/cgl/ - Cosplay & EGL

>>8058102
I think it depends on the people hosting the brands as to the quality of the party and tea. I went to one and it was not that great.

Where do you guys buy your tea? I usually buy mine on the local market or etsy but I really want to try gourmet tea, you know, french pattiseire-tier.
I would very much appreciate any info!

>>8060005
Favourite French brand is Damman. They carry a lot of flavoured tea with subtles aromas, their flavoured black tea selection is really good. Personnal favourites are Paul & Virginie, 4 fruits rouges and Oriental (green tea). I order it through their websites.

>>8058102
My comm when having smaller tea party meetups tends to go to actual tea houses and do a really great job with picking out somewhere nice with quality tea.

Whenever I go to a big event though, it's a different story. Many cons are in hotels which force you to to allow the hotel to cater, so the tea select usually ends up being really poor. Really disappointing considering how much more I have to pay for the tickets to those sorts of events compared to just a day out with my local comm for better quality.

Sorry this is going to sound really noob but how to tell a good tea from a bad tea? I like tea but they all kind of taste the same to me. I use to work in a cafe and we only sold one brand of tea that was imported from France but we weren't allowed to drink it for free like we were for the rest of the beverages so I never drank it. They cost around $20 a tin that's about the size of a fist (the gram weight escapes me...maybe 200g?). What's average for decent tea?

I guess I'm a noob myself, I've never tried getting into expensive teas. Right now I'm drinking Yorkshire which is a true black tea and a step above the orange pekoes which I still enjoy. I absolutely love earl grey and can't really stand any of the fruity/chocolatey nonsense. Recommendations for a good earl grey would be most appreciated.

>>8060024
Do you like it? Then it is good tea. That is really all that matters.

>>8060024
I'm going to sound like a total snob but when your palette matures and you can taste the different notes in a tea it becomes second nature to tell a 'good' tea from a 'bad' tea. Bad teas for me means it was sprayed down with pesticide and never really lost the bitter ass flavor since they don't rinse the leaves very well most of the time.
A good tea is a tea that has been brewed correctly that tastes good. I prefer savory teas like:
>>8060054
That being aid, earl grey tea is earl grey is earl grey, it doesn't really matter which brand you get since it's all flavored. My suggestion would be to try a gunpowder green tea. You might really like that.

>>8060024
That's a reasonable price for good tea, but don't let sandy seagulls talk you out of trying cheaper shit. I personally have a cabinet full of Russian Caravan and expensive green teas, but my go-to daily tea is Red Rose brand 'black' tea (which is a cheap brand that comes in huge boxes and you get a little ceramic figure with each one).
>tfw your last box came with a seagull figure

>>8060005
The tea store across town that imports German tea or the supermarket. I've had tea everywhere from Harrods to Teavana, and my all time favorite tea is still Celestial Seasonings Candy Cane Lane.

Which green tea would you guys recommend? I don't know much about tea but I want to start drinking green tea since I've heard that they are good for your health and skin.

>>8060138
>celestial seasonings candy cane lane
>mfw
top kek

>>8060210
this thread is a no bullying zone

>>8060161
If you have an Asian supermarket nearby, anything that is from Shizuoka prefecture in Japan and is less than a year old. Green tea dries out quickly with age. Get a tea canister to minimize exposure to light and air.

You should look up the different types of green tea, too, and familiarize yourself with them and decide before you go into a market and face a wall of green teas. There will be blends of green tea with roasted rice tea (genmaicha), green tea where it's just the stems (kikucha), powdered green tea...

Japanese green tea steeps at a lower temperature than other teas. If your water is too hot when you brew green tea, the tea will be incredibly bitter.

Also, Japanese green tea is different from Chinese green tea. Both are good, but they are different.

Finally, don't buy green tea bags sold by big western tea companies. They use tea that is so old that almost all the good flavors and nutrients have been lost, and they're overpriced for the quality.

You will probably never receive a good tea at any American lolita tea party, I don't care what hotel or venue you are in. The finest hotels in the US still serve shitty tea. You will be hard pressed to be served a decent tea unless you are in a very large city with specialty cafes that focus specifically on tea as a beverage, not just as part of afternoon tea service. I have been to some of the most expensive hotels in the largest US cities and they still had laughable tea selections. Not only that, but I swear to god no one knows how to make tea in this country.

If you want an exceptional tea as part of your afternoon tea, you're more likely to find it at a teahouse that specializes in actual tea. Mariage Freres is an example of this, they have shops in Tokyo and of course France. You'll also find stellar teas in most spots for afternoon tea services in Tokyo, as of course this is Japan and they aren't going to serve you shitty tea bags or run of the mill loose leaf.

As far as honing your tea knowledge, I highly recommend steepster.com. This community is for teaphiles, and they have ratings for nearly every tea around. There are dozens of independent tea creators that are very much worth looking into. Verdant Tea, Whispering Pines, Butiki, Naivetea, etc. to name a few.

For mainstream brands that aren't your grocery store type, I recommend Mariage Freres, Harney & Sons, Le Palais des Thes, etc.

Unless you really enjoy the nuances of high end small harvest greens, whites, etc. then start with flavored blacks or whites and go from there. Just be cautious of brewing instructions, underbrewing is better than overbrewing, and make sure you get the temp right on whites, oolongs, and greens. Blacks you don't have to worry about. Remember that leaving the tea in the pot will make it bitter. Some teas can be re-steeped, just check reviews to see which ones. A lot of teas will turn bitter just sitting out while you drink, many oolongs are like this.

Would anyone say that Lupicia is worth a try? I've seen some good things online but I wanted to know some seagull opinions.

>>8060231

Also, don't ever put tea in a French press. This is such an American thing, and it's pointless and ruins the tea. Make sure your tea leaves have plenty of room to spread, so I recommend a large steeping device that has plenty of room for the leaves to unfurl. So avoid small tea balls and those novelty tea steepers, there just isn't enough room in them, though they are ok for air travel with black tea.

Mall tea places like Teavana generally suck. They can't even brew their own tea correctly. And dear god never buy tea at Starbucks, this makes the tea gods cry, they can't brew it correctly either to save their lives.

>>8060236

Lupicia is hit or miss - they have some good teas, and some terrible ones. The problem is that they use a lot of artificial flavorings that can make the teas taste very fake. You just have to experiment with them until you find one you like! Their Lucky Packs are fine to try, and give you a good dose of variety for tasting. They make a few really good green grape and green grapefruit teas that are lovely iced in summer!

>>8060238
Teavana puts three times the recommended steeping amount in their samples along with a fuckton of sugar. That's why it tastes like diet fruit juice.

Be mindful of what temperature and time your tea needs to steep. My mom visited San Francisco and we got some amazing Siberian Riose tea from shop in Chinatown which is amazing but only if you pour scalding hot water over the buds in a strainer for no more than 20-30 seconds. I have it at home a lot but when I visited Mom for Xmas she served it and it tasted like flowery soap because she let the buds soak for way too long.

That being said I've been surprised that throwing 2-3 decent green tea bags into a pitcher of cold water and letting it "steep" in the fridge produces a refreshing cold green tea that never seems to get bitter even when I haven't touched it in a week.

>>8060244
They also oversteep the shit out of their tea

>>8060244
The one near my house does the opposite, so you end up sampling warm sweet water with a slight fruity taste. They do it to not waste tea leaves.

>>8060238
I've heard Starbucks recently discontinued Tazo tea, so it's a step. I hated that shit.
Plus the employees didn't know the difference between Earl Grey and black tea.

>>8060261
yeah if they don't know the difference they don't know how to brew it either, and I doubt they are even given the knowledge of how to brew it properly, since tea isn't exactly Starbucks focus

There is a fantastic portable tea brewing cup by Aladdin for tea on the road. The tea steeper is small, but it's efficient and the tea stays in a drop down container that can be raised back up into the lid with a switch once it is done being steeped.

imo this is the best tea steeper you can get for home use http://www.amazon.com/FORLIFE-Brew---Mug-Extra-Fine-Infuser/dp/B001JPA3Y8/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1421441629&sr=8-2&keywords=tea+steeper

>>8060230
This sounds weeaboo as fuck, got any sources?

Does anyone here dislike tea that comes in tea bags, too?

I often have to deal with some mainstream supermarket tea bags that say "brew 3-5 minutes" and water that I don't know the temperature of at work and university. I just stopped drinking tea altogether because the tea tasted like shit and smelled like nothing.
But whenever I take the time and brew my loose tea properly it's so much better.
I just wonder if I'm a tea snob ("tut, tut, you have to brew it like this!") or if anyone else also encounters this problem.

Barry's a shit

>>8060412
nah you're a tea snob

t. pleb who drinks barrys with milk and sugar and doesn't know shit about all this fancy voodoo
>>8060429
fite me irl

>>8060412
I'm kiinda in the same territory, I much prefer brewing a pot over tossing a teabag in a cup, it just doesn't taste right to me.

Also just general information for the thread but mostly geared towards the american anons, I would highly recommend investing in an electric kettle. Before I left the country I only ever used the shitty stove kind you have to wait ages for to boil, get an electric, it will change your life. Any time you need to boil water for something, it'll be there, and it won't make a high pitched squeal when it's done, it'll just turn itself off.

Every workplace I've been to here has a kettle in the office and it's taken my appreciation for tea to new levels.

>immediately buy Rilakkuma mug

How does pg tips rate on /cgl/'s tea scale?

>>8060412
Probably depends on which stuff you drink, I would avoid most of the herbal teas in stuff like Celestial Seasonings but I like buying boxes of Bigelow. According to /ck/ they're the box brand for people who like real tea.

>>8060494
I really like it. For a pekoe it's one of my favorites, it's hearty. I like it more than Tetley.

>>8060412

You aren't a snob, you know what you like and you have knowledge and a taste for certain flavors, that isn't snobby. Snobby implies that you're an asshole about it.

Bagged supermarket tea just doesn't do it for me. Tea is one of my luxuries, and I have no qualms with dropping serious money on new teas that I drink at breakfast and then in the evenings to relax. Some people play video games to relax at night, I brew a pot of tea in a tetsubin (which I use because it's a. easy to keep warm and b. brews just the right amount), pop it on the iron warmer, and have my dessert with it. I have a rotating collection of tea cups and Japanese tea cups that I like to drink it from.

Fuck mugs though, fuck mugs and tea, serve me tea in a mug at a restaurant and I begin to twitch, tea needs a tea cup, something with a small rim, I'm not drinking coffee or hot chocolate, it's TEAAAA.

I agree with the electric kettle as well, though I'm stubborn and have yet to buy one, I have a method I haven't felt like changing yet, despite my husband trying to force them on me

There are some pretty swank kettles out there now that boil the water according to the tea type selected.

>>8060054
I disagree with the anon below
>>8060080
earl grey flavour comes from bergamot oranges, certain brands use artificial flavours to replicate it. Which is bad because you can a. Taste the difference and b. you don't get any of the health benefits of bergamot oranges (Mild anxiolytic effects, has a couple of compounds in it that act like statins) if you're into that kind of thing.

But this can be a benefit if you're on any prescription medication as certain citrus fruits have an effect called "The grapefruit effect" where they interact with every single prescription medication under the sun, in sometimes life threatening ways. If you're on any medication you really need to be careful about drinking too much of this stuff.

>>8060529
THIS IS TEAAA

Kick those motherfuckers in the cheap tea bag pit!

>>8060231
I would agree with this. I still enjoy fancy afternoon teas at hotels, but I judge the quality more on the food/pastries and presentation than on the tea. I keep my tea expectations very low. I am a sucker for scones, lemon curd, tiny sandwiches, macarons, little tarts etc. so I still enjoy tea parties even if they have meh tea.

>>8060005
I used to buy at a local coffee shop, but I don't live near it anymore (I miss having shops by walking distance). Kroger's Private Collection brand is quite nice and relatively cheap (I've had opportunities to buy them at 88 cents each!). I don't really like Teavana, but I do love Adagio. I wish I lived near one. I've had some good experiences with buying in person and online. Their fandom teas are surprisingly good.

>>8060238
>don't ever put tea in a French press

This. French presses are meant for coarsely ground coffee.

I'm not sure if I missed this, but investing in proper tea ware can enhance the taste and experience in having tea.

>tea ball
>strainer
>set and pot
>loose leaf teas
>kettle
>water filter system (cold, fresh soft water is the best)

Let me know if I'm missing anything.

I'm a lazy Murican and use an electric one that has an adjustable temperature. I think it saves more money and energy than a stove top kettle.

>>8060619

Yup fresh filtered water is the only good option! City water will wreck tea!

I have a lot of teapots that are ceramic or glass or porcelain and I never use any of them for tea. Firstly, they are much too large for my own tea sessions. Secondly, it's impossible to keep them warm for the entire time I'm drinking tea. Hence why I use a tetsubin and a cast iron warmer! :)

>>8060619
> I think it saves more money and energy than a stove top kettle.

Nope. Electric kettles are one of the most energy, if not the most, energy intensive household appliances. The electric boards in the UK have to compensate specifically for ad-breaks in major TV shows because so many people use their kettles at the same time, if they didn't we'd have country wide blackouts.

Really surprised to learn kettles are like an optional thing in American households though. It was the first thing I bought when I moved out.

>>8060636
people in the US stick with ye-old stove top.

I got me Adagio Teas 30 oz. utiliTEA. It boils enough for a cup in about 30s (I literally need to stand there and watch it) love it.

This is a pretty cool article I received in my email today http://verdanttea.com/transparency-in-the-tea-industry-domestic-demand/?utm_source=Verdant+Tea+Newsletter&utm_campaign=8fc69c7452-transparencydemand1_16_2015&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_2f567f2539-8fc69c7452-326983533

>>8060708
Do people just not use hot water dispensers? I have this one (runs $40-50 on Amazon, usually) and I can't imagine living without it. You can even have it keep the water at perfect tea temperature if you mainly just use it for tea.

>>8060635
>tetsubin and a cast iron warmer!

>>8060610
Private Selection is the fucking shit. I'm in love with their Blueberry-Acai Pomegranate and Honey Ginseng Lemon green teas.

>>8060054
Mmm Yorkshire. And Yorkshire gold. I don't have a filter at work so we have the hard water stuff.

>>8060412
I know what I prefer, but I'm not such a snob that I don't drink hospital tea (with milk and sugar though!)

>>8060636
I did not know this, now I'm imagining some poor electrical company tech frantically trying to fix stuff before the coro ad break...

>>8060779
>I did not know this
It's because it's not true. Most of them are rated at 1500 watts but you'd have to use it continuously for 1 hour+ for it to actually use up that much.

>>8060738
What's wrong with tetsubins?

Are there any good Keurig Tea's?
I have a great selection of Coffee for mine, but I don't really have any Tea.

>>8060784
I'm not sure about how much a kettle uses in comparison with other appliances, but the bit about British people all making tea at the same time and blackout risk is true.

>>8060826
You will never get the taste of coffee out. Your tea will taste like coffee. I'm sorry.

>>8060834
Oh well, guess I'll just stick to coffee then for it.
I mean I've got everything to brew and I've got a lot of really good Tea as well.
It's just that the Keurig makes it so easy to have a hot cup of anything whenever I want.

>>8060837
I agree! I tried. I ran it blank with just water 2 or three times. But no :(

>>8060826
>>8060834
I use my Keurig without the drink pod to make hot water, then use a teabag or tea strainer thiny.

Mine doesn't taste like coffee, but I don't have a very refined taste either, haha. I'd say it's worth trying.

>>8060850
>>8060849
If it's anything, there's a sort of blank cup you can buy to use with whatever by filling it up and then putting it in the machine.

I don't really bother with it for tea for reasons already mentioned though.

>>8060826

Nope, not only does it not brew correctly, but yeah if anyone in your household uses it for coffee, it will always and forever taste like coffee

>>8060869
+1 anon. I visited my relatives and figured I would use that to heat water and it made the tea taste like coffee.

>>8060635
Depends on where you live. Some places have terrible water and some are totally fine for tea.

>>8060005
>>8060008
Seconded Damman, and also Marriage freres is really good, though very expensive outside france. They have a webshop though.

>>8060636
I'm American and honestly I had no idea about electric kettles until one of my mother's coworkers who's English mentioned it. He was floored that we didn't have one or even know what it was.

This was years ago though so things might have changed.

I can't find a teapot that's big enough for me that is part of my color pallet or design. I feel stupid putting the kettle on the stove every few minutes.
>>8060529
>Fuck mugs though, fuck mugs and tea,
But muh mug collection...

>>8060779
This made me look up Yorkshire Gold to see if it's available in Candider, I am sooo getting this next time!

>>8060896
I'm pretty sure it's still the same, the states are generally much more coffee centric so kettles take a back seat to the coffee pot.

>>8060316
Haha, sorry, I'm just shamelessly promoting the prefecture that my grandpa lives in. Because that place is really in the middle of bum-fuck nowhere. There is nothing to do expect grow rice paddies and grow tea on plantations.

>>8060729
Zojirushi hot water dispensers are amazing.

I got this as a Christmas gift two years ago. The 6 to 10-hour timer is useful for having hot water ready in the morning.

The owner's manual says that filtered water (such as Brita) could hurt the in-built "dechlorinating and descaling" system of the boiler. But I've been using my water from the Brita-filter water for two years, and the dispenser is still going strong. I watch the Brita container bottom for granules like a hawk, though.

>>8060869
>>8060870
Even the mugs!! When we go to my bf's family's house, his mom heats us up water for our tea in the microwave in a coffee mug (THE HORROR). And it smells of/has that faint coffee taste to it. Eurgh.

No beverage but tea touches the mugs/teacups in our house and it kind of freaks me out that there's ghost-coffee-stink in the mugs at the parents' house, even after they've been put through the dishwasher a zillion times. Ew. EW.

sage bc i am a whiny pissbaby

>>8060412
I just don't hold them to the same standards and don't drink them for the same reason than good tea (clipper is ok I guess), but you can find empty fabric tea bags that pretty much works like cafe filters in every good tea shop.
Otherwise, Damman and LOV Organic makes tea bags too and they're ok even though tea is always best loose.

>>8061030
That is the cutest fucking appliance I have ever seen.

>>8060635
>city water will wreck tea
Politely disagree, if your tap water is good there's nothing wrong with using it
T. World's best tap water masterrace

>>8060729
>>8061030
Could you tell me where to get those for cheap? I only find one on amazon for over 100 usd, same thing on ebay. Is it because I'm a eurofag?

>>8061201
If you live in a big town you may be able to find one cheaper in an asian supermarket. Found mine for 50€ in Chinatown.

>>8061228
You're right, I know quite some asia markets that sell rice cookers and other asian electronics, I'll definitely check them out!

>>8060161
I love Jasmine tea and oolong, although oolong is one of those funny halfway house teas

>>8060784
It is true.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TV_pickup

So I guess everyone held the big "coffee or tea" discussion at least once. What are your reasons to choose tea over coffee?

Whenever I try to convince my boyfriend that tea isn't just hot water with a really good tea he insists it got no taste at all.
I wonder if our coffee fellows just can't taste tea, because their tongue is overwhelmed and used to the very strong taste of coffee.

>>8061250
it's not either or, you know.
I enjoy iced coffee but I also enjoy regular breakfast tea. I'm not that keen on obsessing over either so I don't get the us vs them mentality tbh

>>8061250
I don't like the way coffe taste. It's too heavy for me. The strong scent of coffe is overwhelming and I can't focus on the actual taste, plus the heavy taste and smell ask for an heavier liquor in my mind, so I find it uncanny. I also find it more invasive than tea. For me tea replace more or less any liquid I might drink : strong coffe-like drink would be roasted tea like hojicha, white wine would be white or green high end chinese tea, hot chocolate would be english breakfast or five'o'clock with milk, fruit juice would be fruit flavoured tea etc. It fits my cravings for every types of drink I may have.

>>8061255
This. Both taste fine. I prefer one over the other in the same way I prefer a sandwich over spagetthi- it depends on what I'm in the mood for.

>>8061255
Well it's not like I don't drink latte or iced coffee, but all coffee lovers around me insist that only pure uunsugard coffee is real coffee.

>>8061263
And this is different from tea connoisseurs insisting that there's only one way to drink one type of tea?
Look you, from an outsider's pov - both are equally silly. I'm likely going to get shit on for "waaaaah being a tumblr sjw" or something but can you not see the irony in that?

To me it looks about the same as those people who shit on someone who likes Star Trek and say that "they aren't REAL Trekkies because they only like the films, don't say you're a fan when you haven't even watched the show".
That's how it all sounds to me.

>>8061268
There's a difference between being a trekkie or tea connoisseur and just plain enjoying star trek movies or drinking tea. If you claim to be the former and have never seen any star trek series you are just wrong.

>>8061272
I have gotten attacked a few times by saying I love tea.
Do I love tea? I do. I'm not wrong.
Just accept that there's salty cunts on both sides.

Can anyone recommend a good raspberry flavored tea?

Right now my favorite is some raspberry and rose hip stuff my boyfriend makes me, but his mom just has it stored in her own containers and she doesn't remember what brand it was.

I like it with milk, which he says is weird for raspberry tea? I think it tastes better that way though.

>>8061280
I get where the other anon is coming from. It's like someone saying that they love Chanel despite only ever having owned knock offs. They can't know if they actually love it because they're never experienced it before. Same with people who don't make tea in the "Proper" way - they've never really had tea so how can they know whether or not they love it.

>>8061250
Tea - when I know the coffee is going to be truly horrendous
Coffee - when I'm at work and need both the psychological and physical effects of a good flat white.

>>8061250

We are tea-only because coffee gives both my husband and I intestinal distress :P For me I mostly just hate the flavor too.

>>8060138
That sounds like a print

>>8060005
I buy regular supermarket peppermint tea, but once I got some authentic twining's from Britain and it was fantastic.

put them in tin or keeping it in the plastic bag it comes in? What do you do?

>>8061621
Both, I just leave it in the bag and then stuff the bag in it's own air tight container.

>>8061621

If you keep it wrapped tightly in bag, and keep it in a dark place, it will be fine. Storing them in a larger air tight container is good too, I have done it with and without an additional container and I don't notice a difference either way though.

>>8060514
What's wrong with celestial seasonings? I usually never drink tea from bags, but I do like their coconut decaf chai tea when i need something decaf.

>>8061605
You should try growing fresh mint and making tea from that, omg, it's amazing! I've accrued a bit of a mint collection, I have chocolate, spearmint, apple mint and bergamot.
I'm all about the herbal tea, when I need caffeine, I will generally enjoy coffee a lot more. I'm really into rooibos and local boutiquey blends, but also the celestial tension tamer tea is an amazing sedative!
It always feels weird to me when americans fetishise tea, it's weird, and feels like some sort of cultural snobbery thing. It's just boiling water over leaves, it's delicious, you can have it in cute accessories it doesn't make you better than anyone else, urgh.
In less angsty news, does anyone have any links to cute tea sets?

>>8060138
>thinking teavana and celestial seasonings are gourmet teas

oh child

>>8060215
if that were true then I'd be Mana-sama and rich

>>8062219
it's not bad but it's not gourmet tea. They also make a lot of bullshit gimmicky flavours like sugar cookie sleigh ride and caramel apple dream to appeal to people who don't like tea, but it tastes like shit anyway so I don't really know how it would keep bringing people back?

I have plenty in my cupboard from them, but it's not ever my favourite. They're a very planet friendly company and carry all natural ingredients though.

>>8061341
Well they love the tea they have tried, of course. That's how. doesn't really compare to knock offs, that...

>>8061250
I have a mild case of IBS. I do enjoy coffee, especially when it's good quality coffee (to the point that I can drink it black), but shit ain't exactly good for my stomach lining/digestive system, and so I try to limit my intake (coffee also have been badly staining my teeth). I want to believe that tea is generally a gentler alternative.

>>8062254
Besides, are you gonna tell me I can't say I love chocolate because I haven't tried fancy gourmet chocolate?
That's so silly.

>>8062262
Not that anon but, that's actually how it works. Think of it the opposite way, people who have only tried shitty versions of things and think they're shit don't actually know anything about whatever it is. And people rag on them all the time about it, why should it be any different for you?

>>8061341
Not really, though. Even if all you drink is ordinary breakfast tea, you're still allowed to say you love tea, it's stupid to say otherwise. For example, I'm from Ireland. We're the number 3 biggest consumers of tea in the world. Yet probably 80% of Irish tea-drinkers rarely, if ever, drink anything but standard Irish breakfast tea (I'm not one of them, but still). Are you going to say none of those people love tea just because they're drinking it "wrong"? Even ones who drink up to 6-7 cups a day, which isn't uncommon?

>>8062269
No, that isn't how it actually works. You are allowed to say you love something even if you've only tried one kind of such thing, you know. If that really bothers you then you should seriously consider therapy.

>>8062335
>"OMG I LUV LOLITA! My milan00b skirt is tottemo kawaiii!"
If you're not bothered by noobs you're weird.

>>8062272
I've lived in the UK all my life and would honestly say yes, most of the people I know have no idea how to even make a proper cup of tea. They may love what they're drinking but what they're drinking isn't tea. It's nothing more than hot leaf juice. I'm not autistic enough to actually voice that to them though, just sayin'.

>>8062335
It's not a different variety of the same thing though, it's a failure to be what it's trying to be.

>>8062381
Board relative examples are always nice. No one in their right mind would say milanoo is a type of lolita and people who wear milanoo love lolita just as much as people who are actually representative of the fashion.

Tea sucks ass I'll just chug energy drink at Lolita meets when I think nobody's looking

>>8061245
The zojirushi ones tend to be spendier, as they are manufactured in Japan. But their appliances tend to last very long, like 10+ years (even when used daily).

>>8062424
>It's nothing more than hot leaf juice
in other words, tea.

>>8062444
oh please, as if you *really* love energy drinks.
you're not a *true* connoisseur of energy drinks until you've tried the nectar of gods.
*holds up pinkie*

>>8063010
It's an ATLA reference, anon.

>>8063005
>But their appliances tend to last very long, like 10+ years
Zojirushi are seriously lifetime investments. I have a friend that moved to the US maybe fifteen years ago, or so, and her family has used the same Zojirushi rice cooker since they lived in Taiwan. Most of the Asian families I'm friends with have said they only buy Zojirushi products because they know that once they have it, it's there for life.

I've been trying to learn more about tea. After the infuser is removed from the tea pot will the tea does it matter if the pot sits full of tea for another 15 min? Will reheating it make a difference? Or should I brew a fresh pot if the customer wants another cup?

Also does the flavor of tea change significantly with temperature after brewing is completed? Wine for example changes in bouquet and flavor depending on the temperature it is served at.

>>8063546
If you reheat it the tea will start to brew again exactly like coffe and will become extremely bitter. It'll kill the taste most of the time too.

As for flavor change, it depends on the tea. Tea with several infusion (like some chinese tea) will change taste after each infusion. High-end japanese green tea will be at it's full taste around 65°C. Usually lighter teas like flavoured white teas can change in flavour after brewing but only a bit.

>>8063551

What would you recommend for a tea service then? Should I brew only enough for two cups per customer table side and brew a fresh pot on request?

>>8063561
Depending on a bunch of thing. Most of the tea places I go to have a variety of tea pots, when ordering a tea you're usually served a tea pot filled with hot water with a tea bag (fabric tea bags filled with chosen tea in loose leafs for a better quality) on the side so you can make the brew yourself, some even include a small hourglass to time the infusion. These are usually enought for two cups and are perfect for a table of one or two. Usually they can refill the pot once with hot water, most western teas won't brew more than two times.

>>8063568

Sound reasonable. Do you prefer being able to brew yourself or would you prefer having it brewed table side by a server, provided they know what they are doing. Basically what would you consider a better experience?

>>8063585
Depending on the tea once again. If it's a 'regular' tea (read western flavored tea) I'd rather do it myself, but for a degustation with rare teas or maybe foreign technic I'd rather have the waiter demonstrait.

>>8063613

Okay, I appreciate your time and answers. Between tea, coffee/latte art, and wine I have alot to learn and practice.

>>8063624
You're welcome. Starting in a gourmet thing as wine, tea or coffee can be difficult, and it's great that you're actually taking time to research that. Good luck !

>>8061250
I love the taste of black coffee like no others, but maybe you could convince him to drink it when a caffeine boost isn't appropriate? I can't drink much coffee because I have IBS, and most of my tea is really for managing the symptoms, but I love drinking tea at night and there's no way I could ever have a cup of coffee at 10 PM.

I really just drink mostly celestial seasonings because they're sleepytime and mint tea is great, and I have a soft spot for some Tazo, but I'm no tea snob. I buy the vast majority of my tea from a brand that's target is medicinal rather than taste. I did get some gunpowder green tea for christmas though, which is great. It doesn't really get bitter. Next on my list to try is barley tea, which I've heard is good for your health.

>>8063561
If you attend a proper tea at a fine hotel or specialty tea shop, you'll typically receive items about like this, but pared down quite a bit in the spoon department and not as fine of quality This type of strainer is the most common at places like Laduree.

This is how I prefer a tea service, and for at home, more casual service, most tea pots that are specifically for a tea service will have a metal strainer contained within the lid. You can fill the strainer with tea, then pour the hot water over it and into the pot and then let it steep. Remove the strainer before serving, and if more tea is needed, repeat the process. If you want to give the option of more than one type of tea to a guest, have two small pots of this type ready, so each person may have one.

>>8063627

I have been doing wine tastings for a few years now and I'm studying to take to intro sommelier exam in maybe a year and a half. I'm working on coffee but I live on the Big Island of Hawaii so there is the well known Kona coffee on the west side of the island and the up and coming Ka'u coffee not that far away. Tea is a little trickier for me because even though we have a few places growing tea it doesn't have the same presence here except for macha because of all the Japanese sugar cane worker descendants. There are also a few people trying to launch a chocolate industry here but its still in its infancy.

>>8063639

Is there a preference of material? Metal, porcelain or stoneware?

>>8063650

It's all personal preference! Different shops use different types of pots as well. I personally prefer stoneware or cast iron. I have porcelain pots but I only use them for display, as they aren't hearty enough for my clumsiness - Mariage Freres sheathes their porcelain pots in metal housings however. I'm fine with metal at tea services but I just don't feel the need to own any!

>>8063650
I like cast iron myself as it helps keep the tea warmer longer, but as a business I've only had porcelain at shops where I was given a teapot. At more fancy tea service where they pour the cup for you I've only had silver...also it was a pain. I drink tea fast, especially if I like it, and had to tell the person to come over so often.

I love Teavana's Snow Geisha blend but I ran out of it.

Trying to stray away from Teavana after some anon's suggestions, I've been trying to find another blend similar to this one, but with no luck.

Please convince me not to rebuy this blend

>>8061311
I've really enjoyed Zhena's Raspberry Earl. The fragrance is super lovely.

>>8064680
>cherries picked straight from the sakura tree
holy god seriously? i thought teavana was bad but fuck. sakura don't grow cherries! i haven't laughed so hard in a while. I have some suggestions from adagio though, there are two flavors you can mix if i remember correctly. give me a sec.

>>8064706
Thanks a bunch. Preferably a white tea if possible, I like me health benefits

>>8064719
http://www.adagio.com/white/white_eternal_spring.html
This is probably similar on it's own. It's sold out ATM(along with some of my other favorites) but I can also suggest, to buy a plain white tea and mix it with http://www.adagio.com/herbal/dewy_cherry.html

>>8064920
Forgot to add, buy samples first, they're only $2 a piece.

>>8064925
>mfw a $2 sample still ends up costing nearly $15 after shipping

I really wish Adagio had better shipping options for Canada, cause that's a dealbreaker

But thanks so much for your suggestions, I'll look for other things similar and if all else fails, I'll order it once the other blend comes back in stock.

>>8061250
Don't like the taste of coffee at all. I love the smell of coffee but can't drink it even if it's loaded with sugar and chocolate. It also tends to upset my stomach.

Mint tea steeped in hot orange juice is pretty good.