they have small samples with a few tea bags that you could try.

[Guest Katia]

I think Twining's is fine. When my dd went to England, she stopped at a London tea shop and picked up some tea for me, and wouldn't you know it, the brand was Twinings, lol!

 

Anyhow, my dh prefers the Earl Grey and I like English Breakfast. Usually I like my tea sweetened, but with the Twining's English Breakfast I just add a drop of milk and it's perfect.

 

This would be a good place for you to start, anyhow.

 

Forgot: both dh and I love Republic of Tea as well.

[3lilreds in NC]

I really like Republic of Tea. My favorite is their Ginger Peach decaf - that's what I'm drinking since going off caffeine. I also like their Republic Red Chai herbal tea. They have lots of herbal teas that are caffeine free, and some of their black tea varieties coms in caffeine-free versions too (like Ginger Peach :D).

 

I'm pretty sure they use natural flavorings in their tea, but couldn't find a specific statement about that.

[laylamcb]

My faves are English Breakfast and Irish Breakfast. I admit it: I want my tea to slap me like a prim English nanny (Oh! sorry--carryover from the other tea thread... :lol:).

 

My sentimental fave is Celestial Seasonings Sleepytime. Wonderful chamomile and spearmint combo. Very soothing.

 

My dd loooooves Earl Grey and all mint teas. Her fave mint is made by Stash.

 

And that covers it. Don't care for spices or fruit flavors at all, but that's just me. Good luck! :001_smile:

[dcjlkplus3]

I love tea and have for years and the only thing I use are tea bags, and I recently started collecting and usung tea pots.

I like mint teas, especially with a little bit of honey or agave nectar.

Hot cider is really good for those cold morning too.

Peach tea is wonderful also.

Celestial Seasonings has a great new tea - Acia Berry Mango Zinger.

I've heard/read it is best to let the water almost come to a boil, but not quite, I don't usually do that since I have a whistling tea kettle and I usually forget I put water on until it starts screaming at me.

[Jann in TX]

I enjoy at least 2 cups of tea (hot) each day. I limit my caffeine to mornings only. Sometimes I drink my tea 'black' other times I add a bit of Stevia (I can't have sugar).

 

I have 20-40 different flavors/varieties at any given time. My current favorite is Rooibos. Rooibos is great because it does not get bitter if it is brewed too long. I like vanilla Rooibos and Chia Rooibos best. Rooibos is also naturally decafinated (never had it to begin with) while many de-caf teas just have less cafeine than normal.

 

Many tea companies offer 'sample' or 'variety' packs.

 

Have fun experimenting!

[chai]

I stay away from caffeine too, and drink tea a lot. In my book, nothing is quite as good as loose leaf tea, but if you want something in a bag, I like Republic of Tea and Tazo the best.

 

You can get a cheap strainer and use loose leaf teas easily. I prefer white teas (virtually no caffeine). I don't like herbal teas, but I love anything with Jasmine. My all time favorite is White Pearl Jasmine--definitely not cheap, but really good. I usually buy my teas at a tea shop or at a chain like Teavana.

 

I didn't see the other post either, so that went over my head. :001_huh:

 

ETA: I suppose given my screen name, I should say that I also love chai tea, but I like it with all of the milk and sugar. I try to save that for days when I really need it!

[mamacrow]

Bigelow's Vanilla Caramel is soooooo yummy. Hot or cold...mmmmm.

 

Misti

[Susan in KY]

Rooibos (Red Bush). Definitely.

 

FYI, it's a South African tea loaded with antioxidants, has a very rich flavor, tastes good with milk&sugar or without, and can be iced as well. I like it without other flavorings, but lots of people like it with vanilla or fruit flavors. There are many options available. For me, plain, hot, with a Marie Biscuit (or graham cracker) works best.

 

Susan

 

ETA: DH insists I put down his fave, "PG Tips, available in the international aisle of your Meijer store, and perhaps even Walmart."

 

There ya go, but that one has caffeine.

[nmoira]

I have nothing useful to contribute, just :lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:.

 

Especially the part out going into a shop to try their samples. :D

 

I'm not sure I'll even be able to drink (real) tea again.

 

Leaving now.

 

:leaving:

[Peri]

Well I'm a coffee drinker but I come from a LONG line of tea drinkers. You don't need any fancy equiptment for tea just a kettle and a cup ... oh and tea of course. You put fresh cold water in the kettle and let it come to a simmer. If the water boils, its ok but coffee and tea taste so much more lively when the water has come to a simmer rather than a full boil. Pour some of the hot water in the cup it warm it and rinse it out. Then plop the tea bag in the cup and pour the hot water into the cup, submerging the tea bag. Let it steep for about 3-5 mins and then toss the tea bag and viola! You can put some sugar in it if you like or honey. Or you can just take it without sugar like my cousin does.

 

As for the type of tea, Twinnings sells in all grocery stores that I have been to and their tea is very good. Hope you enjoy!

[Tina]

I love the Twining teas. Earl Grey and Lady Grey are my favorites. There are also the fruity variety packs. Those are sweet without adding any sugar or sweetener.

[suzf242]

I like all the flavored teas, too, when I'm in the right mood, especially Twinings Earl Grey and English Breakast. But my staple black tea is Red Rose. It's the only plain tea I have found that doesn't taste bitter without sugar. (And my dd6 highly encourages me to drink it because she loves collecting the little animal figurines in each box...:))

 

Take care,

Suzanne

[Mom to Aly]

I never liked tea, until I tried Lipton French Vanilla last year--now, I am in LOVE!! I also like the Spiced Chai, but prefer the French Vanilla. I love it with evaporated milk, but reg is fine, too. Also, in India they make it with milk, not water, which is even better! Yum--I have to go have some now! ;)

[Meljoy]

I came off coffee using Yerba Mate. It is my favorite tea. I also enjoy Alvita teas- Red Clover is really good.

[Doran]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oh. Sorry. I got distracted.

 

 

I like, in priority order:

 

Yerba Mate

Green tea w/ brown rice (I think it's known as Genmaicha (sp?) in Japanese)

Rooibos

Green tea (no other flavoring)

Plain peppermint

A variety of Yogi teas (like their quality)

Sleepytime

 

 

That ought to get you started.

 

 

:D