~Tea~

[TeaDidikai]

AvalonAuggie

Ti Kuanyin oolong (SO delicious) after...about four infusions, I believe.

Well, with only four steepings, I would likely dry the leaves and use them in a bath sash.  

[Ainwyn]

This has to be the most awesome thing ever!
A yellow submarine for your tea!  

[Collowrath]

Ainwyn

This has to be the most awesome thing ever!
A yellow submarine for your tea!

I saw that somewhere and though "THAT IS SO COOL." =D  

[kage no neko]

That's so cute. I wonder how much it'd be.
Something like that might just get me into drinking tea, lol.  

[TeaDidikai]

SIZIZIS is editing their menu to remove the racial slur.  

[Calixti]

TeaDidikai

SIZIZIS is editing their menu to remove the racial slur.

YAY!  

[TeaDidikai]

Calixti

TeaDidikai

SIZIZIS is editing their menu to remove the racial slur.

YAY!

Yeah. They're pretty cool.  

[Aino Ailill]

'Kay, so I finally have a tea pottea leaves. Problem is, i don't know how to make tea without the bag. sweatdrop

Am I supposed to put the tea pot directly on the stove? It's porcelien, so will it break or something if I do? It came with this little porcelein piece that you can set the pot on top of and then insert a small candle underneath. I don't know if I'm suppossed to be using that to heat the water or just keep the tea warm.

What temperature should I bring the water to?

How do I put the tea leaves in? Is it better for mt to use a ball thingy (like the submarine Ainwyn posted) or to put the leaves in without constraint? How much do I put in?

How long do I leave the leaves in for?

I've heard about doing multiple infusions. What does that mean? How do I do it? How do I store used tea leaves? How do I know when I can't use them anymore?

How do I tell that the tea leaves I've been given are any good? Tea does expire, yes?  

[AvalonAuggie]

Aino Ailill

'Kay, so I finally have a tea pottea leaves. Problem is, i don't know how to make tea without the bag. sweatdrop

Am I supposed to put the tea pot directly on the stove? It's porcelien, so will it break or something if I do? It came with this little porcelein piece that you can set the pot on top of and then insert a small candle underneath. I don't know if I'm suppossed to be using that to heat the water or just keep the tea warm.

What temperature should I bring the water to?

How do I put the tea leaves in? Is it better for mt to use a ball thingy (like the submarine Ainwyn posted) or to put the leaves in without constraint? How much do I put in?

How long do I leave the leaves in for?

I've heard about doing multiple infusions. What does that mean? How do I do it? How do I store used tea leaves? How do I know when I can't use them anymore?

How do I tell that the tea leaves I've been given are any good? Tea does expire, yes?

Don't put the teapot on the stove! you should heat your water in a kettle if you have one, or a saucepan if not.

What kind of tea is it? if it's anything other than black (red) tea the water shouldn't be boiling. But in any case, just before it's hot enough to use on the leaves you should pour a little bit of the hot water into the empty pot and swirl it around to warm the pot up, then pour that out.

IMO, the little ball infusers don't give the leaves enough room to move around well, unless yours is like whopping huge. one of my favorite ways to do the leaves is with a basket like this one , especially if I'm just making a single mug of tea, it fits right in the cup. You could make a pouch for the leaves out of cheesecloth, or leave them loose in the pot depending on what kind of tea it is. If you leave them loose I'd advise pouring the tea through a strainer into your cup if you want to avoid the extra fiber in your diet. XD

As for your other questions, what kind of tea is it? that'll help you narrow down the brewing specifics and whether it'd be good for multiple infusions.  

[Aino Ailill]

AvalonAuggie

Aino Ailill

'Kay, so I finally have a tea pottea leaves. Problem is, i don't know how to make tea without the bag. sweatdrop

Am I supposed to put the tea pot directly on the stove? It's porcelien, so will it break or something if I do? It came with this little porcelein piece that you can set the pot on top of and then insert a small candle underneath. I don't know if I'm suppossed to be using that to heat the water or just keep the tea warm.

What temperature should I bring the water to?

How do I put the tea leaves in? Is it better for mt to use a ball thingy (like the submarine Ainwyn posted) or to put the leaves in without constraint? How much do I put in?

How long do I leave the leaves in for?

I've heard about doing multiple infusions. What does that mean? How do I do it? How do I store used tea leaves? How do I know when I can't use them anymore?

How do I tell that the tea leaves I've been given are any good? Tea does expire, yes?

Don't put the teapot on the stove! you should heat your water in a kettle if you have one, or a saucepan if not.

Hah, I'm glad I asked. xD

Quote:

What kind of tea is it? if it's anything other than black (red) tea the water shouldn't be boiling.

Twinings' Earl Grey Black (Red?) Tea and Mountain Wulong Oolong Tea.

Quote:

But in any case, just before it's hot enough to use on the leaves you should pour a little bit of the hot water into the empty pot and swirl it around to warm the pot up, then pour that out.

*nods* Okay.

Quote:

IMO, the little ball infusers don't give the leaves enough room to move around well, unless yours is like whopping huge. one of my favorite ways to do the leaves is with a basket like this one , especially if I'm just making a single mug of tea, it fits right in the cup. You could make a pouch for the leaves out of cheesecloth, or leave them loose in the pot depending on what kind of tea it is. If you leave them loose I'd advise pouring the tea through a strainer into your cup if you want to avoid the extra fiber in your diet. XD

Hah, okay. My friend gave me a cute, square holder but it is rather small.

Quote:

As for your other questions, what kind of tea is it? that'll help you narrow down the brewing specifics and whether it'd be good for multiple infusions.

Okay. Answer is above. <3 Thank you!  

[AvalonAuggie]

Aino Ailill

Twinings' Earl Grey Black (Red?) Tea and Mountain Wulong Oolong Tea.

I do like Twinings' Earl Grey. it's a nice mellow flavor. I personally don't like black tea that's been brewed more than once unless it's actually full-leaf tea and not chopped up leaves. whole leaves retain their flavor better. And that one can be brewed at boiling and infused for around...three minutes, longer if you want fuller flavor.

The oolong should be good for a ton of infusions. The flavor develops over each subsequent brewing, and a good general rule is to start out with a short steeping time, like a minute and a half, and then each time you brew them extend the time.

I tend to dry my used leaves on napkins or paper plates that I subsequently leave scattered on the table and then put them back into a mug or something until the next time I use them. Or, you could keep them in your infuser, which is simpler storage, especially if you're brewing them again soon. For longer-term storage a tin is the best choice, but a plastic baggie will do in a pinch.  

[Aino Ailill]

I think I may have been a little bit too eager; I burned my tongue. xD

Getting the tea leaves out of the pot (I put them in loose) was a pain. Is there an easy way to do that? My tea pot is squat and has some crannies at the top where a lot of the leaves stuck.  

[Cunning Witch Angus]

Tea...my favorite beverage. I have a cup of Black Earl every morning biggrin  

[patch99329]

Aino Ailill

I think I may have been a little bit too eager; I burned my tongue. xD

Getting the tea leaves out of the pot (I put them in loose) was a pain. Is there an easy way to do that? My tea pot is squat and has some crannies at the top where a lot of the leaves stuck.

I rinse mine out several times into the tea strainer. It takes about 5 minutes depending on leaf size mostly. smile  

[gaaras and milk]

I heard that the type of tea you drink reflects the type of person you are. I don't exactly know how this works. Has anyone else heard this? I'm curious.