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Yeah, it's kind of hit or miss at restaurants. The Chart House that I frequent is good at bringing boiling hot water, but they have only one tea-drinking waitr

Yeah, it's kind of hit or miss at restaurants. The Chart House that I frequent is good at bringing boiling hot water, but they have only one tea-drinking waitress who always makes sure the cups she brings out are hot. The little tea shop near my house always brings everything hot, of course. How do you feel about steeping times? There are some green teas that get nasty if I steep too long, but otherwise, for me, stronger is almost always better, so I've rarely paid attention to steeping times. Sometimes I make a big french press of tea and let it steep until drunk. Do you keep track of the time?

NeedMoreTea 7y ago
No, I don't time it - and I also prefer it good and strong. I suppose it roughly works out at 5 mins in a pot with loose leaf, and I'd guess around 3 mins with a teabag. Shorter as tea bag tea is so much nearer dust. Just not so long as to let it get stewed. Green tea and some of the lighter black teas - like Darjeeling - definitely prefer a bit less time. Lapsang souchong seems to magically avoid stewing no matter how long you leave it. :)
- nate_meurer 7y ago
  Good to know. "Stewing" does sort of describe the way I make tea sometimes. Where do you like to buy? I used to get great stuff like single-estate Darjeelings and Assams from a mail-order company that was later sold to (and destroyed by) Teavana. I mostly use Davidson's Organics now, but the selection is smaller.
  - NeedMoreTea 7y ago
    Ooh, I avoid that change of flavour when it gets the stewed bitter edge and after taste. Wouldn't surprise me if that's British English separating us by common language though. :) Can't help you too much on where - I'm in the UK, even most supermarkets take tea slightly seriously. Then we're spoiled rotten with a great tea shop nearby with loads of loose coffees and teas, including their own blends. https://www.johnwatt.co.uk https://www.johnwatt.co.uk

NeedMoreTea 7y ago

No, I don't time it - and I also prefer it good and strong. I suppose it roughly works out at 5 mins in a pot with loose leaf, and I'd guess around 3 mins with a teabag. Shorter as tea bag tea is so much nearer dust. Just not so long as to let it get stewed. Green tea and some of the lighter black teas - like Darjeeling - definitely prefer a bit less time. Lapsang souchong seems to magically avoid stewing no matter how long you leave it. :)

nate_meurer 7y ago
Good to know. "Stewing" does sort of describe the way I make tea sometimes. Where do you like to buy? I used to get great stuff like single-estate Darjeelings and Assams from a mail-order company that was later sold to (and destroyed by) Teavana. I mostly use Davidson's Organics now, but the selection is smaller.
- NeedMoreTea 7y ago
  Ooh, I avoid that change of flavour when it gets the stewed bitter edge and after taste. Wouldn't surprise me if that's British English separating us by common language though. :) Can't help you too much on where - I'm in the UK, even most supermarkets take tea slightly seriously. Then we're spoiled rotten with a great tea shop nearby with loads of loose coffees and teas, including their own blends. https://www.johnwatt.co.uk https://www.johnwatt.co.uk