Coffee & Tea For Me

[WVOldFart]

Wing Chun by chance? I have a friend who's trying to teach me some, very subtle stuff.

Pai Lum. I was lucky, many years ago, to receive my second degree black belt in Pai Lum Kung Fu and to be able to teach Tai Chi for 5 yrs. at our local college. That was many years ago. If I did some of the martial arts move now, you would hear my joints pop where you live.

 

[HawkeyeLinus]

This is what I use. A Bonavita tea kettle.
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As for tea drinking. I drink 2-3 cups of green tea every morning. Lately, I've been on a Japanese Genmaicha: Green tea with roasted rice. I like the flavor the roasted rice gives.
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My favorite place to buy tea online is Harney & Sons...always free shipping. We have local tea shop the next town over that also purchase from.

When we are camping in the trailer I like to drink Lapsang Sousong in the morning by a fire.

I use the same kettle for my pourover coffee, I think I've had it 4 years at least and use it every day I'm here (unless I fire up the budget espresso machine for my wife's mochas). It's still going strong. We're lazy with our tea and use the microwave, but if I had good tea this kettle would do the job.

 

[theloniousmonkfish]

For black tea 90% of the time I go with Ketepa Pride or Kericho Gold, Ketepa brews fast and strong but doesn't get bitter. The fruity herbal stuff I'll do cold or hot. Strong recommendation for Celestial Seasonings True Blueberry, also worth noting is their Cinnamon Apple Spice and Zingers. I've stunk myself up on fruity herbal teas to the point of people inquiring about the aroma from my mug filling rooms, I like them bursting with flavor and straight, no sugar.

 

[mso489]

When I drank tea, I used to like some of the flavored and herbal teas, but for shear tea delight, I liked quality plain black or green of different kinds.

 

[irishearl]

Coffee is my first love, but do drink black teas several times per week around noon. While I do enjoy single Chinese varietals-Keemun and Yunnan-prefer black tea blends based on Indian teas with Irish and Scottish breakfast blends from the spicemerchant.com being my current favorites.

 

[kcghost]

Okay, laugh at me if you want but I like sorry ass Lipton iced tea tea with sugar. If it is good enough for Southerners it's good enough for me.

 

[Brendan]

Okay, laugh at me if you want but I like sorry ass Lipton iced tea tea with sugar. If it is good enough for Southerners it's good enough for me.

Hard to beat on a hot, humid day.
Hey Australia is pretty much south anyways.

I don't drink tea as much as I should because I do really enjoy a strong black tea, and an Earl Grey but in tea bags, reading this thread makes me think there is another rabbit hole to go down besides tobacco blends..

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

Okay, laugh at me if you want but I like sorry ass Lipton iced tea tea with sugar. If it is good enough for Southerners it's good enough for me.

I'm not laughing, I'm crying. I really love simple sweet tea but as much as I drink, too much sugar. I could easily drink more than a half gallon a day and savor every sip.

 

[smudgersmissingleg]

then heat a cup of water in the microwave

You should definitely invest in a kettle. My dad uses an old fashioned one that you heat on the cooker hob.

As for teas my absolute favourite is Fortnum & Mason Irish Breakfast Tea. Its got a strong malty flavour which I love. Fortnum's have been producing teas for over 300 years and they supply tea for the Royal family. They sometimes produce special teas for the royals like their Royal Blend which was made for King Edward in 1902.

 

[smudgersmissingleg]

I love tea -- black or green, hot or iced -- but I can't drink it. I've learned over stubborn decades, for me, it causes kidney stones. Coffee yes, but alas, I have to do decaf these days, though I much prefer caffeinated. I thought I was past that tea problem, but another reminder on the stones, and I had to quit. Tea has a wonderful mood-lifting effect.

I've got the same problem. Because I have stomach ulcers i'm supposed to avoid caffeine and I find decaf teas just aren't as strong as I like them. I drink mostly black decaf coffee now but I always make an exception when i'm at my parents house as they are big tea drinkers and they have my favourite which is Irish breakfast blend so it's hard to resist.

 

[troutface]

As a GERD sufferer I am on omeprazole (Prilosec) for life. To give my stomach a break I started drinking tea about 8 years ago. In typical fashion I got into the weeds pretty quickly. I began trying loose leaf teas from all over the world and found a home in first flush Darjeelings, which comprise about 98% of what I drink. I brew the occasional Phoenix Oolong or Tieguanyin Oolong. I buy almost exclusively from Upton and Vahdam because of their selection of Darjeelings, but they carry many other estate teas as well as tisanes. Vahdam used to ship direct from India, but now has a US presence. Once your palate becomes accustomed to high quality loose leaf tea, it is hard to drink tea brewed from a bag. Even supposedly high quality bagged teas taste like cardboard to me now. It's no wonder that many folks shun tea. It's because they've never been served the real thing !

 

[The Amish Tyrant]

I'm interested in following this thread.

I've almost eliminated energy drinks in favor of coffee throughout most of the day. Then I switch to diet soda or water.

Cutting back on coffee the last 2 weeks was not ideal (I run on caffeine, nicotine, and hatred ... I'm kidding ... well, maybe) and I'm drinking too much diet soda.

I enjoy the carbonation and mouthfeel of diet cola and am looking for a healthier substitute. I think a tasty cold or room temperature tea would scratch the itch; although beating the price point of $1 for a 2 liter of soda may be difficult (but possibly worth the time and energy).

 

[Charlie718]

I’m mostly a coffee guy but I cut it out of my day after 7-8pm. Then I drink tea, mostly Hojicha but sometimes regular green tea or a black tea

 

[swampgrizzly]

I traditionally have preferred dark roast coffee/no sugar or cream. My favorites have been 100% pure Kona Coffee from Hawaii (don't get fooled with coffees labeled Kona Roast or Kona Style). Real 100% pure kona coffee is expensive! I order from suppliers directly in Hawaii but within the USA one can enjoy the flat rate shipping options within the USPS . I have also enjoyed Mystic Monk coffee for years now. Due to acid reflux/Barrett's Esophagus issues along with insomnia issues I've chosen to reduce my coffee consumption. I've found that tea results in less caffeine and acid consumption thus helping with the before mentioned health issues. I mainly use grocery store teas sweetened with a little honey. Outside of variety of grocery store teas I have come to enjoy one tea not previously mentioned that I order online. That is Market Spice Cinnamon-Orange tea from Pikes Place Market in Seattle, Washington.

 

[dctune]

Coffee in the morning and brewed tea the rest of the day are my drinks of choice these days. Lots of water while playing golf. I'd likely make the Tea Purists do a double face palm with my choices but it's a lot healthier than the sugar laced stuff I used to consume.

I started with David's Tea a few years ago but recently have discovered Full Leaf Tea and Adagio. Similar quality at a much lower price. I drink a variety of Earl Grey blends for breakfast, when not drinking coffee, and also after dinner. Mixing in some Yunnan teas as well. My bigger thing though are the herbal ice teas. I keep two quart pitchers cold brewing in the fridge all the time. Discovering these taste better from totally cold brewing vs not water, then to the fridge, was a big deal for me. I drink a variety of fruit flavors and peppermint. All light and refreshing and compliment the pipe quite well. And quite cost effective, $.50 to $.75 per quart pitcher.

I never thought I'd like something like Earl Grey but have grown to really enjoy this blend. It's slowly replacing coffee "gasp". I just got in some Cacao which is supposedly another coffee substitute that's kind of like hot chocolate. I know, I've lost my mind.

How about other avid tea drinkers shouting out with your preferences and supply sources as well as your own tricks of the trade. I'm an absolute novice and would like to learn. I see some black and green teas that are quite expensive to exorbitantly pricey but I figure my palate isn't ready to appreciate those yet. Are they worth it? I also see people getting fairly precise with water temperature. I heart a cup of water in the microwave for 2 min 10 seconds. How important is this? How do you regulate water temp so precisely?

Let me recommend the following. It’s excellent & caffeine free.

 

[FurCoat]

French roast coffee in the morning and Luzianne sweet iced tea the rest of the day. We take our sweet tea seriously in these parts. I drink my tea from a mason jar of course and when my wife and I went shopping for a new sectional, I took my beloved jar with me. Told the salesman that the cup holder had to accommodate the jar or no sale. I have custom cup holders. My wife on the other hand drinks whole leaf tea.

 

[Peter Turbo]

i do chinese loose/whole leaf red tea (black tea in the west) and green tea, gongfu style. japanese black and green tea (harder to source) kettle/japanese style. hot water kettle, proper water temps always. still need to try pu-erh tea, looks dark and tasty.

for coffee its usually a dark roast whole bean and a medium roast from a local roaster. i wont buy the beans if they havent been roasted recently (a week or less). luckily they print the roasted on date on the bags before you buy them. french press most of the time, sometimes pour over or french press cold brew. this reminds me i need to order some more im getting low.

 

[HawkeyeLinus]

Okay, laugh at me if you want but I like sorry ass Lipton iced tea tea with sugar. If it is good enough for Southerners it's good enough for me.

That’s our go to 7 months a year, but in decaf - I even take 40 oz. in my thermos thing when I play golf. I’ve gotten to the point I like it plain or with a little bit, just a little bit of lemonade in it or fresh squeezed lemon.

 

[londonbriar]

- Take bag of PG Tips or similar proprietary blend*
- Put in mug.
- Add boiling hot water. Boiling water is essential.
- Leave to brew for about three minutes until it is nice and strong.
- Add milk to taste. About half an inch is my preference.
- Drink and repeat, ten times daily.

Tis the British way - no time for fancy teas here!

*I actually tend to drink supermarket Red Label - cheap and cheerful. I don't really see any difference.

PS I have heard that the young people are turning more towards coffee. Oh the lure of those sugar laden lattes from trendy drive-through coffee shops..

PPS The best way I found to source a good sized box of PG Tips in USA when I visited was an Indian grocery store. The pre-printed price label on the box was in £

 

[SBC]

I have a "Brown Betty" teapot from Stoke-on-Trent, England, and buy most of my tea online from The English Tea Store.

My favorite is a Sri Lankan estate called "Lover's Leap," available there.

But for tobacco pairing, nothing seems more complementary to me than Indonesian coffee with a Balkan mixture. Unfortunately, I pretty much never drink coffee anymore, as it doesn't seem to agree with me physiologically, somehow.