Tea, anyone?

[JenW]

Wow! Thanks for all the suggestions. I am pretty sure I will be shifting to loose tea soon, but I need to decide which infuser to get. I think for now I am just gettting one that fits my mugs....and I have a stainless steel kettle. Trying to keep the equipment outlay kind of low for the start. This is the infuser I am looking at (mostly because I have to put an amazon order in for the DS)...
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000I6 ... PDKIKX0DER
Plus I have quite a stock of tea in bags.....I know some of them I am giving to teachers for gifts (like the CC Candy Cane Lane that CC double shipped me last year...I have at least 18 boxes. If you do like that one, Trader Joe's comes out with a Candy Cane one around the holidays that is pretty much the same, but cheaper. I make iced tea with it in the summer...the mint is very refreshing in the heat.)

There are some really cool sites that come recommended:
Adiago, Teavana, and Specialteas, as well as Republic of Tea.

Let the obsession begin!

[cait]

I buy almost exclusively all my teas from Adagio. Always pleased with their CS, fast shipping, and great deals. I tend to like mostly black teas, chai, etc...Ceylon Sonata, Assam varieties. They have an excellent rooibos selection, and I am also loving the plain ol' chamomile these days.

I tend to avoid Teavana because of their sales tactics and how incredibly overpriced they are. You can do just as well online and usually for pennies to the cost of a Teavana one. You can get a lot of Teavana's teas from specialteas.com.

[JenW]

I admit, my first order will be at Adagio...... Someone was kind enough to send me a small incentive to shop there and it worked. Plus, I do have a group of longtime friends online that have shopped there in the past.

Thanks for the info on Teavana. I know some really like their teas, but I am definitely more of a bargain shopper.

[karen]

You Americans don't know how blessed you are with the vast amount of things you have available to you

We do have aisles and aisles of tea, but a proper cuppa is tough to come by. I never quite understood why the Brits were so into tea, and then one of my mother's friends sent us a box of PG Tips. It was a serious revelation in my life....world of difference between that, and the anemic stuff we get over here.
There's nothing like feeling restored, and ready to face the world after a good cup of proper British tea. We have to order it online, or pay a small fortune for a box of it in a specialty shop. The tea aisle of a Tesco is heaven to me!

All you really need is a box of PG Tips (there may be better British teas, but this is the one we can get here). I do like just a good cup of simple black tea most of the time, but I also like the Stash Wild Raspberry. Rooibos is yummy too. For loose tea I brew it in a French press- which may be blasphemy in tea circles, but it works. Ginger tea makes it possible for me to leave my house in the winter...my toes are always cold and ginger tea is the only thing that works. For chai I boil 2 cups of water, 2 cups of milk, and 1/4 cup of sugar- then add 2 bags of PG Tips, and a few cardamom pods- it's so luscious we have it as dessert.

[heidiv23323]

I can recommend one site I get most of my (loose) teas from in case anyone else was wondering. I don't work for this company, just have really enjoyed not only the variety but the service. I have never been been disappointed. They've also got a UK based site but I've heard the shipping is more.
www.adagio.com

[JenW]

I saw the PG tips at my local grocery.....will have to get that!

[Cupcake]

Wow, do ye know, a year or so ago I saw a post from a total random stranger online who was pleading for a mercy package of PG Tips. She was the wife of a soldier stationed in Germany and they couldn't buy it anywhere. I felt compelled to mail her some. Seemed the least I could do for a service person.

I suppose it's a bit like chocolate. American chocolate like Hershy (sp?), not that I've ever had any, reputedly has about 10% cocoa in it. British stuff has 25%-40%. Nip over to Belgium and they have endorphin-fests with 70% + pure cocoa.

Aye, when ye need the good stuff, nothing else will do the job.

[sewwies]

Twinings english breakfast is the beeeest tea - if you ever need some mailing over let me know hehe but my work tea (because I NEVER remember milk for tea or coffee) is jasmine tea! I get the green tea version but the white one's supoosed to be nice. I wasn't overly keen at first but it was a grower and now I can't get enough!!!

[stagemama]

PG Tipps, yup it's great. When we went to Canada I got several boxes as it was super cheap there.
For brewing loose tea I just use one of my china pots, or an old tea strainer that sits in a mug. When I make iced tea, I just throw in the loose tea, it settles to the bottom and really doesn't cause too much of a problem. I just pour slowly.
Nothing beats a good cup of tea.

[Die Marchen]

Wonderful thread! I've made a cup of tea and digged into the forum and I see this)))
I have a cup of Twinings Cranberry green Tea)))
I love tea, it is one of the three things to wake me up, another two are my son asking for a breakfast and tons of work mail when I expect something interesting or an answer to my offer.

I really enjoy Milk Oolong, it is green tea, very tender. I recommend to try it.

My favorite black tea is Assam and in Summer I add everything that blooms and grows to it, I'm a mad tea infuser, my all times favorites are blackcurrant leaves, peppermint leaves and rosebuds. I do it when I visit my mom's garden.

And I'm fan of Swedish teas)) Though Swedes belong to a coffee nation they select good teas - Kobbs, teas infused with fruits and berries. I go to Sw every summer and come with a suitcase full of it.

I often bring tea as a souvenir from trips. It can be local tea or some famous brand. For example - we have lots of Twinings' teas in Moscow, but Twinings Cranberry green Tea is not sold here, last time I brought it from Norway along with Twinings Brazilian Baia. This tea is in bags and I like them when I do not have enough time to prepare a ritual)))

I have several pots for teas and a french press))) The choice depends on the color of the tea and my mood.