No love for tea?

[Iason Taiwos]

I work in the coffee industry but I actually prefer tea. In fact, I had a cup of oolong when I got home from work today.

I like Breakfast blends. English Breakfast is my preferred blend. I also enjoy Earl Grey from time to time.

I'm planning on getting a Gung Fu Cha tea set in the near future. Right now, I'm buying bicycle parts for my next build so purchasing tea equipment isn't front of mind. Once I get that tea set, I'll splurge on some higher quality teas.

I'm looking into getting a Gung Fu tea set as well. Well, you can't even get a regular tea pot around here anymore.

[Audrada Roibeardet]

Honestly, a European tea pot makes terrible tea. The water to tea ratio is all wrong and after you brew, the tea sits in the pot and over steeps. It all leads to a bitter, astringent tea which is why so many people add milk and sugar.

I'm not saying that you shouldn't add milk and sugar. That's a personal preference. If you feel you NEED to add those things to make the tea palatable, that might be a problem. Good quality tea brewed in the Gung Fu method shouldn't need any additives. It should be delicious on its own.

[Iason Taiwos]

Honestly, a European tea pot makes terrible tea. The water to tea ratio is all wrong and after you brew, the tea sits in the pot and over steeps. It all leads to a bitter, astringent tea which is why so many people add milk and sugar.

I'm not saying that you shouldn't add milk and sugar. That's a personal preference. If you feel you NEED to add those things to make the tea palatable, that might be a problem. Good quality tea brewed in the Gung Fu method shouldn't need any additives. It should be delicious on its own.

Absolutely correct on all points. (Tea is more complicated than the average drinker realizes. There are even optimal water temperatures for different varieties. And water quality factors in too. Proper tea preparation is an art and a science.) (I've been drinking tea for most of my life, and am still finding out there's always more to learn about it.)

[Audrada Roibeardet]

It wasn't until recently that I learned about the importance of water temperature. That's another problem with European methods of brewing. Boiling water isn't great for any tea. Assam can handle the heat but if you're brewing anything delicate like white, yellow or green tea, boiling water destroys the leaves. Even oolongs should be brewed at lower temperatures.

As for water quality, at a bare minimum you should use filtered water. Some people will even use bottled spring water. Water straight from the tap isn't a great option. I use tap water if I'm brewing a cuppa with a tea bag. I'm not expecting anything fantastic from a tea bag so I'm not bothered by using tap water.

I hope I'm not coming off as a tea "elitist". That's not my intention. I think if you're going to drink tea, you should enjoy it. Using quality loose leaf tea, pure water and proper techniques leads to a better experience.

[King Txec]

My kettle has settings for different kinds of teas or coffee that I use when brewing. I also use filtered water.

-Txec R

[Barclamïu da Miéletz]

My kettle has settings for different kinds of teas or coffee that I use when brewing.

Alien technology...

[Mic’haglh Autófil, O.Be]

My kettle has settings for different kinds of teas or coffee that I use when brewing. I also use filtered water.

-Txec R

Mine just has a temperature knob on the base, so I've played around with it and found what seems to make things taste good. Coffee is set to 200 degrees, tea to 185.

[Audrada Roibeardet]

Those are good temperatures for brewing. If you decide to brew green tea, I would recommend that you lower the temperature slightly.

We seem to be focused on hot tea. You can also cold brew. Delicate teas can really shine when cold brewed. Plus, cold brewing tea doesn't take that long. Cold brew should not be confused with iced tea. Iced tea starts with a hot brew and then left to cool to room temperature before adding ice.

"Sun tea" is another option. Apparently it's popular in the Southern United States. I've never tried to make it. Rumor has it that brewing tea in the sun can potentially make you ill. I personally would risk my health for tea. Especially since the other methods seem to be safer.

[anglatzara]

When you write "European", @Audrada Roibeardet, do you mean British? Because I don't recognize what you describe at all (except for in the UK and Ireland). Of course you don't use boiling water with all teas. Of course you have an insert for the leaves that you lift out of the pot after 2-4 minutes, depending on the tea.

[Audrada Roibeardet]

I suppose I do mean "British" when I refer to a "European" method. I guess I should have said that Asian methods are superior to all others. I personally believe that the Gung Fu method is best.